[AuroraProject]

The scary thing is people buy this crap, hook, line & sinker!

 

[skullguise]

Well, this may sound totally of-the-wall and dumb, but I've heard the "intelligent disc" and - dang! - it DID sound different, and slightly better in many cases.

It was perhaps a year ago. My favorite local dealer was doing a demo. He had some Kubala-Sosna cables, Crystal cables, Soundstring, and some just-burned-in JM Labs Berylium-tweeter floorstanders in.

The demo was primarily to compare the cables (we all liked the K-S the best, they are freakin' outrageously priced though), but the dealer pulled out the intelligent disc later in the evening, when we had settled on the cables.

We played perhaps 6-7 discs, same tracks, before and after the disc treatment. Reference Recordings classical and choral work, some vocal jazz, some great folk, and more I don't remember.

I will tell you that ALL the people in that room that night thought the disc was a bogus piece of marketing snake oil crap.

And I will tell you that we ALL agreed there was a difference on almost every recording we heard. Sometimes it was subtle, but sometimes we were able to easily pick someting out that was "more defined," more transparent," or "less harsh."

4 of the people that night were ready to buy that stupid little disc. I considered it, and probably would have grabbed one if he had it in stock, but held off since he didn't.

I know it sounds unbelievable, and I really didn't want to believe. But we had unanimous agreement SOMETHING was going on.....and in general, we liked it.

I doubt I could hear the change on my system - the store had some beautiful Hovland electronics with an Electrocompaniet CD player - but on a very revealing system, who knows...?

All that said, I'm NOT spending $200 on the box

 

[Lazarus Short]

Quote:

Originally Posted by J-Pak /img/forum/go_quote.gif This is one of my favorites: http://www.bybeetech.com/products.asp Audio tweak involving quantum mechanics

Note that this Bybee outfit is in Half MOON Bay. Moon again - more than coincidence??

Parts of this discussion, well the asbestos suit post, remind me of a story my dad told me. Many years ago, a great uncle of mine had an auto shop in Gallatin, Missouri, perhaps in the Model T or Model A era. A pitchman came into town, selling some automotive gadget. His demo car was so set up that it ran badly until the gadget was installed. Naturally, he sold a lot and left for the next town. A few days later, someone came to uncle Dewey's shop, complaining that his car was running badly. Uncle Dewey took off the new gadget and tossed it onto a growing pile of same. In some ways, times don't really change much.

Laz

 

[skullguise]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lazarus Short /img/forum/go_quote.gif Parts of this discussion, well the asbestos suit post, remind me of a story my dad told me. Many years ago, a great uncle of mine had an auto shop in Gallatin, Missouri, perhaps in the Model T or Model A era. A pitchman came into town, selling some automotive gadget. His demo car was so set up that it ran badly until the gadget was installed. Naturally, he sold a lot and left for the next town. A few days later, someone came to uncle Dewey's shop, complaining that his car was running badly. Uncle Dewey took off the new gadget and tossed it onto a growing pile of same. In some ways, times don't really change much. Laz

Well, I've seen dealers do something like this - more like they tailor the existing equipment to be a certain sound, so the introduction of something obviously colored makes it "better." System synergy, or lack thereof, has caused many a sale on Head-Fi, Audiogon, or eBay for sure.

That said, I've been going to this dealer since ~1989 or 1990, and know/trust him quite a bit. We were all in attendance for the demo and setup; by trying out cables and choosing our favorites, we knew the system was not colored a certain way.

No, it wasn't a "DBT" (nor was it meant to be). But we had I think 7 people that night (not including the dealer), none of whom believed in this disc according to what they said before the demo, but all of whom said there were differences.

Not a perfect test, but something significant. Say what you want about the "science" of it, I was there to experience it. I can't explain it, wouldn't want to try. But I and others heard something. My logical doubts - despite what I heard - have prevented me from biting and trying even the discs. But I will not forget that experience.

BTW, the dealer has also done a lot of other fun tweak experiments: Walker Weights & Footers, Mapleshade Silclear, Auto-Desk lathe system, Totem Beaks, and more...it's great to have a dealer that likes to play!