Audiophiles!

Thread Starter

tom66

Joined May 9, 2009
2,595
Audiophiles/audiophools!

I cannot believe people believe this. I am laughing out loud - literally.

http://www.goldensound.com/productlist/next-generation-audio-accessories

Ultra Tweeters

Description/Theory: These remarkable speakers, sold in pairs, operate at extremely high frequencies -- much higher than the audio band - actually in the microwave band, above 1 Gigahertz (GHz). The Ultra Tweeters are connected to the output terminals of existing speakers with speaker cables - preferably light, flexible ones - since the Ultra Tweeters themselves are quite light. Ultra Tweeter principle of operation is very unconventional. They don't generate sound in the audio band, or even in the 20-100 KHz band like super-tweeters, but function in the Gigahertz frequency band (normally used for satellite and microwave communications). Ultra Tweeters organize and improve the energy flow in signal conductors as well as the internal wirings of speaker drivers, making the audio system perform more efficiently and synergistically.
One gigahertz??

The scariest thing is, products like the Intelligent Chip, which according to the manufacturers, if you place upon your CD player while playing a CD it permanently upgrades the CD to make the CD sound better!?

Remove the orange Intelligent Chip from its protective clear plastic case and place it on top of the CD/DVD/SACD player directly above the transport section, silver label side facing up. Then, insert the disc to be upgraded in the player and push "Play" - allow disc to play for a minimum of 2 seconds. The upgrade takes only 2 seconds and is permanent. Note: It is helpful to mark the Chip each time a disc is upgraded so you'll know how many upgrades remain. Furthermore, the Chip "recognizes" when an upgraded disc is placed in the player, avoiding using the Chip unnecessarily.

Once the disc is upgraded, you may either remove the Chip from the player and return it to its protective plastic case or leave it on top of the player and insert the next disc to be upgraded into the player. The Chip should always be stored in its protective plastic case; otherwise the active material in the Chip could lose its effectiveness over time. Once the Chip has upgraded the prescribed number of discs it automatically ceases to function.
And, the most funny Amazon reviews I've ever seen. The CAT-6e audio link cable, 1.5m - for $999.99! http://www.amazon.com/Denon-AKDL1-Dedicated-Link-Cable/dp/B000I1X6PM/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

Fools and their money.
 

beenthere

Joined Apr 20, 2004
15,819
The sorry fact is that so many people have no education at all, so scams like this can be passed off as real stuff. Goes on beyond "oxygen free" speaker wire, though.
 

Thread Starter

tom66

Joined May 9, 2009
2,595
The sorry fact is that so many people have no education at all, so scams like this can be passed off as real stuff. Goes on beyond "oxygen free" speaker wire, though.
It's not just lack of education - magazines (or as I like to call them, "magazines") like Stereophile are paid to promote the products like they are some kind of black magic. Especially of note is how almost all of their reviews start off with skepticism, and end with somehow exclaiming the audio to be excellent, using phrases like "Soundstage depth increased, mids and highs were smoother with less grain, and the presentation became more musically involving." (In this review, they talk about a magic green pen you apply to the edge of the CD to improve the quality.)
 

beenthere

Joined Apr 20, 2004
15,819
The "real" audiophiles tend to treat this stuff like revealed religion. I can only recall a couple who have come to AAC. They find that nobody buys their claims.

One other sorry note to this - the FTC seems to have no interest in these internet scams. Apparently you can sell snake oil with no fear of prosecution. Guess it's time to roll out Lydia Pinkham's elixir and put Carter's Little Liver Pills back in production.

These are common, too - http://www.easywater.com/

http://clearwatergmx.com/
 

Thread Starter

tom66

Joined May 9, 2009
2,595
One other sorry note to this - the FTC seems to have no interest in these internet scams. Apparently you can sell snake oil with no fear of prosecution. Guess it's time to roll out Lydia Pinkham's elixir and put Carter's Little Liver Pills back in production.

These are common, too - http://www.easywater.com/

http://clearwatergmx.com/
Yes - I've heard of those. I talked to someone who was completely bought into them. I tried the water and I could taste absolutely no difference.

It's quite similar to those plug-in power factor correctors that are supposed to save the average home user money. If we were billed by power factor, then it might make sense.
 

eblc1388

Joined Nov 28, 2008
1,542
It doesn't matter if you notice any difference.

The important point here is that those people who have bought these products do hear a difference. They get what's worth of their hard earn cash.

They can return their purchase for money but most don't as the product works as intended.

A scam is a situation where one cannot get one's money back if the product don't work as advertised.
 

Wendy

Joined Mar 24, 2008
23,415
I think I would disagree with that. A scam is where a product doesn't work as advertised. A really successful scam is where people believe it does, when it doesn't. It is a matter of degree.

I am not an audiophile, but I wish I could diagnose (by ear) distortions. That is a gift.
 

eblc1388

Joined Nov 28, 2008
1,542
I am not an audiophile, but I wish I could diagnose (by ear) distortions. That is a gift.
Exactly.

