The best audiophile "gag" gift for X-Mas

I recieved last night an E-mail from Geoff Kait, who must be one of the owners of Machina Dynamics and an Audiogon member, regarding this post and the total failure of his "Intelligent Chip" on improving in anyway the performance of my digital front end in my system. It was well written and friendly enough, but is a classical example of bullshit excuse making to try to explain away why his product is truly a joke. I paraphase his E-mail: 1) That my system was either out of phase or that my system has a overall problem that can't be solved by using his chip. 2) I could take off the top of my transport so I could put the chip inside the chassis, instead of on top of the exterior. 3) In order to do step 2, I then would have to modify the chip itself in order to get it thin enough to place inside the chassis next to the transport. Well, I'll guarantee when these procedures also fail to produce anything worthwhile, Mr. Kait will have other excuses or rationlizations to discount that the "Intelligent Chip" is nothing but magical/mystical crap. I started this thread in the spirit of good cheer and fun, and understand why Mr. Kait would make an attempt to stand up for his product, but my serious statement would be that this kind of stuff is way many people do not respect audiophiles and our wonderful hobby at all because they think we take things like the "Intelligent Chip" seriously. It's nothing but snake oil and preferably should be seen as the joke it is. One final thought, if Mr. Kait wanted to defend his product, why not do on this post and not a private E-mail? Please Mr. Kait do not E-mail me, but if you want to respond do it on this thread in the public domain for all Audiogon members, not in a private dialog with me.

Teajay, do not confuse experience with scientificly relevant information. Your experience is hardly conclusive.

I know nothing about the intelligent chip, since I'm too stupid to understand it (I don't believe in intelligent design, I believe in Biblical Creationism based on the preponderance on scientific evidence!) and besides I have not made the effort, but I would not be stupid enough to condemn something about which I know nothing.

Are you the anti-shill???

Nrchy, your oxymoron statement regarding using scientific evidence to prove biblical verse shows that you are igonarent regarding the difference between the scientific method and a faith based assumption. Faith is not based on logical conclusions and empirical evidence. The scientific method is based on the ablilty to conform or disconform an assumption, faith cannot be tested or disproved, that's way its called the," leap of faith", beyond logic and evidence. I did not say I ran a scientific experiement with a double-blind method with independent reviewers, just a "field observation". However, I'll bet you even if I did a scientific study, Mr Kait, would discount it and still state that his product works. If anybody notices any effect at all its probably based on the, "Hawthorne Effect", which is a well researched phenomena based on the learner's expectations/cueing regarding a change in their environment. Mr. Kait's own explantation of how the chip works meets no standard scientific criteria as far as I can tell. I don't know if you calling me an "anti-shill" is a compliment or a put down, but if you are inferring that I don't believe in magical horseshit, thanks for noticing that I'm skeptical and don't easily fall for snake-oil and slick marketing.

Hey Nate and Teajay - either of you want to take a leap-of-faith and test out my CD Scratch removing device?! I don't think "intelligence" had anything to do with its design, but if you believe in miracles maybe one of you can get it to work better than me. Maybe if we bring the two products together, you know, put the Machina Dynamica Intelligent Chip on top of the CD cleaning device, there may be some divine synergy and the second coming may ensue, and there'd be fish and bread for everyone. Whady'a say TJ, send on your address and I'll send this plastic clamshell piece of crap on to you for testing and you can gather your same friends together and report on the results. Or perhaps we'll all see them on the nightly News!

Marco

Marco, I respectfully decline your offer to field test your piece of crap, however, there has been a major development in possible "divine intervention" regarding the "Intelligent Chip" in the last 48 hours!!!

There were 8 treatments left on the chip. The chip was still a TOTAL and dismal failure in effecting the sonics in my system but we decided to
courageously "scientifically" test the possible benefits of the chip for "medical" purposes.

We had one friend with a chronic backache who put the chip on top of his sore back for a total of 4 seconds and reported a dramatic decrease in pain and soreness that had plagued him for the last two weeks!

Another individual who needed to use reading glasses put the chip on each eye for a total of 2 seconds and reported clear vision and discarded his reading glasses!

Finally, an individual who rigorously tested for his IQ score by professional psychologists, in which his overall IQ score before the chip was 110, put the chip on three different locations on his skull for a total of 4 seconds on each spot. After the treatment with the chip, he was retested and his IQ score had risen to 140!!!

The scientific community has been informed of these remarkable results and is up in arms regarding the validity and cause of these "measured" positive changes caused by the application of the "Intelligent Chip..." I will keep all Audiogon members abreast of "further developments" regarding the "healing properties" of this incredible chip as the "research" continues...