The "Snake Oil" Trope


Yeah I know, a controversial topic, but after 30+ years of hearing both sides and seeing how the argument has evolved over the years, I want to say my piece.

First, I want to debunk the idea of ever using the term, "Snake Oil" because it has been incorrectly appropriated and is not being applied genuinely. For a product to be "Snake Oil" it isn't a simple matter of, "it doesn't do what it claims to do." It has to contain a few more qualities. Chief among them, the materials or ingredients have to be fake, falsified, or non-existent. I have yet to encounter a single premium cable manufacturer who has claimed to use copper or silver and it was fake.

This would be an example of cable "Snake Oil" if it existed:

Company claim: "A 10 gauge speaker wire made of ten 9's pure silver, extracted from conflict-free mines, using NASA quality FEP dielectrics, braided in 24 strands of 17 gauge wire, all concealed in the newly developed element, Star-Spangled-Bannerite, that enhances and boosts all frequencies, repairing broken audio as it travels down the conductor."

Reality: Cutting open the wire you find 3 strands of 14 gauge aluminum wire, wrapped in Glad's saran-wrap, threaded through a 10 gauge rubber garden hose, covered in a fancy colored net.

My biggest problem with the nay-sayer community is the hypocrisy of their accusation that premium quality cables are "Snake Oil" when their charts, measurements and tests have the same level of skepticism they purport to debunk. Using "Snake Oil" to prove "Snake Oil?" Ask yourself the following questions when you next see some online or vlog rant about how cables don't make a difference and they have the measurements to prove it:

1) Did they actually connect the cables to speakers and listen?
2) If they made measurements, did they show you how those cables were connected when they conducted the tests?
3) If it is a vlog, did they show in the video live footage of them conducting the test or is everything after-the-fact?
4) How does the test prove quality and how does the author quantify "quality?"

99% of the time the answer is "no." You just see people posting pictures of charts that could have been made using any form of software.  Heck, I could make one in Photoshop that dictates any conclusion I want. The truth is, there isn't a single form of equipment or measurement software that tests the actual perceived quality or clarity of a signal.

For example, "that guy" from Audioholics posted a video bashing a $4000 Audioquest speaker cable.  He claims to have run it through tests and he posted pictures of graphs that he gave conclusions for.  Not once did he show how it was connected to the machines or equipment. More over, he claimed to have broken the cable, by easily snapping off the banana plug (made of pure copper coated in silver). Well, if that were true, then how could he have possibly connected the cable correctly to test it?  He also claimed the cable was on loan from Audioquest.  Red flag. Audioquest does not send out one speaker cable to test; they'd have sent out a pair.  He also wasn't at all concerned that he had broken a $4000 loaner cable.  Therefore, I suspect someone else broke their own cable and let "this guy" borrow it for a video. Lastly, he claims to test the effectiveness of the "DBS" system by showing you a digital read out on some other machine.  He claims to unplug the DBS system live...but...off screen, and the digital read out changes. That makes absolutely no sense, since the DBS system isn't tied to the actual conductors or connectors. It's a charged loop from end to end and only keeps the insulation's dielectric field charged. So unplugging it while a signal is being passed through the cable wouldn't change anything. Therefore,  the nay-sayer argument, in this instance, was nothing more than "Snake Oil" trying to prove "Snake Oil."

Another time, someone was given a premium XLR cable, but had no idea what an XLR cable was.  They didn't recognize the connector format; a red flag straight away!  Then goes on to claim all the different measurements they took from it and how it was no better than the free cables you get from manufacturers.  Well, if that is true, how was this cable connected to the equipment? If he didn't know what the XLR format was, then it stands to reason they didn't have an XLR input on the equipment they used to test. Therefore, how in the world was this an equitable or viable test of the quality if the cable's conductors weren't all being used correctly during the test? Not once did this person connect it to an audio system to say how it sounded. How do electrical measurements translate into sound quality if one refuses to listen to it?

My final argument against the nay-sayers is one they all have the most trouble with. They don't use the Scientific Method.  For example, where's the control in these tests? What system or cable do they universally *ALL* agree is perfect and that they test against? The systems and cables always change and are never consistent. Why is it that they argue for an A / B test, but aren't willing to set one up for themselves? As if it's someone else's responsibility because they refuse to be responsible for their conclusions. Why is it that they only test low end or middle grade cables, but never seem to run these tests on the highest levels? Why is it that the majority of nay-sayers never purchase any of this equipment to find out for themselves?

