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Counterfeit Chinese Cables

I thought that I would write this for those who are curious about one of the many counterfeit Chinese interconnect cables that are available these days. I know that there have been threads about the subject before, and I was always curious because they seem to be such a bargain. I don't really recall much about what any members actually said about the performance of these counterfeit cables, and I didn't look back and do any research, but a couple of months ago there was a thread that came around to discussing the quality of Chinese made components, and oldhvymec said something that made sense to me.

He said that people that say that what they are making is junk should consider that much of what is in our gear, and a lot of our American brands are actually manufactured there. I decided shortly after that that I would take the chance on a set of interconnects, because I suspected that the interconnects going from my pre to my amp were the weak link and needed upgrading. The interconnects going from my DAC to my pre were Kimber Select which are very good, but the other set were LAT International (now defunct) which had cost $500.00 when new, but I had reason to believe they were lacking because I have one of their digital cables that turned out to be very poor sounding in comparison to others I own.

I decided on a one meter pair of counterfeit Nordost Odin interconnects for a total of $104.00 from Aliexpress. I received them a couple of weeks later. They appeared to be well made, and the locking fake WBT rca's were very impressive and are very tight. 

First impressions after installing them were light, thin sound, lacking bass. Each couple of days brought improvements, but from the beginning I noticed that they were quieter. Now, weeks later, I can say that they are drastically better that the LAT's in every way. Detail and ambience are much better, but it's the focus and separation of instruments that is most noticeable. 

I have no way of knowing if they are really a copy of the Nordost design, but I am impressed enough that I am going to try a counterfeit Nordost digital cable.

Obviously, this isn't a comparison that is useful to most, because there probably isn't anyone here using the LAT's, and everything is system dependent. I just wanted to relay my positive experience. 

Nordost ODIN&2 RCA Fever Audio Signal Cable Double Lotus Sterling Silver Audio Cord Video CD Amplifier Tube Cable High Quality| | - AliExpress

128x128roxy54
mahgister's avatar
mahgister
13,102 posts
 
You are right for sure....Completely right ...
 
Once this is said, with a so clear conscience and a well behaved and a clairvoyant one , no doubts, how do you sleep
with peace in your own bed ?
 
May i remember all the list of crimes going on all around the world right now who appear justified for one conscience and not so well justified for another ?
 
And how about this case :
I spoke one time with a rich person a customer in the same bookstore as me in 1976 , a very rich one, who with me assisted to the stealing of a book , by a young student who was catched on the spot near us , a very poor one , and this very rich person judged the thief very harshly indeed ... It was the same discourse as yours .... the book value was very high in the philosophy section and i thought for myself that nobody steal a philosophy book to resell it, it is like a piece of bread, you steal it because you need it and you are dying of hunger to read it and cannot afford it ...I am pretty sure it was the case ...It is anyway a thief here no doubt ...
 
How do you judge this poor student? Do you judge it as hashly as those who buy audio cables with a fraud name written on them ? Do you judge the student as the rich customer judge him very harsly on the spot who himself can buy anything , I am curious ...
 
Did you sleep well the day were some government lied and killed hundred of thousand of people ? What about that ? What about your own mirror the day after the killings? Did you clearly had denounced this government of crimes against humanity at least on some forum ?
 
 And now how about the "crimes" of Julian Assange ?
 
These four different exemples reveal to us as hard for a wise man could be judging others as hard it is in reality ;and how easy it could be too for some others wise men to pass judgement ...
 
So easy that they will sleep well after passing their judgement because they are so right ...And they can be ...
 
Now how about a much less clear and less evident case of POSSIBLE stealing, lying, manipulating ,killing and abuse of power by authorities as in the last three years ?
 
How did you, with your very elevated mind and conscience, acted about it and how do you judge the different perpetrators ? it is not an easy case but it can be a clear one for many people though not so clear for many others...
 
The most deep and pragmatic judgement i ever read was in the scriptures, and i am not "religious" at all; it was the parable about the beam and the straw :
 
Jesus says: "The straw that is in thy brother’s eye, though seest; but the beam that is in thine own eye, thou seest not! When thou hast cast out the beam that is in thine own eye, then thou wilt see to cast out the straw from thy brother’s eye."
 

