Synergistic calls out Audioholics

I am going to direct this thread to my own purposes. I could care less about the video and argument with Gene. 

As I have written two articles at Dagogo.com in regard to tweaks and methods that purportedly cause significant change to audio systems, such as break in, isolation, etc. I am publicly requesting of Synergistic Research and Ted Denny product to conduct informal testing/comparisons of the company's tweak products. 

I invite Ted Denny and Synergistic to send me representative tweaks that are claimed  to be efficacious. I will put them to the test using my informal methods, and will write up an article to appear at Dagogo.com. I should be able to have other listeners present during the testing, and can report on their perceptions as well.   

i.e. place said tweaks on only one side of the system/room. 

I suggest that I be sent a complement of the following:
Tranquility Pods
Isolation Footers
Cable Risers
XOT Carbon HFT
HFT acoustic treatments

I will place ALL of these on one side of the room/system and compare. One might think that if there is efficacy to such tweaks/products, then there should be an enormous shift, an unlistenable change to the system. I will determine if that is so. I have built and tuned hundreds of systems, and have a room with the sonic attributes of a mastering studio, so if there is a change, I will hear it. 

If the system sounds as before, and does not exhibit profound, easily discernible changes, such as balance, tonality, center image shifting, perception of LF weaker/stronger on one side, etc. then the tweaks fail my Law of Efficacy. 

If such things manifest themselves, then I am wrong, and would have to judge the benefit of said tweaks as having potential to pass my Law of Efficacy. I would publicly admit my error in judgment of the products. 

I am willing to use myself as a willing participant in self-assessment and assessment of tweaks I have not used. I believe my methods to judge efficacy are strong, and would clearly lead to a dependable result - without cameras, flights, high res recordings, etc. 

Of course, anyone with proper knowledge can test tweaks this way. I will educate as to the process. 

So, is Ted Denny and SR going to send me their tweaks products, or not? 

At RMAF several years ago Ted personally did a demo of the bowls on the wooden trellis, whatever it is called. The demo failed my Law of Efficacy miserably, and I told him so. I said the cables were interesting to me, and I would like to discuss a review. Ted said that the tweaks and cables were a set and would not be reviewed separately. I declined. 

I am not interested now in reviewing SR cables. I wish to independently assess SR tweaks, ancillary items. If SR responds that these require the SR cables, then I will consider the tweaks to be nothing more than gimmicks. 

perki, my point was that you have not conducted a proper assessment, and do not have a global understanding of cables, if you have not used them as a set, and you have far less understanding of what they do if you have used them in only one rig, with one set of gear. I explained how variances in equipment and preferences affect results, and how I an intentionally make such things happen by mixing particular cables. 

Tweaks are different; they either work or do not. Of course SR would promote them to be used with their cables as a purported improvement. that is not surprising. Is the claim made by SR that these only work with their cables? If so, then I would like to see that claim. I do not think that claim is being made; I believe they sell cable risers, footers, etc. to everyone. 

If SR sells their tweak products to people who do not own SR cables, then they do not abide hard line with the idea that synergy is everything. Also, IF the products work, they may theoretically work in a superior fashion with other products. Simply because they were designed to work with SR products in no way means they could not yield superior results with other products - if they are efficacious. If the claim is that these tweak products must be used only with SR cables, then I question why they would be sold to others with different cables, and would question whether they are outright gimmicks. Of course, a nifty way to sell these products is to suggest that synergy will only occur if used with SR cables. 

My question then would be, quantify synergy. Demonstrate the variances with your product in use of the tweaks as superior to use with other cables. By demonstrate, I mean show me with measurements. My comparison/testing is simply a pass fail, which can be done as I propose. If SR's argument is about "synergy", then I require evidence that the result is actually superior to use of the tweaks with other cables. A higher standard of proof is required for a claim of "synergy" versus operability. 

I am interested in actual demonstrations/informal testing/comparisons of not only SR's tweaks, but ALL tweaks. I am not out to prove or disprove one company's products, but an entire class of products. I seek methods that actually work and are advantageous in system building, and I use products to show which work and which do not (or do so little as to be a waste of time and money). 

