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Apologies to Ray K.
Myles B. Astor
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(nt)
....or $99, or $125, or whatever. Especially if the performance has improved. You've got decent ears. No reason you couldn't hear it....and enjoy it.
even though I might actually do.
The differences are usually obvious.
I did, and I do.
It IS a fact that EVERYTHING affects the sound of a system (learned during 35 years in this wonderful avocation). However, 1) different DOES NOT mean better. 2) There are MANY ways to positively steer the sound of a system that cost little or nothing."Take care of the elephants and worry about the mice later .... IF you ever get to them." The elephants can keep you BZ for a loooooooooooong time.
Doak
Edits: 10/28/09
For all I know. It's fun to hear absurd things that seem to affect the sound (or one's fallible perception) and then wonder what the heck is going on.
I'm very _highly_ conservative though: I draw the line at interconnects which cost more than $50k per meter....
Call me decadent!
:)
Everything matters, don't forget to tweak your placebos!
...Machina Dynamica's Tru-Tone duplex covers and the results should be BETTER than a good rogering by Chuck Norris!
nt
http://www.randi.org/site/index.php/swift-blog/752-get-real.html
WAY too efficient. Replaced my home theater wall outlet with the Wattgate and my TV EXPLODED from the inrush current that this product provided! Beware that some equipment may not be prepared for the undistorted clean power this outlet delivers!!! (Purported snippet from an audio review.)
It should be obvious to even the casual viewer that the "audiophile comments" on Randi's site were made-up..........
"Theoretically, it means better power transfer and less interference, we suppose, but you'd probably have to have the hearing of an elephant or dolphin to hear the difference."
That is a presumptive belief........ Without actually listening to a product, or explaining why or why not the selected materials would make a difference, I personally would refrain from jumping to such damning conclusion.
"[Ed. note: This review seems to have been taken down by administrators.]"
I'll put even money that the preceding quoted text never existed.
...and I had an HDMI cable given to me by DirecTV to connect the box to the HDTV. This is a smaller discount HDTV from Costco. I bought a Monster Cable HDMI cable from Radio Shack, originally $100 on a great sale for about $40. My intent was to return it if it did not look better than the "stock" cable.
Note this article says HDMI cables make no difference...
All I can say is I, my wife, and mother ALL readily agreed the Monster Cable looked better...colors more true, less bleeding, just plain more realistic. They had no idea which was which. I just told them to choose which they preferred. I kept the cable!
The difference was so profound I bet I could take digital pictures of the screen when using each cable and the difference would be immediately obvious.
These sorts of discussions are nutty. If you are happy with the improvement for what it costs, so be it. I have no regrets and do not feel "taken" by the cable company. Your eyes definitely know what looks more real!
Does anyone need me to post pictures to be convinced?
Steve
No need to read beyond that.
Glad it was early on in the piece.
“ Once this was all Black Plasma and Imagination. ” -Michael McClure
Well, I guess if it passes the "Chuck Norris" test...
8^)
.
cheap and realy all you need in a receptacle.
and you know this ... how? Because it has the word "HOSPITAL" listed? That word seems to have attracted inmate samtellig too. I wonder how he knows.
Regards,
Geoff
So hospital grade outlets are built to a higher standard they hold plugs better produce little sparks which isnt so fun when on oxygen.This sparking from poor conections produces RF and who wants that on your plug. Now you know and knowings 1/2 the battle.
... than what you get from the bin at Lowe's or Home Depot. This is not hype.
The thermoplastic is such that it withstands higher impact, and the contacts are usually bright-nickel plated so there is never any tarnishing. Different requirements for hospital/medical use.
But the duplex shown is no match for a Wattgate, Furutech, or Oyaide in terms of sonic performance and musical enjoyment.
with it's 2mm braided wire for handling 30 amps and a 2 4mm unpolished
dot contacts and all that galvanized steel within the panel box plus the really impressive metal within the $3.00 breaker. Add in as much as 100' of Romex wire why go bonkers over an outlet?
So long as it holds the blades tight with it's extra inch of copper what is going to do?
The contact is just a good as the over priced aimed at the audiophile units. I also find wattgate plugs that are very similar to ones for heavy industry use on extention cords. These to are cheap. Branded for audiophiles use add a wee bit oh gold,toss in freezer add flashy cover you get audiophile products. Oh and add a few $100s to the cost. Fine if you got much cash but system performance can be enhanced with this cash thats more important to end result than a receipticle which one only needs to spend $6 US on to get a improved version.
