Snake Oil Department, Top This

[paolomo]

At first I thought you were bullshitting, so I googled it.

https://www.audiogon.com/listings/lisa9507-high-fidelity-cables-nps-1260-contact-enhancer-tweaks

It really does exist.

Electric eel oil, indeed

 

[StuartC]

I can't help but wonder whether some of these peddlers follow the Robin Hood mantra of "take from the rich and give to the poor (substitute them for the "poor"). As well as following the other famous first rule of snake oil peddling - "A fool and his money are easily parted".

It does seem like a well proven recipe for generating an income without any serious investment:
- Step 1 - take random audio component A
- Step 2 - spray it with some vajazzle and put some shiny, shiny on it
- Step 3 - tout it at audio shows with some crooked sleight of hand "scientific" AB test
- Step 4 - grease the palms of some of the reviewers who write for the established audio rags
- Step 5 - watch the money trickle in (maybe not enough to live like a king, but certainly enough to pay for those extras in life) from the stupid and the ignorant

 

[egellings]

I remember a product called "Tweek" that came in a little syringe, and it was supposed to wreak magic on any connection fortunate enough to receive an application. It was not as ludicrously priced as NPS 1260 is, though.

 

[SIY]

I'd send Colin the Chicken over there to check on their welfare, but he might eat them.

Did he have friends?

 

[mhardy6647]

Step right up and get your $599 bottle of nano snake oil.

View attachment 118149

High Fidelity Cables NPS-1260 Contact Enhancer

Well... the problem with stuff like this: technology moves so fast that this'll be supplanted ever-so-shortly by the next wave in enhanced ehnancers. Therefore, I am going to bide my time, avoid the pitfalls and regrets of the early adopter, and hold out for the femto particle solution Contact Enhancer. This ain't my first rodeo: The difference between the two is guaranteed to be jawdropping.

 

[egellings]

Just what is the mechanism for the efficacy of this sort of a product?

 

[mansr]

Just what is the mechanism for the efficacy of this sort of a product?

Faith.

 

[paolomo]

Faith.

That, and confirmation bias

 

[thegeton]

Increase Resolution by Placing a Shakti Electromagnetic Stabilizer Stone over a Component's Power Transformer: Noise-Reduction Circuitry Absorbs EMI and RFI
The Shakti Electromagnetic Stabilizer Stone uses proprietary noise-reduction circuitry to absorb and dissipate electromagnetic interference (EMI) and radio frequency interference (RFI). Through an energy-conversion process, the award-winning device uses an antenna-like circuit to absorb these fields and dissipate them as heat. Just place the Stone over the power transformer in any component and prepare to be amazed. With the Stone in place, music reproduction becomes clearer, with more liquidity, dynamics and focus. Backgrounds become quieter, allowing you to hear more ambient information essential for accurate perception of stage depth, width, and unwavering imaging. Each Shakti Stone measures 1.5” x 6.5” x 5.25” and is backed by our 100% Satisfaction Guarantee.

Abbey Road Studios, Pink Floyd’s Astoria Studios, Steve Hoffman Mastering, and Doug Sax all rely on Shakti to deliver the best sound possible. In addition, noted audio reviewers Michael Fremer, Ken Kessler, Sam Tellig, Wes Phillips, and Jonathan Valin all have recommended Shakti Stones.

“[Nobody’s] quite sure how they work, but work they do when placed over the transformer of amps, preamps, and other electronics, reducing noise and enriching timbre.”
—The Absolute Sound, Editors’ Choice Award

 

[Robin L]

Just what is the mechanism for the efficacy of this sort of a product?

A higher price tag---it costs more, therefore it must work as advertised.

 

[ahofer]

So here we learn that moving Wilson Sabrina's exactly 1/4 inch is the key to Nirvana. So make sure to have your dealer set it up for you.

https://www.stereophile.com/content/wilson-audio-specialties-sabrinax-loudspeaker

These sorts of things remind me of the crazy maintenance routines some people want you to keep (or want to preach to you for social positioning). I had a shoe salesman ask me if I sanded my shoe trees. I just burst into hysterics. He looked at me like "well, no wonder you wear out your leather shoes...". I'm sorry, my time is too valuable to spend sanding shoe trees and worrying whether a family member has jostled my speakers a quarter inch.

(relevant: https://www.stereophile.com/content/wilson-audio-specialties-sabrina-loudspeaker-measurements)

 

[noiseangel]

https://highend-electronics.com/products/audio-magic-ultimate-premier-beeswax-fuse

What does this all mean?
Better detail, transparency, dynamics, wider and deeper sound staging, micro detail, layering, and talk about musical, wow.

Snake Oil always improves the soundstage.

 

[egellings]

Good ol' snake oil. Gotta get me a good little snake buddy.

 

[EB1000]

Who wants a 600$ buttplug to place his audio gear on? (You'll need at lest 4 of these misspelled Cones):

https://www.stereo.net.au/reviews/review-nordost-sort-kones-a-sceptics-backflip

 

[_thelaughingman]

I am working on two new projects for audiophiles to dump their oodles of monies on.
1. Bionic Ear implant that will auto adjust FR on the cochlea to the harman curve and make everything sound so gravy. Initial discounted rate for ASR members $4000.
2. Salt Crystal electromagnetic isolator. A Giant Pink Salt crsytal encased in aluminum chasis to isolate and remove all external noise and ground loops on a stereo system.$500.

Definitely going to profit a lot. Cheers (just being silly and trolling cuz there's no end to the snake oil).

 

[thegeton]

I skipped the first Kones video and only got 26 seconds into the second one before my bullshitometer pegged high, overloaded, and then kicked open a breaker in my garage subpanel...

 

[egellings]

Whew!

 

[Somafunk]

I’ve often thought about designing a headband with a sorta cupped hand shape design as I caught a mate at his studio cupping his hands behind his ears as he zoned in on his highs during a mix, it really works, try it on percussive sections of music and you’ll be surprised at how effective it is (or perhaps not).

The synergistic super audio aid device, or Ssaad for short............i may have to work on the name a bit more.

 

[Robin L]

I’ve often thought about designing a headband with a sorta cupped hand shape design as I caught a mate at his studio cupping his hands behind his ears as he zoned in on his highs during a mix, it really works, try it on percussive sections of music and you’ll be surprised at how effective it is (or perhaps not).

The synergistic super audio aid device, or Ssaad for short............i may have to work on the name a bit more.

Nah---you nailed it.

 

[Somafunk]

I’ve got it!!!,

The Synergistic Opus Super Audio Device, or sosad for short.

Im gonna sell millions........