What I have discovered after 30+ years of arguing this topic, is that the nay-sayers just don't want to have to buy expensive cables.  Instead they seek out any form of cognitive bias they can find to use as justification to not buy it.  Then suddenly concern themselves with other people's purchase power and tell them not to purchase such cables, as if these people are spending their money. Or they claim that they should have spent all that money on better equipment. Touche', but if they bought better equipment, they'd still buy premium cables to push that better equipment. That's like saving your money to buy a Lamborghini, then deciding on buying 15 inch steel rims with narrow tires for it because wheels are wheels...they bought a better vehicle, so won't need premium tires...or premium gas because the engine is superior. *eye roll.* What it seems to boil down to is that they don't like the idea that just buying premium cables alone can surpass a high grade, well-engineered system. To borrow from my car analogy, buying premium tires for a 4-cylynder hatch back won't make it go any faster, but it will effect some performance, likely gas mileage and road grip. Using the same analogy, buying better cables is akin to buying a turbo kit, back-exhaust system, better suspension, better intake valves, better cold air filters, etc to make that 4-cylinder hatch back perform nearly as well as a stock   Lamborghini.

Final thoughts, "Snake Oil" salesmen back in the day weren't just interested in defrauding their customers, they wanted to do it with the least amount of effort. They didn't try to get authentic, high quality ingredients to make the oil look or taste better.  They used whatever was on-hand and as free as possible. Cable companies sure seem to go out of their way to acquire the best possible conductors and materials, and have R&D teams engineer complicated wire geometries and spend years finding ways to treat the cables, or develop active tech to impact the signal, just so they can make a few bucks. If the product had absolutely no impact on sound quality, at all,  it wouldn't take long for well-engineered systems to reveal their faults and the industry would tank, almost over night. Clearly, they haven't and it's because it isn't "Snake Oil" no matter how many times that old trope is trotted out.

One of the serious problems in this entire discussion is that the perception of "quality" is 100% subjective to the listener, the state of the equipment, the room it is being conducted in, and health of the listener. After years of auditioning my system to people, I realized it isn't a simple matter of asking, "How did that sound to you." You have to be very specific.  Ask, "Did you hear that specific sound?"  9 times out of 10, they'll say they didn't hear it.  So you play it again and point it out.  Then they light up and realize that no matter how many times they heard that song, they had never heard that particular sound.  Then they go and compare it to the car radio or through their device's ear buds and realize they cannot hear it or couldn't hear it as clear.  Then they come to respect what you're trying to achieve.




128x128guakus
dadork wrote:
" Twenty years ago I spent homeless nights on the streets of New Orleans. The reason I'm not still there or dead is I knew it was my fault and my responsibility to change my circumstances.  
Tonight I'm sitting listening to a hell of a fine system in a house I own with my wife."

Seriously... Congratulations sir!

To the OP,
Thank you for taking the time to post this thread. The "Snake Oil" term has been thrown around this community like a club for years. Thank goodness high end audio continues to improve in spite of it all.  
You have gone to so much trouble trying to prove your point. Just for you and out of respect for all that effort, hereafter I will rename it all to "copper oil" :)
Post removed 
I used to be in the camp that believes that cables shouldn't matter to how my system sounds. A friend of mine convinced me to borrow a set of cables from the Cable Company to see if I could hear a difference between the Blue Jeans cable I was (past tense) using and a higher end brand. I talked to the folks at the Cable Company and they recommended Synergistic Research Foundation cables (full loom) for my system. The cables arrived, I hooked them up, and then I sat down to listen and learned that I had been wrong in my opinion that cables did not matter. I guess since these cables were already broken in I heard a dramatic soundstage improvement immediately. I could hear the depth between the musicians and even clearly hear the decay between cymbal strikes. It was amazing. It felt like I was back on stage again. 

I have replaced my cables. I will replace the power cables next. The folks shouting "snake oil" tend to think they are saving people from wasting their money. I don't know who made them the cops over how others spend their own money, but they really need to find a different hobby.

