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Snake Oil Department, Top This

Has anyone on this thread read CMKornbluth’s short story The Big Pat Boom?
 
egellings said:
It might be that a company sincerely believes that its product does as claimed, and don't think that that they are pulling a fast one on their customers by selling something known not to have any beneficial effect at all.
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When talking about manufacturers I decided it doesn't make a difference for me. If someone tries to sell me a special power/network cleaner or something like that, they are either dishonest or incompetent and deluded. Either way, I don't trust them to be honest and competent when selling me a normal amp.

Of course while there are companies I'll definitely avoid, most people in the business seem to operate in a grey area, making the usual claims about their new amp sounding so much better than everything before etc. but not everyone tries to sell me a psu with integrated oscillation overthruster.
 
BlueMeanie said:
When talking about manufacturers I decided it doesn't make a difference for me. If someone tries to sell me a special power/network cleaner or something like that, they are either dishonest or incompetent and deluded. Either way, I don't trust them to be honest and competent when selling me a normal amp.

Of course while there are companies I'll definitely avoid, most people in the business seem to operate in a grey area, making the usual claims about their new amp sounding so much better than everything before etc. but not everyone tries to sell me a psu with integrated oscillation overthruster.
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Ooh! If that overthruster comes with 4 nozzles, I'll take one!
 
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people can be so gullible. iv found anything that's marketed towards "audiophile" is either overpriced or an outright scam

it's always the "bigger number = better" arguement

"It'S bEtTeR BeCaUsE It HaS 32BiT 768KhZ HURRRRR DURRRRR!!"
 
BlueMeanie said:
When talking about manufacturers I decided it doesn't make a difference for me. If someone tries to sell me a special power/network cleaner or something like that, they are either dishonest or incompetent and deluded. Either way, I don't trust them to be honest and competent when selling me a normal amp.

Of course while there are companies I'll definitely avoid, most people in the business seem to operate in a grey area, making the usual claims about their new amp sounding so much better than everything before etc. but not everyone tries to sell me a psu with integrated oscillation overthruster.
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Totally agree. The cable companies are the worst. Companies like Audioquest are so dishonest that if they started selling milk I would want it tested in a lab to verify its even milk!
 
pinger said:
Totally agree. The cable companies are the worst. Companies like Audioquest are so dishonest that if they started selling milk I would want it tested in a lab to verify its even milk!
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their jitter bug is a joke and actually adds noise lol... then there's their "cable uppers" (those cable lifter thingers)
watched like 1 min of this or something and as soon as he goes on about "it made it sound better" i laughed
 
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birb said:
their jitter bug is a joke and actually adds noise lol... then there's their "cable uppers" (those cable lifter thingers)
watched like 1 min of this or something and as soon as he goes on about "it made it sound better" i laughed
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You should really have watched more.

This is one of the corner cases where a cable makes a difference. The ribbon drivers are incredibly low impedance, so the lower impedance of the boutique cable with its ridiculous-looking size vs. the stock cable meant that the headphones played ~6 dB (!) louder. Since the headphones also have frequency-dependent impedance, the cable also lowered part of the high treble. In the video this is shown with measurements and explained in some detail. Nothing at all about unexplainged effects, or spun-by-virgins-at-full-moon magic. Another classic example for cables making a difference are the Campfire Audio Andromeda, which have ridiculously low impedance which varies substantially with frequency. Again, this is clearly measurable as well as entirely predictable.

The headphones.com guys are objectivists who see measurements as a necessary and central part of reviewing, are increasingly stepping away from any audiophile language when reviewing, and warn people of snake oil. (Well, and then there is Goldensound, who maintains that amps and DACs have sonic character, and is into high-priced gear, but even he does not think these differences are immeasurable or worth worrying about much. Plus he also always presents a full suit of measurements, so I can form my own opinions about gear he reviews. So about the least objectionable subjectivist I know of.)
 
Came across this

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These seem to be somebody's home brew, image search turns up nothing but reddit posts ...
 
MarkS said:
These seem to be somebody's home brew, image search turns up nothing but reddit posts ...
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I have seen a "professional" cable company selling a similar concept....touting the spacing between the conductors as the magic sauce that lifts veils, blackens black etc...with a matching number of $ signs attached.

This photo would appear to be from an show... on the left we see a large banner with the word "audio" clearly seen so maybe not home brew



Peter
 
mhardy6647 said:
Looks like a robust, non-reactive cable design.
:cool:
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Well, at least some of the "High End" cables (from all the usual suspects!) could be called "pretty" purely based on looks, even when they don't do anything for the sound.... these however:eek::facepalm:
 
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