More 'Audiophile' bullsh*t

[bitchstewie]

I think I've mentioned this before and I'm sure it will have come up on the thread but if you fancy a laugh look at audiophile network switches and network cables.

[Tony1963]

bhstewie said:

I think I've mentioned this before and I'm sure it will have come up on the thread but if you fancy a laugh look at audiophile network switches and network cables.

That topic features many times in this thread.

[Sporky]

Tony1963 said:

I agree, and I always demoed at home in my system, when I did that sort of thing. And if I’ve ummed and aaahed about whether there’s an improvement, I’ve not bought the item.

I would like to be clear that I don't think you are a bad person or at all dim.

I am aware that I can get quite excitable about this sort of thing.

I would love (in the not-begging-a-visit sense) to hear your hifi. I bet every audiophile has an incredible sounding system. It's the voodoo and pseudo science that often accompanies the pricey end that irks me.

[Tony1963]

Sporky said:

I would like to be clear that I don't think you are a bad person or at all dim.

I am aware that I can get quite excitable about this sort of thing.

I would love (in the not-begging-a-visit sense) to hear your hifi. I bet every audiophile has an incredible sounding system. It's the voodoo and pseudo science that often accompanies the pricey end that irks me.

It’s quite common for people with similar views to end up, on internet forums, to seem like arch enemies with no common ground.

I dread people listening to my hifi

It’s like baring my soul to people who’ll never really like me!

I sometimes wish I had a second system with a Garrard turntable, valve amp and Quad electrostatics to give them the warm cuddly sound they might be expecting.

[Sporky]

It's OK - I'd be too self-conscious of my appalling taste in music.

[Tony1963]

Sporky said:

It's OK - I'd be too self-conscious of my appalling taste in music.

And you’d need to be approved of by Pedro, our cat.

[Sporky]

I don't like being in other people's houses.

I think we're both safe.

[Tony1963]

Sporky said:

I don't like being in other people's houses.

I think we're both safe.

Back on topic, my engineer friend just sent this:

“ I bought a second hand AES3 (digital XLR) cable off eBay on a whim, as it was at a very good price compared to the original RRP and from a dealer so returnable. Fully expected no difference whatsoever - it’s only transporting CD resolution digital from the transport to the upsampler. Nope. Noticeable difference, including to Cindy stood in the kitchen. Ridiculous hobby.”

Sums it up really.

[Sporky]

Someone once sent me a headphone amp to try.

I built a box that's switch between it and the (I assumed) crappy headphone output of my Denon CD player. Balanced the levels with a 'scope. Got my wife to switch so I didn't know which was which.

I couldn't hear a difference on any of four pairs of headphones, right up to Shure SRH1450s.

He was furious, and said I wasn't allowed to try anything else ever ever ever. I don't feel I'm missing out.

[OutInTheShed]

Sporky said:

..... I bet every audiophile has an incredible sounding system.....

I prefer the music to sound credible.

[Tony1963]

Sporky said:

Someone once sent me a headphone amp to try.

I built a box that's switch between it and the (I assumed) crappy headphone output of my Denon CD player. Balanced the levels with a 'scope. Got my wife to switch so I didn't know which was which.

I couldn't hear a difference on any of four pairs of headphones, right up to Shure SRH1450s.

He was furious, and said I wasn't allowed to try anything else ever ever ever. I don't feel I'm missing out.

Headphones really are a close up, personal thing for me. My headphones are 27 years old, but I ditched the Naim headphone amp years ago for an Avondale. The difference was immediately clear, so I sold the Naim amp at the same price as the used Avondale.

Then a couple of years ago another mate loaned me an SPL Phonitor 2. Wow. Just wow. But £1600 at the time, and I’ve other hobbies to support. That was a reluctant handing back.

[donkmeister]

Sporky said:

It's the voodoo and pseudo science that often accompanies the pricey end that irks me.

You're among like minded individuals, hence this thread

It all comes back to "are the claims demonstrable? Are the claims quantifiable?".

If you slipped an article into Esoteric Hifi bks magazine that inserting a pineapple into your bottom, pointy bits first, would magically improve the detail of any hifi I can guarantee you'd soon see people walking gingerly in and out of hifi shops. And y'know what? They'd believe it.

[OutInTheShed]

donkmeister said:

You're among like minded individuals, hence this thread

It all comes back to "are the claims demonstrable? Are the claims quantifiable?".

If you slipped an article into Esoteric Hifi bks magazine that inserting a pineapple into your bottom, pointy bits first, would magically improve the detail of any hifi I can guarantee you'd soon see people walking gingerly in and out of hifi shops. And y'know what? They'd believe it.

So long as it gets clicks to their website, they probably don't care whether anyone believes any of it.

While you're mocking them, they're hoovering up your data, for sale.

[Sporky]

I use Duck Duck Go.

[njw1]

When it comes to the silly money fancy cables it's worth remembering what's used in recording studios, do they use cables made from angel pubes and fairy dust? Nope, it'll be some relatively cheap Kelsey or Van Damme with some bog standard Neutrik plugs on the ends. I've seen mastering suites with any old crap that carries a signal plugged in...

[Deranged Rover]

I’m just back from 2 days at the Munich High End Hi-Fi Show.

I’ll just leave this picture from the Zensati Cables’ room here….

[njw1]

^^I wonder what cable they've used for the socket that that mains lead is plugged into?

[911hope]

Deranged Rover said:

I’m just back from 2 days at the Munich High End Hi-Fi Show.

I’ll just leave this picture from the Zensati Cables’ room here….

Did they demonstrate how to hoover tha carpet, with all that nonsense in place?

[Tony1963]

njw1 said:

When it comes to the silly money fancy cables it's worth remembering what's used in recording studios, do they use cables made from angel pubes and fairy dust? Nope, it'll be some relatively cheap Kelsey or Van Damme with some bog standard Neutrik plugs on the ends. I've seen mastering suites with any old crap that carries a signal plugged in...

And what makes you think that a studio is the same as a domestic replay system?

[njw1]

Tony1963 said:

njw1 said:

When it comes to the silly money fancy cables it's worth remembering what's used in recording studios, do they use cables made from angel pubes and fairy dust? Nope, it'll be some relatively cheap Kelsey or Van Damme with some bog standard Neutrik plugs on the ends. I've seen mastering suites with any old crap that carries a signal plugged in...

And what makes you think that a studio is the same as a domestic replay system?

It isn't, but if a bit of Van Damme cable is good enough for the live recording of the instrument that you're going to listen to through your hi-fi then I'm struggling to see how hundreds or even thousands of quids worth of interconnects are going to do any better?