I think part of the problem is the epistemically closed communities in which these things are discussed. I’ve taken to ridiculing them on Twitter. That’ll show ‘em.
Answer them like you do ISP tech support: yes, I've turned it off and on again. Alternatively, tell them that you tried the myrtlewood cable lifters, and it made the bass sound droopy or whatever.Yeah, I get myself in trouble in trying to break that epistemic circle in the mainly subjectivist forums. No matter what facts or arguments are brought to bear, this means little to any of them as the most common "comeback" is "Have YOU TRIED IT?" For them, if you have not used the item in question, cable or tweak or whatever, that question is an argument stopper, a trump card. It's all about personal experience to them, the rest is white noise in lieu of personal experience. It's no coincidence that this very epistemology is behind most magical thinking in general.
Alternatively, tell them that you tried the myrtlewood cable lifters, and it made the bass sound droopy or whatever.
It took SNL to predict the three-blade razor.
It took The Onion to predict the five-blade razor:
https://www.theonion.com/fuck-everything-were-doing-five-blades-1819584036
Mods my apologies if this goes too far in terms of language. Feel free to delete without explanation. It is meant purely in the name of fun and humor, but I get that there’s probably a line in the sand somewhere.
I forgive the cable business to some extent because they are catering the the need for belief, not necessity. Many audiophiles demand expensive cables as audio jewelry with their expensive components, and they want to believe they make an enormous difference.
I have not heard one mainstream audio critic yet who does not rattle on about how certain components require certain types of exotic power cords or cables to optimize them.
If they said they didn't believe in cables, they would no longer be mainstream audio critics, because the cable business is so darned profitable and it's much preferable to offend the occasional die hard objectivist than the majority subjectivist who need the promotional mythology. Those critics scoffing at cable beliefs would just be dropped from the industry.
There is a point where you just have to accept what the market demands and wants to throw its money at, whether you make those particular choices for yourself or not.
They do. I have one of their power cables which I intend to test one day.
Ethan Winer has performed null testing, which really ought to put the whole thing to bed.I sure hope you get around to testing out their cable, or any cable (especially the purported effects of audiophile AC cables).
It would be quite a service and I'm surprised not many other skeptics have bothered......
What measurements would you take to test the claims made for these cables?
Thanks.
Ethan Winer has performed null testing, which really ought to put the whole thing to bed.
https://audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/ethan-winer-builds-a-wire-null-tester.5197/
I mean, if your speaker is reacting differently to *exactly the same signal*, you have a big problem. When I point this out on Audiogon, the dealers and cable vendors stomp off in a huff-“believe what you want to believe”, they say, without a hint of irony.
I spent 15 years selling audio analyzers. I was very careful to never claim that they can tell you how something sounds. Instead, I would say, they tell you why something sounds the way it does. There is a big difference the two. Something may sound "harsh". Measurements may show that the harshness was probably due to excessive treble boost or harmonic distortion. However, no graph on an audio analyzer ever had an axis labeled "harshness"."Yes, we have some of the best test equipment in the world and we rely upon those measurements to design our products. But, they tell us nothing of how they sound. That still must be done by ear and experience."
I spent 15 years selling audio analyzers. I was very careful to never claim that they can tell you how something sounds. Instead, I would say, they tell you why something sounds the way it does. There is a big difference the two. Something may sound "harsh". Measurements may show that the harshness was probably due to excessive treble boost or harmonic distortion. However, no graph on an audio analyzer ever had an axis labeled "harshness".
I’ll play the devil’s advocate for a second...
In the jungle, as repulsive as they are, hyenas play an important role in the ecosystem, sanitizing and recycling the organic waste. High End Audio companies and cable crooks help rotate the money, the basics of the economy.
But, yes, we want wealthy people who allocate capital badly to spend their money.