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I come back each month, and its the same de-evolution of threads and ad hominem bs.

It's further proof of entropy and that nature abhors a vacuum

But Welcome Back!

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Man so tired of hearing flat-earth douchebags in the Letters every month crap on our hobby.

And those that keep complaining that state of the art components are expensive and how dare you pay attention to them.

Relax a bit. It's a hobby already!

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Elk, it's not bleeping funny when you use the same bleeping joke over and bleeping over. Don't any of you bleeping Bozos have some original bleeping material?

It's sooo confusing!

Bleeps are a problem, especially if there is more than one of them, but the same images and concepts are OK?

<bangs hooves on antlers in confusion, makes a lovely rattling sound>

IDEA!

Grow Shakti Holograph antlers!!!!

Homegrown Shaktis!

<happiness>

One of the best buys: the Denon DL-103R with Soundsmith cantilever and tip modifications.

The worst buys? Where do I begin? Any stone, block, blob or object which claims to improve sound quality by its placement somewhere within the gravitational field of your system.

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Any stone, block, blob or object which claims to improve sound quality by its placement somewhere within the gravitational field of your system.

So as long as it is not in the gravity field of my system, it works. Cool!!!!!!!!! 8)

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10,000 British pounds is a best buy?

WTF is wrong with you, bro?
You are everything that is wrong with the high end.
But that makes sense since you are either British or live there. When you eat crappy Brit food everyday it skews your sense of value.
Why would we value the opinion of someone with bad teeth?

Come to Texas for a valid high end opinion. We eat great BBQ, drink real beer and have good teeth (you have to ignore our beer bellies, illiteracy, inbreeding and voting for Bush, but, hey, at least we aren't gay like all the Brits.)

BTW, can you order Devialet online, could you PM me the info ?

There's things to love from Texas, but you're not one of them.

Stick your self on a spit and turn... Dickweed.

Glotz,

Look at Orb's response, he knows I was joking.

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In the context of the a modest system or even a mid-fi piece of crap, most if not all tweaks don't work as stated. Hallographs, Mpingo ebony discs or clamps, Cardas Caps, etc.. ALL work, but only in a system that has had its owner lovingly match the components, cables and placement of everything properly, and over huge amounts of time. It's the expensive power conditioners, record clamps and everything else in the world that will push a pretty great system to the realm of magic, happiness or just plain better sound as a synergistic whole of the parts.

If the most ridiculous of the Voodoo Tweaks only work on the very highest end systems, would it not make sense for the reviewer to note this...ie:"The $500 each magic wood hockey pucks make a appreciable difference in my $50K reference system but appear to do nothing at all for my more modest $10K system...Highly recommended if you want the very best and have a system to appreciate it. Lesser mortals need not apply"

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In the context of the a modest system or even a mid-fi piece of crap, most if not all tweaks don't work as stated. Hallographs, Mpingo ebony discs or clamps, Cardas Caps, etc.. ALL work, but only in a system that has had its owner lovingly match the components, cables and placement of everything properly, and over huge amounts of time. It's the expensive power conditioners, record clamps and everything else in the world that will push a pretty great system to the realm of magic, happiness or just plain better sound as a synergistic whole of the parts.

If the most ridiculous of the Voodoo Tweaks only work on the very highest end systems, would it not make sense for the reviewer to note this...ie:"The $500 each magic wood hockey pucks make a appreciable difference in my $50K reference system but appear to do nothing at all for my more modest $10K system...Highly recommended if you want the very best and have a system to appreciate it. Lesser mortals need not apply"

So, then....

Is it a question of the costlier system being all that revealing; or, from what we see in many reviews, a case where the QC on the higher cost system is such that it needs the tweak to overcome inherent problems?

Maybe folk with megabuck systems have the gear necessary to hear tiny changes due to absurd tweaks that other folk can not hear.

A best buy, KT77 tubes to replace EL34's....same liquid magic but a better high and much bigger sound stage.

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MA best buy, KT77 tubes to replace EL34's....same liquid magic but a better high and much bigger sound stage.

Not when your amp needs twelve of them.

Some day I will try them. I have various EL43s and KT88s as it is. Might as well add to the collection.

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10,000 British pounds is a best buy?

WTF is wrong with you, bro?
You are everything that is wrong with the high end.
But that makes sense since you are either British or live there. When you eat crappy Brit food everyday it skews your sense of value.
Why would we value the opinion of someone with bad teeth?

Come to Texas for a valid high end opinion. We eat great BBQ, drink real beer and have good teeth (you have to ignore our beer bellies, illiteracy, inbreeding and voting for Bush, but, hey, at least we aren't gay like all the Brits.)

