Is "High-End" audio a scam? - Page 5  

Well, there is always going to be some level at which someone else (or even the majority of someone elses) draws the line as "good enough".  The problem is there are a lot of expensive (and some inexpensive) items that have absolutely nothing to do with contributing to "good" sound.  I've watched this field for over 30 years and have seen a million gimmicks come and go.  Solid, reliable, good sound can be had at good value.  Better sound can be had at additional cost, but whether some incremental improvement is worth it or not is an entirely individual affair.  Products that have no or an adverse effect deserve to be called out though for the bogus products they are.

Magick Man, how do you like your Cary? I demoed it a couple of weeks ago with a W4S DAC-2 using my HD650's and I really enjoyed it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ericpwiseguy 

Geeeeezy Weeeezy This is as old as it gets... Im a 40 year old son of a 75 year old audiophile.. I grew up with reel to reels nakamichi dragon decks and Mcintosh equipment and lots of vinyl... I really believe like a musician when your trained to hear quality playback and discern at a young age.. you can tell many differences... Its not a scam... the problem is most people don't even know what to listen for... and yes its fun as hell to buy new equipment... 

like a previous poster said... I have 15 panerai watches is it needed no... is it enjoyable... YES... 

In every pleasurable endeavor there will be someone saying its scam... When I'm smoking a Partagas Series D or Fuente OPUS X and paying 20-50 a stick.... its just tobacco right? its LEAVES... is it a scam... to me NO... because I enjoy it.... 

 

Sure I can smoke philly blunts and drink budweiser and listen to a pair of Beats...

 

BUT I enjoy smoking a Opus X.. drinking a Guinness and listening to my stax head-fi ... SO I guess Im just being scammed all around :)

 

Life is short... ENJOY IT!

 Word! 

Quote:

Originally Posted by billyhightech 

So you don't consider $30,000 Transparent speaker cable a ouright scam? Come on guys, worked around the worlds most high end gear every day so my opinon is defintley valid. If anyone is interted look uo about what lexicon did awhile back,they got caught putting an Oppo into another chassis and jacking jup the price to $3500.

Having enjoyed audio gear for over 30 years, I have never seen (heard??!!) the benefit of that level of cable. 40 years of heavy metal may have something to do with that.....

However, my Audioquest Cinnamon USB cable is a clear winner next to the generic USB that came with my current Cambridge DMPlus. Much of "High End" follows the laws of diminishing returns. At some point while there may be measurable advantages, my ears cannot perceive them. So, as much as I love it when I bring home a new toy, there is a point where I am getting no additional sonic revelation, simply a different representation via the new components. That is not a bad thing, it is at the root of this as a hobby. The quest, for me, is the thing even if I cannot truly appreciate the last edge of the merits of a $30,000 cable. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by longbowbbs 

However, my Audioquest Cinnamon USB cable is a clear winner next to the generic USB that came with my current Cambridge DMPlus.

You  know that cable makes zero difference for digital data, don't you ?
I could barely understand that you care for a cable transmitting analog data,  but for digital any difference is 100% placebo.

Quote:

Originally Posted by extrabigmehdi 

You  know that cable makes zero difference for digital data, don't you ?
I could barely understand that you care for a cable transmitting analog data,  but for digital any difference is 100% placebo.

Well, not 100%. If the cable is of a low enough quality that it actually degrades the signal and some of it becomes lost, that's noticeable. But between two decent cables I am inclined to agree. I once had a damaged USB cable and I could tell the difference then, but between all the rest of mine the only difference is that the more expensive ones seat better and look prettier. I'm willing to pay for that, but that's all I'm paying for.

That said, I've never been sure if I can notice a difference between my Lavry when fed by USB and when fed by optical. I think it sounds better optical; the optical cable is certainly prettier, and it doesn't slow down my computer as much to run it (although it isn't really noticeable anyway), but the nagging though is within me that it almost certainly sounds exactly the same. Unless of course the Lavry processes the input from the optical port differently, or my motherboard processes the output differently.

Yes, Hi Fi is a scam but at the same time, you get what you pay for and there is no free ride baby. 

Budget fi is great but Hi  Fi generally sounds better. It's a scam but I am happy to pay for quality even if I'm ripped off. 

If there is good news about Hi-Fi, the quality stuff usually lasts a long time and still sounds great after many years. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spareribs 

Yes, Hi Fi is a scam but at the same time, you get what you pay for and there is no free ride baby. 

 

Budget fi is great but Hi  Fi generally sounds better. It's a scam but I am happy to pay for quality even if I'm ripped off. 

 

If there is good news about Hi-Fi, the quality stuff usually lasts a long time and still sounds great after many years. 

You kinda just proved it wasn't a scam. 

I'm going off the official definitoin. OP has been questioned on if he wants to keep using the word scam...and he hasn't changed it so we will continue. Is it fradulent? Does it not offer benefits, even though it may be seen as SUPER miniscule by some and some can't even tell the difference?

Is the auto industry a scam? Is the food industry a scam? Is the oil industry a scam? Is the clothing industry a scam? Is the wine industry a scam? Is capitalism a scam? Is communism a scam?

Yes. Life is a scam. But in the end, a kind word and pint of beer at the pub soothes the soul.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spareribs 

Is the auto industry a scam? Is the food industry a scam? Is the oil industry a scam? Is the clothing industry a scam? Is the wine industry a scam? Is capitalism a scam? Is communism a scam?

 

Yes. Life is a scam. But in the end, a kind word and pint of beer at the pub soothes the soul.

I don't know why, but that was a nice post that gave a little chuckle.

upvote.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spareribs 

Is the auto industry a scam? Is the food industry a scam? Is the oil industry a scam? Is the clothing industry a scam? Is the wine industry a scam? Is capitalism a scam? Is communism a scam?

 

Yes. Life is a scam. But in the end, a kind word and pint of beer at the pub soothes the soul.

LOL.  Very nicely put.  I practice it at least once a week.

Quote:

Originally Posted by alphaphoenix 

 

LOL.  Very nicely put.  I practice it at least once a week.

im saving that post. It really helps with some of my problems and over analyzation.

Quote:

Originally Posted by extrabigmehdi 

You  know that cable makes zero difference for digital data, don't you ?
I could barely understand that you care for a cable transmitting analog data,  but for digital any difference is 100% placebo.

You listen, you learn....:) as always YMMV....