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Has there ever been a spoof audio product?

Norton

By Norton
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Norton

Norton

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A while back, trying to get to grips with a particularly esoteric example of replay software, I wondered whether it might be a hoax (reclusive designer, complicated, time consuming and exotically  named routines that often failed to actually play music, hidden features etc etc).  I concluded not as it did give good results when it worked.

 

However, if we accept the premise of this being in part a “confidence game” we audiophiles could be prime targets for a hoax.   My question is, have there been any genuine instances of this?  Replay software in particular would seem to be a good vehicle for this.  

 

Please limit examples to those (probably offered free) where the sole objective was to spoof audiophiles as a  practical joke, not paid for products considered by some to be scams, unworkable,  undelivered etc.  (And no references to MQA....)

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mansr

mansr

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1 hour ago, Norton said:

A while back, trying to get to grips with a particularly esoteric example of replay software, I wondered whether it might be a hoax (reclusive designer, complicated, time consuming and exotically  named routines that often failed to actually play music, hidden features etc etc).

Bughead Emperor? That guy probably actually believes what he's saying, crazy as it is.

 

1 hour ago, Norton said:

However, if we accept the premise of this being in part a “confidence game” we audiophiles could be prime targets for a hoax.   My question is, have there been any genuine instances of this?

Peter Belt, perhaps.

 

See also Poe's law.

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John Dyson

John Dyson

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Just my two cents:

 

There is the old story about the 'Emperor's new clothes', where he had been convinced that a tailor had produced really nice clothes for him, so he is so proud as to go on parade.  Of course, those clothes were nothing, and he ended up parading in the nude.  His ego had overwhelmed his knowledge and common sense.

 

Point being -- I think that a lot of audio 'gear' is sold to appeal as much to ego as it appeals to technical excellence.  I am not intending to discount the esoteric advantage of a beautifully constructed package, gold colored wiring, etc...   That is all good and well, but some of the associated technical claims might be vacuous or of no real value.

 

I believe that the audiophile community is very vulnerable to hucksterism, while those who really do wonderful design based on technology are just one in the crowd.  Human factors ARE important, and very nicely designed packaging is also very nice, but has very little to do with technical quality.

 

Right now, within about 1-2Hrs, I could (and have) designed a phono preamp that blows away most, and works as well as the best -- there is nothing really difficult about doing that, all it takes is dedication and technical knowledge.  My design will guaranteed be ignored, because prototypes look pretty bad next to esoterically designed so called 'rigs'.  (When I hear 'rig', I envision a dirty, greasy machine with a Diesel engine -- but that is just a generational/cultural thing :-)).   Also, my prototype would be very vulnerable to coffee stains or possibly RFI (until I would put together the packaging, make sure the the grounds are all returned correctly, etc.)

 

Technical excellence is important throughout the audio (audiophile) realm, but on the high end there seems to be a lot of hucksterism associated with extreme packaging, and gross overdesign/curious design emphasis.  (BTW, I used to have a  really advanced Hitachi FET power amp, back when such technology was just barely practical -- sure it had wide bandwidth, but also a lot of distortion when compared with traditional designs.)   My Nakamichi preamp also had its problems -- the phono input(s) were not as good as I would hope -- also a kind of distorted sound and bad loading of some kind.  These were pretty good brands in their day.  Anyone could be fooled.

 

Now, I simply live in the raw technical world, worrying only about moderately practical packaging.  Very importantly though,  I do NOT disparage those who enjoy   turntables that remind me of  Star Trek 3D chess boards.  I do disparage those who make misleading claims so that they might take financial advantage of audio listeners.

 

John

 

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John Dyson

John Dyson

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12 minutes ago, mansr said:

That's just someone having fun with the name. The actual product looks like it could be useful.

I agree about that.  The only thing worrying me about such products -- drivers.  I keep my own version of Linux because of the driver issue.  The volume control mechnaisms don't work correctly on my plug-in headphone amp without an audio/USB subsystem patch.  (I think that it is a D3, oddly I cannot remember anymore -- too much falling off the other end of my memory.)  Default builds only work well in an emergency.