Contact is only one parameter. Conductivity is another. Substrate quality, along with plating materials are equally important. Which, of course, you don't consider whatsoever.
"add a wee bit oh gold, toss in freezer"...."add a few $100s to the cost"? Puh-leeze. Throwing out these glib, inaccurate and useless phrases only limits your credibility. You see the forest, not the trees.
And you never admit to listening and comparing any outlets, which is critical to this or any discussion on the merits. Merely throwing around pejorative cosmetic references won't buy anyone a cup of coffee.
I have many swo-xxx audiophile outlets about. Have some PS audio in one room, in others mis hand me downs from a audiophile friend hes into the hype folks like you pass about. I also have a dedicated 200amp service just for audio use ea outlet is 20amp direct to breaker box also have my own main line and transformer off such line. But I have nothing to prove to you and have no bias toward selling these products as you seem too. The lack of credibility is all on you bud. You see only the cash you can make, not the truth. That you dont need to spend $100s for a good hi-quality outlet. This pic 4 ya
as it is necessary to have duplicate electrical circuits (ideally)
or at least one outlet of each type on the same circuit. How many
people can or will do either? Unless you do one of these, and do
some sort of reasonable dbt or sbt, I maintain you have no basis
for comparison since hearing "memory" is not very reliable (to say the
least). And of course, there's always the risk that, if you do run
an actual comparison ala the above, you will prefer the cheaper
outlet! How bad would that be???
Mike
It's simple to make up a power strip or box with various outlets wired with 12-gauge Romex. I did this 12 years ago when first comparing Hubbell's. Plug in, plug out. Easy.
(nt)
....is the constant, as is the Romex wiring (which pretty much replicates what's inside most people houses), and in fact replicates what was in mine when I did the tests.
Therefore, comparing the outlets becomes comparing the outlets, nothing less, nothing more.
(nt)
nt
(nt)
Its not some kind of magic when they all use the same copper etc. For referance (A-grade copper cathode is of 99.999% copper in sheets that are 1 cm thick, and approximately 1 meter square weighing approximately 200 pounds. It is a true commodity, deliverable to and tradeable upon the metal exchanges in New York (COMEX), London (London Metals Exchange) and Shanghai (Shanghai Futures Exchange). Often copper cathode is traded upon the exchanges indirectly via warrants, options, or swap contracts such that the majority of copper is traded upon the LME/COMEX/SFE but delivery is achieved indirectly and at remove from the physical warehouses themselves.
The chemical specification for electrolytic grade copper is ASTM B 115-00 (a standard that specifies the purity and maximum electrical resistivity of the product). So are all these cables featuring copper purer than 99.999% that you get in any copper wire(They can not make it purer) Its all the same mann
nt
he did mention power cords or did I read this wrong.
the conductor material is the only variable. What a pretty thought.
Why do you believe the conductor is the only variable???? I sure dont. Why is that such a pretty thought? Are you seeing hearing colors again? damn 1960s wrecked the lot of ya.
(nt)
The just don't bother expressing it anymore because... why bother?
No doubt.
N/T
“ Once this was all Black Plasma and Imagination. ” -Michael McClure
Well, as one of my highly skeptical friends has been known to say, "If
you dont' believe, you won't hear it".
As a general rule, since I am not a golden eared audio maven, I usually don't succumb to high priced add-ons of dubious, to me, value. I don't expect for me to hear a revelation in sound improvement with each new tweak.
So, if the device appears to make sense, has some scientifically valid backing, and costed $50.00 or less, I add it. If over $50.00, I walk away.
As for outlets, the PS Audio $50.00 duplexes have been in my system for several years. Are they magical, damned if I know.
Many people with much better hearing, such as my children and some members of professional orchestras, seem to think so.
Just my take on "improvements"
RonPil
The best thing to do with articles like this is ignore them, as the writers will get a kick out of watching those strange geeky audiophiles get all outraged - they're basically cage-rattling.
If they think the whole idea of audio grade power outputs are crazy then best leave them to their beliefs - they're idiots - and as far as I'm concerned I'm perfectly happy for idiots to hold views which differ from my own, because if I started agreeing with idiots I'd be one of them.
