power cord ABX at Secrets of Home Theater

krabapple · **Joined:** Wed Apr 16, 2003 4:19 pm **Posts:** 1614

MOST amusing indeed. The author, who'd previously raved about Bedini Clarifiers and
other such quack crap, finds himself with pie in the face after participating in a DBT of
high-end power cords. Notice how he stubbornly tries to wiggle his way out of accepting the results -- and how the editor keeps inserting notes that shoot him down.

Can We Hear Differences Between AC Power Cords?

Ess Ay Cee Dee · **Joined:** Wed Sep 08, 2004 1:35 pm **Posts:** 1458

Very entertaining indeed. I have a question about the third photo down (right under the picture of the high school A/V Squad reunion)...

Look at the far right side of the picture. I've identified the two Bedini Clarifiers, but what is that incredible audio accoutrement next to them? Has Shakti been working with McDonald's on a top-secret McGriddle tweak? Or does one of those Clarifier thingamajigs make "food" taste better?

Ryan, is that device pictured anywhere in the new Music Direct catalog?

Rspaight · **Posted:** Mon Dec 06, 2004 6:07 pm

That's a hoot.

I enjoyed flipping through the ABX tests at the site linked at the bottom of the article. Most illuminating was : (1) no difference discernable between megabuck cable and zip cord, while (2) level differences of a fraction of a decibel were identified.

Quote:

Ryan, is that device pictured anywhere in the new Music Direct catalog?

Not that I can see. Perhaps they're using McGriddle grease as cable lube. (But would a Whopper have the same effect? Time for an ABX test!)

Ryan

Ess Ay Cee Dee · **Joined:** Wed Sep 08, 2004 1:35 pm **Posts:** 1458

Rspaight wrote:

(But would a Whopper have the same effect? Time for an ABX test!)

Come on now, let's compare apples to apples. :roll:

The natural test is a McGriddle vs. a Croissan'wich.

RDK · **Joined:** Wed Apr 16, 2003 5:51 pm **Posts:** 136

Christ, that's the most boring test I've ever heard. I can't imagine that was fun. I'm gonna have to apologize to my wife for making her listen to two (and only two) pairs of speakers when i was A-B'ing them a few years back. I never realized the pain she must have endured...

My favorite line: Some amplifiers which cannot be distinguished reliably under formal blind conditions do not sound similar over lengthy listening in more familiar and relaxed circumstances.

The truth hurts, doesn't it?

krabapple · **Joined:** Wed Apr 16, 2003 4:19 pm **Posts:** 1614

Ess Ay Cee Dee wrote:

Very entertaining indeed. I have a question about the third photo down (right under the picture of the high school A/V Squad reunion)...

Look at the far right side of the picture. I've identified the two Bedini Clarifiers, but what is that incredible audio accoutrement next to them? Has Shakti been working with McDonald's on a top-secret McGriddle tweak? Or does one of those Clarifier thingamajigs make "food" taste better?

They look like Scooter Pies gone horribly, horribly wrong.

krabapple · **Joined:** Wed Apr 16, 2003 4:19 pm **Posts:** 1614

RDK wrote:

Christ, that's the most boring test I've ever heard. I can't imagine that was fun. I'm gonna have to apologize to my wife for making her listen to two (and only two) pairs of speakers when i was A-B'ing them a few years back. I never realized the pain she must have endured...

My favorite line: Some amplifiers which cannot be distinguished reliably under formal blind conditions do not sound similar over lengthy listening in more familiar and relaxed circumstances.

The truth hurts, doesn't it?

That's boilerplate Stereophile ostrich-talk : 'lengthy listeing', 'more familiar and relaxed circimstances" is their way of saying 'sighted comparison with abosultely no controls for bias"

Dob · **Posted:** Mon Dec 06, 2004 8:00 pm

Quote:

The only technical explanation provided in the review, pieced together from e-mails received from Gary Bedini, was patently inadequate...As far as I was concerned, a bulletproof technical explanation was not absolutely necessary

BULLETPROOF??? Hey, we'll settle for "plausible."

Quote:

Has no one heard anything about Quantum Physics, which questions the existence of an absolute objective reality? And are we really so sure of ourselves that we can proclaim with absolute certainty that only what we can “prove” is real...?

Why stop there? Let's plunge headfirst into pure solipsism, and deny the absolute objective reality of anything but our own existence.

Quote:

As soon as we erected the felt barrier between the speakers, I discovered that it absorbed high frequencies and dimmed the vibrancy of treble sounds...With the felt down, I personally thought the differences between the sound of the two sets of cords was quite apparent, and several participants agreed with me. Once the felt was up, it was harder for me to tell the difference between the sound of the cords.

Well, there you have it. The felt was the culprit...case closed.

lukpac · **Posted:** Mon Dec 06, 2004 10:09 pm

Quote:

I have a BS in Tonmeister Studies

Dear god that's funny.

Ess Ay Cee Dee · **Joined:** Wed Sep 08, 2004 1:35 pm **Posts:** 1458

lukpac wrote:

Quote:

I have a BS in Tonmeister Studies

Dear god that's funny.

Doesn't Ed Bishop have one of those too?

krabapple · **Joined:** Wed Apr 16, 2003 4:19 pm **Posts:** 1614

The gory fallout from the Secrets test can be viewed at Secrets' own forum.

Blind Cable Test thread

Two of my favorite audio posters, Chu Gai and Pio, fight the good fight, and then this dickhead named krabapple chimes in.....

Is anyone surprised, btw, that Jason Serinus believes in astrology, feng shui, etc?

Forums dot lukpac.org

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