Audiophile Myths: True or False

[Paul R]

There are a ton of rather amusing Audiophile "myths" growing lives of their own in the various communities. I thought it might be a bit of fun to document 'em. Share you favorite myths and give us all a good laugh. Try not to be mean though... one man's myth may just possibly, be another man's golden touchstone.

 

A couple of my favorites:

 

PWB Silver Rainbow Foil - just a tiny sliver will embed your CD's with the right color for the very best music reproduction.... or not. Don't know if it is a real product or not, but... had a guy actually recommend it to me today. I think he makes up his own variety, because he was offering free samples... Audio crack!

 

 

Listening to Music in the nude with special crystals suspended from the walls improves the sonic quality of the music. OOOoookkkkayyy- it might help one get in the groove, but only if one is in appropriate company!

 

 

-Paul

 

 

 

[kumakuma]

Coating the edge of CDs with a green marker

 

KK

 

[kumakuma]

PWB Silver Rainbow Foil is real:

 

http://www.belt.demon.co.uk/product/ref/ref.html

 

They even tell you where to stick it on for best results:

 

 

It is also advantageous to place a strip of Silver Rainbow Foil specifically over the word 'disc' (part of the Compact Disc symbol).

 

A strip of Silver Rainbow Foil should also be placed specifically over the number 33 1/3 rd or 45 which is usually printed on both labels of a vinyl record to indicate the speed.

 

 

[The Computer Audiophile]

Hi KK - Coating the edge of CDs with green marker actually creates a very measurable increase in jitter because the servo must rapidly move back and forth in a manner much inlike regular CD playback. Legendary engineer Keith Johnson studied this one as he was very intrigued about the claims. the increase in jitter certainly changes the sound but makes it less accurate.

 

[RankStranger]

but a customer of mine in the hifi shop - who at first appeared to be quite knowledgable - turned his back to the system, went down on one knee, closed his eyes and cupped his hands backwards over his ears in order to better "focus" the sound of the system. I had to excuse myself to avoid laughing right in his face.

 

I don't think it will ever catch on well enough to attain "myth' status.

 

RS

 

[Dewey2]

Anyone lay out hard cash for an audiophile electrical outlet cover? Did it really tighten your bass?

 

 

[Paul R]

(1) The stylus generates so much heat that you have to let a record cool for 24hours between plays.

 

(1a) Records are black because they contain carbon black to dissipate the heat from #1 above. (I always heard it was to hide imperfections in the record...)

 

(2) The best turntable belt is available at your local Walgreens - Brand XX dental floss. I wonder if mint flavored floss tightens up the bass a bit more?

 

(3) Dustcovers are necessary, because a (pick-a-bug) landing on the tonearm can cause a burst of noise loud enough to bust your eardrums || break a window || ??

 

Wow- what amazes me is there are people out there that wholeheartedly believe this stuff. Some of it may have kernel of truth, but huh?

 

-Paul

 

 

[Brian A]

Use of automotive blinker fluid for all blinking LEDs on the digital side of the signal stream reduces jitter.

 

Here is a link if you want to get some:

http://kalecoauto.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=6

 

Read the reviews. Great stuff.

 

[Paul R]

But I do know where to get some prop wash for those dirty propellors on a GE T58 engine though...

 

I did find this advertisement there:

 

Do your subwoofers boom like so? Of course they don't. You don't have Violent Bass Air. Violent Bass Air is a revolutionary new product that can add testicle-smashing-oontz to any car audio substage. Whether you listen to Three Six Mafia, or tend to the more sophisticated Rick Astley - Never Gonna Give You Up - Violent Bass Air will improve your ride in more ways you can imagine. Brown note, pink note? Hang out at www.diymobileaudio.com ? Violent Bass Air is fresh, winter air from Canada, and is never compressed. (For the best sound quality, of course.) With its high nitrogen content of at least 75% (Nitrogen, like in race car tires!) you will definitely get more deebees. WARNING: Violent Bass Air can cause sudden and violent defecation. Do not use in conjuction with sweet ByNines on your rear deck, as they might become damaged. May cause a painful condition known as bumpitis. Do not use in conjunction with Funky Pups, as it may knock airplanes out of the sky. Sold by the cubic foot.

