Extreme Snake Oil

[Entropy]

Oh god, This thread is intense.
Here's my contribution, a "passive power conditioner" (HB Cable Design PowerSlave) that you can purchase for the low, low price of 16.5k USD.
"• Extreme build quality
• Unlimited dynamics
• High resolution with decay and micro detail
• Creates a new standard in magic sound staging"
Link

 

[Short38]

Does this device use AC or DC? I’d be very skeptical of a device of this caliber that used AC.

 

[fpitas]

Self reflection? Crooks don't self reflect.

I think they sometimes regret not gouging suckers as much as they could have.

 

[Entropy]

Does this device use AC or DC? I’d be very skeptical of a device of this caliber that used AC.

If you're talking about mine, It's AC in, AC out

 

[ribonucleic]

Creates a new standard in magic sound staging

Suddenly yearning for an Atmos remix of Trout Mask Replica.

 

[Kal Rubinson]

"Fragrant" can be felt? Sound has an "aroma"?

Synesthesia.

 

[pseudoid]

Synesthesia

Yeah! Anastesia... wasn't she the Russian centerfold who caused quite an uproar of heightened sensation(s)?
No one quite knew why or how her nekkid-ness triggered the sense of either her soothing-voice, or her fragrant-aroma.
Just like an audiophool who may be dopamine-farming by purchasing expensive snake-oil.

 

[theREALdotnet]

Synesthesia.

That explains it, perhaps the smell of snake oil makes some people hear sounds?

 

[Hart]

Has anybody been to the Walkeraudio.com website? I have never such a collection of nonsense in my life. I think they are going out of business and I wonder if it's due to litigation. PT Barnum had it right. Talisman Magnetic optimizer? Black diamond room treatment crystals. You can't make that stuff up. Personally I like the Precision Motor Controller where you can switch from 33 to 45 rpm records. I would love to buy one to take it apart. More Bass! More Detail!

 

[JSmith]

Walkeraudio.com

It doesn't look like the business went well...

JSmith

 

[Hart]

It doesn't look like the business went well...

View attachment 284611


JSmith

How do you go out of business selling $2 record spindle weights for $2,200? Lot of upside. Maybe people are smarter than that?

 

[Beave]

Lloyd Walker passed away in 2022.

 

[Cbdb2]

Oh god, This thread is intense.
Here's my contribution, a "passive power conditioner" (HB Cable Design PowerSlave) that you can purchase for the low, low price of 16.5k USD.
"• Extreme build quality
• Unlimited dynamics
• High resolution with decay and micro detail
• Creates a new standard in magic sound staging"
Link View attachment 284249

Its not even a conditioner its just a power bar. They call it power distribution. There are no electronic components just conductors and connectors. Not even surge protection.

 

[theREALdotnet]

Does this device use AC or DC?

Looks like it’s made for hot water, maybe gas?

 

[pseudoid]

Oh god, This thread is intense.
Here's my contribution, a "passive power conditioner" (HB Cable Design PowerSlave) that you can purchase for the low, low price of 16.5k USD.
"• Extreme build quality
• Unlimited dynamics
• High resolution with decay and micro detail
• Creates a new standard in magic sound staging"

What on Earth? I kept going back to make sense of that parts-breakdown photo.
Close look reveals that those are NOT solid copper bus bars (duh!) more like copper-foil wrapped coax (huh?).
Ooh, La La!

 

[Capitol C]

Do you think Walker believed his stuff was real? James Randi said that many of the dowsers, ESPers, etc., believed in what they said and were shocked when they couldn't win his famous prize.

 

[Hart]

I was wondering that myself...I think if you are going to have some sophistication in science/audio/electronics you would have to know that it is all nonsense. His claims were all physics defying, and most of his stuff would have been better suited to a crystal shop in Berkeley. I am guessing it must have been hugely lucrative though, they are making things for a few dollars and selling them for hundreds if not thousands of dollars.

 

[egellings]

Do you think Walker believed his stuff was real? James Randi said that many of the dowsers, ESPers, etc., believed in what they said and were shocked when they couldn't win his famous prize.

Did anyone ever end up winning that prize?

 

[Capitol C]

As far as I know, no. I met Randi when I invited him to give a talk--a physics colloquium, of all things. He was a remarkable man, and having a chance to talk with him in my lab, and at dinner after his talk, was a high point for me. You can see my testimonial to him here:

Lecture Testimonials

James Randi Educational Foundation

archive.randi.org

 

[Cool Runnings]

I've been in this hobby for 28 years. Must have tried 10+ brands of speaker cables from the cheap $2 ones to $100+ ones over the years.

I have always been indifferent and was honest to myself enough to say that I could never pass a blind test with any of the speaker cables I have used.

I agreed with the sentiment that premium speaker cables costing thousands of dollars were snake oil. I still do.

BUT I must say that after buying 2 pairs of GEARIT 10 AWG speaker cables and swapping them with existing pairs of Straight Wire B-Flats and World Best Cable (forget the make but it's an entry level model) I could immediately hear a significant improvement. I would say 20-30% better details, bass and overall SQ. I wasn't even trying to hear a difference. I just happened to buy the first pair on a whim for a new budget system set-up and thought they looked thick, well made and reasonably priced. 10 AWG was a major factor for me as I didn't have any 10 AWG cables before. Price is about USD50 per pair. And boy was I surprised with the new better SQ.

My theory is that the gauge thickness of the speaker cables make the most difference. As long as the other components are all reasonably well made. Best $50 improvement to my sound system in all these 28 years.