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Moto_Man's Scam Of The Week

I thought that for the amusement of all (and principally my own), I would endeavor to scour the AudioGon ads and pick what appears to me in my purely unscientific way to be the "scam of the week," which typically represents overblown claims of wonderment coupled with a silly price.  A couple of weeks ago, I highlighted some snake oil that I think will be difficult to beat . . . the $5800 Dalby D7 record clamp.

This week, there are a number of contestants ranging from the "Shun Mook Audio LP Clamp" yours for only $3,000.  Here is what the seller claims about the Shun Mook Audio Clamp:

"This extra heavy century old ebony root which were immersed in the swamps of Africa has a unique power that no other wood possesses. The vibration generated by the diamond stylus in the vinyl groove besides inducing an electroflux through the phono-cartridge also excites the ebony molecules, causing it to resonate. This in turn is feed back through the stylus and is reproduced as expanded sound staging, enhanced separation, sharpened focus and enriched tonal balance of the music."

Century old ebony root that has received a "unique power" from the swamps of Africa? That gets excited by a phono cartridge's "electroflux?" Give me a break.

But in good conscience, the BS claims of the Shun Mook were already referenced in my prior thread on the Dalby D7, as deserving as this bit of nonsense is for "Scam of the Week," I will award that coveted distinction to . . .

The "HighEnd Novum PMR Premium MkII - Room Acoustic Resonator hand made in Germany"  which is essentially a stepped bronze wok on a display stand, for $2,490.  Now, as usual, I haven't heard the Room Acoustic Resonator.  Maybe it is a miracle worker.  Logic says it is total BS.  Just read the numerous claims parroted by "reviewers."

"By overlaying the music with a full scale of multi-vocal overtones, more detailed sound is produced [by this bronze plate]. The music gets more momentum and energy, the presentation of the instruments is more realistic and more solid. The spatial imaging is increased in all directions. The result is again a natural and authentic sound experience with beautiful sounds."  

Sure it does.  The secret to this miracle plate? (1) Creation of a two-sand mold by means of a "primitive model"
(2) Heating the bronze alloy to about 1200 ° C (3) Casting of liquid metal in the form and the all-important (4)
Controlled cooling off the casting for the production of a fine crystalline structure of metal.  It must be the production of that "fine crystalline structure of the metal" that overlays the music with a full scale of multi-vocal sounds.  This screams for a legitimate double-blind test.

Those are just some of the reasons that I call out "HighEnd Novum PMR Premium MkII" as the Scam Of The Week.

Note:  there is apparently a miniature version that is only $649.  That is really too cheap to qualify as a "scam of the week," but it is possible that such a puny bronze plate must be used with the big daddy bronze plate to "tune" the music even further, which would probably qualify, LOL!
moto_man
nonoise's avatar
nonoise
10,616 posts
 
I mentioned this before on another thread about the very same thing: the brass resonators. It was a couple of audio shows ago down in Newport and there was a big room with rows of chairs fronted by a system and the room had lots of the smaller brass bowls placed all around. The front walls, the tops of the equipment, the side walls, and directly in front of the equipment were placed these small resonators. 

While the room was readied for the demo, people were talking, music was playing, and I noticed that one of the resonators was knocked over right in front of one of the speakers. Before the demo started, one of the presenters righted the bowl and the sound "snapped" into place like nothing I've experienced before. The focus changed as did the soundstage and the overall sound. It was like someone snapped their fingers and startled me awake. What was diffused and so-so sounding took on a more advanced presentation.

To this day I can't explain it but I know, firsthand, that something is at play here.

All the best,
Nonoise
mapman's avatar
mapman
21,915 posts
 
Come on now surely nobody doubts resonance affects sound?   Just look it up. 

Its not rocket science though finding the resonance that sounds best may be.  
siddh
345 posts
 
Moto_man....either you have or you haven't you experienced the products you vilify. Which is it?  I have no objection to one's criticism of a product one has direct use of. Otherwise, you might be better off in politics. 
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
From Arthur Clark's third law, "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic," we get the following corollaries or whatever,

Any sufficiently advanced incompetence is indistinguishable from malice. (Grey's law)[5] (compare Hanlon's razor)

Any sufficiently advanced cluelessness is indistinguishable from malice.[6] (Clark's law)

Any sufficiently advanced troll is indistinguishable from a genuine kook. (Morgan's maxim)

Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from a rigged demo.

Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced. (Gehm's corollary)




stewie
187 posts
 
Well, if you've ever been on the job market for a position in big city orchestras, you'll notice that they have some very specific rules governing their blind auditions. All of the rules are designed to keep the playing field level. In addition to the rules preventing disclosure of gender (no coughing, perfume or cologne, that could give it away), and excluding amplification devices, they also exclude the use of brass, aluminum or magnesium "resonating bowls," since they offer such a large acoustic advantage. The exclusion dates back to the late 90s, when it was discovered that a young performer by the name of Chin Housin Crepier had won a series of auditions largely due to his use of what he claimed was a "spirit basin," but was nothing more than a brass resonator.
A few years later, he was at again--not with a resonator, but with some exotic hardwood shims, which he would place under the feet of his audition chair. It turned out that by slicing several rounds off of a super high end record clamp, he'd vaulted his way into the Berlin Philharmonic. Look it up!
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