Does Anyone Know What is Up with High Fidelity Cables?

Since I added two things to my system simultaneously and the music lover in me outweighed the engineer in me, I wanted to go back and listen to the individual effect of the Shockwave ethernet cable and the CF-1.  So I unplugged the CF-1 overnight and listened again this morning with only the SW plugged in, then to both plugged in.  Rick Schultz indicated that most of the heavy lifting was provided by the SW (its price is 4X the CF-1) and I agree with that assessment.  I would say the SW provided 70-80% of the sonic improvement, so in my mind either provides a similar sonic upgrade based on cost.  I guess the only thing to try is comparing the effect of the CF-1 versus an MC-0.5 magnetic plug-in conditioner.

riawry

Thanks for the update, I have requested one from Rick

@rlawry Please keep up updated with the improvements you hear, (should there be any additional improvements) with the CF-1.

The CF-1 has patent number 8272876 listed on it.

@rlawry can you post any additional information about the new plug-in filter (CF-1)?

68 Pete, the new plug-in filter is called a CF-1 and has similar shape and dimensions as the MC-0.5 although somewhat longer and less heft.  According to Rick Schultz it uses some type of capacitor instead of, or in combination with, magnets.  It finally arrived yesterday and I had a chance to listen to music with it plugged in to an unused AC socket and I also added another Shockwave to my ethernet streaming system.  I would say the combination of the two was stunningly improved, similar to the effects of all of Rick's magnetic products, but much more pronounced in a way I have not experienced before.  Everything was much more immediate and vivid, and as usual, I could hear instruments played much more clearly.  The funny thing was that the effect seemed to increase with time, much like how your system warms up and everything expands in dimensionality.  These new RSA products are pretty good.  If this is how snake oil makes music sound, I will take a vat of it.

High fidelity cables = Snake oil

Don't waste your money (if you're not elon musk)

riawry

Is the plug in filter for streaming?? USB cable or HDMI?

Quangle2003 , Puron is I think as good as mc 0.5 . Verafiaudio carries puron.

Rick Schultz of Rick Schultz Audio has some new type of plug-in AC filter that works similarly to the MC-0.5 but reportedly is even more effective.  I ordered one but haven't received it yet.

@quangle2003 PM sent.

Hi all, hope all is well :-)

 

I would like to buy an MC 0.5 but really cant see any listing for that. Would appreciate any pointers.

 

Sincerely,

the wait sucks, but when i get the product could not be happier

sts, couldn't agree more.  It has become a personal decision as to whether the price, whatever that might be, is worth the customer service problems.

Parts for my cables finally came in. I will be getting them on Thursday after a couple months wait on parts. High Fidelity has answered questions when I asked them for the past month, coincidently about the same time as this thread. ;)

Now, just need to listen to the sound and see if they work for me. I have some older HF speaker cables being replaced by new, so it should be good.

Also, there is a new promotion if anyone is still in. It might keep this thread going a while, but I think they have solved some of their supply and machinery issues.

I never was worried about getting the cables or the delay, once I started getting updates on the missing parts. We are having issues with several vendors on parts so not a new issue.

 

balihog, I do have a Silnote Epirus Master Reference USB cable and it is indeed a fine-sounding cable.  That being said, the reason I originally posted this note is to receive information on problems in ordering High Fidelity Cables, not to have this thread hijacked by someone soliciting sales for some other cable brands.  Please refrain from further such attempts.  Thank you.

The finest cables I've come across are readily available, call Mark at Silnote Audio he sells factory direct and doesn't waste time in getting them made and sent. His upper level cables are extremely good, I don't know about the less expensive ones but I would venture to guess that they are excellent also..

Wow Middlemass...you actually got Peter at The Cable Company to order something for you !!!! I have doing business with them ( and I mean a lot of business ) for 31 years and can't get a return phone call from that guy. Sorry to the OP for going ''off thread'' but just surprised to see that Peter followed up on an order. All the best and enjoy your new cables and music.

@middlemass, I think your going to be very surprised at the sound difference your system will make after breakin. I was more than surprised, I thought my system sounded good before my 3 mc .05s were installed. I was going to get one more but didnt because of the waiting for product getting to me.

