Hype, Hyperbole and high price!

It seems  many are conditioned these days to accept being lied to.    It's very sad.  

Kenny- leaving aside marketing hyperbole and specious scientific claims, do you acknowledge that you have heard a difference with different cables? I certain have, and am agnostic: my first experience in doing in-depth cable comparisons was done in the late ’80s- using a pair of Quad electrostats, which admittedly have their limitations and quirks but a very revealing midrange. I sat on the floor with about 5 different speaker cables and tried them out over the course of a long weekend. Not much discussion, as I recall, about cable break-in back then. I just installed a cable, listened for a while, then changed it. At some point, I must have done a run-off among a narrower sub-set of the ones I liked best, and frankly cannot even remember which, by brand or price, I preferred.
Fast forward several decades- I’ve tried several different cables in my current system (which I assembled circa 2006-7, with various updates over the past 10 years- but the core of the system has been essentially the same)- vinyl, SET amps, horns. Again, the cables-- this time interconnect and speaker, as well as power, made a difference. What I’m using isn’t the most unobtanium, fanciest or most expensive, but in comparisons in my room, over my equipment, I heard differences. I don’t know that I ever read a white paper about them, or was lured into buying them because of some claims about their sonic properties-- they seem to work well in my system, which can be somewhat unforgiving and is pretty revealing.
As far as value is concerned, I’m not one who chases the "next great thing." My Quad-based system was assembled in in the mid ’70s and with upgrades to the same line of amplification and speaker (Crosby 63 for the original 57 panels, better ARC amps and preamps, etc.), that system remained in place through most of the ’90s.
My horn based system has evolved in similar, long term ownership fashion. So, an investment in a good set of cables that made my system sound more like real music (really a better illusion) made sense to me. Will the cable I use will do the same thing for someone else, with different gear, listening preferences or budget? I have no idea and certainly don’t pretend to stake any absolute ground here-whether the cables, beyond a certain point are acting as filters, or simply better at fending off extraneous noise or interference, perhaps the answer is all of the above. There do seem to be certain preferred "matches" or synergies by people using certain combinations of equipment, and I don’t doubt that, based on their experiences, they have come to conclusions that are subjectively valid. I don’t know if your engineering vantage point goes so far as to say it isn’t valid science if it can’t be measured, but I’m old enough to remember the transition from tube to solid state and certainly from analog to digital, and early efforts on both fronts did not meet the measured science. Today, thankfully, I guess, solid state and digital is far better than at the time of consumer introduction. As to hype, generally, welcome to life. Everybody is selling something, right?

 
mapman
13,241 posts
05-04-2016 9:07pm
"It seems many are conditioned these days to accept being lied to.   It's very sad."

"The sky is falling! The sky is falling!" - Chicken Little

Must say you are very reliable always popping up when Summoned. 

🐢

kenny928 OP16 posts05-04-2016 4:44pm Before I attended an engineering university I too was duped into buying expensive wires and such. Now, armed with an engineering and physics background, I can see through the BS claims made.

Engineering school has a course for street smarts?

I tell him politely my background and then ask him a series of questions which leaves him dumbfounded.

One of those, Do you know who I am types? That’s all I need to know.

I am an engineer first and an audiophile second.

When it comes to audio, I trust my ear 1st. My fancy degree, specifications ... come 2nd.

I just get tired of the massive increase in prices over time. I have been an audiophile since 1979 and have seen the increase in hype and prices without empirical data to back the claims.

It’s call capitalism! Entrepreneur identifies a market and create companies to fill a void. If you fall for the hype, it’s not companies fault but yours. There are consequences in a free society with the ability to choose.

Audiophile companies operate in a niche market where demand is low, supply is low so price is high. If you only sell 50 amps annual, you have to charge more for each to stay in business. Conversely you have companies like Walmart that deals with high demand, high volume so prices are low. Economics 101.

Ever notice that power cord shipped with the product? It is an inexpensive one. Why would a 20K piece of equipment be shipped out with such a feeble cord if it made such a huge difference in sound? Just sayin'!

Simple, like most tube components, companies anticipate you roll them so don't bother including expensive PCs. 

falconquest78 posts05-04-2016 7:47pmGeez Kenny,
Why do some people feel they need a BMW M5 to get to work when a Kia Sportage will get them there just as easily? It’s a marketplace. If people want to spend thousands of dollars on speaker cables then for cripes sake let them! Are they better? Who cares? They think they are. Just because I can prove that a Kia Sportage from an engineering standpoint can get you to work the same as a BMW M5 doesn’t mean there isn’t a market for the M5! And whose standard are we to live by? I get tired of those who put down audiophiles based on "engineering principles". Do your research, find what works for you and go with what you can afford. It doesn’t mean any one of us is right or wrong. Hopefully we’re happy with our system and that’s all that’s required. BTW, why are you using Nordost cables when you can get them much cheaper from Radio Shack?

Kenny boy thinks he better than you. Everybody should live by his standards, frugalness and street smarts. Notice how he criticizes his friends getting scammed and duped? With a PITA friend like Kenny, who needs enemies.

Remember, Kenny has an engineering degree so you can’t dupe him and is much smarter than all of us . GMAB!!!