Review: Mad Scientist White Magic Interconnects

@richardbrand  Your post is very interesting and I wish we had similar in the USA, but we are the Land Of The Free and the Home Of The Lawyer!

@foggyus91 

his false claims with the regulatory facts

There's regulatory facts to do with wiring standards, and completely separately there's the operation of Consumer Law which is similar in Australia and New Zealand.

I make fair use of the Australian Consumer Law and just had a quick look at New Zealand's equivalent.

What is “acceptable quality”?

Acceptable quality means goods:

• Do what they are made to do.
• Are acceptable in appearance and finish.
• Are free from minor defects.
• Are safe and durable (i.e. last a reasonable amount of time).

It might come as a surprise, but the Australian Consumer Law is not normally fought between expensive lawyers through the Court System.  Instead, each state operates a Fair Trading department which can mediate in disputes.  If that does not work out, each state has a Tribunal which can make legally binding decisions.  No lawyers are required for a Tribunal appearance, and the cost is notional.

As an example, I had an expensive OLED TV which had a two year manufacturer's warranty.  After 6 years, it developed a vertical yellow line down the middle. Without even going to Fair Trading or the Tribunal, I was able to convince the manufacturer that a reasonable consumer would expect a TV that expensive to last more than 6 years.  In the end, I got the full purchase price back, bought the replacement model for about half the original cost and pocketed the change.

The Australian Consumer Law has provisions about deceptive and misleading conduct.

Often in a retail dispute, I find the words "well, actually, under the Australian Consumer Law you must ..." work wonders!

@devinplombier Not at all, his assertion was based on non factual information and assumptions as to why MS is not selling their PC in NZ, UK or EU. That was content of my post pointing out his false claims with the regulatory facts.  

@carlso63 SO sorry, did not know you were so thin skinned you would beat your family. I will be more sensitive to you delicate sensibilities in the future (this is sarcasm) as was my post. 

@foggyus91 :

NOT trolling, sorry to burst your bubble.

Didn’t realize that stating an actual experience of mine - one that actually (somewhat) supports your position - is considered trolling just because it doesn’t blindly 100% support your assertions... no questions asked (or even implied).

1000 pardons, mien Fuhrer. I will now relentlessly flog myself and my entire family as a gesture of my unworthiness to even be commenting at all, my Fearless Leader and obvious superior...

[...] spewing meaningless pseudo-scientific nonsense and jargon in their ads, all to scam audiophiles who desperately want their systems to sound "better". And in virtually all of the cases, the end buyer hears improvement because they really, really want to.

Foggy, while I cast no aspersions on high-end cables or the people who love them, you gotta admit there's a little bit of truth in there.

@foggyus91 Why am I here?  I find these pages good for a laugh, and generally chuckle to myself at the voodoo science generally indulged in here.  But sometimes, like when a 200 hour burn-in is "necessary" for an AC cord, my brain rails at the utter stupidity and lack of common sense shown.  Once I've had my say, I go back to my quiet chuckling.

I run a vintage MacIntosh - powered system that, quite frankly, is not "audiophile" enough that I would ever consider cables like these... however, I am open-minded enough to entertain the POSSIBILITY that, on sensitive enough (read that as "very high end / true audiophile-quality" system) equipment you MIGHT audibly detect ultra subtle differences between audio cables, power cables, etc.

I can say that from my more modest perch, I did upgrade my interconnects from the standard 'freebie' red / black plug RCA cables that usually come with the equipment (at least in the 'regular guy' audio world, LOL) to some modestly priced interconnects... and I definitely noticed a drop in background noise overall; and especially an improvement in both noise reduction and subsonic interference when I swapped out the turntable cabling.

Does that equate to "my $25K per cable" interconnects are a SONICALLY OBVIOUS improvement" over say, a $5K cable? Or even a $500 cable?

That question I cannot answer... but I've got my bag of freshly buttered hot popcorn at the ready... so bring on the combatants! 

@jrareform tell us how you really feel

So which power cables are we comparing here?  What model/brand?

And what interconnects will you be comparing?

To those who say power cables don't make a difference, your system or ears are sorely lacking.  It's one thing if there's a subtle difference.  But between each power cable I have tried in my system, I have noticed a non subtle change.  This change is repeatable and I can hear the differences between them immediately when music plays.