Happy Listening 🎶

My 3 MC-0.5's just got shipped! Thanks as usual to Peter at The Cable Co.

To my knowledge HFC has 2 types of dealers:  those that have bricks-and-mortar locations and the others that are virtual and sell via the internet.  I have used both types in the past and am told it is difficult to sell their products when HFC has highly discounted price sales direct to consumers.  This makes sense as the dealer pricing would be close to that of the direct discounted price.  Also, many consumers are conditioned to only buying product during these big sales and wait to buy additional products until the next sale.  I would imagine HFC to be increasingly dependent on these discounted sales.

Yes, history is replete with companies making and selling a terrific product that failed due to lack of product support.  I certainly hope this doesn't happen to HFC as I love their products.

Sorry to hear this ...as it is frustrating. But didn't Rick Schultz own another cable company before High Fidelity that went under ? The cable prices got so expensive and he lost his market and then shut down. Then I saw a few years later that he started this company. Virtual Dynamics - that was the name of the company. It just came to me. I hope that this isn't a repeat performance. Good luck everyone......

Fun read…

@oldhvymec Cheers my friend and I hope you have a wonderful holiday. I worked for Deere at on point too.....

Yellow House.... 

So I suppose the chauffeur and Rolls are out? Crap.. Maybe Oprah will come through.. :-)  Walk share, everybody walks a mile and ride 59 how's that? OR maybe the other way around for the plump dumplins'. They can walk the 59 and ride the 1.. Besides I'm more of a Liebherr and Deere kind of guy. Though I've done my fair share of Cat repair. Especially working on sea going tugs and Gensets..

Cat had a drilling line it just wasn't to popular in the drilling world. Keller and Bauer are the big guys Klemm for tieback or anchor drilling.

Regards

Merry Christmas

@oldhvymec Yep you are right but I hardly think politicizing here on agon is doing much for you.

Now as far as a pristine work environment I will challenge you there as I am a production planer and product manager at Caterpillar in Montgomery IL. Walking to work would be a challenge it is a  60 mile drive.

Another thread devolves to politics and evo issues.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Says the man with the perfect set of lungs, and that works in a pristine work and living environment. Just sayin'. Some have to politicize to get something done for those that can't. It's sure not gonna get better not knowing about it.. 

YUP you need to walk to work. I need a chauffeur and a new Rolls. Fair is Fair!! :-)

Merry Christmas..

Well said OP. I tend to lean toward many smaller hifi firms have a tough time with having enough working capital. Ive noticed with some of my vendors that supply chain and covid have become the excuse du jour. I’ve explained to more than a few that I need an explanation before I buy it. The true squeeze seems to be they have a backlog with a new cost structure at the old retail price. YMMV

OK, as the OP I will jump in here.  There are a lot of good points here from every direction regarding supply chain issues and the cause.  I have to admit I don't really fully understand the issues and causes of long overseas lead times and also admit I don't really care as long as our leaders fix it.

The real issue here is what I have been driving at.  So you have a company with great products with great quality.  You currently have supply chain issues and have barely initiated an in-house machining operation.  Your customer service effort is, for the lack of a better term, minimal.  So in response to all of these issues you hold a massive 60% off sale designed to do what all sales do, that being an increase in sales volume.  And the result of this big sale and resultant big increase in order backlog is a massive increase in lead time, little to no communication with customers, while you pocket your customers' money to do with as you please while leaving them to pursue order status.  Instead of building raw material and finished goods inventory while developing your machining operation prior to the sale to buffer lead times you do so while being slammed with orders.  As a wise business owner friend once said, "Price, quality, service.  Choose two."  I guess it is up to the customer whether buying these products at a big discount are worth the customer service headache.  Myself, I am not so sure.

LOL you are truly obsessed with these two charterers.

With your obsession with Trump I would swear you are ....

You need to get help oh and WORD!

 Hockey time in Naperville  see you later Corn Pop.

 

Dude I live in Chicago.

Wow. It's like I'm talking to skypunk or therealearlflynn but you insist you're jerry...
I never said or implied you lived in a red state. That was in response to your politically charged rant at the end of your post. At least you're consistent so we can all enjoy your contributions here.

