Extreme Snake Oil

[FrantzM]

Sorry - I've just defined it:

0dBve is the corner of a veil wafting in a light breeze (A deciveil if you like), up to 10dBve which is one whole veil lifted. 20dBve is 10 veils etc.

 

[theREALdotnet]

20dBve is 10 veils etc.

Although in practice, I believe, the total number of veils has to be divisible by seven.

 

[GradyBeach247]

Although in practice, I believe, the total number of veils has to be divisible by seven.

Obviously the deciveil is computed in base seven.

 

[theREALdotnet]

Obviously the deciveil is computed in base seven.

I see, so log7 instead of log10.

 

[antcollinet]

Obviously the deciveil is computed in base seven.

Wouldn't that be a hepti septiveil?

 

[Suffolkhifinut]

Thought PRAT stood for ‘Pace, Rhythm And Timing?’

 

[DonR]

Thought PRAT stood for ‘Pace, Rhythm And Timing?’

It describes most reviewers of audiophile equipment: Poor Recollection and Tinnitus (apologies to fellow tinnitus sufferers).

 

[Mart68]

If reviewers hadn't invented all this stuff to 'listen out for' when assessing equipment we would just have 'sounds good' and 'doesn't sound good'.

Which is pretty much all there is to it in reality.

 

[mhardy6647]

From the Polk forums, and (arguably) on topic -- yet another Charles Rodrigues classic

 

[NYfan2]

We have a new winner, the Furutech V1 NCF (Ltd. Ed.) powercord: https://alpha-audio.net/2022/04/furutech-v1-ncf-ltd-ed-power-cable/
An extremely limited edition for the special price of € 7485,- (~ $ 8093)

But this will bring you:
“The Project V1’s design has resulted in a reproduction with extremely refined and high resolution and, due to its very low noise floor, an ultimate soundstage with a very musical midrange and tight, controlled, low that is combined with great dynamics and power.”

 

[egellings]

Get a couple for the kids, too.

 

[Spkrdctr]

We have a new winner, the Furutech V1 NCF (Ltd. Ed.) powercord: https://alpha-audio.net/2022/04/furutech-v1-ncf-ltd-ed-power-cable/
An extremely limited edition for the special price of € 7485,- (~ $ 8093)

But this will bring you:
“The Project V1’s design has resulted in a reproduction with extremely refined and high resolution and, due to its very low noise floor, an ultimate soundstage with a very musical midrange and tight, controlled, low that is combined with great dynamics and power.”

I should order 5 of them. Wait till they are almost at my house and then cancel the credit card charges. I could then resell them on Fleabay. I think I'm an entrepreneur! Like a corner drug dealer, buy low or steal for free and resell at a high price. I have some skills!

 

[egellings]

Spell that "skillz", dude.

 

[ahofer]

Home stereo and space laser systems have a lot in common.

I never thought I would be enthusiastic about a cable manufacturer until I found Analysis Plus.

I too had this prejudice. In conversation with one of the principals of Analysis Plus, Mark Markel, he casually mentioned that their Big Silver Oval did not sound like what I expected at all. And that it was the only speaker cable that met the specs NASA had for cable to run information to one of its laser systems.

Oswalds Mill Audio - Analysis Plus Cables | OMA

Audio cable is the most problematic area in hifi today. More snake oil, no scientific evidence, and prices divorced from any reality. Furthermore, many people k

oswaldsmillaudio.com

I have a set of AP cables from my more vulnerable years.


addendum: it turns out one of my son's classmates, and fellow engineering major, worked there for a while. He wasn't impressed, apparently.

 

[Mart68]

Home stereo and space laser systems have a lot in common.
.

You'd need to be an expert to tell them apart.

 

[Audiofire]

I posted some reviews of QED's products on their website, where I tried to be as realistic as possible. It said "You submitted your review for moderation", but my reviews seem to have been way too realistic for such a blatant snake oil company as they haven't been revealed there (I made sure to copy them into a text file as this outcome was sort of expected). I therefore feel the need to post them below.