When those people say they actually can hear a clearer, smoother sound with a $1000 power cable, how can you challenge them as you don't have the ears they have?

You bought one, you can't hear any difference and you return it for your money back. How can you say it is a scam, or a successful scam?
 

Wendy

Joined Mar 24, 2008
23,415
A successful scam is where you get to keep the money. If the customer is happy, and the product is bogus, it is still a scam. It is legal, but that is another issue.
 

t06afre

Joined May 11, 2009
5,934

I liked the 65 $ each clip on clip on ferrite beads. But what on earth is the "Soundstage Enhancer" gadget. 2400 for each pair even if it include cables. Is a somewhat stiff price. I quote from the site
In systems without Soundstage Enhancers, the sound waves of similar frequencies bump up against each other, resulting in lost details, blurred sound and a soundstage is small and without depth. In systems with the Soundstage Enhancers will provide a large and layered soundstage and clean, clear detailed sound.
:confused::confused:
 

Ghar

Joined Mar 8, 2010
655

I liked the 65 $ each clip on clip on ferrite beads. But what on earth is the "Soundstage Enhancer" gadget. 2400 for each pair even if it include cables. Is a somewhat stiff price. I quote from the site
:confused::confused:
Wow I didn't see that.

What about the 2.5 lb 'magic ring' which is also just ferrite?
The Magic Ring illuminates and expands the soundstage, lowers distortion and improves dynamics, especially micro dynamics.
The love the description of those enhancers...
They lower the Q value of the speakers and remove a veil created by speaker noise...

By utilizing a 100 to 500 Hz white noise test, the Soundstage Enhancers increase the sound level by 3 db.
 

glen65

Joined Nov 30, 2004
3
Ive seen some spend anywhere from 80 to 120 bucks a piece
on a wall outlet and swear up and down that it drastically
improves the sound. Here's one example from another
message board ...

From the tone this thread is turning I can see there is a lot of non-believer here. About 10 years ago I too was a non-believer in ac outlets. I now know just how very important good ac outlets are for your whole audio/video system. These maestro outlets has made my entry level system sound like a much higher priced system now. The music just flows SO effortessly without strain now! My system sounds much less HIFI sounding to more REAL sounding now........Instruments and vocals sound very believable and real now! These maestro outlets are turning out to be a very special product indeed !....
If that wasn't enough here's another tweak recommended by the same person.


Just thought I'd pass this along, as I have had tremendous results with this ground system that I have designed.

I'm using wattgate audiograde receptacles with a 20 amp dedicated audio circuit. I run a single 10 awg wire from circuit breaker directly to the receptacle - ungrounded.

The reason for this is because I have a 15' long section of 3" diameter type K (thickest available) copper pipe tubing buried vertical in my back yard outside of my stereo room (yes, this was a job to bury). I then have thick insulated copper litz wire that Stealth custom made for me (spades both ends) running from the copper pipe into the house and it's connected to the ground screw on the back of my BPT 3.5 sig ultra power conditioner. I then plug all my components into the bpt. The bpt is the only item plugged into the ungrounded receptacle. It's a design that Serguei Timachev from Stealth and Chris Hoff from BPT helped me design. It's aweome. I have the litz wire connected to the copper pipe with copper fasteners. The top of the pipe is exposed and sticks out of the ground 2" (low enough so I can go over it with the lawnmower). I have a rubber compression style cap with a hose clamp that I can unscrew to remove the cap. Once a month I go out and remove the cap and fill the tube to the top with water (as this increases the conductivity) and improves the sound when compared to an empty gound pipe. The trick is to fasten the litz wire as far down on the pipe as possible because you want the wire connection to stay as wet as possible. Fastening the litz wire to the top of the pipe isn't nearly as good, because the water dries out of the pipe from the top down (water level decreases from tube about 1/2" per day).
 

sceadwian

Joined Jun 1, 2009
499
The mini magic rings got a giggle out of me, those are just clip on ferrites, probably cost 10-50 cents each. This is all psycology and no science, people that think these devices work or notice improved audio quality are simply fooling themselves, it's kind of sad really. And 2400 dollars is only the tip o the iceberg. I've seen 3 foot audio cables advertised for that, it's truly disturbing. No one that buys these products or sells them knows the first thing about true audio fidelity.

Using the most sophisticated scientific equipment that exists you wouldn't be able to show on a scope any difference between the before and after waveforms.
 

beenthere

Joined Apr 20, 2004
15,819
Is that copper tubing oxygen free? What is the sound of vast sums of money changing hands? Is that Evian water he uses? I guess the litz wire is handy for all those freqs above 60 that the power conditioner passes. Doubtless 22 carat gold spade connectors made from vintage Krugerrands. Very good thing it manages to stay ungrounded.

Are they *really* serious, or is this just some vast self-perpetuating joke?

Oddly enough, I noticed in Italy that the bottled water not only has the mineral assay on the label, but a conductivity figure as well.
 
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