Also, I have to comment on the 9.6% inflation this year from last. More BS. 2/3 of that is due to Rump's handling of the economy. Does anyone here really think that when someone takes over, everything resets to zero? I'll bet some do.

All the best,
Nonoise

@oldhvymec,  I can't disagree with anything you stated in your post, but a few pts. 1) I didn't work in a clean office setting, actually worked right out of HS in a explosive plant for 19yrs & went to college at night. I worked with every deadly gas known to mankind from ammonia gas, every acid from nitric, sulfuric, weak acid, mixed acid, asbestos to sewer stuff. Proper gears is life saving which obviously I used every single day there. (65).

2) As for the ports being privately owned correct, BUT who owns them, I know do you ? China controlled, what moron in govt like everything made that decision (without) the public's knowledge ? I know who. 

Yes, crony capitalism is at the heart of this supply chain issue. Here's a fantastic idea, what if we made everything here then no supply chain issue. But there's the dirty secret, but the secret is out, the reason why a set srew will cost us a small fortune is the massive Inflation 9.6% so this yr from last. Means your paying hfc with monopoly money loss in value. I'm done I could go on forever.

Let's keep this about music, fun hobby, hfc products. Why I pasted on the sales, great sales by the way Rick. I didn't want to pay today and wait mths to get my product in hand. My loss my system sounds great to Me. But want to try the nps 1260, still fighting myself on painting connections but I am curious like I was with mc.05s which I have 3.

They were a bigly surprise to my ears, still amazed.

Happy Listening....🎶🎵🎶

Please no rebuttals needed.

Dude I live in Chicago.

Merry Christmas and typical @nonoise onoise fashion you think you are having the last word.

 

 

 

@jerryg123, Got the exact response I expected. I did read it and you're the one who needs more sources if you want to continue down this road. 

I find it funny and sad that you'd link two sources that don't comport with your claims. Gee, I wonder what's driving up the demand to the point where the ports have difficulty in handling the orders?

Remember the article you linked? Operating at peak capacity for 17 months make this the former guys problem and not a peep from you back then. He didn't even try to address it. Every other week it was "infrastructure week coming in two weeks",  for 4 years. 

Of course it's a game of whack-a-mole as you have demand for goods higher than ever, private ownership of ports that want to make a buck off of this by lowballing truckers, and an ever changing playing field. At least someone is trying to do something about it.

And Merry Christmas to you as well as NY and CA properly prepare for the winter phase of Covid, keeping their people alive,  while the red states sacrifice their flock, writing them off as already dead so as to make political points instead of following expert medical advice.

All the best,
Nonoise

 

 

 

 

@nonoise Got the exact response I expected. I did read it and just said you need more sources.

Also they said :Suddenly we’ve taken care of one thing, then three others pop up,” he said Wednesday at a briefing to review the progress made in recent weeks reducing both the number of containers on site and ships waiting to offload. “We’ve got a long way to go and no one is declaring victory.”

Merry Christmas and get ready for more shutdowns starting in NY and CA.

@jerryg123 ,

Not quite so....

The ports have handled record-setting cargo volumes over the last year, though they’ve hit a plateau. “Before the pandemic and before the surge in the American consumer buying patterns,” Seroka said, “during the peak season we would have one or two months where we move 900,000" twenty-foot equivalent units — or TEUs, the standard volume metric in ocean shipping — all told, including loaded imports and exports and empty containers.

“We’ve been averaging 900,000 containers a month for 17 months now,” Seroka said. “This is really peak performance.”

In the very article you linked, that statement kind of sums things up. Yes, they’ve asked ships to park farther out from the ports, but if you cared to read what you posted, they’ve been handling peak volumes for the last 17 months. Those numbers used to be only for a couple during shopping season.

That WSJ article still hits all the points as to why truckers aren’t keeping on truckin’. The numbers would be even higher if they ran the ports more efficiently and paid the drivers what they’re worth.

It was never about emissions. Blaming it on the spotted owl would have made more sense.

All the best,
Nonoise

 

 

 

May need to broaden your reading material @nonoise 

 

@oldhvymec so sorry to hear you are on Oxygen Dave. My best to you and the pup always !

I am an emissions compliant robot, except after refried…..