It seems an awful lot of people are ok with stealing, as they justify it with a number of ethical and moral gymnastics. Outsmarting right vs. wrong is laughable. They’re thieves, plain and simple. Anyone who knowingly assists the thieves in profiting from their crimes is no better, no matter how much BS they shovel on their actions to try hiding the truth. It’s amoral.

Stealing is stealing, whether it’s a penny or a million dollars. You took something that didn’t belong to you without permission. If you find that behavior acceptable, simply because a particular instance benefits you, your morals are for sale. That means you have none. Anyone who is offended by hearing that should be more offended by the face in the mirror. I would rather be poor and honest. My conscience wouldn’t have it any other way.

carlsbad2's avatar
carlsbad2
1,624 posts
 

Interestig how people are arguing that intellectual property doesn't exist.  Without patents and IP rights, research would go away.

Jerry

mahgister's avatar
mahgister
13,102 posts
 

It SEEMS so true what you just said... So true...😊

But once this is said ...

How about the patents on the human genomes by Gates and others and how about patenting the seeds and after that being able to sold them after to the "poors" of africa erasing their traditional way of living and destroying their traditional seeds ?

Legal dont means legitimate , it seems ... So argued Vandana Shiva from India😁

Patent is legal not always legitimate ... For sure cable patent are not seeds patent ...But we discuss about patents in general here because you just claim that science will stop without "patents" ... I dont think so myself by the way ...but i cannot enter this matter here ...

Without patent the so useful research about viruses by corporations will go away for sure and many others criminal stranglehold by corporations on all aspects of life... Who control the "patent" office by the way ?

And what about the patent on A. I. by corporations more powerful than nations ?

In the same way, if someone cannot afford "the patent" price, nor the "patented" product then he cannot eat, or afford the price of education, nor he cannot be cured ; We must stay legal and patent must be respected or all the progress wheel will stop ...

But this wheel of progress turn for the benefit of whom now ?

Is it really true that without "patent" the wheel of progress will stop ? Is it not instead the way we understand "profit" which will be modified ? Research will not stop ...

Just questions i throw, because i am not so sure about this claim validity...And some here are so sure not only about patents as they are legally constituted (a legitimate status versus his official legal status) but they are so sure about the moral status of everybody here in a very clear classification ...😁

I must be a confused mind or are they simplistic mind ?... 😊

My questions are here but it is better for me not to judge anybody ...

I dont see myself too my own beam when reading about the straw in their eyes...

I was thinking aloud...

 

 

 

 

Interestig how people are arguing that intellectual property doesn’t exist. Without patents and IP rights, research would go away.

Jerry

spawn350's avatar
spawn350
12 posts
 

Admission: I didn't read through the 17 pages. 

POV: I've been into many hobbies that have had Chinese counterfeiters infiltrate. One is cycling. I knew a guy that bought a counterfeit Specialized bike frame. It looked exactly like the real thing, and he had guessed that it was made at the same plant that they make the official Specialized frames and he was basically getting the real-deal, but without the manufacturer and dealer profit margins and warranty costs baked in. On a fast downhill in the first month, the frame folded like a lawn chair, and he now has several fake teeth. 

I've seen umpteen similar failures in a number of industries of fakes (though none involving lost teeth). 

So, what could happen with the same defects in cables? Nothing? Bad sound? Blown speakers or electronics? Fire? Seeing the catastrophic failures of other counterfeit products, I am not going to risk my equipment or house. I'd rather use cheap cables that are fully tested from a reputable company, than knockoffs.

mahgister's avatar
mahgister
13,102 posts
 

Very wise advice and no moral judgement about specific people here ...Thanks...

We must be very cautious about counterfeit tools, vehicles, amplifier, etc indeed ...

What about a counterfeit high designer "tie" now and calling someone who bought it knowingly "immoral" ?

I will not judge anyone ...It is too easy ...

I prefer a wise advice as spawn350 just gave one ...

By the way i never bought costly cables , counterfeit or not; acoustics and my own experience  taught me that the difference between cables when it exist is minimalistic compared to any embeddings controls ...

 

So, what could happen with the same defects in cables? Nothing? Bad sound? Blown speakers or electronics? Fire? Seeing the catastrophic failures of other counterfeit products, I am not going to risk my equipment or house. I’d rather use cheap cables that are fully tested from a reputable company, than knockoffs.

 

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