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Wretched excess in the interconnect business

96.61.187.176

Posted on September 11, 2021 at 08:52:28
Mike K
Audiophile

Posts: 13966
Location: 97701
Joined: September 23, 1999
Kimber has a new ho-daddy unbalanced interconnect they are calling "Naked"
(one needs a catchy name, naturally). And you can have a 1m pair for only
$12700, with additional 1m lengths available for a mere $5000 per meter.
Sonic nirvana comes standard (how could it be otherwise), and at no
additional charge!

http://www.enjoythemusic.com/superioraudio/equipment/1220/Kimber_Kable_Naked_Interconnects_Review.htm

If one has many components, it should be fairly easy to spend $100k - or
more even - on these babies. One would not, after all, want to have
sonic nirvana cables connecting only two components of one's system -
the nirvana might be diluted.

So whip out your checkbook, boys, and buy a few pair of these babies.
Ray Kimber is standing by, palm outstretched, ready to receive your money!

(I'm sure there are even more expensive cables out there; some deep
pockets audiophool should buy 5 or 6 different sets of these things and
arrange for a cable shootout. Let's see how many different nirvanas we
can come up with!).


Lack of skill dictates economy of style. - Joey Ramone

 

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There is a tired, yet highly accurate and appropriate cliché that comes to mind. nt. , posted on September 11, 2021 at 10:14:14
MWE
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Posts: 2196
Location: Burlington, NC
Joined: June 8, 2000
Nt.


Mark in NC
"The thought that life could be better is woven indelibly into our hearts and our brains" -Paul Simon

 

or in any other aspect of HI END (fill-in-the-blank) buisness is NOT anything new..., posted on September 11, 2021 at 10:25:34
musetap
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Posts: 31815
Location: San Francisco
Joined: July 8, 2003
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  Since:
January 28, 2004
the space between the $ sign and the last digit just keeps expanding.

IF it starts going in the other direction (while maintaining a particular standard
of quality) that would be news but no real reason for any hobbyist website or
magazine to bother discussing/reviewing in an attempt to to sell ads/get
hits/make money.

It's not really any more wretched than it ever has been, proportionately and based
on certain, uh, wealth gaps.

For those that ultimately consider these things a heap of BS, it just adds to the pile.

For those that don't it doesn't.

Same as it ever was.





View YouTube Video

And, let's face it - if you need these types of consumer products to find (or reach) nirvana, you're
fucked anyway.



"Once this was all Black Plasma and Imagination"-Michael McClure




 

Guess I'm luckier than most., posted on September 11, 2021 at 10:45:28
ghost of olddude55
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Posts: 32337
Joined: July 14, 2017
I've never been able to hear a difference between one set of cables/wires and another unless one of them was broken.



The blissful counterstroke-a considerable new message.

 

RE: Wretched excess in the interconnect business, posted on September 11, 2021 at 11:32:01
Sibelius
Audiophile

Posts: 1364
Location: S.F. Bay Area
Joined: April 4, 2000
I think of it as two aspects of audiophile psychology, one for the rich, and one for the not.

The rich want "the best" no matter the cost. Have to show it off, can't be upstaged among their audiophile circles.

The less affluent are looking to make their system "better", and may not have the funds to purchase that next level component. BUT, they can afford some more expensive wires that might make it better. With the "upgrade funds" available they can go from the "regular" cables to the Special Edition Mk II Silver Signature Master Reference Solo Crystal model.

I'm with Ghost, I can't hear a difference. I'm putting a new system together and the absolute last thing I care about now is cabling. I've got some Audience, Nirvana, Markertek...others I have no idea what they are and I'm ok with them, picked them up cheap, hear no difference. So when I need cables I'll look to mostly what's solidly constructed and isn't snake like in terms of size or oil content.

And for those that can hear a difference, great, good on you and you do what you need to do to be satisfied with your system.

Now that $6,000 Shun Mook Black Swamp Wood record weight on the other hand...maybe that will make my TT sing.

