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Simple snake oil detection

Hi there were soooo many posts asking af any given device, toy, tweak or component is snake oil.
I’m not considered to be disbeliever or engineering guru at all. All I know and use is elementary math.

If an amp worth more than new Bmw, I can kinda take that with grain of salt, but if a wire is worth more than stainway grand, I am DEFINITELY sure snake oil is there without even questioning if this particular product makes sense 

So now any audio device can be plugged into the detection formula above to truthfully define snake oil. All you need to know is product name, description and asking price.

czarivey
4425
861 posts
 
personally i think the op is expressing what most reasonable people would think. I think wire is very important in a high end system but only the buyer can decide the value in financial terms.
But there is no doubt that us in the audio club have allowed the ridiculous pricing of so many audio products because we are willing to pay for it.
I have certainly spent plenty of bad money in audio but it was my choice.
The OP expresses an opinion that I very much agree with. The cost to final price is not evidenced in any other manufactured products that I’m aware. Does anyone really think the cost to price ratio of a Steinway to a similar priced interconnect pair would in any way be similar. Give credit to the cable guys in particular. They don’t make us buy it. 
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,153 posts
 
To say that there is no ’snake oil’ is the same as saying every claim every vendor or fanboy makes to support their particular product is true.

Any takers on that?

Of course the snake oil salesmen absolutely have no problem making baseless sometimes even absolute claims and will do what they can to discredit any naysayer or skeptic. Watch out!

amg56's avatar
Ag insider logo xs@2x
amg56
887 posts
 

@geoffkait 

What TELOS Quantum Diffusor is doing is actually very simple. That is, to create an imitation of natural electromagnetic resonance wave in the listening environment. Unlike the past, we hope that the presence of “pure wave” does not bring undesirable high frequency electromagnetic waves.

Hence, in design, we choose to use the safer low-voltage DC power input. The input will be converted to high-voltage low-current power within the core. With high density grid antenna, paired with high-precision low-distortion resonance wave generator, simulated extremely low frequency electromagnetic wave is radiated uniformly from the Quantum Diffusor.

Coupled with natural wood exterior, the design highly suits Hi-End listening environment. It feels like traditional diffuser, what is different is that it is compact and lightweight in size. Compared to fixing large diffusers, this is definitely economically more desirable.

Geoff, I do not read video in the above. Maybe you can? I trust the credentials of my source implicitly. Plus I can read.

noromance's avatar
noromance
9,763 posts
 
Or when some poor sod with a $500 amp blows $250 on an IC hoping to improve a mediocre component. (or $5000 amp blows $2500 on cable) 

geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
amg56
What TELOS Quantum Diffuser is doing is actually very simple.....Geoff, I do not read video in the above. Maybe you can? I trust the credentials of my source implicitly. Plus I can read.

>>>> Acoustic Revive is the original. Acoustic Revive claims it improves video. Besides manufacturers have to claim something, no? Give them a break. Everybody and his brother makes these Schumann things these days. Nobody seems to know how they work, I’ll grant you that. You’re under no obligation to believe them or buy the product the last time I looked. By the way I see no reference in that description to the electromagnetic wave nullifying acoustic feedback you originally objected to. Did it just disappear?

What you wrote,

”....if you compute the wavelength vs path length, you come up with around 8Hz which is what this box claimed to emit electromagnetic waves to nullify acoustic feedback! This magic box, of not inconsiderable expense, couldn’t acoustically nullify itself if it tried.”

Pop Quiz: How long would a full wave antenna have to be to produce an 8 Hz electromagnetic wave? 

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