 

 

 

[kumakuma]

Here's a review of VBA:

 

http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum/off-topic/49596-vba-explained-joma-review-inside.html

 

I guess car audio enthusiasts are just as crazy as "real" audiophiles.

 

KK

 

[audiofilodigital]

Paul, usually, the most absurd and ridiculous arguments are very common in the world of beliefs that are not based scientific basis. For example: do you remember the famous green-pen for CD edges? If it worked, why wasn´t it so popular with DVDs? All the electronics are designed by engineers. But audiophile world is like religion (BELIEVE OR GET-OUT): if we begin with a matter of blind-faith then, who needs any kind of serious argument ? Take a look at this and enjoy :

http://www.ethanwiner.com/audiophoolery.html

http://www.ethanwiner.com/believe.html

 

Let's face it: audiophiles DO NEED to believe (it's part of our ancient roots), specially those ones who don´t want to get crazy trying to understand how things work (too much complexity). Magic, Gurus, polarized water, bibles, cones to be put under whatever, black-magic stones, etc... Audiophile world, nowadays, looks more like a kind of Scientology Church than serious science. Now, have a look to the PRO world (where everything related to music and electronics is born): no gimmicks, no lies, no religion, no false promises... they do what they have to do the best way the engineer can do it.

 

 

[4est]

"no gimmicks, no lies, no religion, no false promises... they do what they have to do the best way the engineer can do it."

 

Too much alcohol, drugs and sex for them to have the time for those shenanigans.

 

[audiofilodigital]

Forrest, I was talking about serious sound engineers, not about musicians. I can´t see Bob Katz, or Bernie Grundman as drug consumers, frankly speaking. ;-)

 

[f1eng]

The number of products described as rigid is endless but it is technically impossible and really irritates me (I started my career doing research into noise and vibration)

 

This is the most irritating myth for me and as absurd as Peter Belt's cons.

 

[Paul R]

Audiophile world, nowadays, looks more like a kind of Scientology Church ...

 

Oh boy, I need my vacation.

 

When I read that all I could see was picture of a DAC hooked up to one of the e-meter things (the one with two tin cans attached...) and a totally pissed off audiophile leering at the DAC, speaking in an evil movie villian tone of voice...

 

'Tell me no lies!'

 

 

 

 

[Miska]

(1a) Records are black because they contain carbon black to dissipate the heat from #1 above. (I always heard it was to hide imperfections in the record...)

 

But what about this Hawkwind record!?

 

 

 

(I also have some semi-transparent red ones)

 

 

[souptin]

Speaking of coloured vinyl - I have "Smell of Female" on multi-coloured and translucent 6 inch discs. One time when I was trying, not very successfully, to show them off an audiophile acquaintance informed me that 'everybody knows' that coloured vinyl and picture discs sound far inferior to black.

 

I'm now somewhat curious to know if this is another myth or if it has some supporting evidence. Although let's face it, a well worn Cramps album isn't exactly the best case study, and besides I only play it when I've been drinking (when it sounds amazing!). I'm sure the neighbours are big fans too.

 

On a separate issue, I wonder if the 'pro audio gear is always better' theory could stand some scrutiny. Clearly it's nowhere near bonkers enough to qualify as a myth, but regardless of how sober and professional the engineer, their everyday work could involve getting a performance out of not-sober talent who's talents are limited. So I figure reliability and wipe-clean surfaces might take priority over the last word in sonics when it comes to their equipment choices.

 

[firedog]

This was "common knowledge" about colored vinyl back in the day. Also repeated in audiophile mags.

 

Even if true, the "degredation" in sound may be so minimal that with most systems it wouldn't be audible.

 

And no, pro audio gear isn't always better. Sometimes it is worse. Lots of pro audio speakers sound bad to audiophile ears. Engineers often want extremely revealing speakers that sound good in small spaces or even in near field. That doesn't necessarily translate to most accurate or most musically balanced and realistic sound - especially if you are not in a small space.