 

RE: Wretched excess in the interconnect business, posted on September 11, 2021 at 11:35:08
Palustris
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Suppose you are a hedge fund manager at a high end audio emporium and you are looking for a prestige audio system for your loft. The salesman puts together for you a $100,000 plus system. He picks out the $13k cables as complements to that system. Are you really going to say, "No, I'll take the $500 cables?"

 

Yes, Quite possibly. You can be a hedge fund manager and still have some..., posted on September 11, 2021 at 11:48:30
MWE
Audiophile

Posts: 2196
Location: Burlington, NC
Joined: June 8, 2000
vague sense of value.


Mark in NC
"The thought that life could be better is woven indelibly into our hearts and our brains" -Paul Simon

 

RE: Yes, Quite possibly. You can be a hedge fund manager and still have some..., posted on September 11, 2021 at 12:04:19
Palustris
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Posts: 2407
Location: Cape Cod
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When the objective is prestige, value is not part of the equation.

 

RE: Wretched excess in the interconnect business, posted on September 11, 2021 at 12:08:31
Sibelius
Audiophile

Posts: 1364
Location: S.F. Bay Area
Joined: April 4, 2000
I would think that an investment manager would have a big sense of monetary value. I would hope anyway. I mean. I'm looking at putting together a $25,000 system, but that doesn't mean I need thousands of $$$ in cables if I can't hear a difference. I would hope a HF manager would have the same sense, if he/she can't hear the difference put the $$$ into something else audio or otherwise.

 

If there are people who are going to buy them why not?, posted on September 11, 2021 at 12:17:11
Goober58
Audiophile

Posts: 5551
Joined: November 15, 2016
I've been using Kimber products since about 1980. 8TC, 8PR, PBJ, Silver Streak & KCAG. I've always liked the stuff. Another one I have around is Silver Sonic from DH Labs. Kind of rounds it out.

I started with the most affordable and over the years have upgraded. Things sounded different with each up-step - this is not to say it was always an improvement.

Kind of off-topic I very much dislike the new Kimber web-site. Also I don't pay much attention to super expensive interconnects but it's fine with me if other people enjoy them.

 

RE: Wretched excess in the interconnect business, posted on September 11, 2021 at 12:27:41
geoff
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I'll wait for the luminator review(s)

 

RE: Wretched excess in the interconnect business, posted on September 11, 2021 at 12:54:23
Todd Krieger
Audiophile

Posts: 37308
Location: SW United States
Joined: November 2, 2000
I cannot speak for others, but I was not impressed with the design of these interconnects, from purely a technical perspective...... Struck me as more "bling" than innovative.......

 

RE: Wretched excess in the interconnect business, posted on September 11, 2021 at 13:03:21
geoff
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in 40 years

 

With..., posted on September 11, 2021 at 13:22:45
musetap
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Contributor
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January 28, 2004
70+ YO pics yet.

"Once this was all Black Plasma and Imagination"-Michael McClure



 

Not lucky, posted on September 11, 2021 at 14:29:18
Analog Scott
Audiophile

Posts: 9933
Joined: January 8, 2002
Just not being affected by a bias that would lend one to percieve differences that aren't there. You might even be experiencing a same sound bias effect. Which works out just fine when the things really do sound the same.

 

Because with all the things to be outraged about...we pick speaker cables, LOL. nt, posted on September 11, 2021 at 14:36:47
Nt

 

Have fun checking out the Nordost Oden Gold Series! (nt), posted on September 11, 2021 at 15:08:35
voolston
Audiophile

Posts: 3329
Location: New Orleans
Joined: October 14, 1999
.
voolston - audiophile by day, music lover by night!

 

RE: If there are people who are going to buy them why not?, posted on September 12, 2021 at 08:21:55
kootenay
Audiophile

Posts: 8442
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Joined: October 16, 2007
An audiophile friend uses all Nordost Odin cables, from the speaker, interconnect to USB cables. One of the Odin's interconnect was 25' long which connect from the preamp to the power amp on the other end of his listening room.

