More 'Audiophile' bullsh*t

More 'Audiophile' bullsh*t

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Discussion

hidetheelephants

23,754 posts

192 months

Saturday 5th January 2013
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Deva Link said:
Through work, we know someone in this industry and they were losing business by refusing to "burn-in" cables because they think it's horsest. So they offer it now.
IforB said:
Now that's something that confuses the hell out of me. Burning in cables? What is it supposed to actually do?

Running in speakers is one thing, but cables? Methinks that some people have their intelligence to Money ratio a bit wrong.
Sounds like a productive niche; 'what do you do for living?' 'I burn in cables for credulous poltroons'

I think that to do it complete justice you'd have to offer bespoke service; cables burned entirely with Coltrane and Parker for Jazz listeners, Booker T & the MGs and Al Green for Memphis Soul addicts, the permutations bullst potential is endless. hehe

Countdown

39,690 posts

195 months

Saturday 5th January 2013
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All this smacks a little of "Emperors new clothes" to me.... smile

davepoth

29,395 posts

198 months

Saturday 5th January 2013
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anonymous said:
[redacted]
By the time you get up to this level of ridiculousness the differences would be a bit too subtle to pick up with recording equipment - microphones always colour the sound a little themselves.

nonuts

15,855 posts

228 months

Saturday 5th January 2013
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custodian said:
Dedicated 30amp mains spur
I'm amazed more people with seriously expensive kit don't do this, especially if you have power hungry amps.

I'm intrigued by *mains* conditioners etc. however if a component has a good enough power supply to start with I really can't see how they should make any difference. For a turntable with a motor that runs at mains voltage I can see more of a reason though.

Driller

8,310 posts

277 months

Saturday 5th January 2013
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Toxicnerve I salute your endurance but you're on a hiding to nothing with these nutters. Oh yeah and how DARE you suggest a scientific, reproducible and reliable way of proving that all of this is bks! hehe

custodian said:
Bought several highly regarded mains cables. Result worse because sound seemed "strangled"
rofl and indeed rofl


Adrian W

13,848 posts

227 months

Saturday 5th January 2013
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custodian said:
Not heard the Vivaldi. Rav wants to lend me one but I am not rushing for the time being.
He's a nice guy, very enthusiastic, it is worth a listen, but you do need a lot of space for it.

Did you notice that in their listening room, non of the mains outlets have switches on?

Edited by Adrian W on Saturday 5th January 13:02

TonyRPH

Original Poster:

12,963 posts

167 months

Saturday 5th January 2013
quotequote all
IforB said:
Now that's something that confuses the hell out of me. Burning in cables? What is it supposed to actually do?

Running in speakers is one thing, but cables? Methinks that some people have their intelligence to Money ratio a bit wrong.
If you've ever bought a new house, you'l notice that the lights get brighter and produce a more even lighting field as the mains cables burn in.

I can't believe you didn't know this.



Adrian W

13,848 posts

227 months

Saturday 5th January 2013
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anonymous said:
[redacted]
I work in electronics, a speaker is an electric motor that moves air, the cable is an important part of the control system, with the right equipement differences are easily measurable, the problem will always be that with our very limited hearing we won't notice it, I'm over 50 so I've got no chance. I would argue that most people over 15 couldn't tel one good cable from another, it's all down to personal taste.

Countdown

39,690 posts

195 months

Saturday 5th January 2013
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custodian said:
Why would I want to spend my time doing that?

If that is the way you want to choose, it's up to you. I'm sure you will end up with a very low noise, low distortion,system.

For me, my ears work pretty well as the selection tool.
If your ears can tell the difference, would it not be possible to show the difference on measuring equipment?

ETA something feels hot or cold - can be proven by a thermometer. Something sounds loud/quiet, again can be measured.

Why can't sound waveform distortion be quantified ?

Edited by Countdown on Saturday 5th January 13:50

TonyRPH

Original Poster:

12,963 posts

167 months

Saturday 5th January 2013
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anonymous said:
[redacted]
hehe

TonyRPH

Original Poster:

12,963 posts

167 months

Saturday 5th January 2013
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May I just leave this here. (I think it conveys where this thread is headed!!)





ETA: Found a better meme smile

Edited by TonyRPH on Saturday 5th January 14:01

RedLeicester

6,869 posts

244 months

Saturday 5th January 2013
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0a said:
The biggest BS surrounds digital sources. I used to use a £12 CD player to feed a DAC that listed at £3k (I didn't pay that though, and through sensible buying and selling I made a profit on it!), various friends were surprised when they couldn't detect a difference with the £12 CD player and many thousand pound "dedicated transport" another friend had when played via digital outputs in to the same DAC. Well dur...
That's quite worrying. The key to understanding is the 'A' in DAC...

