Members Billster Posted October 4, 2007 Members Share Posted October 4, 2007 James Randi (a.k.a. the Amazing Randi) offers $1,000,000. reward to prove $7000 speaker cables are better. Monster Cable Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members blue2blue Posted October 4, 2007 Members Share Posted October 4, 2007 A long and growing longer thread on this over at GearSlutz... http://www.gearslutz.com/board/so-much-gear-so-little-time/148225-like-super-high-end-cable-got-good-ears-make-million-usd.html Believe it or not, there are more than a couple posters there who seem to think they could win the money -- but they mostly seem to feel that "the fix must be in"... Mostly the same type who think that phase inversion null testing doesn't "tell the whole story." Pretty friggin' funny. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Billster Posted October 5, 2007 Author Members Share Posted October 5, 2007 It reminds me of the legend or Eric Johnson and the stompbox batteries, where supposedly he could hear the difference between types of batteries - not dead/dying vs. fresh, but Eveready vs. Duracell. Ummm, Eric, can we have a talk... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members the-good-way Posted October 5, 2007 Members Share Posted October 5, 2007 I wouldn't be too amazingly shocked (depending on the circuit) if there was some difference between Eveready and Duracell...STD Eveready are Carbon-Zinc (they do make an alkaline these days) and Duracell are Alkaline They use different electrode chemistry...not only does the alkaline hold more energy (like 150%-200% of a carbon-zinc), but the voltage/load curves are gonna be different Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members blue2blue Posted October 5, 2007 Members Share Posted October 5, 2007 There is certainly more room for someone being able to hear the diff between two batteries. (And, of course, we don't know if he did double blind testing to see if he could consistently identify which was which or even tell them apart consistently.) But differences in voltage output will certainly -- if they're broad enough -- change the overdrive characteristics of something like a distortion pedal. That said... I got a buck sez he can't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members philbo Posted October 5, 2007 Members Share Posted October 5, 2007 So will differences in the batterys' source impedance - - it would affect the sound of transients. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jeff Leites Posted October 5, 2007 Members Share Posted October 5, 2007 I like NOS RCA batteries Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Super 8 Posted October 6, 2007 Members Share Posted October 6, 2007 Has James Randi become Consumer Reports? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members elsongs Posted October 6, 2007 Members Share Posted October 6, 2007 James Randi (a.k.a. the Amazing Randi) offers $1,000,000. reward to prove $7000 speaker cables are better.:lol: The cablesThe review Hyperbole in the audiophile world? Never! $80 for a Monster cable? Wow, that's damn cheap! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members fabian s Posted October 6, 2007 Members Share Posted October 6, 2007 Check out Ananlogman's battery comparison in a fuzz pedal: "Battery comparison: two identical NKT 275 pedals. Starts with Alkaline Duracell (twice), Cheap General Purpose type (twice) then Duracell (twice again) on a Les Paul. Listen to the high end change." http://www.mikepiera.com/samples/duracell2.mp3 Taken from this page about half way down: http://www.analogman.com/fuzzface.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Fusion1 Posted October 7, 2007 Members Share Posted October 7, 2007 Sorry if this is unrelated but it was this 1million dollar story I read on another forum that coincidentally occured the same time I was looking for whether or not using guitar cables for connecting an amp to a speaker cabinet was bad. I did find DIY audiophiles saying 14 gage lamp cord was as good as some higher end speaker cables. Can that same speaker cable be used if it is soldered to 1/4" plugs? I too was once misled down the "if it costs more it must be better" road, but now I know better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Kelly Posted October 7, 2007 Members Share Posted October 7, 2007 It reminds me of the legend or Eric Johnson and the stompbox batteries, where supposedly he could hear the difference between types of batteries - not dead/dying vs. fresh, but Eveready vs. Duracell. Ummm, Eric, can we have a talk...Guess you don't believe people can hear the difference between germanium and silicon transistors, either... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members D Charles Posted October 8, 2007 Members Share Posted October 8, 2007 Actually, it's been my experience with guitar and mic cords that the solder joints and cleanliness of the connectors makes more difference than any good quality cable. As far as speaker wire is concerned, the gauge is way more important than anything else depending on the ohm load and how long your cable needs to be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Billster Posted October 9, 2007 Author Members Share Posted October 9, 2007 Guess you don't believe people can hear the difference between germanium and silicon transistors, either... Never said that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members fabian s Posted October 9, 2007 Members Share Posted October 9, 2007 No blasting intended, Billster. People who claim to hear a difference have taken stick in the past and I just wanted to show that there is a difference. If the difference is too subtle to bother you that's fine but it is a big deal to some. Perhaps I spend too much time fussing with guitar tones! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mobobog Posted October 9, 2007 Members Share Posted October 9, 2007 another thing is the rooms where people listen to stuff. I have seen studios with apogee converters and adam monitors, they claim to have nothing but the truth... and guess what, the room is completly untreated... you cant have the truth in a untreated room no matter how good your equipment is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Billster Posted October 9, 2007 Author Members Share Posted October 9, 2007 another thing is the rooms where people listen to stuff. I have seen studios with apogee converters and adam monitors, they claim to have nothing but the truth... and guess what, the room is completly untreated... you cant have the truth in a untreated room no matter how good your equipment is. Related to my point above. These $7000 cables appear to be aimed at the home audiophile (not pro studios). I wonder how many of these audiophiles have had their listening area treated, or if they buy $6000 graphic equalizers to compensate for the standing waves, just so they can brag about the equalizer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members fabian s Posted October 9, 2007 Members Share Posted October 9, 2007 the subtle differences you hear practicing at home are out the window at stage volume. Not for me. The difference in treble response and speed of attack of the note really affect my interaction with the instrument and can make the difference between me playing well and not. This is actually maginified at stage volume. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Billster Posted October 9, 2007 Author Members Share Posted October 9, 2007 Not for me. The difference in treble response and speed of attack of the note really affect my interaction with the instrument and can make the difference between me playing well and not.This is actually maginified at stage volume. That's cool, and I've experienced the "comfort level affects playing" syndrome. But from the other side of the board, and in the audience, the difference is negligible. I know this from personal experience - listening to some of my closest (obsessive) friends with whom I am familiar with the complex tone tinkering they do, even knowing when they step on the pedals, it gets lost to the audience. But if such stuff enables your mojo go for it. I try to find other methods that won't affect me if I don't have my exact equipment on hand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members NeonVomit Posted October 12, 2007 Members Share Posted October 12, 2007 you cant have the truth in a untreated room no matter how good your equipment is. Maybe they can't handle the truth... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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