Audiophool's - Funny stuff

[w3jn]

The problem that I (and many others too) have with the high-grade stuff is the utterly bogus claims.  For example, the contention that the AC line cord is "in the signal path" is a load of crap.  Unless the power supply was so poorly engineered that it was passing audio down the line, this whole high-grade AC line cord business has no basis in fact or science.  I could go on and on, but there are many urban legends but few kernels of grain amongst the chaff in the high end audio world.

And that, unfortunately, is why this stuff is sneered at wholesale by many.  As you say, Bear, there are a few truths (even half-truths!) out there - but the prevalence of charlatains and so-called "golden ears" don't give the high end audio hobby a good name at all.

73 John

[N2udf]

I doubt that most people could even tell the difference in "sound quality".In the meantime I'm waiting for spring so I can spray my ladder line with "QRM be Gone".....Lee

[W1ATR]

so-called "golden ears"

I liked that one myself. The only golden ears around here are on a golden retriever, and about the only thing that fat bastard is good at is hearing a steak sizzling at 500 yards.

 

[NE4AM]

After playing the audiophool game for years, and marvelling at how much 'better' a set of single-ended Class-A 300Bs sounded than my solid state amplifier, I had to admit to myself that what I had thought was 'quality' was the 10% THD of the triode adding overtones and subharmonics to the music.  It just happens that the toob circuit distortion adds a pleasing quality to the music, often re-creating harmonics lost due to room dynamics, crappy mikes, or (I admit it) hearing loss of the listener.

Then I bought a wind-up victorola, and was astounded at how awesome my 78s sounded with no electronics between the shellac and the speaker horn.  Go figure.

If you want to hear undistorted music, buy a freaking ACOUSTIC guitar, and learn to play it.