 

As for electronics, I think sometmes similar conditions apply. And then you have the added issues of features, size, and looks. All of which may make a pro piece of gear not suitable for many for home use.

 

"Better" is relative to what you want the gear for. A "better" sounding piece of gear isn't better for me if it doesn't have a feature I need.

 

[wgscott]

Bit rot

 

and closely related...

 

Two files with the same md5sum may sound different (all other things being the same).

 

[Paul R]

Oh my good Lord - is that rumor ever pervasive. I had an audiophile lawyer friend of mine tell me the other day that he set his company's IT department off to solve the issue of bit rot...

 

When I gently broke it to him that it was a myth, and while media will degrade over time, the bits never do. He asked me to come over to his company during lunch and talk with his IT people, which I did, and which, not unsurprisingly, revealed the IT department was putting the appropriate amount of concern on the situation.

 

I got a free lunch for the cost of a 15 minute lecture on best practices for backup and long term data archival issues.

 

-Paul

 

[f1eng]

From an engineering perspective it is likely that coloured vinyl is purer and cleaner so it looks even and good as a moulding. Black can be, and is, full of remelted offcuts and flash that is being reclaimed so, unless new is specified, there is a good chance the black discs will be noisier than coloured.

Picture discs are another thing altogether, and I assume is the reason non-black discs have had a bad rap. Here the picture is printed on a thin laminate and the groove is very much less likely to be well formed on this laminate when it is heated in the mould than onto pure vinyl injected into the same mould.

 

Pro loudspeakers tend to have a level frequency response whereas most "HiFi" speakers from US and UK makers have downtilted response. Whether this is to compensate for domestic room effects, hide the harshness of poor electronics or just customer taste I have no idea but it may well explain why many people find pro speakers, and many European brands more "in your face" than they are used to.

 

[barrows]

1. Cupping of the hands around the ears will definitely change what you are hearing-this is super easy to demonstrate, so try it. By cupping your hands blocking sounds coming from the behind the listener, reflections from behind the listener are greatly attenuated.

2. Crystals can effect the sound of electronics, but whether their effects will be audible if just placed randomly in the room are questionable. Crystals, like quartz, amethyst, etc. are piezoelectric (guess what, all your DACs use crystal based clocks)-if you put a charge through them they will vibrate, and conversely, if you vibrate them they will create a charge. They also couple with certain RF frequencies and dissipate them through vibration: changing the RF energy to heat. They can be used internally in electronics to damp RF fields-quite a few power conditioner companies use crystals and similar materials as passive RF dampers.

3. Cones/footers-all of these devices will change the sound of components, whether it is for the better or worse is the question. Changing vibrtational energy that gets to the electronics (and/or draining away internally created vibrations) changes the sound. Anyone who ignores vibration control as an aspect of getting the best out of their system is never going to realize what their system is capable of.

 

[Jim Smith]

All too common, but not necessarily true:

 

Rooms with non-parallel walls sound better.

 

The “rule of thirds” is a great set-up guide.

 

Design a new room with cathedral ceilings to provide great sound.

 

A wide sweet spot is desirable.

 

Bass is non-directional, so exact woofer placement and orientation isn’t critical.

 

Bass is non-directional, so only one sub-woofer is required.

 

Granite makes a great isolation material.

 

Cones & spikes provide isolation.

 

Wide dispersion is a must for consumer audio loudspeakers.

 

An equilateral triangle (speakers and listening seat) set-up yields the best sound.

 

The best bi-amplification is done with transistors on bass, tubes on top.

 

Achieving the tightest bass should be your goal.

 

Speaker set-up diagrams/guides from various manufacturers will provide the best sound.

 

Building a new listening room from an audiophile-approved spread-sheet program will insure better sound.

 

If you’re past 50, you can no longer hear well enough to really care about your sound quality.

 

 

 

 

[wgscott]

Link: "In the early 1980's, special speaker wires were beginning to appear on the market. Some of the claims were totally unbelievable and had prices to match. Realizing that wire resistance was the critical factor in speaker wire, Gordon Gow, President of McIntosh Laboratory, used a speaker cable demonstration to show there was no listening difference between these wires and plain line cord. He delivered his presentation about the truth in speaker wire using a reel of Monster cable to stand on."

