Audiophoolery to the max - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: jozer12
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: February 27, 2016, 04:39:48 am
content: Just saw this cable on amazonhttp://www.amazon.com/dp/B009RUS23Q?psc=1A 3ft IEC cable which is $538.75....WTFthe worst part is that there seems to be at least 2 people who bought the cable and wrote good reviews about it, it makes me feel a bit sorry for them:"The NRG-10 is a fine upgrade from the NRG-4, and worth the price. Bass is deeper and more refined, mid-range richer, and top end sweeter (NRG-4 can be too brilliant). Good on soprano sax and trumpet. If your system is too brilliant with the NRG-4, go with the NRG-10 on your amp to power source."A little bit more searching yields an even better IEC cable, this one is just a mere $6,899.75. Oh and guess what, you get FREE shipping! what a bargain! -.-http://www.amazon.com/AudioQuest-NRG-WEL-Signature-Series/dp/B0055OM9WS/ref=pd_sim_sbs_23_3?ie=UTF8&dpID=41vXaLvNdiL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=0HC0F4CV42MS8JZJPD5FSurely no one actually purchased the last one....right?....right?!

author: XOIIO
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 27, 2016, 04:42:39 am
content: My god. You know, considering the crap luck I've had making money, making some sort of audiophile accessory sure seems tempting, I mean $1500 from 3 sales is pretty darn good lol.

author: VK5RC
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 27, 2016, 04:46:25 am
content: I think the third review was taking the micky, there are quite a few deliberately over the top review of some of the audiophoolery 'equipment' e.g. magnets, special rocks etc .Also if you just spent $500 you will convince yourself it sounds better! Placebo effect.

author: Gyro
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 27, 2016, 10:58:36 am
content: No, the magnets are just rubbish! but the special rocks

author: george graves
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 27, 2016, 11:15:15 am
content: Ha! I know - I get a kick out of these audiophoolery stuff to. What's it called when you revel in the fact you know more then someone else? I swear there is a name for it. (I assume it's German or something. They have names for all sorts of things that others dont - like schadenfreude) It's on the tip of my brain - but can't think of it's name.

author: MrSlack
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 27, 2016, 12:41:28 pm
content: Klangscheisse?Disclaimer: I made that up and I only got a D in German at school.

author: dannyf
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 27, 2016, 12:41:39 pm
content: "What's it called when you revel in the fact you know more then someone else? "What's it called when you think you know more than others but you don't?What's it called when you know so much more than others but not enough to name it?What's it called when your knowing a little bit more than others is such a big deal to you?....Just to give it a perspective.

author: Neilm
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 27, 2016, 12:43:32 pm
content: What a shame - it doesn't have British plugs - I'll have to use a £1 adapter which will ruin it...

author: dannyf
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 27, 2016, 12:46:09 pm
content: I have been building amps since the 1970s and have had my fair share of foolery, mistakes and successes.I think it is fair to say that life is full of surprises. Just when you think you have understood something, a new puzzle shows up and challenges your "understanding".The only constant foolery, in my view, is ones insistence that he or she holds the only ultimate truth.So when you laugh at others for supposed foolery, think about the possibility that the only foolery may be you.

author: hopski
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 27, 2016, 01:14:25 pm
content: Most of the Amazon reviews on that link seemed to be from guy's taking the mickey out of it.I'm a just a humble scientist so if I see a paper with all the experimental data showong how something works and why it works then I might be inclined to take a lookOtherwise I'll assume it's snake oil.

author: Gyro
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 27, 2016, 01:41:40 pm
content: Actually it's worth giving some those reviews a look, there's some real comedy talent buried in there!

author: janoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 27, 2016, 04:09:21 pm
content: Quote from: jozer12 on February 27, 2016, 04:39:48 amThat review could be very well a fake one - the seller tooting their own horn.

