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Extreme Snake Oil

MarkS said:
Transparent Audio cable comes with an impeccable recommendation:

View attachment 469882

Fabio - an audiophile?!?!? - Blu-ray Forum

Fabio - an audiophile?!?!? General Chat
forum.blu-ray.com forum.blu-ray.com

Pretty sure that's copied from a Stereophile article, but I can't find the original.

I saw Fabio in person walking around the rooms at a Stereophile audio show in LA sometime in the early 90s ...
Click to expand...

I remember the full article, he had high end Martin Logans speakers and sounded like his dealer sold him the full snake oil.

mhardy6647

Post in thread 'Vintage Audio Advertising'

DanielT said:
Thought to post some picture so I googled,"sexy men and hifi"
Click to expand...
Well, that model guy... umm... Fabio... had a rather famous stereo system.
Not that there's anything wrong with that! ;)

Fabio's $500,000+ Stereo System

Was watching an interview with tonemeister Dweezil Zappa and he mentioned Fabio (yes, that Fabio) having the most amazing stereo system he'd ever seen, worth over a half million, etc. So I decided to Google it for fun. I have to admit, this won me over. Tom Green shows it in a house tour below...
www.3daudioinc.com
www.martinloganowners.com

Fabio's System - 1995

Who is Fabio? Well, look him up. He's recently done some fun Old Spice commercials. But, he's also an audio enthusiast, like us, but with more money than (most of) us. Here's a reprint from Audio Video Interiors, November 1995, which, miraculously, was not chewed up by the Florida Palmetto...
www.martinloganowners.com www.martinloganowners.com
Mo88vFG.jpg

fabio01-jpg.15437



And... I mean... in another time's forgotten space... Rod the Mod did have the Rodspeaker(s).
and he had a hit called Do...
  • Like
 
egellings said:
Won't the binaural recording work well with headphones?
Click to expand...
Yes, this is the best way to listen to binaural recordings. I'm actually working on my own version of the AKG dummy head microphone. I have had some difficulty 3D printing the ears in a soft plastic but recently I made a set with TPE (thermoplastic elastomer) that I think are good enough to be an analog to an actual human ear. Unfortunately my attempts to resin print in a flexible material failed over and over again, mainly due to the cheap nasty printer I have! I'll post some pics when I'm closer to completing it.
 
It's a long thread, and I don't know if it has been mentioned before...

Synergistic Research Voodoo streamer:

VoodooInside-scaled.jpg


we developed the world’s most musically robust server architecture, where we listened to dozens of motherboards, CPU processors, and RAM options in double-blind testing, picking only the most resolved and musical options.
...
By overcoming high-frequency noise all too common in digital circuits, we eliminated both digital compression and annoying high-frequency artifacts assumed to be intrinsic to the digital format. Now, instead of digital sounding somewhat veiled and with high-frequency hash, it is analog that sounds spacially compressed with high frequencies that lack extension and transparency.
...
For the highest possible digital audio quality, use one Voodoo unit as the core and another as the bridge, allowing each unit to focus on their respective functions separately. This setup enhances the overall performance by dedicating each server to a specific task within the digital audio playback process.


Motherboard: MSI B650I (AM5)*
SSD: Samsung 980 Pro (500GB standard)
RAM: Kingston 16GB DDR5 5600 MHz**
PSU: picoPSU-160-XT
Software: Roon Server

* Wi-Fi card and VRM heatsink removed
** Based on what can be seen in the photo, but I'm not 100% sure

So what's left is a proprietary linear power supply.

Price: 15 995,00 USD

But then of course you need two of them to get the "highest possible digital audio quality", and you also need their 5-port Ethernet switch (2 895 USD) and router (2 995 USD, or
14 750 USD with the recommended SRX XL power cable and Master fuse).
 
Last edited:
Ageve said:
It's a long thread, and I don't know if it has been mentioned before...

Synergistic Research Voodoo streamer:

View attachment 469965

we developed the world’s most musically robust server architecture, where we listened to dozens of motherboards, CPU processors, and RAM options in double-blind testing, picking only the most resolved and musical options.
...
By overcoming high-frequency noise all too common in digital circuits, we eliminated both digital compression and annoying high-frequency artifacts assumed to be intrinsic to the digital format. Now, instead of digital sounding somewhat veiled and with high-frequency hash, it is analog that sounds spacially compressed with high frequencies that lack extension and transparency.
...
For the highest possible digital audio quality, use one Voodoo unit as the core and another as the bridge, allowing each unit to focus on their respective functions separately. This setup enhances the overall performance by dedicating each server to a specific task within the digital audio playback process.


Motherboard: MSI B650I (AM5)*
SSD: Samsung 980 Pro (500GB standard)
RAM: Kingston 16GB DDR5 5600 MHz**
PSU: picoPSU-160-XT
Software: Roon Server

* Wi-Fi card and VRM heatsink removed
** Based on what can be seen in the photo, but I'm not 100% sure

So what's left is a proprietary linear power supply.

Price: 15 995,00 USD

But then of course you need two of them to get the "highest possible digital audio quality", and you also need their 5-port Ethernet switch (2 895 USD) and router (2 995 USD, or
14 750 USD with the recommended SRX XL power cable and Master fuse).
Click to expand...
They listened in double-blind testing hahahaha that was good It's one of the most ridiculous snake oil companies and every time i come across one of their products i have a good shattering laugh.
 
Ageve said:
It's a long thread, and I don't know if it has been mentioned before...