A month ago I received an email from him saying that he's selling some of the Odin cables as he is planning to upgrade to the Odin 2 Supreme Reference version. Anyway, If I remember correctly the Odin XLR balanced cables that he uses to connect his VPI Vanquish TT to the Constellation Audio Persius phono stage costs him $10,000.

Needless to say, I rejected his offer and told him that I'm happy with my OEM SME tonearm XLR balanced cables.


 

It's just like the matrix, posted on September 12, 2021 at 08:37:46
Analog Scott
Audiophile

Posts: 9933
Joined: January 8, 2002
do you wnt to take the red pill or the blue pill. I have taken both.

 

RE: Have fun checking out the Nordost Oden Gold Series! (nt), posted on September 12, 2021 at 08:42:59
Don Reid
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Contributor
  Since:
April 1, 2010
I think the first big mistake was when we let the snake oil salesmen convince us to stop calling them patch cords and start calling them interconnects instead.
I dream of an America where a chicken can cross the road without having it's motives questioned.

 

If there ain't no audience.. there ain't no show., posted on September 12, 2021 at 08:59:16
bare
Audiophile

Posts: 1877
Joined: April 14, 2009
Fools have proven to buy anything and consequently bankroll the silliest of Snake oils.

 

No, I'dgo for the well engineered Blue Jean cables for less, posted on September 12, 2021 at 09:29:41
Analog Scott
Audiophile

Posts: 9933
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Utterly audibly transparent and they leave me with money to spend onthings that make a difference

 

Prestige among audiophiles is like, posted on September 12, 2021 at 09:31:49
Analog Scott
Audiophile

Posts: 9933
Joined: January 8, 2002
being the grown up with the best Pokemon collection

 

Own, they're in the jewelry business, posted on September 12, 2021 at 09:39:41
jedrider
Audiophile

Posts: 15153
Location: No. California
Joined: December 26, 2003
I can understand that.

 

That's Funny, posted on September 12, 2021 at 10:43:29
Sibelius
Audiophile

Posts: 1364
Location: S.F. Bay Area
Joined: April 4, 2000
Reminds me of the time I was going into a Sears and heard a dad telling his son, "I'm not buyin' you any of the pukeeman junk".

 

Cables are NOT snake oil..., posted on September 12, 2021 at 10:44:19
musetap
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Posts: 31815
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January 28, 2004
There may be a level of cable development that seems like snake oil,
there may be snake oil involved and there certainly is an amazing amount of
snake oil like promotion/contrivance/pretension/derived language involved
after a certain point, but cables in and of themselves aren't snake oil.

That said, we all know about fools and their money.

"Once this was all Black Plasma and Imagination"-Michael McClure



 

Goes farther back - to lamp cord - than that..., posted on September 12, 2021 at 10:53:11
musetap
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But my interconnects and speaker cables work far better than any patch cord
or lamp cord could or does/did, at least to my ears.

But as is typical of these things, there seems to be no upper limits that some must reach for.

The Icarus syndrome combined with too much disposable income.

"Once this was all Black Plasma and Imagination"-Michael McClure



 

Albeit rare, you are theoretically correct, posted on September 12, 2021 at 12:11:34
JoshT
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Posts: 6622
Location: Eastern Massachusetts
Joined: July 4, 2000
LOL. There was a joke once about an American tourist in Scotland who did some favor for a local farmer, who offered the American, as a return favor, any sheep he wanted out in his sheep pasture. When the guy came back the farmer asked him if he was a venture capitalist. "Why, yes, I am! How did you ever know?" asked the American, and farmer said, "Because only a VC would pick the only dog out there amount hundreds of options."

OK, hedge funds are different. Sort of. Maybe?
___
"If you are the owner of a new stereophonic system, this record will play with even more brilliant true-to-life fidelity. In short, you can purchase this record with no fear of its becoming obsolete in the future."

 

The thing is, though, that they're not like you, posted on September 12, 2021 at 12:26:33
JoshT
Audiophile

Posts: 6622
Location: Eastern Massachusetts
Joined: July 4, 2000
And you can feel happy about that. Or not care. Or be disdainful. I have to admit that I roll my eyes plenty at what the super rich, or wanna be super rich, buy these days. Grotesque houses, collections of absurd things that never get used, yachts that are oversized and ugly, or whatever, and all in my not so humble opinion, your mileage may vary..