Cheers!
Until such time that a piece of test equipment can accurately display ‘graphs’ of how my brain interprets what I actually hear, all graphs from test equipment are pointless.
I think the actual widespread use of a product makes up for the nonsensical hyperbole attached to Magic Audio items...if something works, people will find their way to it. Note how much silly audio stuff with imagined technology gets ignored instead of getting the reaction the alleged fabulousness of it would otherwise deserve, allowing the snakes to slither away to oblivion.
Thank you gaukus for taking on what is for some folks a very touchy subject. The luxury of being 65yrs of age is that I can summarily dismiss, and habitually avoid, those who use terms like “snake oil” when they’re poorly describing any piece of audio gear or cable because they most often times have no idea what they’re talking about. When reading about different people’s experiences in hi-fi and somebody screams snake oil, I just look upon it as comic relief and nothing more. 
So, snake oil is a fraud with a physical form.
Fraud with no physical form is something else.

Did I get this right guakus?

The effect is the same, believers kidding themselves they are hearing stuff.

With connection cables carrying signal I have heard changes, some gross (both ways).  I favour silver interconnect in my system.
I have never heard any change with correctly specified power cables or fuses.  The guys that do are just making out their hearing is better or they have 'taught' themselves to hear better.  That's snake oil for me.
@adasdad
When reading about different people’s experiences in hi-fi and somebody screams snake oil, I just look upon it as comic relief and nothing more.
I agree with you 100%. I think this is a very healthy approach to the "snake oil" patrol.   

Cheers!

rudyb


https://youtu.be/BYTlN6wjcvQ
Fast forward to 13:00 to see some examples of shake oil.

Yes 13min that’s geoffkait from here of Machinadynamica, oregonpapa’s mentor.

https://forum.audiogon.com/users/geoffkait/posts

And forefather to Quantum Science
https://www.machinadynamica.com/machina5.htm
Avitacom - you must be from the ANA site that has a strict limit of $50 for a cable. Let me ask you this: you want all of this scientific evidence for cables but it looks like you are using something better than zip cord and the .05 cent cable that comes with pioneer and Sony equipment, why? What charts/data did you see that convinced you to use a little bit better cables than stock? And what data/chart did you see that shows you cable quality stops at a magical $50/$100?
You want data? Try this:
using your ears instead of others telling you which is better. If you can’t hear then why are you in audio?

Get a good resolving system that allows you to hear the better components. Buying a pioneer or denon system will not get you there

Spend some $$$ to get a better system. Spending $300 on an audio system won’t get you there either.

You should have 2 ears, try using them
Post removed 
"Trust your ears." If you want to hear what the mastering engineer heard those are the last organs you want to trust.

Like the color palette of a projector there is a right and lots of wrongs. It takes some sophisticated test equipment to calibrate a projector correctly. Should I trust my eyes? Ears and Hi Fi gear are exactly the same. You might have some idea what a system should sound like if you had been living with a correctly adjusted one otherwise, the sound you like is the sound you have been listening to. People will tell you all the time they have great bass when in reality they have very little. Our brains will extrapolate down to the fundamental from the overtones and harmonics when in reality the fundamental is not there at all. Trust your ears? 

A Hi Fi system's performance is measurable, easily so. The problem is the vast majority of audiophiles have no way of making adjustments so why measure? I can just trust my ears with a brain that likes to make things up. The technology now exists to make these adjustments and calibrate a system so that what you are hearing closely matches what the mastering engineer heard. From there you can make adjustments to suit taste. This assumes of course that issues like room acoustics are handled correctly. 

Hi Fi gear should have no sound of it's own. It's output should be a perfect reflection of it's input. To adjust a system with defective equipment trying to cover one error with another is odd to say the least. 

Those of you that think your hearing is good enough need to see what your system is actually doing. Call it a learning experience.

As for snake oil? All I can say is that the is a host of gear out there for which the manufacturer's claims are not just false but frequently comical.
I do not care what you call it.
femoore12, congratulations on your discovery. That was nice of your friend to loan you the cables. Likely, as with most other skeptics, you would not have changed your mind had you not experienced it. The interesting part is that were you to test only one or two cables, you may have concluded wrongly that they did not make much difference. I have been saying for a decade that to arrive at a proper conclusion in regard to cables, one should compare sets. 