Today is a gift - that's why it's called the Present.
Best Regards,
Chris Redmond.
"The best thing to do with articles like this is ignore them, as the writers will get a kick out of watching those strange geeky audiophiles get all outraged - they're basically cage-rattling."
The issue isn't audiophiles and how they react..... The issue is discouraging potential hobbyists in a dying hobby.
Not in my view today more audiophiles on the earth than any time in world history. Dying sure among US boomers,brick and mortor shops which many moved to HT and mega buck charging companies but not in general. I still sell much to guys under 25. Just remember how much buying power,knowledge you had at 25. And how much you grew into your hobbie. Plus today younger folks have much cash and interest tied up in computers VG or portable music systems,unlike boomers who had less options for the entertainment $. Im sure some still will want better sound as they mature or experance it. But we are a small group compared to other hobbiests. And should never expect or want the masses to discover it;) Most folks are not wired to seek out improved sound and better music. But my kid built these speakers at 4 years old no help. My other son 21 builds amps speakers as do a few of his friends. I just set up a 22 year old with a free TT amp speakers some LPs. I bring massive horns systems to local schools so they can hear proper music played in a hi-quality way. Teachers are amazed at how quite the kids get after a few mins of music. On the school pa they get hyper. Maybe if others gave away extra kit, helped others start in the hobbie, took time out to vist schools or contribute to music programs in schools things would be better. But I never see others doing anything but complaing the hobbies dying booho. Do something about.
so, to "disagree" is to be an "idiot". of course, as a respected reviewer for 6moons, you don't really hold this view......or do you?
Time for you to grow up Lord whoever you are, or at least think before trying to come out with clever comments.
The simple fact is, somebody wrote an article which ridiculed a manufacturer's claim of better sound from a simple power outlet due to various treatments applied to that outlet.
Now did that somebody listen to the outlet and comment that he heard no such improvement?
No, he read the claims and decided they couldn't possibly effect the sound, and so the claims were obviously designed to convince gullible audiophiles.
THAT is why he's an idiot. Not the fact he tried the outlet and couldn't hear any difference, but the fact he hasn't a clue if the outlet works or not but feels qualified to comment on it and anyone who might buy it.
On the subject of me being a 'respected reviewer for 6moons', nobody deserves respect just because they are a reviewer - it's got to be earned, and while 6moons is a respected website I certainly don't regard myself as being any more worthy of respect now than I was before I started writing reviews.
Today is a gift - that's why it's called the Present.
Best Regards,
Chris Redmond.
if the "idiot" writer didn't want to hear any differences after listening to the audiophile recepticle, he wouldn't.
And if he did, he would. It doesn't matter whether he listened or not.
I don't dismiss the business about electrical outlets and power cords making a difference. It's just paying outlanding prices that gets me going.
Cheap tweak:
The wire to most recepticles can be connected two ways: with a spring clip or with screws on the side. Screws on the side are better. And probably safer. Make sure they are very tight. Then cover everything with electrical tape. Get a cheap tester to make sure you have the right polarity and the recepticle is properly grounded.
I still like the sound (and robust build) of hospital grade recepticles. But then I hear what I want to hear, just like everyone else.
"I don't dismiss the business about electrical outlets and power cords making a difference. It's just paying outlanding prices that gets me going."
Hey, don't get me wrong - there's no way I'd buy the 'reviewed' power outlet at that price either, but I wouldn't go around ridiculing those who would buy it if I hadn't at the very least tried it out, and certainly wouldn't write a complete article about anything I had zero experience with.
Either the writer was saying there was zero improvement over the standard outlet, or he's saying the price is ridiculous for any improvement there is; both conclusions require him to have experience of the outlet, and the fact he hasn't makes him an idiot in my opnion.
"But then I hear what I want to hear, just like everyone else."
I try not to hear the Trick or Treating kids knocking on the front door, but after answering the door four times tonight there's another knock - best go sort them out before they set the car on fire....
Today is a gift - that's why it's called the Present.
Best Regards,
Chris Redmond.
On the subject of me being a 'respected reviewer for 6moons', nobody deserves respect just because they are a reviewer - it's got to be earned, and while 6moons is a respected website I certainly don't regard myself as being any more worthy of respect now than I was before I started writing reviews. I would say reviewers get as much respect as Old Rodney D
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