Out of Control


I was looking at one of my highend mags the other day. And looking at the spec's of some speakers and find it hard to believe the outragous prices. I mean does it really get that much better at 10k, 15k, 30k and up. I've listened to speakers in the 25k range and was not impressed at all. I've been also looking at subs and some of them in the 1,500 and up catagory were paper treated, I always thought woven carbon fiber or poly was used for the top notch and whats with a class G amp in that sub when you spend 3k or better. Let's take power cords at 1k, I audioned one at home and took it a part, I can buy the same material under $100. I cannot really comment to much on amps, but some of the nicer ones above 3k have less parts, to me that means it took less time to build. Tweaks are another one I won't go into. Sometimes you just feel overwelmed. I was just wondering if anyone else gets a bit raddled about this. I know they have to make money, but lets be real. Just a bit bored today, so I thought I'd start a new thread. Don't get me wrong, I still have a few more pieces to add.......
Pete
pcc
pbb: here's a site where you might find refuge. no political correctness nor graceful aging required:

http://www.audioannex.com/

-cfb
Cornfedboy, Heck they're listening to electrical wall outlets there to. What's wrong with this world? You know what, the sound of the bloody computer is distracting when the music is playing, so I'll just turn it off and listen to the music and forget tho whole sorry Adiogoninsane thing, well for now at least. I think that's the best and cheapest tweak. And oh yes, I think I'll subscribe to Fanfare. Bye for now and keep up the good work. I didn't know how exclusive a club this is and to think I'm at the computer without a suit and tie! Have fun my friend.
Pbb, I have a question for you. You claim to be a skeptic and have thrown down the double blind testing guantlet to refute the claims of posters to this thread. Have you performed any of these double blind tests yourself? It is very easy to be a skeptic. It simply requires a willingness to disbelieve anything without "proof". And it even sounds reasonable - especially when science and mathematics are waved about like a talisman to ward off the evil of opposing views. But skepticism without a willingness to investigate all sides of the issue is no better than the blind faith you seek to debunk. It is also easy to forget that measurements and statistics are meaningless without interpretation; and are only as good as the instruments used to collect them. Even supposing that the measurements are perfect the interpretation of their meaning is not. You have only to recall that Aristotle, using accepted "scientific" methods, claimed that Earth was at the center of the universe. His interpretation of the data was incorrect. At least Aristotle was willing to expend effort in explanation, measurement, and reasoning to refute claims he did not believe to be true. If you have indeed conducted double blind tests let us know the results. And don't forget to include your testing methods and conditions.

I'll disclose now that I have not myself conducted any such tests. I might in the future - but at the moment my satisfication with this hobby doesn't require it.
Pbb, sorry for delay. Experience at a friend's house. The (modest) system: Clearaudio/Morch/Clearaudio Victory, YBA 1 cdp, CAT III line -- proprietary phono (tube), Avanti III speakers.

We were 4 people: i.e., the two "audio" nuts (:-) ) & our respective wives.

The differences were in the tonal balance, microdynamics, and presence. Dynamics (in classical) were unrestrained, "unfatiguing" also, in one case vs. the other.
One wife remarked at the sound's "raising the hairs on the arm" in one case vs. the other.

We listened to parts of, (cd): Mahler 2 (Klemperer/Bayerischen Rundfunks - EMI), An Die Musik (Universal, compilation Schubert songs), Mahler 8 (Horenstein/LSO - BBC classics). LP: Mahler 2 (Klemperer/Concertgebouw - Decca), Carmina Burana (Jochum/German Opera Orch - DG), D. Purple "Made in Japan" (old copy - ?).

Cheers!