Jim

It is frustrating.  However, I keep in touch with Casey, and he keeps me informed as to my order.  He’s a top-notch guy.  I’m sure, after their 60% off sale, that they are swamped.  For myself, I’m willing to wait, as all of their products are revelatory.  It doesn’t matter if it’s a MC-05, or a MC-1 DHS, or a set of interconnects, or power cord, each and every time I either add, or upgrade a HFC product, my system always improves.  Yes, like I said it is frustrating having to wait so long, but I know when I receive my order, I’m going to be more than happy.  My advise, try to be patient.  You’ll be glad you did.

 

Another thread devolves to politics and evo issues.

 

Good they only had 10 years to fix the piles of CRAP. The tractors should be melted to the ground and the ding bats that thinks tractors bellowing smoke is just fine, we'll pump that in YOUR house. Here I'm on O2 because of the crap I was MADE to breath for 25 years in shops full of unburned startup fuel. 
BTW we were the ONLY folks in the Bay Area to have Evac Turbines in the 70s.

Not one of my journeyman are still alive. When you find an old diesel mechanic, shake his hand, they are rare as hens teeth.. 

You can ALL wait.. WALK to work.. If you see a shop on the way to work stop and drop off a couple of grand for future medical and shake their hands.. Maybe donate a lung instead..

Not all of us were so lucky to work in clean air environments their WHOLE life. What the clean air act is enforcing now was suppose to be enforced 10 years ago. BUT they kept relaxing the standard so OO (owner operators) could catch up. Well they didn't. They went on trying to squeeze out a living in a unregulated trucking world.. Stupidest thing since they did deregulate the trucking industry. You can't import "truck driving". For some reason businesses in the US forgot that part.. You cannot import the result of labor. Sounds funny but that is actually the problem.

Businesses want to bypass the logistics of portal to portal delivery cost. So do I.

The only answer is "Transporter Technology". LOL, otherwise PAY the drivers to drive and HELP understand the only issue there is, IS " the DOCKS are privately owned". PERIOD! It doesn't matter who regulates what. WHO owns the docks, who runs the docks who works the docks.

There are still a LOT of security concerns too. The west coast has a few ports, not just CA. Taxes vary a lot just state to state. You can save 60-100k per million depending on where you bring equipment into the country at. The differences in taxes alone. NUTS the whole corrupt crony crap THING!!

That's right over a set of cables.. or worse a terminal end screw that cost more to ship than to make because we don't or WON'T make them in the US..

Merry Friggin' Christmas. Rudolf was a stoner, Blitzen wasn't far behind.

 

@Nonoise... I'm not sure what set your panties on fire but under my rock I listen to great music and enjoy HFC  products. But just a point to your post with your statement, here are facts. Nov 11, 2021 there were about 111 container ships just floating in the bay waiting to unload their cargo, now in the begining of 2021 a new emissions law took effect which knocked out over half the tractortrailers that could go into port to be loaded. BUT with the new law 3/4 dont meet the emission standards. So as simple as I might be if you cut out 3/4 of trucks that would most deffinitely cause a problem.

Rumble — The backlog of about half a million containers at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach is a consequence of new emissions standards that prevent about half of the nation’s tractor-trailer rigs from entering the state of California ports.

Your % s are impressive they lack standing, cnn is not news facts. Yes, DeSantis has given incentives for ships to come to Fla ports. I'm now going back under my rock to listen to music with HFC. Happy Listening 🎶

This is insane, there wouldn't be nearly any disruption to supply chain issues if these ships would go to Fla & Tx ports and by pass California ports. If Newsome wasnt such an idiot with bs emissions crap,

Whatever giant rock you've been living under, do us all a favor and scurry back under it. Long dwelling containers were down 41% back on 11/30/31 as well as imports at the 4 largest ports 21% above 2018 levels. Retail levels are above pre pandemic levels. Emissions "crap" had nothing to do with the backlog. It was Covid disrupting the markets.

All the best,
Nonoise

raysmtb1

Sorry for your frustration, What was your order for?

This is insane, there wouldn't be nearly any disruption to supply chain issues if these ships would go to Fla & Tx ports and by pass California ports. If Newsome wasnt such an idiot with bs emissions crap,