Two truths I will repeat for the community: 
A skeptic's mind will most likely not be changed by any amount of discussion, because of their a priori commitment to "science" - which they arbitrarily pick to support their resistance to spending money... a nice reinforcing belief.  
A skeptic will typically not spend the money to get the experience. They want you to think it's because of the "science", but it is really because the wallet rules their decision making process. Audio means so little to them that they will not spend any money on trying it. Meanwhile, they want the community to think they have a very serious, hard core commitment to superior sound... It's all about perception.   :) 

Ergo, complete waste of time to argue with a cable skeptic who is unwilling to do the work or spend the money to test it out for themself. 
Post removed 
@guakus   I'm not questioning whether they apply some form of treatment to their cables and fuses (like sending a jolt of electricity through them). What I'm very dubious about is whether there is any justification in the scientific literature for calling that treatment, whatever it is, Quantum Tunneling.  It certainly sounds good, but is that all there is to it?
Post removed 
As if the op can encapsulate terminology with 19th century implications. Words evolve. Get over it. Snake oil exists in our world. If one chooses to keep the blinders on more power to you. 
Well, Webster’s disagrees with your definition of snake oil:

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/snake%20oil

as does Wikipedia:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake_oil

and so do I.

Snake oil is a scam that offers benefits which do not exist. The accuracy with which the ingredients are described is not important to this definition.

I am not as big of a skeptic of high end cables so much as a skeptic of their price or value. In the rare times when I did hear differences due to cables it was rarely worth the asking price.  How so many audiophiles can hear these tiny alterations in rooms with mediocre to poor acoustics boggles my mind.

In the end though we need to make choices about spending with an explicit and value oriented mindset. Is it worth it to train your ear to hear such differences, when present or does it detract from enjoying music? If it is different is it actually better or just different? Is that difference worth the asking price? Chasing down different and more expensive tweaks is often a road to both madness and a terrible sounding system.

Personally once I found the solid pure silver balanced IC available from Parts Connexion I never ever bought IC’s again:

https://www.partsconnexion.com/DHLABS-57225.html


Not sure about snake oil, but I smell a snake. Totally unethical behavior  by one bad actor and this forum is once again getting played. 
I can afford to buy this boutique wire but I consider it a waste of money.  Clearly, many of you are bamboozled by the placebo effect, which effect is exploited by this cottage industry for profit.  If these devices are so much more effective than my $50-100 wire, where’s the data?
p05129, I choose cables based on the guage and the quality of the connectors.
I have $22,000 in my system.
I’m as much an audiophile as anyone in this thread, but I am skeptical of many of the overpriced tweaks.
Claimants of snake oil are disingenuous at best. Those not using those $3 aluminum conductor tin plated connector cables and using copper and gold plated connectors are already admitting to metallurgical differences. The next implicating statement they often use, 'any competently engineered cable is sufficient.' And so now engineering becomes part of equation, really!
Why do Nay-Sayers have such strong opinions -

Is it because we’re too cheap to buy $4,000 worth of speaker cable - I would say no to that.
I have close to 30k invested in my system and still feel the need to optimize.

Could it be we know Electrical engineers that explained to us that some of the claims expensive wire companies make, would make a slight difference if you had 3 miles of cable to run and the need to power up a few houses? While the scientific principles may be correct that doesn’t mean it’s audible.

Maybe it’s relationships we have with retired speaker wire executives who shared " There’s a lot of fairy dust included when making speaker wire?"

Maybe we understand human behavior and realize after you spend thousands of dollars on cables ... You REALLY want/need to hear some kind of difference.

Seems to me, if you owned a speaker wire company you’d use testing results to sell your cables ! Look, everyone ... At XYZ frequency it’s obvious my wires have superior THD, lower resistance, and less capacitance than Audioquest or Cardas. Can you imagine the long line to buy those cables?
@avitacoma
" I won’t pay more than $50 for an interconnect or $100 for a set of speaker cables "

I used to have that same theory, but one day I decided to take a chance and it changed everything. If you are unwilling to take risks then you're unwilling to be happy. 

" until somebody does placebo controlled double blind studies on these expensive cables "

Just curious why it's someone else's responsibility to convince you? If you don't want to spend the money, then don't. You aren't under any pressure to do so. I mean think about it, if someone *DID* do the double blind study and proves it, would you suddenly want to buy the cables....or...would you just move the goal post?

