Steve58
banned as per his request
- Joined
- Oct 20, 2013
- Posts
- 64
- Likes
- 24
Is anyone else bemused by the hype that surrounds the audio industry. Though I would start a tread about audio BS.
I am old enough to remember the marketing of audio solder you would buy the "audio solder" de- solder your amp an re solder it with this expensive solder. I also remember the sales of a green marker pen which you would colour the rim of CD's to improve the audio quality!?!!??!
Cables come to mind. For instance paying big $ for say a 3.5 to 3.5mm 7cm (about 3 inches) long cable to go from your portable source to your mini amp. For gods sake it is 7cm long. But "bass response is vastly improved and a general improvement in detail through the spectrum" How is it that this little cable is so good? It is very short and the main cable to the headphones is a MUCH longer link in the audio chain but is thin. Does anyone think that the supplier would gamble all the R&D costs by accompanying the amp with sub standard cables with the resultant less than optimal sound? Also do you think that headphone companies would fit cables that were not optimal with cans that cost big dollars in R&D only to have them sound less than optimal to save a few cents on cable?
It is 'bling' for Audiophiles nothing less. And thats ok if you like the bling it looks cool, but lets not fall for the BS hype about how much better it sounds with the new cable. Just to reiterate if upper end headphone companies thought they could improve the sound by better cables they would be doing it. Am sure it would be a cheaper solution than spending so much on R&D to improve sound. It is a con, pure and simple. Sound is so subjective that it is easy for some Companies to rely on that subjectivity to employ the placebo effect to sell their "snake oil" A blind experiment was carried out in the mid 80's in Australia to disprove the effectiveness of "super cables" and the result did not sustain the efficacy of these cables at all in fact there was no discernible difference at all.
.gif)
(edit) Did not do my research there have been many such blind tests since all prove they are audio BS.
I am old enough to remember the marketing of audio solder you would buy the "audio solder" de- solder your amp an re solder it with this expensive solder. I also remember the sales of a green marker pen which you would colour the rim of CD's to improve the audio quality!?!!??!
Cables come to mind. For instance paying big $ for say a 3.5 to 3.5mm 7cm (about 3 inches) long cable to go from your portable source to your mini amp. For gods sake it is 7cm long. But "bass response is vastly improved and a general improvement in detail through the spectrum" How is it that this little cable is so good? It is very short and the main cable to the headphones is a MUCH longer link in the audio chain but is thin. Does anyone think that the supplier would gamble all the R&D costs by accompanying the amp with sub standard cables with the resultant less than optimal sound? Also do you think that headphone companies would fit cables that were not optimal with cans that cost big dollars in R&D only to have them sound less than optimal to save a few cents on cable?
It is 'bling' for Audiophiles nothing less. And thats ok if you like the bling it looks cool, but lets not fall for the BS hype about how much better it sounds with the new cable. Just to reiterate if upper end headphone companies thought they could improve the sound by better cables they would be doing it. Am sure it would be a cheaper solution than spending so much on R&D to improve sound. It is a con, pure and simple. Sound is so subjective that it is easy for some Companies to rely on that subjectivity to employ the placebo effect to sell their "snake oil" A blind experiment was carried out in the mid 80's in Australia to disprove the effectiveness of "super cables" and the result did not sustain the efficacy of these cables at all in fact there was no discernible difference at all.
(edit) Did not do my research there have been many such blind tests since all prove they are audio BS.
