Audio Phoolery

This is for geeks, and people who like geek culture.

I have always been fascinated by what people will believe. Particularly interesting to me are the many halfwit audiophiles who believe a lot of whacky (and invariably expensive) voodoo. The pinnacle of moronity is in speaker wire — where 'oxygen-free' copper and metallic crystal structure are used to con morons into spending hundreds and thousands of dollars for — well, for wire.

What follows is Dave Jones, an Australian electrical engineer who has probably the only EE video blog. Don't listen to the whole thing but skim enough to enjoy an engineer's passionate plea. Best part is at the end where he says (and you need to hear it in the genuine Aussie) how the really interesting thing is that the voodoo actually works. People who spend $1000 on fancy wire will hear a difference, even if no one else can.

http://www.eevblog.com/2009/09/07/eevblog-29-audiophile-audiophoolery/

I saved the best for last, though. The original perpetrator of audiophile voodoo is Monster Cable. If you think they're scum (and discriminating EEs do), you have to love this:

http://gizmodo.com/380055/blue-jeans-cable-calls-bs-on-monster-cable-patent-suit-vows-to-fight-to-bloody-death

Comments

[keith carlsen]

My stereo is about the only really nice thing I own. I got a financial windfall about 8 years ago so built the stereo I always wanted: Muse CD/DVD transport and DAC, Levinson pre and power amp, Merlin VSM speakers, REL sub. Power to the low level signal equip (CD stuff and the pre) comes from a JPS Labs power conditioner, power cables are JPS and Power Snakes. Cardas XLR interconnects and bi-wire speaker cables. I could probably completely re-cable with Radio Shack and notice very little sacrifice in sound, but that would still be sacrilege.