And so now engineering becomes part of equation, really!
As opposed to what.....vodoo, pixie dust, magic mushrooms?
@jrsavageasd
Or....could it be that you don't want to take the risk and would rather let "Electrical Engineers" give you an out?

I have spoken to several "Electrical Engineers" and all of them say similar things, but the more you boil down their knowledge, you realize it never had anything to do with analog audio signals.  It's always about power distribution. Does "X" component have enough voltage, wattage and amperage to perform the functions of "Z" component.  So they manufacture equipment to test for these features and therefore haven't the slightest idea how to build a test apparatus that can say with any certainty that one cable sounds better than another. The only machine capable of that distinction is the human ear and golly, gee, wow, nature decided that we should all have individually oriented and configured ear drums, etc.

The problem with all the "data" that is spewed forth by nay-sayers, electrical engineers and test equipment is that they never say how any of that data translates into sound quality.  NONE of it. You can sit there and talk about THD, amplitude of x,y,z frequency, but can't tell in terms of, "it affects the attack and decay of a piano note" or "it allows the hammer of a kick drum to be heard before the resulting bass wave" or it allows you to pick up on the jingle of the singer's jewelry as they get too close to the mic when singing.

If you're satisfied with your system's audio capabilities without high end cables, that's fine.  No one is ever going to say that is wrong.  But in the same token, it isn't your place to say other people are wrong for buying expensive cables to push their systems differently than yours. I also think it is wrong to label all expensive cables as, "snake oil" until you can prove it definitively and without the use electrical engineer test machines that aren't designed to test audio quality.


My views on tweaks and products that could fall under the category of "snake oil" are based solely on my own experience.  I have tried many and most don't make a material difference in my system - certainly not at a price-to-performance basis.  Cabling hasn't made a huge difference but is worth paying attention to.  Isolation does work but it's not worth going crazy on cost and implementation.  Fuses...can't hear the difference.

My focus is on finding great recordings in any format and listening to them through really good primary components.  The juice just isn't worth the squeeze on  all these tweaks - and this isn't based on any school of thought, just my own personal experiences.  Who wants to waste money?  Finding amp/speaker combos with gorgeous synergy - now that's worth focusing on in spades! 
@twoleftears

" What I'm very dubious about is whether there is any justification in the scientific literature for calling that treatment, whatever it is, Quantum Tunneling. It certainly sounds good, but is that all there is to it? "

Just being 110% honest here, yes.  I think that is all there is to it. They chose the name, even if the process has nothing to do with the actual Quantum Tunneling theory.

Marketing.  It is what it is. ;)

@Three_Easy_Payments"
" My views on tweaks and products that could fall under the category of "snake oil" are based solely on my own experience. "

As are mine, as are anyone's.  You're saying cables and fuses, etc never made much of a difference for you. Your experience doesn't automatically discount everyone else who did experience a change. Therefore, the idea of "Snake Oil" is disingenuous.  You can say, "it didn't work for me" and that's valid and doesn't require any rebuttal. However, if you arbitrarily label anything that didn't work for you as "Snake Oil" you invite rebuttal; and maybe that's always been the point.  Poke the hornet's nest because the hornets are too happy where they are. *Shrug*


@ avitacom
" To each his own. "

Exactly. It only becomes a problem when someone thinks their position is superior to others and uses belittling or berating language to justify their decision.

That's the consensus I am yielding to.
I have a system in the 50k range. I insist cables do make a big difference. I was using a $100 pair of cables that were somewhat "low end." I had a friend tell me my cables were the weak link in my system. After several high end cable auditions I settled on a pair of $1000 Kimber Kable's. After a long burn in process, I found they made very little if any difference to the sound in my system. However, I kept them because they are the best looking cables I've seen for under $2000.  
@mastering92

What's more interesting is that the brain automatically fills in the gaps of any data it thinks is missing.  This includes sound.  If a song had slight gaps in its melody, due to poor recording, bitrate, resolution, etc, our brains will attempt to fill those gaps. Psychology has proven that as a certainty.

