Advice on....Snake Oil

I think few engineers/markets set out to oil snakes.  They start off with good intentions and produce products that deliver on those intentions.  None of the three brands mentioned would be even close to the top of the list of brands I would consider snake oil peddlers.  

There are some products out there that just make you shake your head.  I can't imagine what causes people to buy some of the weird "tweaks" out there that they swear delivers better sound but are mind boggling. 

This is not a thread about the most absurd tweak, but there are some truly absurd things in the market.   

Snakeoil is like feet under amps

I run a small LP mastering operation, using a Scully lathe. It uses a table which is mounted on adjustable pointed feet; in turn a damping platform sits on top of that which is where the lathe hardware is mounted. This was built in the early 1950s; apparently the LP mastering industry does not think pointed feet and damping platforms are snake oil.

Is there a difference between cutting LPs and consumer amplifiers as far as vibration and leveling? I think you're comparing apples to sardines. 

I agree that some amplifer, speakers, TT, DAC  etc..manufacturers might exaggerate a tad on measurements and perhaps innocently I only see the crazy snake oily type thing in tweaks. From magic magnetic mats for your breaker box to rocks taped on wires. As for cables it's each person for themselves if they want to believe an competent designed ethernet cable for a few dollars a foot can't transmit data as well as $100 a foot cable no skin off my nose. 

djones51

Lawsuits against the type of deceptive practices employed by by some of these marketers isn’t worth the time or effort.

Apparently it isn’t worth the time or effort on the part of those making the claims of fraud, yet they have plenty of time to repeat the fraud charges here ad infinitum. If the fraud were as blatant and dangerous as some suggest, it’s hard to accept that no one has ever even filed a complaint. Why would they be frightened by something as simple as filing a complaint with a consumer protection agency? Every state has one.

... claiming since noone has sued them they must therefore work is fallacy.

I don’t think anyone here has claimed that.

And that's why I consider those who claim fraud and snake oil lazy and insincere. It's easy to make anonymous accusations here on the Internet. It's another to file a complaint and sign your name to it.