What's the biggest rip-off in high end audio??

thunderbrick · « **Reply #40 on:** 27 Jun 2012, 12:39 am »

Quote from: mjosef on 27 Jun 2012, 12:20 am

There are some people that think they have the authority to wake me early on weekends(when I wish to sleep late) so they can save my soul. They are the Wicked Ones.

Simple solution. Answer the door butt neckid and go "yeah?" If you have any leftover Halloween devil's horns, sometimes they leave skid marks.

yo2tup · « **Reply #41 on:** 27 Jun 2012, 12:40 am »

Buying brand new is the biggest rip-off by far!!

bhakti · « **Reply #42 on:** 27 Jun 2012, 12:55 am »

Poorly recorded music!

wushuliu · « **Reply #43 on:** 27 Jun 2012, 12:57 am »

Quote from: bhakti on 27 Jun 2012, 12:55 am

Poorly recorded music!

Ding!

kevinh · « **Reply #44 on:** 27 Jun 2012, 01:04 am »

Concerning cables sold by 'hi end' companies.

I seriously any of them actually manufacture the cables themselves. They go out to OEM companies and have cables built to what ever spec they want. Then they market the result. Pretty colors for the Jacket is indicitative of high quality...

The markups are probably fairly high.

Examples of the types of companies they get their cable from:

http://www.awcwire.com/

http://www.cableusa.cc/custom-cable

http://www.southwire.com/OEM.htm

Their main value added is providing termination.

rodge827 · « **Reply #45 on:** 27 Jun 2012, 01:13 am »

Quote from: thunderbrick on 26 Jun 2012, 08:21 pm

My first wife.

+1
She kept me from my hobby with all her incessant whinning

...Doo wee haave to listen to muusic agaainnn?

bhakti · « **Reply #46 on:** 27 Jun 2012, 01:27 am »

Quote from: rodge827 on 27 Jun 2012, 01:13 am

+1
She kept me from my hobby with all her incessant whinning ...Doo wee haave to listen to muusic agaainnn?

Something tells me she would have a good case for her pain and suffering!

Scottdazzle · « **Reply #47 on:** 27 Jun 2012, 01:34 am »

Quote from: Devil Doc on 27 Jun 2012, 12:09 am

I'm not trying to be contentious, although it seems to be a contentious subject, but why can folks freely wax poetic about the subjective things they hear, but I and others can't post they don't and the reason why they don't?

Doc

Because you can't measure everything we can hear.

Devil Doc · « **Reply #48 on:** 27 Jun 2012, 01:45 am »

Then, subject yourself to a properly conducted DBT and prove me the fool.

Doc

Scottdazzle · « **Reply #49 on:** 27 Jun 2012, 01:50 am »

Quote from: Devil Doc on 27 Jun 2012, 01:45 am

Then, subject yourself to a properly conducted DBT and prove me the fool.

Doc

Gladly. I'm sure lots of AC members would do this.

thunderbrick · « **Reply #50 on:** 27 Jun 2012, 01:55 am »

Quote from: yo2tup on 27 Jun 2012, 12:40 am

Buying brand new is the biggest rip-off by far!!

But if no one buys brand new, what are we cheapskates gonna do for hand-me-down gear?

BTW, I have bought a fair number of brand new audio items and been very pleased at the value, especially over time. Good deals, all! And finding good B&M dealers where you are treated as you'd want to be ADDS value IMHO. When I couldn't afford gear I'd still hang out on the shops and buy LPs and small accessories as a way of showing my appreciation. If they still treated me well I'd buy gear from them when I had the cash. Everybody wins!

wushuliu · « **Reply #51 on:** 27 Jun 2012, 01:57 am »

Quote from: Scottdazzle on 27 Jun 2012, 01:50 am

Then, subject yourself to a properly conducted DBT and prove me the fool.

Doc

Gladly. I'm sure lots of AC members would do this.

'Subject yourself'... that's one way to put it.

Oh and you have no excuse Scott because as well all know DBTs are really easy to setup. I think you can order a kit on ebay (watch out for the fake ones from HK).

Devil Doc · « **Reply #52 on:** 27 Jun 2012, 02:01 am »

Woops! spoke too soon

Doc.

bhakti · « **Reply #53 on:** 27 Jun 2012, 02:04 am »

Quote from: Devil Doc on 27 Jun 2012, 01:45 am

Then, subject yourself to a properly conducted DBT and prove me the fool.

Doc

Would you please define a 'properly conducted DBT'?

The second part is easy

Devil Doc · « **Reply #54 on:** 27 Jun 2012, 02:10 am »

Quote from: bhakti on 27 Jun 2012, 02:04 am

Would you please define a 'properly conducted DBT'?

The second part is easy

I think if you google it, you'll find a better answer than I can give you. I did have to take a course in Tests and Measurments in order to earn my degree, but I'm no expert.

Doc

Scottdazzle · « **Reply #55 on:** 27 Jun 2012, 02:10 am »

Wushuliu,

Explain please. I don't understand what you are saying about dbt's. Back in the '80's I took part in a NISH dbt on the effects of suposedly inaudible watermarking on cd's. The listeners were able to correctly identify differences between watermarked and original cd's to a point of statistical certainty that watermarking is audible. Wouldn't the ability to distinguish differences between components establish that differences are audible?

Devil Doc · « **Reply #56 on:** 27 Jun 2012, 02:13 am »

Quote from: Scottdazzle on 27 Jun 2012, 02:10 am

Wushuliu,

Explain please. I don't understand what you are saying about dbt's. Back in the '80's I took part in a NISH dbt on the effects of suposedly inaudible watermarking on cd's. The listeners were able to correctly identify differences between watermarked and original cd's to a point of statistical certainty that watermarking is audible. Wouldn't the ability to distinguish differences between components establish that differences are audible?

Perhaps you could provide a link to a scholarly report that verifies your statement.

Doc

wushuliu · « **Reply #57 on:** 27 Jun 2012, 02:15 am »

Okay I'll play ball for half a second. The biggest rip-off in audio IMO is...wait for it... lack of measurement data/specifications and education on how to interpret them. Not talking anything complicated, just some helpful graphs and a key/glossary. There are just too many options now for high quality inexpensive gear and so many interpretations by designers on delivering good sound. Some manufacturers already do this of course, usually for products which are more 'controversial' so as to minimize criticism (I have no stance on that) - but it would be great if this were applied to the mainstays like speakers, amps, preamps, etc. 99.9% of audio consumers have no idea what to look for and obviously this is to their disadvantage.

Ok, back to the hilarity.

Scottdazzle · « **Reply #58 on:** 27 Jun 2012, 02:20 am »

I used to have a copy of the report but don't any longer. As I recall the scientist who conducted the test was named Lipschitz. And yes, it was published.

wushuliu · « **Reply #59 on:** 27 Jun 2012, 02:21 am »

Quote from: Scottdazzle on 27 Jun 2012, 02:10 am

Wushuliu,

Explain please. I don't understand what you are saying about dbt's. Back in the '80's I took part in a NISH dbt on the effects of suposedly inaudible watermarking on cd's. The listeners were able to correctly identify differences between watermarked and original cd's to a point of statistical certainty that watermarking is audible. Wouldn't the ability to distinguish differences between components establish that differences are audible?

Cart before the horse is what I'm sayin'. People are quick to scream do a DBT but any DBT that's going to hold up to serious - and I mean serious - scrutiny is going to require time, resources and money just like any other real-world scientific endeavor. I would love to be part of a DBT, but who's payin... that's why DBT talk when it comes to audio is just talk instead of a call to action (how about pooling together to fund a project? cricket, cricket...), just goes round and round and round.