Biggest audio hoaxes


Often when people discuss audio, they talk about "snake oil" or "hoaxes."

It's pretty typical to use the term hoax as a tactic against another who disagrees with one, or holds an unusual opinion or vouches for something which has not been verified. That's not what I mean by a "hoax." 

By "hoax" I mean an audio product or claim which has been pretty definitively disproved. Maybe not to everyone's satisfaction, but to common consensus.

So -- with that definition of hoax in mind, what are some of the biggest audiophile hoaxes you've heard of?
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I've worked as a mechanic a LOG time. Vibration and harmonics GROW if it's not treated with concrete over soil. Two fold over time as things dry more and more between the soil and the concrete.  There is a gap that forms between the two materials. One is solidified (concrete) one is not (soil). They are NOT bound one to the other, when the concrete is poured.

IF you were lucky the guys that poured the slabs compacted the ground or it's poured on a big ol ROCK.

ALL slabs on SOIL get noisier over time, to a point. The way to stop it is to pour friction piers on centers underneath the slab.  A pre slab pour or monolithic makes no difference. One the slab is independent of the piers one they are tied together via mechanically (rebar ties).

Most residential is a 3 1/2" slab. BOUNCING on top of the spring like soil it's VERY NOISY but worst of all the harmonics BUILD as the room loads. It get worse and decay rates go through the roof..

Ricochet Biscuit, come to mind..

DECOUPLE..  and dampen everything you can from vibration. Spikes DO NOT work they are not a hoax they just don't work as advertised.

Dense (normally heaver) cabinet materials work better also, TO a point.

We always isolate or it will deteriorate. In this case SQ. You won't notice it UNTIL you clean it up..

SPIKES are an expensive thing for sure.
Not a fan of spikes. Prefer isolation pads when needed. Auralex Subdude does the job period. Not expensive, but effective and versatile. I’m sure there are other ways. YMMV. Isolation is one area where if it works in a studio it will work at home. I am also an Isoacoustics fan and use those as well. That’s not to say that the home audio high end vendors will not find a way to convince some people they need more, sell junked bed springs for a hefty profit, etc.
This is a good time to use common sense. IF you believe your concrete floor is resonating, do you really think that the transference of those vibrations to the speaker is going to create more sound than what is already in the room?

Your speaker is already creating all kinds of frequencies at once. It is moving. Do you think that the very very high mass of the concrete floor (w.r.t. the speaker driver) is going to appreciably move?

Do you really think the small level of dampening material in an isolation stand is going to provide more dampening than huge amount of material that a concrete floor is sitting on?
Not sure what to make of the video. He's showing vibrations when walking on concrete and tapping the speaker box. I didn't see how sensitive the measuring device was set. He talked about how if music was playing how bad the vibrations would be but for some reason didn't play any music to see how audible they are as he walked across the floor. I'd need more evidence and would try something cheaper or homemade first. 
Your speaker is already creating all kinds of frequencies at once. It is moving. Do you think that the very very high mass of the concrete floor (w.r.t. the speaker driver) is going to appreciably move?

Do you really think the small level of dampening material in an isolation stand is going to provide more dampening than huge amount of material that a concrete floor is sitting on?

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We are talking about isolation (one from the other) vs absorption (the ability to SELF dampen). A cabinets resonance and the decay rate are what makes the speaker unit a clump of moist clay with drivers stuffed into it or a BOX that had NO mechanical dampening at ALL or parts of it made to amplify a driver with a bull horn

The fact remains that separating thing that vibrate and create there OWN harmonics is far better than trying to share the vibration with everything inside the listening area.. 

The floor covered with concrete over soil is no different than a drum.
Have you ever jumped up and down in a room with 3 1/2 in of concrete floors with a # 10 wire mesh.. It SOUNDS like HUGE kettle drum.. New it is loud.. WAIT till it dries all the way...

The only way to stabilize the center of a slab is to support it and TIE into the slab. It's not a requirement to support a slab UNLESS it's foundational.  A soil floor has nothing to do with passing code. Concrete offers no foundational support other than it's cleaner.. You can still have soil for floors you know...

It is a LOT quieter soil floors. What makes a barn a barn? NO built floors. It's Always about drainage and keeping thing OUT of the weather. Good sound in a barn too.. Not a good place to be raised.. Born yes, raised NO!

Use to love working with heavy timbers frames.. 

Regards