I heard binned gate arrays arranged in 45 degree angle produce the best signal for audiophiles."bespoke gate arrays"
I didn't watch any of the rest of the video to see any other tests but it would appear that it helped in that situation.
So - Snake oil or not? I would say: no, and the claims the company made are true. It all depends on the equipment you use. If he can't replace the power supply of his amp, then this is an easy and cheap way to improve the situation.
There are much worse pieces of equipment around (like audiophiles ethernet switches) which I would classify as snake oil.
True, doing something that likely isn't needed, probably doesn't completely qualify as snake oil. [...] But at the same time nobody selling this will tell people that most power lines and equipment won't need or benefit from it.
You seem to have things a little mixed up. Eutectic means there is a single, well-defined melting point. Non-eutectic solder has a range of temperatures within which it is neither solid nor melted. Even a slight movement as it cools through this range can result in a bad joint. With eutectic solder, this is less of a concern since it solidifies almost instantly.Lead-free solder is not eutectic, which means it does not have a range of temperature where it is in a liquid state. So, as soon as you remove the heat, it sets.
When soldering devices intended for operating temps upwards of 180C we used high temp solder and adding liquid flux helped in a big way with lead free high temp solder. It makes a very noticeable difference in making it easier to work the solder.Lead-free solder is not eutectic, which means it does not have a range of temperature where it is in a liquid state. So, as soon as you remove the heat, it sets. It also has a higher melting temperature than tin-lead solders have. It's a pain to use, but it's required to meet RoHS standards, which dictate no lead, among other things. Of course, I hate that cold joint look the solder has when it sets. The higher melting temperature also makes lifting PCB traces more likely. Ugh!
I've heard those big horns at a couple audio shows, I'm sure they wouldn't measure too well, but they put out an incredible wall of sound. Hard to explain but with the right material they had that "you are there" sense of presentation that I've only heard equaled a few times from other very large systems.Speaking of batteries...
I'm lack any great soldering skills but I had one heck of a time with silver solder and getting it hot enough to flow without heat damage to the component or board.When soldering devices intended for operating temps upwards of 180C we used high temp solder and adding liquid flux helped in a big way with lead free high temp solder. It makes a very noticeable difference in making it easier to work the solder.