James Randi Offers $1 Million If Audiophiles Can Prove $7250 Speaker Cables Are Better

Gizmodo.com ^ | Oct 1 2007 | Charlie White

[madvlad]

How can the music breathe wo/ oxygen!?

MV

[visualops]

Ping to you Stickman.

You’ll like post #11 lol

[JamesP81]

Without knowing the exact parameters of your A/B test you’re talking about the difference between listening to an mp3 version of a tune versus listening to a “full” WAV file of the same tune. Major difference. The mp3 is in most cases perfectly adequate for headphone or portable use and is an “abbreviated” format designed to conserve disk/memory space. Which it does...at the expected expense of dynamic range and etc etc.

Interestingly enough, when I burn a CD and play it in my computer, I can't tell a difference between the CD and the iTunes playback. It's only when I pop the CD in my car that I notice a difference. I think the bottleneck is probably in my speakers.

I would switch to a different service than iTunes if they had the selection of iTunes. Apple really ought to offer high bit rate files for those that want them.

Back in the day when I used to encode all my own mp3s from CDs, I always used 256 bit or better.

[VOA]

As much as I hate the sale-hype and warranty-hype of today’s big-box
stores, I do have to give credit to at least one good fellow at the
Best Buy in West Los Angeles.

I went there with my IMPOSSIBLE-to-please boss and with the Best Buy
fellow’s help find a reasonably priced HDTV to replace his old TV.

He did such a good job with my too-often unreasonable boss that
I tried to palm him a $20 bill as a gratuity.
He said “thanks, but company policy dictates I can’t take that. Thanks anyway.”

Maybe I was just shell-shocked by all the hype thrown my way at
Best-Buy and Circuit City...but this fellow sure seemed to break the mold.

[theFIRMbss]

>James Randi, one of America's treasures

Oh, give me a break.
So the guy will "stand up to"
spiritualists

and bogus ad claims
but when is he debunking
global warming crap?!

[Moonman62]

You can’t tap dance on pillows.

Larry Craig can.

[VOA]

I should have added to my earlier post 44 to you...
BUT most of the Big Box personnel I’ve had to deal with...I wouldn’t be
too busted up at putting them out of a job.
Sad, but true.

All I can think is that the managers/CEOs of these companies have
never shopped (incognito) at one of their own stores.

[Moonman62]

Good. Audiophiles are nuts, and most probably support Ron Paul.

[stevio]

What would I know, I’m a scratchy FM bebop jazz buff.

[Notary Sojac]

Well, all I can say is that not everything in my life is political, and I can still commend the work of those who don’t feel obliged to battle for every cause I support. I view that as part of what separates me from the DUmmies.

[PBRSTREETGANG]

...quite as well as the Edison Wax Cylinder.

Best when listened to from another room via two Dixie cups tied together by a string.

[Notary Sojac]

I believe there is a strong minority of Kuchinich backers in the audiophile community as well.

[Notary Sojac]

What kind of string do you use? The very best runs about $80 a yard, you know.

[em2vn]

The potophiles were smoking heavily that day. I grew up in the turn table era. Every advance since those days has been a significant improvment over the turn table.

[EyeGuy]

I have a fairly high end system and have been reasonably happy using VBR encoding of mp3s.

I do NOT notice much of an improvement when going do a lossless codec like FLAC or APE. Should I?

Unfortunately, I also did NOT notice much improvement when I bypassed my PC sound card and went to a a straight USB out to a DSP. Should I?

I appreciate your informed opinions.

[absolootezer0]

if you want real fun, hook up a good pick up mic to your edison horn, and convert your old wax cylinders to mp3 :)

[absolootezer0]

yes.
you can’t tell the difference, therefore they aren’t better.

[theFIRMbss]

>Well, all I can say is that not everything in my life is political

No. The issue is
cowardice. Animal rights
activists never

throw paint on bikers
wearing leather, just on girls
wearing fashion fur

because activists
don't have the balls to pick on
someone who'd fight back.

Randi will pick on
spoon benders and new age kooks
who sometimes pretend

"physics" works their tricks.
But Randi will not expose
the MUCH larger scam

saying "science" shows
man is the pivotal force
in global warming.

The new age con men
really have no social role.
"Weather scientists"

want to change our lives.
Fighting con men means nothing.
Taking on bogus

"weather scientists"
would demand a real backbone.
The guy's just gutless.

[ltc8k6]

Why would you expect Randi to bother with global warming or lack thereof?

[absolootezer0]

we’ve got a couple good ones. there’s also a difference to be heard in how clean the horn is. when it sits as a decoration for years between playing, collecting dust, the sound deteriorates until its cleaned.