 

If such a product had most of the audio related driver matters all handled, it would be a beautiful product.

 

I only use Windows to build/test a Windows version of the DHNRDS .  All heavy duty work is on Linux.

 

John

 

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mansr

mansr

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1 minute ago, John Dyson said:

I agree about that.  The only thing worrying me about such products -- drivers.  I keep my own version of Linux because of the driver issue.  The volume control mechnaisms don't work correctly on my plug-in headphone amp without an audio/USB subsystem patch.  (I think that it is a D3, oddly I cannot remember anymore -- too much falling off the other end of my memory.)  Default builds only work well in an emergency.

 

If such a product had most of the audio related driver matters all handled, it would be a beautiful product.

You could easily run Snakeoil on your own kernel if you wanted.

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Norton

Norton

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4 hours ago, mansr said:

Peter Belt, perhaps.

 

Thanks, I had to look that reference up.  I guess room/system treatments could also be a fertile ground for a spoof, but to be a true hoax  I would say the following have to be true:

 

1.it’s offered free of charge 

2.it encourages  the hoaxed to undertake actions that are absurd or inconvenient 

3. a  reveal after a suitable period of time.

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mansr

mansr

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18 minutes ago, Norton said:

Thanks, I had to look that reference up.  I guess room/system treatments could also be a fertile ground for a spoof, but to be a true hoax  I would say the following have to be true:

 

1.it’s offered free of charge 

2.it encourages  the hoaxed to undertake actions that are absurd or inconvenient 

3. a  reveal after a suitable period of time.

Peter Belt stuff is cheap enough to fall into the free bracket, and there is no shortage of absurdity. The reveal is missing, though.

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Doak

Doak

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"Trojan Horse" Scam?

 

Back in the late '80s or early '90s a company named Theta Digital issues a "high end" product called the Theta Universal Transport priced between $4-5K (think >$10K today). This huge box that played both CDs and laser discs received rave reviews by the audiophile press at the time (big players still today).

I managed to snag one off of eBay for an incredibly low price from the owner of a high end audio emporium. Not too long after that purchase the news hit that the Theta Universal Transport was little more than a Philips Laser/Multidisc player stuffed inside of a substantially larger case. 

I bought model Philips CDV-400 player that was used by Theta and found that I could not hear any significant difference between the two players. So, up for sale went the Theta and kept the Philips (at a tidy profit IIRC).

 

The whole thing is laid out in tremendous technical detail at the link below by Lukasz Fikus of Lampizat0r:

http://www.lampizator.eu/lampizator/REFERENCES/THETA Universal/theta.html

Doak's Audio System

 

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Rt66indierock

Rt66indierock

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Hi Norton,

 

Audiophiles think I'm spoofing them when I say America would be a better place if Harry Pearson had stayed an environmental reporter and not started The Absolute Sound. The defenses are quite humorous and many are absurd. Then I tell them that Harry's efforts to save the Buffalo River surpasses anything he did in audio.

 

You take care.

 

 

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mansr

mansr

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24 minutes ago, Doak said:

Back in the late '80s or early '90s a company named Theta Digital issues a "high end" product called the Theta Universal Transport priced between $4-5K (think >$10K today). This huge box that played both CDs and laser discs received rave reviews by the audiophile press at the time (big players still today).

I managed to snag one off of eBay for an incredibly low price from the owner of a high end audio emporium. Not too long after that purchase the news hit that the Theta Universal Transport was little more than a Philips Laser/Multidisc player stuffed inside of a substantially larger case.

A more recent scam of that nature: https://www.audioholics.com/blu-ray-and-dvd-player-reviews/lexicon-bd-30-blu-ray-oppo-clone/oppo-inside-lexicon-outside-1

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kumakuma

kumakuma

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Found this site while searching for something else:

 

http://www.fcuklabs.com

 

BTW, I'm trying to remember the name of a company that makes audio tweaks. Their site has kind of a 1950's pulp sci-fi feel. Ring any bells with anyone?

Sometimes it's like someone took a knife, baby
Edgy and dull and cut a six inch valley
Through the middle of my skull

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