My wife, for example, speaks multiple languages and sometimes has trouble with certain English vowel sounds, they sound exactly the same to her; she CANNOT discern any difference no matter how you enunciate the difference. I wouldn't dare say she is inferior or defective, as I certainly cannot speak multiple languages and would have equal trouble trying to pronounce them (give Finnish a go!). I suspect something similar is going on for why some people can or cannot hear a difference, but there are far too many variables at play:

1) Power output to the location (house/apartment/etc)
2) Room acoustics.
3) Speaker placement.
4) Outside interference.
so on and so on....

I have a pair of vintage DCM Timeframe 600s that I bought when they first released in 1994.  Since then, it has been attached to four different stereos/amps, three different sets of main speaker cables and 15 different rooms. Each time the system sounded different. Some of that is measurable, some of it cannot.
@guakus  


This wasn't your assertion in the original post.  Your entire narrative is about "arguments against the naysayers", and never did you state "to each his own - which I would totally agree with.  

In fact how do you reconcile writing this:

It only becomes a problem when someone thinks their position is superior to others and uses belittling or berating language to justify their decision.
when you originally wrote this?

What I have discovered after 30+ years of arguing this topic, is that the nay-sayers just don't want to have to buy expensive cables. Instead they seek out any form of cognitive bias they can find to use as justification to not buy it.

This is total assertion of a superior position!

I'm not a naysayer, I'm just saying tweaks haven't done much for my system and are easily eclipsed in value by focusing on the primary components, recordings, and overall room acoustics.  No cognitive bias as you assert but rather experiences that didn't have a positive outcome.  There are many just like me....many of us try things and then move on.  
@tobor007


“After several high end cable auditions I settled on a pair of $1000 Kimber Kable”

So let me get this straight, you auditioned several cables and heard enough of a difference to “settle” on Kimber Kable…but then heard no difference? Sorry, that doesn’t make much sense.

I would ask if you “auditioned” other cables on your system or on someone else’s system? If it was someone else’s system, then isn’t entirely possible they had other components, tweaks or configurations your $50,000 system doesn’t have?

Just real talk.


three_easy_payments

" This is total assertion of a superior position! "

I disagree. It's your assertion that it is by making assumptions that fit your narrative. You're assuming I am calling you a nay-sayer, when I have in fact never accused you of it.  It sounds as though you took my OP personally, which is interesting as only a nay-sayer would.

BTW, never once in my ENTIRE OP, or this thread, have I stated *I* was better than anyone, or my system was better than anyone's.  I invite you to prove it, copy paste the precise words where I said, "I am better than the nay-sayer because my opinion is the best." I'll wait. :)


Yeah I know, a controversial topic, but after 30+ years of hearing both sides and seeing how the argument has evolved over the years, I want to say my piece.

This is the first sentence of your OP.

The whole point is that there aren't just two sides - apparently you have chosen one and have crafted an argument to support your "side" (your word, not mine).  My "side" is that there is definitely snake oil products out there while other tweaks likely have some benefit.  The world doesn't have to be as polarizing as you'd like it to be.  I choose not to focus on the tweaks only because they just don't move the needle much from my own personal experience.  I wear no label.

@p05129

“Get a good resolving system that allows you to hear the better components. Buying a pioneer or denon system will not get you there

Spend some $$$ to get a better system. Spending $300 on an audio system won’t get you there either.

You should have 2 ears, try using them”


Amount of money doesn’t always mean better. The amount of money a company charges for their product can be based on a ton of factors…mostly being, making a profit. So, if a $1000 Yamaha receiver goes on sale for $350, I magically don’t have a good enough system to resolve good audio because I didn’t spend enough money? Hogwash.

I bought the Audioengine A2+ because it was the best small audio system that would fit on my work desk. I later added the Audioengine S8 subwoofer because I liked having deep bass. My other work computer has an old Altec Lansig powered sub/satellite speaker system that always sounded great, but couldn’t be upgraded because the power and audio cables were permanently attached. Audioengine allowed their components to be upgraded by allowing you to choose what power cable you want, what interconnects you want and what speaker cable to join them. They left the option open.