BTW, can you order Devialet online, could you PM me the info ?

There's things to love from Texas, but you're not one of them.

Stick your self on a spit and turn... Dickweed.

Glotz,

Look at Orb's response, he knows I was joking.

But what about the other people that don't know yr kidding? It's offensive, and so was I!

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In the context of the a modest system or even a mid-fi piece of crap, most if not all tweaks don't work as stated. Hallographs, Mpingo ebony discs or clamps, Cardas Caps, etc.. ALL work, but only in a system that has had its owner lovingly match the components, cables and placement of everything properly, and over huge amounts of time. It's the expensive power conditioners, record clamps and everything else in the world that will push a pretty great system to the realm of magic, happiness or just plain better sound as a synergistic whole of the parts.

If the most ridiculous of the Voodoo Tweaks only work on the very highest end systems, would it not make sense for the reviewer to note this...ie:"The $500 each magic wood hockey pucks make a appreciable difference in my $50K reference system but appear to do nothing at all for my more modest $10K system...Highly recommended if you want the very best and have a system to appreciate it. Lesser mortals need not apply"

So, then....

Is it a question of the costlier system being all that revealing; or, from what we see in many reviews, a case where the QC on the higher cost system is such that it needs the tweak to overcome inherent problems?

Most definitely. (pfft.) All the time either the chassis, its construction, its pickup mechanism, boards or whatever have room for possible improvement- vibrationally or electrically (chassis or parts for instance)... it really spans all of the economy audio offerings unless a company like, Marantz lets say takes an active approach in suppressing vibrations in its design and implementation. Read about MF's review of the higher end KI Pearl in this July's mag. Great example.

Moreover, there are some issues with tuning and resonance control that vary so greatly from system to system and component to component, that what one tweak (whether DIY or paid for) may not work in one application or another. But they will in at least one area or use, sometimes more.

For instance, AD doesn't believe that de-coupling and coupling of vibes and resonances isn't possible, or an art (and yet he believes so much in the art of music reproduction), but even with the simplest metal washers and rubber gaskets and some decent epoxy or cheaper metal cones from the Parts Express , anyone can begin to create a system (in approach) of vibe control and release, couple and de-coupling one's components to and from the rack, and very cheaply. It provides a brewing ground of understanding of when you try out the more expensive stuff, there are things to look for. Don't like them, don't buy again, or return the shit. Get another one, perhaps radically different in approach (Hallographs vs. Echobusters, etc.), but the point is that system building is an art and science. Nothing should be overlooked nor dismissed.

After all this is in many ways more than a hobby. It's psychoacoustics learning, audio engineering, so many things.... It's important that while many tests or measurements don't exist, that we not assume from our own prejudiced minds what is bullshit and what is not, if our ears can tell us more times than not that some product is effective. Any disregard for an valid, justifiable increase in quality would be stupidity.

And one of the largest growth industries in the high end audio realm is vibration control. Sheez, just look at the Music Direct catalog! And yes, it's "all bullshit". The marketing largely may be, but the products they sell are not. They sell, and they sell, and they become best sellers, just like best values in components.

And that really brings up the nature of why idiots and assumption-based douchebags are bitch-squealing every month about our supposed bullshit:

They read so much bullshit, they think everything IS bullshit. They need to disconnect themselves from marketing bullshit and the truth... It IS out there!

Just listen first before opening one's mouth (or pen).

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10,000 British pounds is a best buy?

WTF is wrong with you, bro?
You are everything that is wrong with the high end.
But that makes sense since you are either British or live there. When you eat crappy Brit food everyday it skews your sense of value.
Why would we value the opinion of someone with bad teeth?

Come to Texas for a valid high end opinion. We eat great BBQ, drink real beer and have good teeth (you have to ignore our beer bellies, illiteracy, inbreeding and voting for Bush, but, hey, at least we aren't gay like all the Brits.)

BTW, can you order Devialet online, could you PM me the info ?

There's things to love from Texas, but you're not one of them.

Stick your self on a spit and turn... Dickweed.

Glotz,

Look at Orb's response, he knows I was joking.

Yeah was pretty clear to me by being over the top it was not meant as an insult, but I appreciate the comment I guess could be taken more personally by others even though it was directed at me, so hopefully no hard feelings all around.
BTW I put an update of the Devialet in the The Entry Level Section of this Forum, thought it made more sense there as it fitted in with others audio experiences.

Cheers
Orb

Right on. No worries.