I did not request fuses for a couple reasons; 1. I already vetted fuses in comparison/informal testing with other brands - and they passed the Law of Efficacy, and 2. I now have as reference the Legacy Audio i.V4 Ultra Amplifiers (pair; at times I use up to 8 channels of amplification with certain speakers; a new speaker on its way to me at the end of the month will accommodate six channels, and the Legacy Audio Whisper DSW Clarity Edition and Legacy EXTREME XD Subwoofers require 8 channels). The i.V4 Ultra review is finished and submitted for editing and technical proofing. It should appear in the not too distant future. 

The i.V4 Ultra is a class D design - the community will want to keep their eyes open for that review! It's a momentous design and I make some bold predictions associated with it. The amp does not use traditional fuses, but has protective circuitry that resets, so fuses are no longer a necessary bother. I could test SR fuses in the Kinki Studio EX-M1+ Integrated Amp. 

steakster, I do not wish to be terse with you. A review of some facts is pertinent, since you raised the topic of TEO cables. I wish to add some needed context in response to your criticism.

It seems you tried one type of the TEO ICs. The community will note that I never recommend demo of cables in isolation, i.e. for mixing in systems. It is a poor way to assess cables. I always recommend the proper method of assessment of cables is in entire sets - precisely as I reviewed the TEO cables. (If they would have a power cord, that, too would have been in the review). The fact that you did not get good results with them does not surprise me, given that you seem to not have used them as the manufacturer recommended, in a set, and that there can be quite a bit of variance in outcomes and preferences between systems.

In fact, it is quite easy to get far less than ideal results when mixing cables. It is not difficult for me at all to make a system sound as you describe by mixing cables, and I know the sonic properties of the ones in my possession so well that I can select the actual cable prior to achieve the sonic properties. So, the fact that a more diffuse and tubey sound resulted is not surprising to me.

Further, it seems you tried them in one system. I build many rigs with much gear, which obviously gives a much larger frame of reference to discuss the cables. I also worked over time with several TEO ICs, which do carry different sonic properties within their design parameters' limitations. I recommended the TEO cables because they can be used to set up beautiful systems. Use of the interconnects in isolation would not have the nearly capacity to reveal what he line of cables can do, and your use of a portion of them in one rig is not equatable to my use of the set of them in many systems.

Your comment has given me the opportunity to once again point out how the vast majority of audiophiles, and even many reviewers, do not use superior methods in establishing and evaluating systems.  :)

perkri, apologies; I should have referenced steakster as the source of the comment in regard to the ICs, not you. However, my explanation I would not change. 

ozzy, you ask some fair questions: 

My answers: 
My "axe to grind" is with poor methods; some companies make products that I feel are used with poor methods. I have no particular disdain for SR, but I do for poor methods. 

Let whoever wishes disagree with me. So be it. The track record of my posts shows that many times I have had cordial disagreements and friendly debates with people here. 

I am not interested in attacking companies through stealth operations, i.e. buying and then putting out a hit job on them. Such articles would never get published, and rightly so. I never consider product sent to be a frieebie; it would be returned at the end of the period, or purchased. Anything left on loan to use for reviewing is always considered the company's regardless of the time span. I even contact companies over time to request return of products that have been sitting. 

pedroeb, didn't mean to ignore you. Succinctly, I compare/informally test for any change. The articles I wrote previously about the grouped tweaks yielded no discernible change! 

If there is change, then the question becomes one of merit. 

Ok, keep shooting; can't let the other side win, even though it's a convoluted mess.   ;) 

ticat, thank you; I attempt to conduct myself with integrity, and although there have been moments when I have not been as courteous as I should, I also attempt to show respect to the community.

I simply find such informal experimentation to be one of my great joys, along with system building. The spectrum of performance in audio systems is stunningly vast, with millions of iterations possible. It is like being on a world tour of secret destinations of great beauty. I want to see (hear) them all! Variety of experiences in listening is THE thing for me, and you do not get variety by sitting on your a-- and doing nothing. It has led to some fascinating experiences; another has just appeared this past week, another variant of systems that I put together and has been delightful. Not discussing that at this time, but it may appear in an upcoming review.

I have made my points, and publicly offered my proposal to SR. I do not intend to continue discussing it here, as it is somewhat off topic. I suspect the proposal will be ignored by SR.

May all the combatants on both sides of the issue of cables enjoy the latest battle in The Cable Wars! Imo, it’s a colossal waste of life and potential of the hobby when arguing about such things if people don’t even follow basic, proper methods. :)