JPS Superconductor V USB Cable Review

[Hatto]

Who was it that said, “any sufficiently expensive cable is indistinguishable from magic”…?

A.C. Kwark I believe

 

[MaxBuck]

So did @amirm ever test whether this thing is actually a superconductor?

 

[amirm]

So did @amirm ever test whether this thing is actually a superconductor?

Didn't get a chance.. Folks at CERN found out and asked to use it in their particle accelerator. They were short a few feet.....

 

[AudioSceptic]

When someone who geniunely believed magic to be responsible for the observed event is exposed to the actual mechanism behind the trick, it triggers cognitive dissonance. Weak minds would disregard factual evidence in order not to face the reality that they've been wrong right from the start, to preserve he integrity of their insecure nature.

That's when it turns into subjective belief in magic.

This comes down to semantics, doesn't it? I feel that "belief" is by definition subjective, whereas "knowledge" is objective.

 

[mhardy6647]

This comes down to semantics, doesn't it? I feel that "belief" is by definition subjective, whereas "knowledge" is objective.

You know, I believe you're right about that!

(sorry... couldn't resist! Still in a jocular mood after reading @amirm's CERN quip above)

 

[AaronJ]

Indeed. Which is worse: a fantasist who genuinely believes in nonsense, or a liar who knows it's nonsense but claims to believe it anyway.

Regardless, we should expect them to prove their claims in double-blind subjective tests.

Neither is worse, because the effect is the same. The only remedy is to be educated enough to avoid both.

 

[AudioSceptic]

Neither is worse, because the effect is the same. The only remedy is to be educated enough to avoid both.

I agree, but what is "educated enough"? We can't expect everyone to know electronics or basic physics, but critical thinking ought to be more common than it is.

 

[RDoc]

I find it interesting that for a lot of "high end" (outrageously expensive) audio components, full appreciation requires supernatural perception.
At https://www.spiritualforums.com/vb/ I was unable to find any audio equipment discussions though.
Apparently those of us stuck in the physical plane will have to just settle for reasonably priced equipment.

 

[Hatto]

This comes down to semantics, doesn't it? I feel that "belief" is by definition subjective, whereas "knowledge" is objective.

I agree that "objective belief" is an oxymoron. But represents a special case where a "belief" is taken as "knowledge" based on limited or skewed "objective evidence" (real world observations)..

Proving non-existence of something is tricky.

People thought they had knowledge: All swans are white. No one needed to prove that any colored swans are non-existent, they weren't around and that was "evidence" enough, which made the statement appear as objective knowledge. It was only true to the extent of their observations until black swans were discovered at the Australian continent in 1697. It was objective, it was knowledge, until it turned out to be a belief. We still hold assumptions based on objective (yet what might be partial) evidence and pass them as knowledge. Those are what I'd phrase as "objective beliefs".

 

[egellings]

This comes down to semantics, doesn't it? I feel that "belief" is by definition subjective, whereas "knowledge" is objective.

Knowledge is testable; belief is a shiny object.

 

[Martin]

I agree, but what is "educated enough"? We can't expect everyone to know electronics or basic physics, but critical thinking ought to be more common than it is.

And therein lies the rub... We have people today who believe the earth is flat, the Apollo program was faked, that "news" programs report facts, and that politicians are altruistic.

 

[egellings]

And therein lies the rub... We have people today who believe the earth is flat, the Apollo program was faked, that "news" programs report facts, and that politicians are altruistic.

Common sense--why do they call it that?

 

[AudioSceptic]

I find it interesting that for a lot of "high end" (outrageously expensive) audio components, full appreciation requires supernatural perception.
At https://www.spiritualforums.com/vb/ I was unable to find any audio equipment discussions though.
Apparently those of us stuck in the physical plane will have to just settle for reasonably priced equipment.

Do those with supernatural perception also have supernatural incomes? If not, who's keeping the whole thing going?

 

[fpitas]

Do those with supernatural perception also have supernatural incomes? If not, who's keeping the whole thing going?

I have to think that, just like buying an expensive sports car automatically makes you a skilled racing driver, buying these expensive tweaks makes you a golden-eared affiicianado.

 

[AaronJ]

I have to think that, just like buying an expensive sports car automatically makes you a skilled racing driver, buying these expensive tweaks makes you a golden-eared affiicianado.

Agree with this. Just check the dCS forum.

 

[ribonucleic]

If I had $20,000 speakers, it would feel wrong to feed them a signal produced by an $40 DAC sipping through a $3 USB cable, even though I'm convinced by logic that there would be no way to improve the sound by spending more on the latter two. I would want to spend at least $20 on the USB cable in exchange for some benefit - even if it was for something as irrelevant as being strong enough to suspend a grand piano.

It's a psychological thing - intellectually indefensible - but there you have it.

 

[DonR]

If I had $20,000 speakers, it would feel wrong to feed them a signal produced by an $40 DAC sipping through a $3 USB cable, even though I'm convinced by logic that there would be no way to improve the sound by spending more on the latter two. I would want to spend at least $20 on the USB cable in exchange for some benefit - even if it was for something as irrelevant as being strong enough to suspend a grand piano.

It's a psychological thing - intellectually indefensible - but there you have it.

What kind of grand piano: petite grand, baby grand, medium grand, parlour grand, ballroom grand or concert grand?

 

[ribonucleic]

What kind of grand piano: petite grand, baby grand, medium grand, parlour grand, ballroom grand or concert grand?

The Audioquest Pearl USB cable can support a petite grand. If you need to support a concert grand, you need to shell out for the Audioquest Diamond.

 

[DonR]

The Audioquest Pearl USB cable can support a petite grand. If you need to support a concert grand, you need to shell out for the Audioquest Diamond.

A cable for every grand occasion. How decadently delicious.

 

[RDoc]

Wait a minute here! By definition, a USB cable works with digital, so we should be hanging digital pianos from it, e.g. a Yamaha Clavinova.