Yes, it is ASR drivel that power cables make no difference.  Try a Nordost vs a Cardas vs a stock cable vs a Shunyata and if your system is halfway decent or sensitive to changes, you will hear a difference.  I disregard subtle changes but when it's as clear as the difference between a Cardas parsec power vs a Nordost grey, yea I'll argue against these fools who literally have never tested this stuff themselves.  Yet feel like they are experts.  You guys are all electrical engineers/audio engineers right?  Give me a break and go to the ASR echo chamber of fools that can't afford proper cabling.  So tired of this discourse from those who haven't even tried cable changes

@foggyus91 + 1

Are these things interconnects or power cables?  Give me a break.

Apart from electrical safety regulations, Australia has pretty strong consumer protection laws (the federal Australian Consumer Law) which protects against misleading and deceptive conduct, among other things. And what Australia does, New Zealand has probably already done - it does not have six states and two territories to beat into alignment.

I like how if you don't believe that cables will affect the sound you're an ASR junkie. Measurements are important but so is blind testing which is something the cable makers and their customers don't want you to do because you'd realize you spent money, sometimes A LOT of money, on no difference in sound.

Saying "I know what I hear" is tantamount to a religious person saying they "heard" Jesus tell them to eat their goldfish.

@jhnnrrs If you say so....Why are you here on this thread other than to spew BS, false information?  ASR is beckoning for you.  BTW I have no horse in the race. 

Those who can do, those who can't afford to claim it is fake snake oil. 

So companies can sell run of the mill AC cables and interconnects, claiming they are made from "super secret materials", without the need for verification or proof of their claims with objective, repeatable tests, spewing meaningless pseudo-scientific nonsense and jargon in their ads, all to scam audiophiles who desperately want their systems to sound "better".  And in virtually all of the cases, the end buyer hears improvement because they really, really want to, not because there's any actual improvement there.

FACT: All any cable can do is reduce information being transported. Right? It can not add musical notes, bass punch, or sweetness to vocals. These perceived aspects are merely audible aspects either emphasized or diminished due to filtering effect of cabling design. Am I correct? These White Magic cables apparently as designed skipped the filtering parts. Reproduction is scary spontaneous and unrestrained sounding. (Obviously contingent upon the audio engineering of each disk) One always wonders what information is locked onto those silver disks. If only you could totally unlock this embedded data and hear what really was recorded in its totality? Well? With these cables I think I'm experiencing a shock introduction into that hidden world. 

Shame.  So companies can sell run of the mill AC cables and interconnects, claiming they are made from "super secret materials", without the need for verification or proof of their claims with objective, repeatable tests, spewing meaningless pseudo-scientific nonsense and jargon in their ads, all to scam audiophiles who desperately want their systems to sound "better".  And in virtually all of the cases, the end buyer hears improvement because they really, really want to, not because there's any actual improvement there.

This is why the high-end audio accessory market is the laughing stock of the industry, as well as it's dirty little secret.

@jhnnrrs More to educate oneself with...https://www.compliancegate.com/cable-regulations-european-union/

Should do your research before popping off. 

New Zealand regulations for electrical cords and cables fall under the Electricity (Safety) Regulations 2010 and are detailed in the AS/NZS 3000 standard. Key regulations include using RCD protection, ensuring cords are undamaged (no fraying, cracking, or exposed wires), avoiding overloading, keeping cords away from water, and using only registered electricians for electrical work. Cables must also be appropriately separated from telecommunication cables and conductive thermal insulation, and are required to be physically protected by conduits or trunking where necessary to prevent damage.  

• Keep cords away from doorways, windows, and areas where they can be stepped on or damaged by equipment. 

  Water:
• Never use electrical equipment, including extension cords, in wet or damp conditions. 
• Overloading:

  Avoid overloading outlets and extension cords. 
• Temporary Use:

  Extension cords are for temporary use only. If permanent power is needed, contact a licensed electrician to install a socket. 

•  
• Installation:

  Cords should not be run through walls, windows, or doorways. 
•  
• Buried Cables:

  Any cables buried in a roadway must be contained within protective enclosures. 
•  
• Cabling and Insulation:

  Electrical cables must be separated by a minimum of 100mm from conductive thermal insulation or mechanically protected by earthed metallic conduit, heavy-duty plastic conduit, or trunking. 
•  
• Telecommunication Cables:

  Mains power cables must be kept a minimum of 50mm away from telecommunication cables to prevent electrical interference and noise induction. 

Only registered and licenced electricians are permitted to carry out electrical work in New Zealand, including the installation of permanent wiring and sockets. 

•  
• Standards:

  .
• Cables and fittings must comply with relevant New Zealand standards, such as AS/NZS 3000. 

Elephant tusks have medicinal properties.

@jhnnrrs Not the reason NZ like UK and the EU have validation processes for Electrical Power products such as that are regulated by the government. This is in addition to any third party validations such as UL.

