[ChrisPlatt]

Who says audio enthusiasts don't have a sense of humor?
Just read the reviews of this $147 120V AC wall outlet:

Audiophile grade duplex AC wall outlet

Chris

[SpecialK]

I only read the first page, but it is funny. My understanding is audiophiles are even gear-geekier than photographers.

[Tonto]

We sure can be! There are alot of parallels between Audio and Photography. Number one being equipment buying addiction!

[riff]

Na the wacky audiophile dudes are in a league all their own.

But, you should try polishing your lenses with lizard spit. I'd say they are at least 1 stop faster and so sharp I put an eye out looking at one without my protective visor!

I sell audiophile sand, it's like lizard spit for electrons... PM if interested.

[Tonto]

Na the wacky audiophile dudes are in a league all their own.

But, you should try polishing your lenses with lizard spit. I'd say they are at least 1 stop faster and so sharp I put an eye out looking at one without my protective visor!

I sell audiophile sand, it's like lizard spit for electrons... PM if interested.

Don't kid there is special sand to fill speaker stands with!
Atacama Atabites High Density Filler

[grhazelton]

Na the wacky audiophile dudes are in a league all their own.

But, you should try polishing your lenses with lizard spit. I'd say they are at least 1 stop faster and so sharp I put an eye out looking at one without my protective visor!

I sell audiophile sand, it's like lizard spit for electrons... PM if interested.

Re: the audiophile outlet: Why not by hospital grade? Far cheaper, but no cachet, I suppose.

For those of use of a certain age: Remember the Wharfdale speakers with sand filled cabinet panels? The idea was to damp resonances. I don't know whether a particular sand was used.

Yeah, there's an immense amount of hooey in the audiophile community. I watch the sites and the vendors and what is to be seen is amazing.

Power cables for hundreds which are supposed to improve sound. What about the component's internal power supply? Doesn't that furnish clean power to the amp? And how can 3 feet of cable counteract hundreds of feet of the wire to the transformer?

Blocks of wood to place on components to damp vibrations or absorb emi.

Glass insulators to raise speaker cables off the floor. Mustn't rest on that nasty carpet!

Small adhesive dots to be strategically placed on components and/or the walls of the listening room.

Cables which purport to have "directionality." Last time I looked audio signals were A/C, essentially directionless.

Worry about skin effect in cables, such is of concern only at radio frequencies.

And to top it off a widespread unwillingness to use proper double-blind testing. There is immense regard for the "golden ear," with the concomitant attitude that if you can't hear the vast differences you are cloth-eared. Every new gadget produces "jaw dropping" improvements, but only if the associated equipment is of the highest caliber, as defined by the reviewer.

Yes, photography produces some silly products, but the outcome can be readily seen and measured. Nor is a photographer's merit tied to the cost of the gear, as too often seems the case in audiophilia. Photographers produce a product, a tangible object. Where is such result of the hobby of audiophilia?

BTW, I wonder if Parts-Express is pulling our legs! Parts-Express isn't known for carrying the really twee gadgets. Are those actual reviews? Could this be an early April 1 offering? Back in the day Audio magazine did some April equipment reviews which were pretty funny!

[Parallax]

I wonder if their client list is available for purchase. I have several bridges I'd like to sell.

[monochrome]

I especially like the combination Slotted / Phillips #2 attachment screw.

[JHD]

My understanding is audiophiles are even gear-geekier than photographers.

But they are not nearly as religious about their gear. With the odd exception they don't obsess about brands and brand loyalty. They are much more tolerant of different approaches and points of view. They don't troll in forums or congregate into cliques of fan boys.

The audiophiles passion hinges on listening to music. It is a passive hobby of relaxation and not a whole lot of doing. I find photography more interesting because it involves a lot more learning and creativity. It gets you off the couch and engages your mind.

[JFN]

You wouldn't want to know....

I've heard stories about speaker cable that is "specially designed for performance" that _must_ be connected from point A to B in a given direction, not the opposite....

Being in the higher end of the pro-audio production industry, this gives me and many of my business colleagues some really good laughs...

[grhazelton]

You wouldn't want to know....

I've heard stories about speaker cable that is "specially designed for performance" that _must_ be connected from point A to B in a given direction, not the opposite....

Being in the higher end of the pro-audio production industry, this gives me and many of my business colleagues some really good laughs...

And don't forget the need to "break in" cables for proper sound, "demagnetizing" compact discs, and remember painting the edges of cds with a green paint?

Here's a site with some welcome correctives to so much audio esoterica: Cables, Interconnects and Other Stuff - The Truth The author has proper credentials. What a novelty!

[monochrome]

And don't forget the need to "break in" cables for proper sound, "demagnetizing" compact discs, and remember painting the edges of cds with a green paint?

Here's a site with some welcome correctives to so much audio esoterica: Cables, Interconnects and Other Stuff - The Truth The author has proper credentials. What a novelty!

"Just as no-one will normally reject the photographs taken from a camera (for example) that one person can see are ever so slightly flawed (but look fine to us), then nor should we reject a cable that sounds just fine."

"

[Class A]

Not everything in high-end audio is voodoo, for instance certain loudspeaker cables must be used in a certain orientation because they contain zobel networks at one end. Zobel networks have a real effect and can improve sound.

However, high-end audio must be one of the most highly esoteric infested domains existing (health is a close contender). My all time favourite is the "Audio Animator". It uses water from an artesian well to store primeval energy. Simply hover over CDs and they will sound better. Hover over your television set and the picture will be clearer. It works on loudspeakers and CD players too. I guess it can improve the bokeh of lenses as well. Just don't forget to "recharge" it by putting it into the fridge from time to time.

Seriously, I wonder why companies / distributors who sell things like the "audio animator" or "CD activator chips" or "room animators" are not prosecuted. Clearly they are performing fraudulent acts.

[grhazelton]

Wowzer! I wonder if the Audio Animator would help with arthritic joints! Or the heartbreak of psoriasis!

BTW, your point on Zobel networks is well taken. My problem is how does one sort the sheep from the goats, as it were. My guess is that a lot of the wonderous effects alleged are the placebo effect in action. "This $500/meter interconnect cost so much it must make a difference." And of course merely unplugging and replugging cables might clean a bit of corrosion off, to good effect.

[JFN]

Zobel networks have a real effect and can improve sound.

Which is kind of a filter and should be fitted with the hardware, not the cable.