[ken]

I just stumbled upon the latest cheap and cheerful improvement any and all audiophiles should lust for.  This seems to be right up there with the Clever little clock but what the hey, for all I know it may have some merit   They also recommend you replace all your existing outlet covers with these but at  $95.00 a pop it may very well not qualify as cheap and cheerful.

http://app.audiogon.com/listings/tweaks-parade-audio-announces-are-new-carbon-fiber-outlet-cover-2014-02-12-accessories-60060

[jtwrace]

What a joke.  People really are stupid.

[Vapor Audio]

Well, they do look nice ...

But on the flip side, you could take all your normal outlet covers to a Hydrographics shop and have a Carbon Fiber pattern put on them for probably $5/each if you do a bunch at once. 

[cab]

What a joke.  People really are stupid.

You have no idea...check out the postings on the audio asylum tweeks board to see how low human intelligence really goes...and how slimy the charlatan are who push this stuff.

[Vapor Audio]

You have no idea...check out the postings on the audio asylum tweeks board to see how low human intelligence really goes...and how slimy the charlatan are who push this stuff.

It's Quantum Physics man!  If the purchaser truly believes things are improved, then they shape their own reality.  If that results in greater enjoyment for them, then who's to say it wasn't worthwhile?

[mcgsxr]

Oh come on now, too easy to beat this up!

I used to spend $ on carbon accessories for my motorcycles back in the day.  They never made me any faster, but they sure were purty.

This is just pure jewelry for a system.  Anyone who believes otherwise likely already paid to own the Brooklyn Bridge too!

[macrojack]

I installed two of these in my garage and I'm now getting 14 mpg more. Car still sounds the same though.

[Photon46]

Listen, I was browsing on the website 1stdibs.com (high end art, mid-century furniture, antiques, jewelry, etc..) and noticed the category of "Valentine's Day presents for her." There were $10,000 gold makeup cases, $5,000 gold and tortoise shell combs, $35,000 Herme's handbags (and that's pricing for a used handbag) and $500 scarves. So if a guy wants to spruce up his listening room outlets with some diesel looking $95.00 carbon fiber outlet covers, that seems like a bargain in comparison to that, No? It's all just a matter of perspective (and disposable income.) 

[srb]

Absolutely, if you're going for fashion and beauty.  If you're expecting some kind of change in the sound, you will likely be disappointed (unless you're victim to the placebo effect, which half of us are).

Even though their Audiogon sales are currently 0, that probably won't be for long, as there were a number buyers of Machina Dynamica and Coconut Audio gizmos who didn't get any value-added fashion or beauty in the bargain either.

In an Audiogon review of a Furutech 104-D carbon fiber outlet cover, one person remarked

"All I can say is that, for me, the cover does it job and does it damned well. It increases transparency furthur into the soundstage and lowers the noise floor.

.....to make clearer the ambient atmosphere of the recorded environment on the CD, so that harmonics shimmer into silent (but not "deadened" space) and the space around instruments is even more obvious.

.....it simply allows them [musicians and singers] to be more apparent when they are there (some recordings are beyond hope, yet even they seem less electronic, particularly on female voice).

And of course, the cover is quite nice to look at."

Steve

[ken]

Nothing against carbon fiber, hell the handle on my Gayle Bradley spyderco is carbon fiber and if someone wants to use them for aesthetic reasons great but saying I'll hear a deeper and wider soundstage if I replace my existing covers withe these is OTT to say the least because  In order to experience any significant changes these would have to be used in conjunction with the Little clever clock.

[Wayner]

This is one of the reasons why the price of high fidelity is going thru the roof, look at the latest copies of the Music Direct or Audio Advisor catalogs. People buy into this stupid sh*t, and the makers keep making it, and they're making it more expensive.

In fact, I have a published letter to the editor in the Absolute Sound, "High end audio becoming extinct"?
(Issue 241, March). While I certainly believe that anyone can spend their own hard earned money anyway they see fit, the industry, as a whole, has discovering the mass foolishness (price wise), and to what level audiophools will spend their hard earned money for such absolute BS products.

The audiophile of today seems to be right in parallel with a drug addict. Is the ear that precious?

Wayner

[viggen]

Is CF laminate the same as CF?  I thought the laminate is just plastic made to look like CF.

[srb]

Is CF laminate the same as CF?  I thought the laminate is just plastic made to look like CF.

They didn't say "carbon fiber laminate", they said "carbon fiber is laminated over ....", so I assume it's genuine carbon fiber.  But so what?  Do you really want a mass of brass over the outlet anyway?  Might as well get 100% carbon fiber plates on eBay for ~ $15 ea.

BTW, they say for optimal results you should cover all outlets and light switches in the room.  For the average room that would be 5 to 6 units, or $475 to $570 plus shipping.  I dare you to find me money better spent in pursuit of reduced low level masking, better separation of sounds, more detail, more 3D soundstage and tighter bass! 

Steve

[gregfisk]

They didn't say "carbon fiber laminate", they said "carbon fiber is laminated over ....", so I assume it's genuine carbon fiber.  But so what?  Do you really want a mass of brass over the outlet anyway?  Might as well get 100% carbon fiber plates on eBay for ~ $15 ea.

BTW, they say for optimal results you should cover all outlets and light switches in the room.  For the average room that would be 5 to 6 units, or $475 to $570 plus shipping.  I dare you to find me money better spent in pursuit of reduced low level masking, better separation of sounds, more detail, more 3D soundstage and tighter bass! 

Steve

This purchase is a no brainer, heck I'm going to do all of the outlets and light switches in my house. With all of the above mentioned benefits maybe I don't even need to buy room treatments.

[lacro]

The carbon fiber/epoxy in a single cover cost less than $1 Even with all the layers of manufacturing, wholesale, retail, marketing, etc. The $95 price tag is a bit of a stretch IMO. However, I love the look of CF, so I might go for a $15-20 range so I won't have to make them myself.

[Elizabeth]

I would guess carbon fiber as a look is kind of a guy thing.
If you want RIF stop, then buy some metal ones.. Brass are nice.
I want MY outlet covers with daisies on them....

[DS-21]

Elizabeth, that was my first thought too. Those things were clearly designed for single men...who plan to stay that way more or less indefinitely.

Power outlets strike me as something not exactly worth drawing attention to in a room...

[bladesmith]

They should charge twice as much,  for the sound/sonics improvements. 

[viggen]

They didn't say "carbon fiber laminate", they said "carbon fiber is laminated over ....", so I assume it's genuine carbon fiber.  But so what?  Do you really want a mass of brass over the outlet anyway?  Might as well get 100% carbon fiber plates on eBay for ~ $15 ea.

BTW, they say for optimal results you should cover all outlets and light switches in the room.  For the average room that would be 5 to 6 units, or $475 to $570 plus shipping.  I dare you to find me money better spent in pursuit of reduced low level masking, better separation of sounds, more detail, more 3D soundstage and tighter bass! 

Steve

Which begs the question can CF be laminated?  I was under the impression that ALL laminated carbon fiber isn't really carbon fiber but is just carbon fiber look vinyl.

I did see a video (can't find it now) on how carbon fiber weave/cloth could be mached onto objects one layer at a time with resin but that's not laminating.

[*Scotty*]

As far looks are concerned, a good coat paint can easily solve that problem.
Scotty