Has nothing to do with misrepresentation or fraud, like what you just committed in your post. 

CE:EU regulations for electrical appliances mandate the CE marking, ensuring products meet safety, health, and environmental protection standards, as outlined in directives like the Low Voltage Directive (LVD) and the Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Directive. Other key regulations include the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive, which limits hazardous materials, and Ecodesign and energy labelling rules that set energy efficiency standards and reduce standby power consumption. Manufacturers are responsible for product compliance, while importers and distributors ensure it before placing products on the EU market

Key Regulations and Directives

    CE Marking:
    . 

Products must bear the CE mark, a declaration that they meet all essential EU requirements for safety, health, and environmental protection before being sold on the EU market. 
Low Voltage Directive (LVD) (2014/35/EU):
.
Ensures electrical equipment operates within certain voltage limits, protecting users from electric shocks and other dangerous situations. 
Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Directive (2014/30/EU):
.
Guarantees that electrical equipment does not emit excessive electromagnetic interference and is resistant to interference from other devices. 
RoHS Directive (2011/65/EU):
.
Restricts the use of certain hazardous substances, such as lead and mercury, in electrical and electronic products (EEE) to protect human health and the environment. 
Radio Equipment Directive (RED) (2014/53/EU):
.
Ensures that radio equipment is designed for efficient use of the radio spectrum, preventing harmful interference with communications. 
Ecodesign and Energy Labelling (ESPR):
.
These regulations set minimum energy performance requirements for electrical appliances, promoting energy efficiency and reducing energy consumption, including limits for standby and networked standby modes. 

Manufacturer Responsibilities 

    Conduct conformity assessment and safety assessments.
    Draw up technical documentation and an EU declaration of conformity.
    Ensure all applicable directives are met before applying the CE mark.
    Provide instructions and safety information in a language easily understood by end-users.
    Indicate contact details on the equipment. 

Importers' and Distributors' Responsibilities

    Verify that manufacturers have followed the correct conformity assessment procedures. 

Ensure products comply with all essential safety requirements before placing them on the market. 
Inform national authorities if they believe equipment does not conform to the standards. 

• inform national authorities if they believe equipment does not conform to the standards. 

@jrdavisphd  Because in New Zealand, like the UK, there are laws against false advertising, misrepresentation, and fraud.

Burn in maybe, plenty of room for differences of opinion.  Your brain accommodating itself to the sound, I think that's a real thing.

@allears4u - I like the way you are doing your review in stages; very informative about what to expect and when. 

Many years ago I had a few Mad Scientist Black Discuses; they were misplaced a long time ago in a move, but I found that they DID work; not dramatically, but a little, and I found this on the free sample they sent me first. I might investigate their cables.... 

No idea

Gracious! Why are Mad Scientist power cords not available in New Zealand where they are made?

Sorry, at it now. I like to do a live time review just like we all actually do whenever we receive any new product. We just plug it in and listen to it. I admire those among us who can buy that new thing and run it in for 200 hours until we really listen in. Are there really any who do that? I can't ever wait. To reiterate, Previously I had the older sister cable installed Black Magic interconnects. These are the White Magic due to the unspecified material used. (Which is not an uncommon tactic among cable sellers) Its said not to be copper, silver, or gold. It was connected all night to settle in. Chris Bottie CD The enclosed paper work says it will sound good out of the box but goes blah after 12 to 24 hours then begins to bloom up to 200 hours as burn in enhances the quality. Maybe so but that time frame coincides with my experience that after a day of listening to any new stuff you kinda get used to it and the differences fall into the same old sound impressions. So to get the listener over this hump of disappointment that often hits, the wait past 24 hours tip is smart for any manufacturer. FIRST IMPRESSION IS...its transparent maybe to a fault. Eerily mesmerizing  in its realism. So far very cohesive sounding. I mean, natural, settled, Sorry, failing in being able to describe this. Very appealing. Luscious. Presentation is immediately impressive compared to the Black Magic ones. Classy sounding in some way. Doesn't seem to be overemphasizing any particular area. Vocals have a fabulous tangible quality. I was so impressed with the former Black Magic set and was loath to be disloyal but honestly there's so far a fresh transparency to these. Fresh, transparent, realism on steroids....Today will be fun listening as these settle in. At the end of today, 12 hours, I'll re post to let you know if the "blah" period has arrived.

When the title of the thread says "review", I expect one.

I wonder if OP is going to walk us through the unboxing first...!

@roxy54 

He meant planning to review - so you could clear your calendar for the next couple of days and wait in anticipation! LOL! 

Where's the review? Ridiculous.