[time-nuts] OT: Audiophoolery

[John Day]

At 04:14 PM 4/20/2007, you wrote:
>It's the $250 HDMI cable
>(http://www.audioconnect.com/html/hdmi-3_hdmi_cable.html) that takes the
>prize IMHO - analog is voodoo to most people and they can be bamboozled
>by talk of SWR's etc- but digital is just digital - it works or it
>doesn't.     I'd be willing to bet that this $250 cable is no better
>than the $19.95 one hooked to my Apple TV (neat toy BTW).

Or $225 for a metre long coax cable with RCA plugs on it for your digital data?

Some years ago in Australia a friend who had 'golden ears' had 
purchased some insanely expensive speaker cable. But still wasn't 
happy. He had some custom built cabinets and who knows how much power 
driving the thing (it was a home brewed thing using KT-88's in 
ultralinear class-AB1 if I recall).

But whoever assembled the speakers had used some really lightweight 
telephone style wire in the cabinet. The wire had gotten so hot the 
insulation was 'dripping' off! All I did was replace it with standard 
4 (square mm) auto cable, and he was happier than a pig in a pile of 
excrement.  I put up with 10 years of his boasting before I told him 
what I had used.

The day I told him I played a trick on him. I invited him around to 
hear my system. In those days a pair of home-brewed Klipsch 
look-alikes. He raved, until he saw that the amp wasn't the big 
glowing thing on the bench, I was using a simple National 
Semiconductor LM2875 amp and some standard 3 core mains cable top 
connect it to the speakers. We still talk, but he is a little less 
boastful now. Sadly the Corner horns didn't survive a divorce and a 
move to smaller digs.

John



>Then again most people are happy with a cheap timex and a clock radio -
>I have three independent GPS clocks and two WWV clocks so maybe I
>shouldn't be too quick to comment.
>
>John (who still wears a mechanical watch)
>
>
>Daun Yeagley wrote:
> > I had passed a couple of these posts on to one of my buddies at 
> Motorola, since
> > we and a few others have by chance been having a parallel 
> discussion of such
> > topics. Check out his message.
> >
> > OK,
> >
> > This is as crazy as it gets.  I have seen the high end power cables
> > before and consider this the ultimate in audiophoolishness ... I'm not
> > sure this is the most expensive example, but it surely establishes that
> > there is no connection between reality and audiophoolery.
> >
> > Check it out:  http://www.audioconnect.com/html/pk10_palladian.html
> >
> > SWR enhanced!!!!  God, it's so simple, why didn't I think of it?
> >
> > Jim
> >
> >
> > This one just fit so nicely into our discussions!
> >
> >
> > Daun
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: time-nuts-bounces at febo.com 
> [mailto:time-nuts-bounces at febo.com] On Behalf
> > Of John Pettitt
> > Sent: Friday, April 20, 2007 1:03 AM
> > To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement
> > Subject: Re: [time-nuts] OT: Audiophoolery
> >
> > Dr. David Kirkby wrote:
> >
> >> On Fri, 2007-04-20 at 02:21, Bruce Lane wrote:
> >>
> >>
> >>>     Discussions involving audiphoolery, particularly where 
> silly things like
> >>>
> > $500 knobs and "atomic" references for CD writing are involved, 
> never fail to
> > amuse me.
> >
> >>>     With that in mind, and given the current thread about 
> Antelope Audio, I
> >>>
> > feel compelled to point out a link which, I think, illustrates 
> one of the peaks
> > to which "audiophools" will go to satisfy their obsessions.
> >
> >>>     http://www.monstercable.com/productDisplay.asp?pin=195
> >>>
> >>>     I invite all to have a good chuckle over this one. ;-)
> >>>
> >>> Keep the peace(es).
> >>>
> >>>
> >> Take a look at this "Aromatherapy and Audiophools" which appeared in
> >> Electronics World and Wireless World, October 1999. I thought it was so
> >> funny I scanned it and stuck it on my web site.
> >>
> >>
> >> http://www.g8wrb.org/useful-stuff/audiophools.pdf
> >>
> >>
> >>
> > I still remember the mercury filled speaker wires post - see also
> >
> > http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/hall/8701/Audio_BS.htm
> >
> > and in case anybody still needs convincing
> >
> > 
> http://www.avreview.co.uk/news/article/mps/UAN/632/v/3/sp/332683698431330268420
> >
> > "*Harmonic Technology Fantasy
> >
> > *In our test system Fantasy proved to be an extremely charming cable, it
> > is extremely fine and smooth while being able to resolve detail with
> > ease. Acoustic space is well defined and instrument tone is pretty good
> > too."
> >
> > Excuse me while I gag.  $900 for a par of 3m wires!
> >
> > John
> >
> >
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> >
> >
> >
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>
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