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Snake Oil Department, Top This

Hi

When you think. you've seen it all ......

At least the name of the company seems to admit a safe distance from Science: "Voodoo Labs"

the cable's name? Voodoo Labs WitchCraft ... and it is trademarked...


1730638515690.png


On a wooden floor...

1730638712902.png


Speaker cables...

$9600 fo' a 2 meters pair...

Peace.
 
 
That was funny. I had to look up the Flinstones grape jelly thing though, we never had that ad over here.
 
Hi

When you think. you've seen it all ......

At least the name of the company seems to admit a safe distance from Science: "Voodoo Labs"

the cable's name? Voodoo Labs WitchCraft ... and it is trademarked...


View attachment 403691

On a wooden floor...

View attachment 403692

Speaker cables...

$9600 fo' a 2 meters pair...

Peace.
What the actual hell? This goes into the top of the class for absurd looks as well as nonsense.
 
I'm sorry if this story is not entertaining/extreme enough but I just come back from a shop where I went to listen to some speakers.
I came with my preamp and when I handled my standard AC cable the dude was like "oh lord" half jokingly.

After 3 tracks he said "let's change the AC cable" and I was like "I don't think it's necessary" but he insisted and I am not a conflictual person so I shut up.

He changes it for a thousand bucks Atlas cable.

Obviously I don't hear any difference. I'm there, silently, wondering if he's gonna say something about it, cringing at the idea, hoping that he won't.

And then he said "mmm... doesn't make much difference I must say".

Then after a few tracks, changed the speaker cables, for some that cost 6 000 (more than the speakers !)

And then, same thing : "can't really tell the difference".

I didn't reply anything but I guess I was a little surprised! What was that? Who sales snake oil and doesn't even pretend to believe in it?
To be honest, it is also purely anecdotal evidence. And why should a salesperson bring 6000 dollar cables into play without being asked? These are not an impulse buy.
 
Hi

When you think. you've seen it all ......

At least the name of the company seems to admit a safe distance from Science: "Voodoo Labs"

the cable's name? Voodoo Labs WitchCraft ... and it is trademarked...


View attachment 403691

On a wooden floor...

View attachment 403692

Speaker cables...

$9600 fo' a 2 meters pair...

Peace.

" WITCHCRAFT is a patent pending grid providing the musical signal with the lowest possible capacitance and a ø for the magnetic field much, much bigger than even the most expensive traditional cables with all their ”shielding“ (what a seemingly trustworthy word, in fact it just ruins each and every note played) and strange additions. Plus it gets rid of microphony, self-inductance and has a minuscule loss-factor. All other cables are basically very flawed in my humble opinion, and you might find this true after a listening session."
(Source: Manufacturer)

I would still like to see how it performs in a blind test. (Yeah, not measured with whatever apparatus but blind tested by listeners).
 
You can't be serious! Everyone knows that there is plenty of magic in cables. The magic of a warm cable vs a cold cable, a chocolaty mids cable vs an airy treble cable. I just don't think you are prepared to believe! OK, I am a smart aleck, but that is a great post you put up.
What I don't get about cables is how much people are willing to pay for microscopic sonic differences that some cables might cause. All that money and you have to squint and adopt a clinical attitude to convince yourself that the sound is improved in some way.
 
100% pure madness...
For that there's...

1730669874300.png



ahem -- in full and complete disclosure, I do have a pair of their original (and then signature) product, the Black Discus, which I now see is an electromagnetic damper.
So (and, again, I am all about disclosure) the pair I have aren't the full-zoot, big money for-profit Black Discus (which looked kind of like Reese's Peanut Butter Cups made of some unspeakable black stuff). Rather, I have a pair of the skinny eval versions -- but this is significant, because these were provided absolutely free -- postage and all -- from New Zealand.

With some embarrassment, I will note that I did indeed evaluate them, on a pair of (confession's good for the soul) Anti-Cables loudspeaker cables.

And, yes, I used them on my (oy vey...) single-ended direct heated triode amplifier. SNAKE OIL BINGO! :cool: ;):eek::facepalm:

I do still use, and very much enjoy the amplifier (see notes about disclosures above) -- but not the discuses (disci?) nor the Anti-Cables, either.
But they are still in some photos that I drag out occasionally.

 
To quote from the USB cable review

"As mentioned in the foreword, the USB format can sound strict or mechanical compared to a traditional digital connection, and a Mad Scientist USB cable is a great way to remedy this. One of the attractive qualities of Mad Scientist USB cables is that they have an innate organic nature, and they always perform in a musically appealing manner."
 
What I don't get about cables is how much people are willing to pay for microscopic sonic differences that some cables might cause. All that money and you have to squint and adopt a clinical attitude to convince yourself that the sound is improved in some way.
In the same vein, there is [another] thread raging on the Steve Hoffman forum regarding DAC's and their similar sound (or not)...all opinions non-blind subjectively evaluated of course. ASR gets beaten up a bit (pun intended).

And yet, most of the participants will be old (40-50) or very old (> 50) whose HF hearing all craps out around 12-14khz... so how are they able to judge if a DAC (or any component) is transparent.

They might "prefer" a DAC (or any other component) that deviates from measuring well but due to their hearing anomalies they are not qualified to make a judgement either way.

And they certainly aren't qualified to state that $$$$$ component is better than its $$ equiv... but as is mostly the case, the $$$$$ component is better.

What our hobby lacks is 15 years olds (i.e. can hear 20kz) with 30 years of relevant industry experience to do subjective tests.

Peter
 
In the same vein, there is [another] thread raging on the Steve Hoffman forum regarding DAC's and their similar sound (or not)...all opinions non-blind subjectively evaluated of course. ASR gets beaten up a bit (pun intended).

And yet, most of the participants will be old (40-50) or very old (> 50) whose HF hearing all craps out around 12-14khz... so how are they able to judge if a DAC (or any component) is transparent.

They might "prefer" a DAC (or any other component) that deviates from measuring well but due to their hearing anomalies they are not qualified to make a judgement either way.

And they certainly aren't qualified to state that $$$$$ component is better than its $$ equiv... but as is mostly the case, the $$$$$ component is better.

What our hobby lacks is 15 years olds (i.e. can hear 20kz) with 30 years of relevant industry experience to do subjective tests.

Peter
There's one at AK too -- although not really raging. :rolleyes:
 
What our hobby lacks is 15 years olds (i.e. can hear 20kz) with 30 years of relevant industry experience to do subjective tests.

Because its much harder to impress young people now with the massive recent improvements on cheap and easily accessible non-tradition audio gear.
 
What I don't get about cables is how much people are willing to pay for microscopic sonic differences that some cables might cause. All that money and you have to squint and adopt a clinical attitude to convince yourself that the sound is improved in some way.
People also complain about the price of an Apple Watch, but are willing to spend €/$50,000 or €/$100,000 on watches that are not as accurate.
 
People also complain about the price of an Apple Watch, but are willing to spend €/$50,000 or €/$100,000 on watches that are not as accurate.
But they serve a purpose in addition to telling the time, an expensive cable doesn't.
 
But they serve a purpose in addition to telling the time, an expensive cable doesn't.
yeah, as much as I don't get the expensive watch thing, they do provide "something" as they are a piece of jewellery. Their function (giving time) is 10% of the appeal (everyone has a phone that gives the time anyway).

so, for cables, I could understand if someone said "a paid a little extra, could they look good". But just a little extra lol
 
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