Cables, Power, Tweaks, Speakers, Accessories (DBT-Free Forum)Discussion of cables, power (the electric kind), tweaks, & accessories. I, Objectivist: The Objectivist Audio
Forum (opening soon)If you feel the uncontrollable urge to use the word "placebo," in
here is where you'll post (and only here). Discuss DBT all you want in
here.
Our cables are rigorously tested. The comment was regarding irrelevant cosmetic issues.
We try to do something nice and this is what we get? http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f97/so...er-3-a-283821/
Most here have no grounds to comment on maturity levels? You honestly think this whole thread passes a grade 2 level?
Last edited by Acoustic Chef; 02-05-2008 at 03:09 PM.
At least we've all learned how to make a decent DIY power cord, including some interesting aesthetic decisions to add girth and weight.
I hadn't considered building my own until I read this thread... Some wire, some connectors, garden hose, filler, Techflex...
markl mentions in Jude's original dissection thread that Rick (VD guy) claimed the filler was the "secret sauce" of their cables. It might be interesting to find out whether this sandblasting metal dust has any sort of electrical benefit, possibly along the same line as a ferrite core?
Headphoneus Supremus: Hangin' with the monkeys. Member of the Trade: markl Mods
I am sure their Genesis is made of the same LHHN wire..., just 6 gauge. This also pretty much throws out markl's reviews (build quality of 7 on VD cables, are you kidding? Hot glue and electrical tape?!). This really changes everything. People claim that this cable "sounds" better than cables that are actually well made with quality materials, therefore, it has to all be thrown out because of placebo. This thread makes me happy.
I rated the Nite cables which are many steps above the Power 3, their intro cable. If you'd like to put $1500 down on a Nite cable and pull it apart, more power to ya. But, since I've held the thing (several of them) in my hand and you haven't, I can tell you, the 7 rating is accurate. And, no, I didn't tear apart and open any of the other cables either (yet I also rated those), but again, I invite you to use your own funds and try it yourself.
VD used to say the Power 3 was stranded wire and not solid-core single conductor. You can tell this by the way the 3 bends and flexes back, where the solid core conductor cables up the line hold their shape like wire clothes hangers do when bent. Their new site seems to indicate the Power 3 has "Lini Pure" conductors, maybe this is a mis-communication between design and marketing, I don't know.
Defend them to the end... Its a cheap-*** piece of housing wiring put in a garden hose to make it appear thicker
The hose is to house the one piece of special sauce the Power 3 has, which is the dampening material (i.e. "Dynamic Filtering"). If you held one in your hands, it would be obvuious it was housed in a rubber "hose"/sheath, so it shouldn't be a shocking revelating to see it when you open it up.
It's their bottom-of-the-line cable, and lacks all the bells and whistles of the better stuff. At that cheap price, you get their basic cable with Dynamic Filtering which does make a nice difference as many many people have reported here and elsewhere.
Again, the irony of ironies is that the folks who feign shock and awe are the same ones who claim that power cables make no difference anyway. Yet they complain that there aren't diamonds and rubies inside to justify the cost, when absolutely nothing inside would justify the cost in their eyes.
Speaking of diamonds, how much do you think it costs to "make" a 1 karat diamond? Pick it up off the ground, cut it and mount it and sell it for $100K. Why do these sorts of discussions always have to end up in re-educating people about capitalism. We always seem to have a lot of socialists/communists on these boards.
There's this concept called *value*. Value is totally independent of the *cost* to make something (see diamond example). If it performs at a level commensurate or better than other competing products at its price point (as the VD cords do), then it is good value for the dollar, regardless of what it costs to make.
That's how we decide to make decisisons in the marketplace, we spend our money based on value of the performance of the product, not its cost of manufacture (which is almost always unknown to us).
You also always have to re-educate people that there is more to the cost of any product than the cost of materials (which will almost always be your smallest and least important cost in bringing anything to market).
And, horror of horrors, in a capitalist system, you will be shocked to learn there's an actual *discrepancy* between what you pay for something and what it cost to bring to market. Yikes!
So, let's see, garden hose + hot glue + vanilla copper wires + sand blast pelts = $$$
With this much profits, has Rick bought himself yacht yet?
I always wanted to have a yacht, maybe I should start my own audiophile cable company. Let's see, since sand blast pelts is proprietary stuff (I think VD has a patent pending on that "filtering" technology), I may just have to resort stuffing my garden hose cables with kitty litter, especially used kitty litter. You will be amazed at the wonders of what organic filtration will do to your sound!
Headphoneus Supremus: Hangin' with the monkeys. Member of the Trade: markl Mods
Let's also open up a stock cable and open it up and see how well it's built/constructed/manufactured (that is, after we dump out all the diamonds and rubies inside ). Grab your lamp and open up the cord coming off it. Or your toaster. Or whatever. Sheesh, I mean it doesn't even have a friggin' garden hose on it. What a rip-off.
The least they could have done was used Liquid Electrical tape at least it would look nice and function well probably better.
To Acoustic Chef: people have every right to ask questions and to question your companies tactics and use of materials for what the cables retail for regardless of what they payed for them. The way you are responding is the way you lose business especially with the niche market you are in. People don't need "high end" cables and if they decide to get some and see this thread kiss a sale good bye.
I have never taken a marketing course but I know honesty and understanding is the best way to keep customers happy. You aren't Microsoft or Apple people do not need your product and remember that you cannot treat them as if they do that mentality will only cause your business to fail.
Also why the avoidance of the question are these UL listed. Cause if they aren't and you have some kind of electrical fire even if its due to lightning or a faulty power strip that is UL listed the insurance company can see that cable and laugh their asses off at you and say sorry you get no money cause that cable may have caused all of this.
At that cheap price, you get their basic cable with Dynamic Filtering which does make a nice difference as many many people have reported here and elsewhere.
Since when is $150 cheap for a power cord? Just because it is at the bottom of their line, does not mean it should be made this poorly.
The size and stiffness of the cord is a marketing technique, so that their customers assume it sounds better, because it is large and heavy. This technique is working well for them, just as Bose and Monster's marketing strategies are successful.
Headphoneus Supremus: Hangin' with the monkeys. Member of the Trade: markl Mods
Since when is $150 cheap for a power cord?
You can't get anything but the most basic of cords for $150. That is absolutely near the bottom of the range of these things, and pretty typical price for a bottom of the line cord. Look around.
Yet they complain that there aren't diamonds and rubies inside to justify the cost, when absolutely nothing inside would justify the cost in their eyes.
Linear Mode