I don't think I'd get most of the uber expensive crap that I see out there, but then again who knows? When $10,000 is the equivalent of $2.50 for most people, I'm sure things look a lot different, and audionervosa can hit the best of us hard.

I believe I hear differences in cables. I have some Blue Jeans interconnects and speaker wires and I think they're OK, but I hear an improvement when I use stuff that I auditioned and ended up buying. I'm not going to list brands, but they're in my profile I think. Even then, I think $425 was the most I ever spent on a pair of cables . . . so far.

To me it becomes an issue of budget and common sense. I'm just not interested in super high end cable given both my budgetary constraints and the smallish improvements that I tend to hear (and, who knows, maybe those too things are subconsciously related).
___
"If you are the owner of a new stereophonic system, this record will play with even more brilliant true-to-life fidelity. In short, you can purchase this record with no fear of its becoming obsolete in the future."

 

+1 nt, posted on September 12, 2021 at 12:28:14
JoshT
Audiophile

Posts: 6622
Location: Eastern Massachusetts
Joined: July 4, 2000
.
___
"If you are the owner of a new stereophonic system, this record will play with even more brilliant true-to-life fidelity. In short, you can purchase this record with no fear of its becoming obsolete in the future."

 

Overlap there somewhere along the line..., posted on September 12, 2021 at 15:40:42
musetap
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Just HAD to be.

Check out the name of the website below.

I DID NOT check to see if they sell audio cables...

"Once this was all Black Plasma and Imagination"-Michael McClure



 

RE: Cables are NOT snake oil... +1, posted on September 13, 2021 at 02:28:09
PAR
Audiophile

Posts: 1732
Location: South London, UK
Joined: June 4, 2019
Thanks musetap. Nicely put.
"We need less, but better" - Dieter Rams

 

I do enjoy reading the cable companies sales materials, posted on September 14, 2021 at 06:54:09
G Squared
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for their description of R&D efforts, liberal application of the laws of physics, interesting measurements, use of scientific sounding words and commitment to engineering and quality.
Gsquared

 

It's a bugger though that precious metals always..., posted on September 14, 2021 at 13:35:47
Jonesy
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seem to be involved.

The Palladium used to make the Naked cables is also found in catalytic converters.

Catalytic converters are quite the popular theft item for their precious metal content.

I know many people that have come out to their vehicle finding a hanging exhaust system after the converter has been stolen by being cut out.

So if someone steals some Naked cables, they can be resold on the black market or as scrap metal. Sheesh!

Jonesy



"I know just enough to get into trouble. But not enough to get out of it."




 

*Wretched* post, part 15, posted on September 14, 2021 at 14:20:09
E-Stat
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You must not tire of whining. ;)

 

RE: It's a bugger though that precious metals always..., posted on September 16, 2021 at 01:39:30
Todd Krieger
Audiophile

Posts: 37308
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I think a palladium thief would have no idea that cables in an audio system might have some...... Although he might steal them for the copper content. (But he'd first steal the air conditioning unit outside, it has a LOT more copper..... )

 

Deep down, you know it is true, posted on September 17, 2021 at 17:47:43
chuck55
Audiophile

Posts: 593
Joined: February 10, 2003
You just want some affirmation that expensive wire is a lie so you'll feel better.

Haha, just kidding.

If you own some $250,000 loudspeakers and $200,000 amps why not drop another $10K on I/C's? Salesmen will tell you a system of that caliber will appreciate the improvement. Lesser systems probably will not.

 

Why not drop10K on cables?, posted on September 18, 2021 at 23:15:40
Analog Scott
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Posts: 9933
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Because it offers no actual benefit in sound. That's 10K that can be spent on other things at no cost to the performance of those uber expensive speakers. I don't see how expensive speakers justify or rationalize spending money on anything else that does not make an audible difference.

 

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