The_Burg said:
In theory digital sources are pretty much identical as many have said a PC can't work if there is any error yet when i changed the soundcard in my Vortexbox source the difference was truly amazing, going from an onboard to a dedicated one, nothing special £50 job, this using the same DAC etc this was the only change.
Digital sources are nothing if not NONidentical. We've been here before.

custodian said:
Bought Finite Elemente stands, result significant improvement (to an all digital system). Why?
Because no system is all digital. Unless you've invented something astonishing that you're about to unleash upon a salivating world. Or we're in The Matrix and no one told me. I'll have Trinity please, paws off, I saw her first.


anonymous said:
[redacted]
You know better than most TN that above a certain price point, the environment and the room has all the more influence than any gear you can throw at it - a yacht like a car is a bugger of a place to set up properly, and no amount of silly money gear will help. Also there's a frightening amount of gear which is priced to be expensive whilst basically sounding dire, but more often than not was purchased based upon the price and percieved quality... A shame, but such is life.

TonyRPH

Original Poster:

12,963 posts

167 months

Saturday 5th January 2013
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custodian said:
Tony, thanks for yet another off topic post. Do you ever put your head above the parapet and post something relevant?
Bottom post on page 1, two posts on page2.

I don't see the problem with bringing a little humour to (my own) thread?



Driller

8,310 posts

277 months

Saturday 5th January 2013
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I always think it's a necessary breath of fresh air when Tony flexes his sense of humour during these discussions smile

Certainly prevents brain meltdown which would otherwise occur with relentless superiority complex hi-fi cable drivel.

Globs

13,841 posts

230 months

Saturday 5th January 2013
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If a power conditioner has any effect it's because your amplifier is too crappy and you need a new one.
Luckily for £1500 you should be able to buy a decent tube one from Icon Audio.

FlossyThePig

4,083 posts

242 months

Saturday 5th January 2013
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custodian said:
Sure, room is key part of system. Some excellent room treatments available these days.
I remember my father telling me of a book he read on hi-fi when microgroove records were the latest thing, with mono sound.

Part of setting up a system was to take sound measurements at different frequencies and adjust the furnishings to make the room as neutral as possible.

Things were so much simpler then. One turntable, one pre-amp, one amp and one speaker.

Globs

13,841 posts

230 months

Saturday 5th January 2013
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custodian said:
Globs said:
If a power conditioner has any effect it's because your amplifier is too crappy and you need a new one.
Luckily for £1500 you should be able to buy a decent tube one from Icon Audio.
You do talk b****x
Which parts do you disagree with, and why?

Adrian W

13,848 posts

227 months

Saturday 5th January 2013
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Globs said:
If a power conditioner has any effect it's because your amplifier is too crappy and you need a new one.
Luckily for £1500 you should be able to buy a decent tube one from Icon Audio.
Why do you think mains power supplies for all sort of applications can cost tens of thousands, that statement is complete tosh

Globs

13,841 posts

230 months

Saturday 5th January 2013
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Adrian W said:
Globs said:
If a power conditioner has any effect it's because your amplifier is too crappy and you need a new one.
Luckily for £1500 you should be able to buy a decent tube one from Icon Audio.
Why do you think mains power supplies for all sort of applications can cost tens of thousands, that statement is complete tosh
Well at least you are not swearing at me like the boy custodian wink

You have run two sentenced into one line that I do not understand.

"Why do you think mains power supplies for all sort of applications can cost tens of thousands?"
Power supply cost is related to labour (development spend), parts cost and profit.
For instance Dungeness was very expensive.
I'm not really getting the relevance of the question to audio - sorry.

"that statement is complete tosh"
What statement is tosh?

Globs

13,841 posts

230 months

Saturday 5th January 2013
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custodian said:
Globs said:
Which parts do you disagree with, and why?
I recently upgraded from Pass Labs x1000 mono blocks to Halcro DM88 mono blocks. Both are improved by a decent power conditioner.

Icon Audio make a solid basic valve amp which I know well. If you believe it would be an improvement, you are deaf.
Well you didn't answer the question but you have stopped swearing which is nice. Well done.
If your DM88s are improved by a power conditioner then obviously the PSUs in them are not good enough. How is that a strange concept? Did you think that names and money are any influence to the laws of physics? The electrons can't read the label on the front of your amp.

In general tube amps have much better power supplies.