Synergistic Research Voodoo streamer:

View attachment 469965

we developed the world’s most musically robust server architecture, where we listened to dozens of motherboards, CPU processors, and RAM options in double-blind testing, picking only the most resolved and musical options.
...
By overcoming high-frequency noise all too common in digital circuits, we eliminated both digital compression and annoying high-frequency artifacts assumed to be intrinsic to the digital format. Now, instead of digital sounding somewhat veiled and with high-frequency hash, it is analog that sounds spacially compressed with high frequencies that lack extension and transparency.
...
For the highest possible digital audio quality, use one Voodoo unit as the core and another as the bridge, allowing each unit to focus on their respective functions separately. This setup enhances the overall performance by dedicating each server to a specific task within the digital audio playback process.


Motherboard: MSI B650I (AM5)*
SSD: Samsung 980 Pro (500GB standard)
RAM: Kingston 16GB DDR5 5600 MHz**
PSU: picoPSU-160-XT
Software: Roon Server

* Wi-Fi card and VRM heatsink removed
** Based on what can be seen in the photo, but I'm not 100% sure

So what's left is a proprietary linear power supply.

Price: 15 995,00 USD

But then of course you need two of them to get the "highest possible digital audio quality", and you also need their 5-port Ethernet switch (2 895 USD) and router (2 995 USD, or
14 750 USD with the recommended SRX XL power cable and Master fuse).
Click to expand...

Ok - so you did not mention Storage, Processor, and Case, so I added them. Went super high with the processor, not cheap storage, picked the case because I like it. Did not add a video card, but if you want to got reasonably nuts, add $1K. Could not find the specific power supply on PartsPicker, so I added the highest MSI PS.


$3153.90 !!!!

I am pretty sure this is a better box.

WOW - Snake oil at its finest.
 
HammersRocco said:
Ok - so you did not mention Storage, Processor, and Case, so I added them. Went super high with the processor, not cheap storage, picked the case because I like it. Did not add a video card, but if you want to got reasonably nuts, add $1K. Could not find the specific power supply on PartsPicker, so I added the highest MSI PS.


$3153.90 !!!!

I am pretty sure this is a better box.

WOW - Snake oil at its finest.
Click to expand...
"Nigerian prince asking for your social security number" is more respectful than this scam.
 
HammersRocco said:
Ok - so you did not mention Storage, Processor, and Case, so I added them. Went super high with the processor, not cheap storage, picked the case because I like it. Did not add a video card, but if you want to got reasonably nuts, add $1K. Could not find the specific power supply on PartsPicker, so I added the highest MSI PS.


$3153.90 !!!!

I am pretty sure this is a better box.

WOW - Snake oil at its finest.
Click to expand...
Snake Oil Synergistic Research - very good... ;)
 
How poor and bumbling they scraped off the MSI logo and model name. Too bad for them that part of that is on top of pcb tracks so they couldn't scrape that off.
And what do they want to achieve with it? Hiding that just ordinary components are used?
 
Ageve said:
Synergistic Research Voodoo streamer:
For the highest possible digital audio quality, use one Voodoo unit as the core and another as the bridge, allowing each unit to focus on their respective functions separately. This setup enhances the overall performance by dedicating each server to a specific task within the digital audio playback process.

Price: 15 995,00 USD

But then of course you need two of them to get the "highest possible digital audio quality", and you also need their 5-port Ethernet switch (2 895 USD) and router (2 995 USD, or
14 750 USD with the recommended SRX XL power cable and Master fuse).
Click to expand...
HOLD ON! I just noticed - are they suggesting that for the "highest possible digital audio quality" you buy a second of those units just to do the work that Rasp Pi 5 could do just as well?

Wow
 
Visited a guy, who recently came over to try different TT's - he has a decent system, mid-level, but all he played was stuff off of the interweb, YouTube and so on -
after a while I thought to myself: Everything sounds the same, somehow... Oh well.
 
The foolishness is strong out there.

AI Summary:

Survey Results​

  • 52.4% of audiophiles believe cables affect sound quality.
  • 29% disagree, saying cables make no audible difference.
  • The rest are either unsure or say “it depends.”

✅ Why Some Say Cables Matter​

  1. Cable Design & Signal Integrity
    • Resistance, capacitance, and inductance can measurably impact sound.
    • Geometry and materials (e.g., silver vs. copper) influence performance.
    • Example: Early Naim amps required specific cable inductance for stability.
  2. Shielding & Noise Reduction
    • Shielding blocks interference from devices like routers and chargers.
    • Especially critical for low-level signals (e.g., phono cartridges).
    • Poor shielding can cause hum or noise, even in digital setups.
  3. System Sensitivity
    • High-end or tube gear may reveal cable differences more clearly.
    • Modest systems might mask those effects.
  4. Listener Experience
    • Some users report clearer highs, tighter bass, or reduced hum.
    • Controlled studies (e.g., by Milind Kunchur) suggest real perceptible differences under certain conditions.

❌ Why Others Say Cables Don’t Matter​

  1. Controlled Testing
    • Blind ABX tests often show no audible differences when variables are matched.
    • Budget cables can perform as well as expensive ones.
  2. Confounding Factors
    • Improvements may stem from fixing bad connections or mismatched levels.
    • Even tiny volume differences can skew perception.
  3. Digital Audio Argument
    • “Bits are bits”: As long as specs are met, digital cables shouldn’t affect sound.
    • Noise issues are usually due to equipment design, not the cable itself.
  4. Skepticism Toward Marketing
    • High prices and vague claims (e.g., “liquid mids”) raise doubts.
    • Skeptics prefer data over descriptors.

Final Thought​

  • Cable effects aren’t universal—they depend on the system, environment, and listener.
  • Both camps may be “right” depending on context.

www.headphonesty.com

Do Audio Cables Really Affect Sound? More Than 50% of Audiophiles Say ‘Yes’ on New Survey

The divide comes down to technical traits and personal experience.
www.headphonesty.com www.headphonesty.com
 
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