author: Augustus
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 27, 2016, 04:22:43 pm
content: Quote from: george graves on February 27, 2016, 11:15:15 amPick one...Besserwisser,Klugredner,Klugscheißer,Klugschwätzer,Naseweis,Rechthaber,Schlauberger,Schlaumeier,Wichtigtuer,Gscheidhaferl,Oberlehrer,Streber,Aufschneider,Prahler,Prahlhans,Grossmaul,Maulheld,Grossprecher,Salbader,Sprücheklopfer,Angeber,Gernegross,Schaumschläger

author: Mechanical Menace
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 27, 2016, 06:11:45 pm
content: Quote from: dannyf on February 27, 2016, 12:41:39 pmWhat's it called when you know more than others but don't realise it?Honestly? I've met a couple of absolute geniuses who don't seem to realise not everyone knows everything they doQuote from: Augustus on February 27, 2016, 04:22:43 pmI love compound words. Such a shame that they're so unpopular in English while being technically valid.

author: janoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 27, 2016, 06:59:41 pm
content: Well, if you like compound words, German isthe languageto learn. Then you get to use gems like the infamousRindfleischetikettierungsüberwachungsaufgabenübertragungsgesetz("law for the delegation of monitoring beef labelling"). Fortunately that particular law was repealed after the BSE crisis ...

author: rrinker
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 27, 2016, 07:25:30 pm
content: German is like the RISC of languages. There really aren't that many basic words to know, but knowing those, you can make up words to describe anything possible.No offense to Germans, I'm of German background myself, and it was my language of choice in school. Unfortunately I missed out on my chance at a trip to Germany and put it to practical use, and while I can pick up on what people are saying if they don't talk too fast, I really have no hope at all of making myself understood if I tried speaking it. One of these days I hope to travel there. I do drive a German car - though some would say that just makes me an autophool.

author: Tinkerer
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 28, 2016, 05:11:33 pm
content: Yea, I really could use some more money. I am so tempted to take money from these idiots so they cant hurt themselves if they get the idea that explosions add to their sound setup.So, question, is it ethical or moral to take money from a moron?

author: MrSlack
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 28, 2016, 05:13:14 pm
content: Quote from: Tinkerer on February 28, 2016, 05:11:33 pmIf it makes them feel better, why not?The whole homeopathic industry is based on the same shit.

author: Neilm
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 28, 2016, 06:30:26 pm
content: Quote from: MrSlack on February 28, 2016, 05:13:14 pmPlacebos have a documented effect.

author: MrSlack
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 28, 2016, 06:44:28 pm
content: Quote from: Neilm on February 28, 2016, 06:30:26 pmThe prescription of a placebo has an effect. The placebo itself doesn't. Perhaps these are placebo cables?

author: iampoor
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 28, 2016, 10:43:33 pm
content: This thread seems to appear ~ once every week.....

author: dannyf
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 28, 2016, 11:08:13 pm
content: This discussion reflects a lack of understanding of the purpose of consumption: to make us happy.Your money is well spent if the expenditure makes you happy, regardless of if it actually improves the sound.Conversely, your money is ill spent if the expenditure doesn't make you happy, regardless of if it actually improves the sound.Any expenditure that improves your happiness is a good expenditure.

author: hopski
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 28, 2016, 11:17:59 pm
content: Quote from: dannyf on February 28, 2016, 11:08:13 pmAnd don't forget it's making the snake oil salesman very happy and funding his snake oil production.

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 29, 2016, 12:10:15 am
content: Quote from: janoc on February 27, 2016, 06:59:41 pmFinnish allows conjugated compounds, which theoretically have no limit to length (and basically resemble entire sentences)!! WP lists this artificial word at 102 letters:kumarreksituteskenteleentuvaisehkollaismaisekkuudellisenneskenteluttelemattomammuuksissansakaankopahan. Sadly, I have no idea what it means.Languages have varying degrees of … shall we call itword magnetism? On the one extreme of the continuum, you have so-calledanalyticlanguages like Chinese where words do not compound. On the other, you have so-calledsyntheticlanguages like Finnish, which allow essentially unlimited compounding. Most languages are somewhere in between. English is slightly on the analytic side, German (like most Germanic languages) more on the synthetic side.Another thing to consider is that when we talk about compounds, we often are looking only at the surface spelling, not the underlying grammar. Critically, in English,a compound need not be a single word. English has three types of compounds (with regards to spelling): open (space between the words, as in "wood rot"), hyphenated (as in "freeze-dried"), and closed (as in "artwork"). Notably, this has no bearing on the pronunciation, and indeed, many compounds are spelled inconsistently, and they often change over time. And if the pronunciationdoeschange, that is usually a sign that the compound has actually ceased to be a compound, and instead has become its own independent noun! (Classic example isnewspaper, which is no longer pronounced the same as the compound "news paper".)In contrast, German doesn't allow open compounds, instead allowing only closed or hyphenated ones, likeHolzfäule,gefriergetrocknet, andKunstwerkfor the three examples above. (Well, traditionally at least. The influence of English is causing open compounds to be encountered, even if they're technically incorrect.) I leave you with this amazing nugget of German tongue-twisting compounding, with English translation in the description:

author: XOIIO
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 29, 2016, 06:26:59 am
content: Quote from: tooki on February 29, 2016, 12:10:15 amMy god, it's amazing.