Now, because folks are hung up on, “the speakers were too inexpensive for me to upgrade” they’ll never, ever know how amazing they actually are, because they’ll never find out due the trappings of a convenient ideology. Thankfully, I had the money and time to invest in it and discovered that these speakers are thirsty for better power and when they have it, they sing and sing more than well. It’s no skin off my back if no one wants to found out for themselves. :)


"I worked many countless hours between El Segundo and Seal beach…. my fave old world Italian place is in Long Beach. I ride 100-150 miles a week, but i cheat with a Quantum enabled ebike."

tomic-Things have been changing around here, like everywhere else. Most, if not all "old world" places are gone. What place is it?

When my lungs/legs give out, I want one of these
https://www.specialized.com/us/en/turbo-creo-sl $5-7K?
https://www.giant-bicycles.com/us/road-eplus-1-pro bargain for $5K
Add $2-4K helmet, shoes,clothing etc.

My bucket list rig is gonna run north of $10K. I may not be able to pedal it, so I'll just hang it on the wall  and stare at it while listening. 
https://pinarello.com/usa/en/bikes/road/competition/dogma-f12/dogma-f12-red-etap-axs
This one doesn't have wireless shifting, but it will do
https://www.colnago.com/en/capsulecollection/

PM me regarding "the ask" I wanna know!
BTW, never once in my ENTIRE OP, or this thread, have I stated *I* was better than anyone, or my system was better than anyone's.


Hey @guakus 

Why don't you tell us about that system?
@three_easy_payments 
Really?  Because I chose the side that supports "cable theory" I am automatically taking a superior position? Wow, that is a massively wide brush you use to paint there!

But hey, kudos for recognizing that I did provide supporting arguments for my superior position.




@gaukus   

BTW, never once in my ENTIRE OP, or this thread, have I stated *I* was better than anyone, or my system was better than anyone's. I invite you to prove it, copy paste the precise words

Ummmm....ok

But hey, kudos for recognizing that I did provide supporting arguments for my superior position.

That was a ridiculously simple.
The paraphrase of Jefferson Airplane and The Rolling Stones was deleted. Somebody has super thin skin, no sense of humor and poor musical taste in Rock n Roll but apparently IS a cable expert. 
I am guessing they rail against cancel culture while practicing it…

irony is dead

sad
About the cat, again post deleted because subtle discernment was required to connect up Schrodinger, the cat and Geoff teleportation tweak. 
Discernment is a cable listening skill

carry on !

@ozzy62

“Why don't you tell us about that system?”

Sure! I have two.

The one I am currently running and still building is this:

Hardware: Acer Helios 300 Predator
Software: Foobar2000, Winamp, and TIDAL

Speaker system: Audioengine A2+ along with the Audioengine S8 subwoofer.

Other components: Audioquest Dragonly Cobalt and Audioquest FMJ Jitterbug in series.

Power system:
Audioquest NRG Edison 15amp power socket.
Shunyata Reference Delta v2 XC
Shunyata Venom V16 Power Distributor
PS Audio Noise Harvester (In parallel, not in series.)

Connections:
Kimber Kable Summit Palladian (A2+)
Kimber Kable Ascent (S8)
Shunyata Venom V14 Digital (Acer)
Synergistic Research Foundation (A2+, S8 and soon will connect the A2+ passive speaker.)

2nd SYSTEM:

Hardware:
Yamaha TSR-7810
XBOX-ONE S
NHT SA-1
NHT MA-1

Speakers:
DCM Timeframe 600 (Main)
Polk Audio CS10 (Center)
Infinity Primus 160 (Rear)
NHT SW2P (Left Sub)
Polk Audio PSW10 (which I modified to be a passive sub) (Right Sub)

Power system:
Audioquest NRG Edison 15amp power socket
Audioquest Powerquest 3
PS Audio Noise Harvester

Connections:
Audioquest Mocha HDMI (XBOX to Yamaha)
Audioquest NRG Y2 (XBOX)
Audioquest Boxer (to NHT SA-1)
Audioquest Boxer (to NHT MA-1)
Audioquest Slate (to NHT SW2P, Polk Audio SW10)
Audioquest Rocket 44 (center and mains.)
Generic 12 gauge speaker cable w/banana plugs (to rear)



@guakas This is the definition of confusion of thought and inability to make a reasoned argument. I couldn’t have made this up if I tried.

Simply cutting and pasting your entire post in its entirety. Wow.

https://i.postimg.cc/zfMTps9N/Guakas.jpg