 

[bdiament]

I must say I find this thread somewhat strange and a bit depressing, being on a forum where folks speak of differences that some would consider impossible.

 

"...Realizing that wire resistance was the critical factor in speaker wire, Gordon Gow, President of McIntosh Laboratory, used a speaker cable demonstration to show there was no listening difference between these wires and plain line cord..."

 

I would submit that if the differences weren't obvious, the participants were either not very experienced or simply not sensitive to the sorts of changes cabling can make or perhaps both.

 

To single out resistance in a cable is to ignore inductance, capacitance, the effects of cable geometry, materials and probably a dozen things that have not yet been widely written about.

 

I doubt it's the gear as changing from zip cord to other cables was immediate and obvious in my car (where the very best systems are, in my view, the equivalent of big table radios). At home, with a good system, it is possible to hear the same cable's performance change over time (i.e. the first 40 hours or so of playing music).

 

This last can easily be heard if one takes two identical brand new sets of the same cable (speaker wire and/or interconnect). Use one set to play at least 40 hours worth of music. If you notice improved bass extension, less grain, smoother mids and highs and an expanded, much better focused soundstage after that time has elapsed, switch to the unused pair of cables and hear the sound return to "brand new" again (bass extension and definition diminished, grain increased, mids and highs less coherent, less extended, space out of focus).

 

Clearly (very clearly), different folks have different sensitivities to different aspects of sound. That's the only reason I can think of for someone to publicly make that sort of declaration (unless they're just that insecure about the fact that they aren't hearing what others say they do).

 

If often wonder why folks don't simply say "I listened and I don't hear it." In other words, to own their perceptions rather than attempt to make declarations of Universal Truth (add reverb to those last two words).

 

I know folks with ears I trust who apparently do hear benefits from green marker on a CD. I tried it and the only difference I experienced was a lot of green marks on my hands. I know folks with ears I trust who hear benefits from lifting their speaker cables off the floor. I tried it and could not hear any change whatsoever. Do these things effect the sound? I care only inasmuch as whether I can or cannot hear them.

 

I've told the story before (on another forum) of one of my earliest days on the observing field with my then new telescope. I called over a more experienced observer and asked him to confirm whether or not I'd found my target and in fact had galaxy M31 in the eyepiece. He took a look and said "Yup. See the dark lane?"

 

I took another look and saw no dark lane. Not a hint of a dark lane. All I saw was a very faint oval smudge, a little bit brighter than the background sky. I often think if the equivalent story was told on some audiophile fora, there would be those who would suggest my friend was "imagining" the dark lane. The "placebo effect" would be invoked and all sorts of derogatory posts would keep the moderators busy.

 

Was he imagining it? I don't think it really matters in the end as far as what I can or can't see but I feel quite confident he saw exactly what he described. Besides, how could I or anyone else possibly know what someone else perceives, how something tastes in someone else's mouth?

 

Cut to several years later, when my eyes are much more experienced at skygazing. Nowadays, the dark lane in M31 is obvious to me; I can't imagine how I could not see it back in the early days. I suppose the eye, like the ear and like our other sense organs can be "tuned" with experience, to levels of sensitivity that are not there prior to the investment of the practice time. I know as I've eaten more fine meals (and with the help of more experienced gourmands), I can taste more now, being able to identify say, different spices used in the preparation of a dish. And the taste of different scotches (at one time, all the same to me) has become clear, with a Highland and an Islay having what are now obvious differences from each other and from say, a Speyside.

 

We must always remember that there are some folks who cannot differentiate between musical pitches that are more than half an octave apart. They are simply not sensitive to this aspect of sound. It would appear to be only in the audiophile world where one of these might write a "white paper" (something that usually comes in rolls with perforated sheets ;-}) on why those who would hear a difference between B-flat and G must be imagining it.

 

Best regards,

Barry

www.soundkeeperrecordings.com

www.barrydiamentaudio.com