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 29, 2016, 11:39:31 am
content: Quote from: blueskull on February 29, 2016, 01:45:11 amWhat is that, assembly code or something?If it makes you feel any better (or at least makes you laugh): You know what they call specialist jargon in German?Fachchinesisch("subject Chinese")!

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 29, 2016, 11:44:23 am
content: Quote from: MrSlack on February 28, 2016, 06:44:28 pmNext in the audiophool market: Homeopathic cables! Just draw the wire to 1/100 its size for 15 iterations until it's invisibly thin. The sound will be AMAZING!

author: continuo
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 29, 2016, 11:44:56 am
content: Yeah, but the meaning of "Fachchinesisch" is more something like "Specialist babble that no one is able to understand"

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 29, 2016, 11:46:35 am
content: Quote from: XOIIO on February 29, 2016, 06:26:59 amIt is, isn't it? If I really concentrate, I can pronounce Rhabarberbarbarabarbarbarenbartbarbierbierbarbärbel, but it doesn't quite roll off the tongue, you know?(You may wanna edit your reply, the quoting got messed up.)

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 29, 2016, 11:47:36 am
content: Quote from: continuo on February 29, 2016, 11:44:56 amYes, which in English is the word "jargon".(And the joke was because the person I was replying to is in China.)

author: madires
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 29, 2016, 11:58:52 am
content: Quote from: Neilm on February 27, 2016, 12:43:32 pmI feel really sorry for you.

author: TerraHertz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 01, 2016, 02:17:40 pm
content: Quote from: XOIIO on February 27, 2016, 04:42:39 amSame here. Also being an atheist I don't feel any requirement to consider the future of my soul. Just need to deal with this pesky 'conscience' thing. Wish it would shut up sometimes.

author: MrSlack
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 01, 2016, 02:36:44 pm
content: Quote from: TerraHertz on March 01, 2016, 02:17:40 pmYou just need to quench that conscience with some justification. For me it's wealth redistribution. You're taking money from someone who clearly has too much and distributing it to other people who probably need it more. If you're taking from someone who is at a disadvantage, things are different.

author: Cerebus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 01, 2016, 07:25:36 pm
content: Quote from: tooki on February 29, 2016, 11:47:36 amSurely "Double Dutch" would be more apposite and accurate.

author: Mechanical Menace
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 02, 2016, 01:52:59 pm
content: It's all f**king Greek to me.Pardon my French...

author: dannyf
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 02, 2016, 01:58:19 pm
content: "It's wealth redistribution"That's so last millennium. The cutting edge progressives now are talking about achievement redistribution.It is no longer dignified to have to work for that house of yours, or that car, or that beautiful family of yours, ....Redistribute it to all couch potatos so they can have dignity too, walking around town with your beautiful family, or your nice car ....

author: Mechanical Menace
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 02, 2016, 02:06:18 pm
content: Quote from: dannyf on March 02, 2016, 01:58:19 pmSource?

author: c4757p
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 02, 2016, 02:10:10 pm
content: Quote from: Mechanical Menace on March 02, 2016, 02:06:18 pmHis ass. I strongly recommend just ignoring him when he talks about politics. Dude should just stick to microcontrollers...

author: Gededyr
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: March 02, 2016, 02:24:53 pm
content: There is a hard drive sound test here:http://www.enjoythemusic.com/hificritic/vol5_no3/listening_to_storage.htmAccording to this test the piano goes from sounding like a steinway on one HDD, to a bosendorfer on the other.

author: MrSlack
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 02, 2016, 02:47:37 pm
content: Quote from: c4757p on March 02, 2016, 02:10:10 pmHe's right. Spend a few weeks in the UK.But yes, politics. Probably should avoid that on here.