Snake Oil Department, Top This

[Galliardist]

An AQ "Tower" RCA lead I somehow acquired (I certainly didn't buy it) was so bad it broke while sitting unused in a box.

That’s a recent cable, isn’t it? I’m thinking more of a decade ago and stuff like the AQ-Alpha.

 

[boXem]

Not sure of the science behind it, but I have heard that similar improvements can be had from the strategic positioning of small but expensive crystal pyramids.

Well, I read a esoteric cables maker claiming that separating the '+' and '-' wires improves channel separation. That gave me a good laugh but I am now wondering if this is not a trend among these people.

Maybe it doubles as a toy? Unsure...





JSmith

I had the same thing in mind. My kids have a train circuit made with wood that resembles a lot to your initial picture.

 

[Propheticus]

Well, I read a esoteric cables maker claiming that separating the '+' and '-' wires improves channel separation. That gave me a good laugh but I am now wondering if this is not a trend among these people.

I had the same thing in mind. My kids have a train circuit made with wood that resembles a lot to your initial picture.

I think I'll build myself something with miniature power line pylons:

If it works for 250kV, it sure must work wonders for 20V. Right?
I can even choose chrome for a cold sound or gold for a warm sound.

Snap, I forgot I was on the Internet...it has been done already:

 

[gfinlays]

View attachment 152262



JSmith

Audio jewellery at its finest.

 

[DimitryZ]

An AQ "Tower" RCA lead I somehow acquired (I certainly didn't buy it) was so bad it broke while sitting unused in a box.

Very strange.

No AQ wire ever broke on me.

 

[Kal Rubinson]

No AQ wire ever broke on me.

I've had a couple that did.

 

[DimitryZ]

I've had a couple that did.

What was the failure mode?

 

[antcollinet]

Can anybody explain the "science" behind such a setup?
This is clearly not bi-amping.
Not looking like bi-wiring.
Are the "+" and "-" kept separated?

Having air between the speaker cables creates an "airy" and "open" sound.

Obv.

 

[Kal Rubinson]

What was the failure mode?

Loss of an internal connection, deterioration/split of the connector cover. That's out of dozens I've had.

 

[DimitryZ]

Loss of an internal connection, deterioration/split of the connector cover. That's out of dozens I've had.

I will be on the lookout!

 

[DimitryZ]

Having air between the speaker cables creates an "airy" and "open" sound.

Obv.

Exactly.

I have to have mine in a zigzag, which unfortunately creates a "vertigo" soundstage on some tracks. Hopefully, a reverse zigzag in the line ICs will neutralize this.

 

[Chrispy]

Loss of an internal connection, deterioration/split of the connector cover. That's out of dozens I've had.

So "only" a failure rate of 5% or so?

 

[DimitryZ]

So "only" a failure rate of 5% or so?

And exactly 0% in my case - also dozens owned.

 

[Chrispy]

And exactly 0% in my case - also dozens owned.

I've had pretty much no issues except with a Monster cable myself.....if I had used fraudioquest and had a 5% failure rate I'd be pretty pissed off. Then again I think fraudioquest and all their products are to be avoided.

 

[Chrispy]

And exactly 0% in my case - also dozens owned.

Curious, this just for fraudioquest or other equally silly cable providers?

 

[JSmith]

Wow amazing... ly disturbing;

http://www.machinadynamica.com/machina60.htm

The Teleportation Tweak has a profound effect on the sound and video picture: (1) Clearer, (2) More information, (3) Greater frequency extension and (4) Lower distortion. The Teleportation Tweak is obtained during a phone call to Machina Dynamica from your landline phone or cell phone; you can make the call from any room in your house. The audio or video system does not have to be ON at the time the call is made. The tweak itself takes about 20 seconds and will sound like a series of mechanical pulses. You can listen to the Teleportation Tweak over the phone or you can set the phone down, your call.

The Teleportation Tweak will also improve any video system in your house, including plasma, LED, and high end projection systems -- better contrast, color saturation, color fidelity and definition.

It is not necessary for your audio or video system to be ON at the time of the telephone call. However, for ease of A/B comparing the Teleportation Tweak before and after the telephone call, you should turn the audio and/or video system ON prior to the call and allow it to warm up the customary time. Then you can evaluate a few favorite tracks before and after The Teleportation Tweak is performed. You can also evaluate the picture quality of the video system before and after the call.

You will find that the effects of The Teleportation Tweak are instantaneous and that the improvement to sound quality is immediately audible. In fact, if the system is playing at the time of the telephone call, you will be able to hear the improvement taking place while The Teleportation Tweak is being performed. You will find The Teleportation Tweak excels in 3-dimensionality, lushness, inner detail and air. The picture quality of any video system in the house will also be improved -- better contrast and integrity of color and blacker black. You will especially notice better skin tones, saturation of colors, shininess of surfaces, textures of fabrics, etc.

Yeah, I'm not buying this for $111,995.00 ... that's right, $111,995.00;

JSmith

 

[Chrispy]

LOL am sure the guy pranking with that site would love someone to donate $100k to his favorite charity (at least that's my understanding of what would happen, and if not then its really fucked up)

 

[Doodski]

Wow amazing... ly disturbing;

http://www.machinadynamica.com/machina60.htm


Yeah, I'm not buying this for $111,995.00 ... that's right, $111,995.00;

View attachment 152439



JSmith

There was a time when MIT cables where simply designed for the tasks at hand. The litz wire configured interconnects where the fancy stuff and otherwise it was not snake oil like it is today. One could order in the cable by the spools and get RCA terminations in flats of 100+ per flat. I know because I made thousands of them for retailers. It was nice quality stuff that was simple and effective.

 

[atsmusic]

As a Roon user, I frequent the Roon Community from time to time. I have locked horns repeatedly with individuals espousing the virtues of EtherREGEN (which Amir proved unequivocally to be snake-oil), audiophile switches, audiophile patch leads, fibre vs copper, even claims of Corning single mode fibre patch cables being better than non-Corning single mode fibre patch cables. Individuals who would bet their own mother that they can hear the difference that product X has made to their system, despite having it explained to them from a scientific/engineering perspective that there can be no difference. The high-end audio industry is insidious, incestuous and downright corrupt. It must be the only industry left in existence which is still unregulated and can make unsubstantiated claims that product X provides improvements Y and Z when clearly no such improvements can possibly exist.

not even close to the only industry left doing this.

 

[Galliardist]

Wow amazing... ly disturbing;

http://www.machinadynamica.com/machina60.htm


Yeah, I'm not buying this for $111,995.00 ... that's right, $111,995.00;

View attachment 152439



JSmith

Maybe when this forum reaches 111,995 members we can all throw in a dollar, someone can record the special pulse sounds, and we can all "benefit". Blind testing the results would I guess require two systems, one "somewhere else" at the time of the call, or of course we could play a "placebo" set of pulses to some people and see who gets the biggest improvement.

Nah, on second thoughts this wouldn't be worth a dollar of anyone's money