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I think I've Just Seen Absolute Proof That Audiophiles Are Insanely Gullible

I didn’t want to crap on someone’s sales thread, so I thought i’d post my amazement here. The focus of my disbelief? The "Dalby D7-Vinyl Stabilizer," which is a damn weight that screws onto the turntable spindle to hold the record securely onto the platter. Listed retail? 4000 British Pounds! (although a mag listed it at $6,800! On sale here at AudioGullible for the bargain basement price of 2500 British Pounds, or $3600 US dollars!!! Just read a few snippets of the sales ad . . .

"The D7-Vinyl Stabiliser has a sonic character that brings music to life and the ability to elevate the entire audio frequency from the veil and mechanics inherent in prerecorded music. The gains are immediate, with sweeter high frequency extension while the mid and lower registers are beautifully controlled. The soundscape is wider, higher and deeper, allowing the music to breathe more naturally."

I’m sorry, but I’m calling total BS on this. A friggin’ weight brings "music to life," "sweeter high frequency extension," "allowing the music to breathe more naturally . ." Come on. Its a modified paperweight that screws onto the platter. One can only imagine what this guy thinks about some $20K interconnects for the turntable -- the music probably writes itself! And don’t forget the amazing improvement that a $4,000 carbon fiber mat might add . . . You probably would think you were hallucinating because the music breathed so much it was oozing out of the speakers, like on some of my more memorable nights in college in the ’70’s.

Now I have never heard this amazing gift to the audiophile community, so maybe it is the audio equivalent of the Second Coming, but really? $5,800 for this? It confirms to me that there is a certain insanity/gullibility/too much money/snake oil in this so-called "hobby," (which is a hobby to customers and ridiculous business for some manufacturers). When is enough enough? What about audiophile paint, that has amazing sonic qualities to cut down reflection and make the soundstage so wide that you feel you need a new apartment? Don’t forget the audiophile couch, that is sonically neutral but promises to position your ears to "bring music to life?" OK, I’ve made my point. No offense to the seller of the snake oil, but really . . . When is enough enough?

This concludes my rant for today. :)
moto_man
Post removed 
teo_audio
2,197 posts
 
And will someone please explain to me the benefits of cable risers.


Capacitance added, field interactions, vs added motor noise. High intensity fields and their associated transient fields in a vibrating environment.

The scenario is different if the cable is suspended. (VS lying on the given floor) Tying down cables in micro sensitive measuring environments is the norm, for those very reasons.

Our hearing works via micro changes in time and level, of many intermixed transients/peaks. That’s the only part of the signal we hear. Our brain decodes it over time. We are, overall, in the final analysis - the world’s best FFT analysis hardware, by a country mile. Audiophiles are highly trained, highly experienced ones.

If you look at the claims about the record clamp, or what goes on in audio cables, or any audio gear, it is exactly those things that are the majority of the distortions, and thus ..are the things we hear.

There is no mystery here, there is only an incomplete analysis of an incomplete question. That’s why it is mysterious for some.

with the proper framing, it becomes a question of..if the clamp needs to be $6000 or not. Each of us hears differently, we each ’built’ up our library of signals heard and decoded, as we grew up from being a child. It’s a combination of our innate wiring and abilities vs the next person’s. We each start with a basic similar neural and physical system/package but each hearing sytem execution and build...is different. The brain is elastic and we each learn differently, we each - hear differently. We each approach and try to solve the 'high quality audio' conundrum differently.

Thus some will find value in the given clamp, or cable riser, and some won’t. It’s not a contest, it’s not a ranking of skills, it’s not an ego attack. It just ’is’. Individually, in this case.

mceljo
1,357 posts
 
I was just chatting with a friend of mine today about some audiophile products that could easily be marketed with similar pseudoscience to what many products currently have.

Without stepping on too many toes, if Romex wire is what's in the wall why wouldn't it make sense for an audiophile manufacturer just built in some ideal connectors into the back of the component that would allow a custom run of Romex from the breaker box to the back of the component.  Why have an outlet or separate power cord at all?

I've often wondered if a product like Nordost Sort Kones truly make a difference why wouldn't a manufacturer of five figure pieces of equipment just include them with their gear as a "door prize"?  Better yet, why not just design it right into the component since money is no object in the first place.

Audiophiles often argue that tweaks are best utilized in the most discerning systems where there is sufficient fidelity to hear small differences.  I'd argue that a $400 CD player should benefit from having better supports than a $40,000 CD player because at that price those types of factors should have been part of the original design.

I think science would indicated that most of the audiophile targeted products that are advertised with pure pseudoscience are likely relying on the power of suggestion in most cases.

Do people still paint the edges of their CDs green to increase the bass?
prof
3,473 posts
 

I've been into high end audio for about 3 decades, yet I'm still able to be shocked by the price of some gear.

Case in point:

https://www.audiogon.com/listings/lis8f62g-voxativ-ac-4-full-range

Almost $25,000 for a speaker driver.

For. A. Speaker.....driver!

Those are some brass b#lls to be asking for that.  The higher hi end almost seems like an on-going dare between companies "how much can we get someone to pay for this before they tell us to take hike?"

And someone, somewhere...keeps paying.


geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
You ain’t seen nothing yet. Check out the ULTRA internal speaker wiring upgrade from Von Schweikert. Various options available.

https://www.vonschweikert.com/ultra-internal-wire-upgrade

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