Signature Genesis Silver Spiral
The description states "Recommended for high end installations". I disagree, because the science in this cable is snake oil. Skin effect and silver-plated copper is something for radio frequency applications. The capacitance is higher on this cable than QED XT25 anyway.

Profile 79 Strand
This is probably the only speaker cable from QED that is worth considering. The others have science that is based on ignorance or snake oil. The price is a little higher than the zip-cord you can find other places though.

Profile Audio
This cable is all right, albeit the price is higher than many other RCA cables you can buy. Customer support told me that the conductors are twisted together and the shield is only connected at the source end. Hence the arrows on the outer insulation (at least on my copy). However, this science is not necessarily right. Connecting the shield on both ends is right normally, and there are only some rare cases where the cable construction of QED Profile Audio makes any difference. I would suggest you buy a cheaper RCA cable with the proper construction.

Performance Audio 40i
The dual conductor design with silver plating in this cable is unnecessary, so it is certainly not worth paying for. The velocity of propagation does not become a concern at such a cross-sectional area and length used for RCA cables. Better to buy QED Profile Audio or just look for a more competent company.

Reference Audio 40
The science in this cable is just unbelievably wrong, at least for a company that claims to have been into the science of sound for many decades. My advice is that you need a 75 ohm video cable with stranded copper for a true audiophile RCA cable. So now that you have read that, you don't have to be brainwashed by snake oil companies like QED.

Signature Audio 40
You are fooling yourself if you hear an audible improvement from this cable outside of a scientifically controlled experiment for all I know. Much of the science that supposedly justifies the price is total snake oil. "This has the effect of providing an alternative path for high frequency audio components which might otherwise become time smeared in a single audio pathway" for example. Yet you don't see any evidence of a scientifically controlled experiment, where the claim in the quote makes any sense. Time smearing does not become audible in RCA cables. A more fitting slogan for this company would definitely be "the sound of snake oil".

XT5
It is ridiculous to assume that the last couple of meters of snake oil power cable will make an audible improvement when the normal power cable all the way back to the supply company is different, and any noise gets filtered out inside good hi-fi equipment anyway.

Edit: I bought QED Profile Audio before I asked customer service and learned more about the science, it wasn't that expensive and has a good appearance to me (didn't buy any other cables from QED luckily, and will make sure that I never buy something from them again).

I also asked customer support why they haven't been revealed and got no answer, this experiment was a good way to prove that nobody should buy anything from this company.

 

[ahofer]

Goop is getting in on it

https://goop.com/wellness/mindfulness/wearable-stickers-that-promote-healing-really/

 

[sq225917]

That's just asking to end up in court, what utter bullshit

 

[mhardy6647]

You know -- this sort of discussion always takes me back to a Monty Python sketch about an apartment block erected via hypnosis alone.

Monty Python: Mystico and Janet - Flats Built by Hypnosis

A builder uses hypnosis instead of traditional construction methods, leading to hilariously unstable and surreal architectural results.

montycasinos.com

sample dialog:

SUPERIMPOSED CAPTION: 'MR CLEMENT ONAN, ARCHITECT TO THE COUNCIL'
Architect (Graham Chapman): Of course they're safe. There's absolutely no doubt about that. They are as strong, solid and as safe as any other building method in this country provided of course people believe in them.
(Cut to a council flat. On the wall there is a picture of Mystico.)
Tenant (Eric Idle): Yes, we received a note from the Council saying that if we ceased to believe in this building it would fall down.
Voice Over: You don't mind living in a figment of another man's imagination?
Tenant: No, it's much better than where we used to live...

 

[Spkrdctr]

Goop is getting in on it

https://goop.com/wellness/mindfulness/wearable-stickers-that-promote-healing-really/

I clicked the link and had my first time ever on the Goop site. I was amazed at the utter nonsense they promote. It was high end wires for audio marketing methods, but they used it for personal products. It is catering to the unscientific stupid people in our society. I'm once again appalled at how far our species has sunk. We are reverting back towards the primordial goo. Should see some half people/half monkeys running around soon. I will now try to forget ever seeing that site!