What’s your vote for the most ridiculous, overpriced, and useless tweak?

While I do have to offer my compliments to the original poster for a fun idea, it was inevitable that the thread would descend into argument. Why? Well, speaking as someone who has been involved in the hobby for over 40 years, I've watched the lunatic fringe rise from Auntie Enid and Peter Beltto, to well what it has become.

Why would the eye bulging types invade the thread to defend that tweaks and gizmos and Audio Jewelry are the bee's knees? What do they need to defend? Can't skeptics ridicule the craziness that inhabits audio in peace?
Well of course not. If you have something invested in that sort of thing, ridicule is not what you savor. Common sense is the last thing that you want to see.
Consider though, as audio as we know it shrinks as a hobby and home theater and smart speakers dominate, think about the case we make to the public at large and the younger generation for the survival of the hobby.
We have a good sized and mobile group, intolerant of dissent, that posits the most outrageous and laughable positions imaginable. It's bad enough that current hobbyists find the positions untenable, think about how that group looks to people considering the hobby.
Inviting to newbies? I think not.

Wonder why the hobby is shrinking? Who wants to be part of a group that people make jokes about? Who wants to be part of a group that people laugh at?
My compliments again to the original poster for a fun idea. I'm off to finish my cold fusion reactor.

@kqvkq9,

"While I do have to offer my compliments to the original poster for a fun idea, it was inevitable that the thread would descend into argument. Why? Well, speaking as someone who has been involved in the hobby for over 40 years, I've watched the lunatic fringe rise from Auntie Enid and Peter Beltto, to well what it has become.

Why would the eye bulging types invade the thread to defend that tweaks and gizmos and Audio Jewelry are the bee's knees? What do they need to defend? Can't skeptics ridicule the craziness that inhabits audio in peace?
Well of course not. If you have something invested in that sort of thing, ridicule is not what you savor. Common sense is the last thing that you want to see.
Consider though, as audio as we know it shrinks as a hobby and home theater and smart speakers dominate, think about the case we make to the public at large and the younger generation for the survival of the hobby.
We have a good sized and mobile group, intolerant of dissent, that posits the most outrageous and laughable positions imaginable. It's bad enough that current hobbyists find the positions untenable, think about how that group looks to people considering the hobby.
Inviting to newbies? I think not.

Wonder why the hobby is shrinking? Who wants to be part of a group that people make jokes about? Who wants to be part of a group that people laugh at?
My compliments again to the original poster for a fun idea. I'm off to finish my cold fusion reactor."


A timely posting with many good points, eg - 

Why would the eye bulging types invade the thread to defend that tweaks and gizmos and Audio Jewelry are the bee's knees?

What do they need to defend?

Can't skeptics ridicule the craziness that inhabits audio in peace?

We have a good sized and mobile group, intolerant of dissent, that posits the most outrageous and laughable positions imaginable.

Who wants to be part of a group that people laugh at?


Thankfully, as always, the reader, experienced or not, should feel free to make up their own mind regarding the intentions and validity of each and every post/ article/ YouTube clip etc.  

Another useless tweak worth mentioning is 180 gram vinyl. Looks good on the sticker but usually has nothing to do with actual pressing quality.

The point of this thread is about overpriced tweaks.... Most of the selling tweaks are overpriced... Ridiculous? that is impossible to say if you do not try it...My opinion is replicate at low cost for yourself the basic principle behind tweaks that are evidently useful or tempting to try : tweaking an audio system against mechanical vibration, tweaking the room acoustically, tweaking the electrical system of the house, tweaking with unexplained experience that give positive results is fun I make it happen at very low cost....


If the point of this thread is dividing people in 2 entranchment, this is not useful...My audiophile experience is at the end precisely this: all the tweaks I replicate at almost no cost or low cost, that’s what gave me the true audiophile experience of sound and music at the end.... Final results : I will not upgrade anything like I was dreaming to some years ago...


If it was not for this studies I made about the usefulness of tweaks I will always go with unsatisfaction... Then that gives to no one any good to speak about evident too costly tweaks.... What is useful is what is your experience with them and how to replicate them at low cost... This is what interest me...All the rest is complaining rant most of the times and reading them is loosing times...My best to all...