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I Just Don't Hear It - I wish I did

I am frustrated because I am an audiophile who cannot discern details from so many of the methods praised by other audiophiles. I joke about not having golden ears. That said, I can easily discern and appreciate good soundstage, image, balance, tone, timbre, transparency and even the synergy of a system. I am however unable to hear the improvements that result from, say a piece of Teflon tape or a $5.00 item from the plumbing aisle at Home Depot. Furthermore, I think it is grossly unfair that I must pay in multiples of one hundred, or even one thousand just to gain relatively slight improvements in transparency, detail, timbre soundstage, etc., when other audiophiles can gain the same level of details from a ten dollar tweak. In an effort to sooth my frustration, I tell myself that my fellow audiophiles are experiencing a placebo effect of some sort. Does anyone else struggle to hear….no wait; does anyone else struggle to comprehend how someone else can hear the perceived benefits gained by the inclusion of any number of highly touted tweaks/gimmicks (brass screws, copper couplers, Teflon tape, maple hardwood, racquet balls, etc.) I mean, the claims are that these methods actually result in improved soundstage, image, detail (“blacker backgrounds”), clarity, bass definition, etc.
Am I alone in my frustration here?
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shadorne's avatar
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shadorne
7,467 posts
 
I really don't understand why some have to take it on themselves to be judges of what is worthwhile, what I call the Scam Police. What purpose do they serve? Certainly when some were selling worthless elixors as cures for ailments with those taking them potentially harmed, society did the right thing to band them. How are Scam Police serving society?

Ok let's pick a more relevant (to Society as a whole) than John Doe with $7,000 Speaker Cables and $3000 speakers (who is happy and in heaven with his cables nevermind that he might have actually got better sound by getting $10,000 speakers instead).

Have you heard of the consensus of Anthropogenic Global Warming? Did you know that this could have huge implications that affect taxes and legislation globally. Many scientists/experts believe that it is all a scam. IMHO, today, we really do need "Scam Police" or at least the "skeptics", more than ever.
jimjoyce25
215 posts
 
Why should it be surprising that some tweaks have material effects?

Suppose that RF in a system has a significant distortion effect. We know that A/C is a major source of RF. Wouldn't it make sense that a power cable that materially reduces or eliminates RF transmission from the A/C would have a material and positive effect on your sound?

Similarly, suppose that component vibration has a material adverse effect on sound qualify. Wouldn't it make sense that a footer that actually does reduce vibration would materially improve the sound?

That's not to say that any particular tweak that *claims* to achieve these goals actually does. Many/most of them do not. But a few may, and that is what we are looking for.
samhar
1,048 posts
 
"Similarly, suppose that component vibration has a material adverse effect on sound qualify."

I don't think we all have to suppose this, those that have had a positive experience removing vibrations know how big an improvement it can be.
tbg
5,263 posts
 
Shadorne, you say "There is indeed no strong reason to use cable elevators in that there is no credible science behind this concept." This is a very unscientific thing to say. No credible scientist would ever make that argument. Evidence is call for to be dismissive even in science. We are not talking about science here; we are talking about people's preferences. Therefore you comment about global warming is off the topic. No one needs to pay any heed to you nor your willingness by self-selection to serve as a Scam Police.

I am glad, however, that you so starkly set out your position. Most here are pussyfooting around. I also think you and I have previously had this same discussion before with equal inability to convince each other. :)
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,094 posts
 
"That's not to say that any particular tweak that *claims* to achieve these goals actually does. Many/most of them do not. But a few may, and that is what we are looking for."

Or they may, but in some cases the potential problem may not in fact really exist, so even if the tweak works, you may not hear a difference and draw the wrong conclusion.
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