New high end audio translation tool at Bablefish

[jackinnj]

from Art Dudley's column in December Stereophile:
"...I can't tell you, hand on heart, that the standard Bullet Plug made a night and day...dfference in the sound of my system".

Translated courtesy of www.audiobablefish.altavista.digital.com

"...this expensive plug made no difference in my system, but put a dent in my wallet..."

with apologies to the real Bablefish at:
http://babelfish.altavista.digital.com/

 

[Enzo]

OK, you hooked me. I use Babelfish when trying to discuss tech stuff with French folk and I thought maybe.....

 

[jackinnj]

another example:

"The balanced output impedance was twice that specified, at 410 ohms over most of the audioband. This is low, though it did rise to a high 4.7k ohms at 20Hz, due to the size of the output coupling capacitors." this is an actual quote, from an actual high-end audiophile magazine

translated by: www.audiobablefish.altavista.digital.com

"...despite our ecstatic review, this is a poorly designed product which won't mate with any power amplifier."

 

[Enzo]

Anything like:

The circuit ceased to function due to a circuit path interruption caused by a failure in the current limiting device.



Yes, yours are better.

 

[jackinnj]

This product, on sale, retails for $599 (I kid you not!):

"Ground Zero is an affordable, portable, totally passive, star-grounding system! It equalizes the ground impedance path of every component in your audio or video system regardless of the condition of your house wiring"

translated courtesy of www.audiobablefish.altavista.digital.com

"Schmuck, you could have bought a 1 metre long piece of copper braid, bolted all your equipment together with it and saved $598. I have a good mind to have your medical degree revoked...I don't want to hear you complain about malpractice insurance if you have money to burn, sincerely, your mother..."

 

[tiroth]

What I really enjoy about the Ground Zero is that it's solution to eliminate ground loops is to create more and better ground loops.

For $599!

Talk about a silk purse from a sow's ear.

 

[Brian Donaldson]

I prefer to just cut the ground lugs from all electrical devices upon purchase


RCA s make a fine ground

 

[Enzo]

Does anyone here remember the Tice Clock?

An ordinary alarm clock that was specially irradiated to align all the electrons. You plugged it into the wall outlet and over the next ten minutes or so it got all the electrons in your wall current aligned for an obvious improvement in your sound.

It wasn't the alarm clock, but the irradiation process. You could send them an appliance of your choice and they would irradiate it and send it back so you could have the same benefit if you didn't want an alarm clock on your hifi rig.

Good review in either Stereophile or The Absolute SOund, I forget which. That was 15-20 years ago I think.

I wish I had the ad copy to share, it would have fit the discussion.

 

[markp]

Then there is the problem of your system not working due to 'air gap'. 'air gap' is when there is about a foot of space between the end of the speaker wire and the speaker or the power cord and the wall socket!

 

[DSP_Geek]

Does anyone here remember the Tice Clock?

An ordinary alarm clock that was specially irradiated to align all the electrons. You plugged it into the wall outlet and over the next ten minutes or so it got all the electrons in your wall current aligned for an obvious improvement in your sound.

It wasn't the alarm clock, but the irradiation process. You could send them an appliance of your choice and they would irradiate it and send it back so you could have the same benefit if you didn't want an alarm clock on your hifi rig.
[...]
I wish I had the ad copy to share, it would have fit the discussion.

I remember hearing about that thing. 250 bucks was the tab for a "Tice-enhanced" Radio Shack alarm clock, snake oil optional. For that amount of dosh, I could get enough Courvoisier to make my system sound great for _months_.

After that bit of flummery, Tice pushed TPT cables (Tice Process Treated), allegedly placed in a huge magnetic field, which apparently "aligned the particles, probably at the sub-atomic level" according to their ad copy. Holy smokes. After that one all we needed was Tony Stark putting on the Iron Man suit to fight Doctor Doom.


Francois.

 

[Da5id4Vz]

More info onthe Ground Zero can be found hear:

http://www.graniteaudio.com/zero/index.html

A decade or so ago I went to an open house at a recording studio where they proudly demonstrated their innovative ground switch panel. The panel was used to optimize the grounds on tie lines between various MIDI sub studios and their master control room.


I think they had a row of 24 toggle switches used to telescope the grounds as needed between the studios.

They had a demonstration showing how clean and silent the connections were after optimization. I recall looking over at the console and seeing that the optimized paths still had the noise gates furiously popping in and out.

 

[Enzo]

If you are into recording studios, or even if you are not, visit www.funklogic.com and check them out. These guys make rack fillers. Fake gear to fill in unused spaces in the equipment rack. They have knobs that do nothing and so on. My fave is the "Palindominator" and all the controls have palindrome names like "level" and "solos." SOmetimes the knob makes the meter move. Cutting edge tomfoolery.

 

[jackinnj]

from:
http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/volume_11_4/feature-article-blind-test-power-cords-12-2004.html

"Given the quality of equipment and recordings, the system sounded wonderful no matter what power cords were used."
and

"The total number of correct answers was 73 out of 149, which amounts to 49% accuracy. That is no more accurate than flipping a coin, and therefore, no statistically significant detection of power cable differences."

translated:

"Why did we go to the effort to test power cords in the first place?"

looks like they were being honest with themselves, too bad the same can't be said for most high end audiophile magazines.

 

[Cal Weldon]

Well I've always believed you put your amp up high on the wall to make sure the electron flow is aided by gravity.

Remember it's big electrons from the big amps and small electrons from the small amps. That's why some small amps sound better. More refined.

But downhill always equals more watts.

Where is that thread anyway?

Cal

 

[Enzo]

I had a customer buy some speaker cable from me - nothing cosmic, just higher quality zip cord - and he came back to report that it sounded pretty good, but it will sound better once it is broken in. He also suspends the wire off the floor on little plastic things, almost like a toy train trestle, so it won't interact with his floor.

 

[Yoghourt]

Maybe his floor is heated by an electrical net?

Talking about snake oil and gravity, I'd like to share with you a thread of another (french) forum. If babelfish fails in translation, tell me

http://www.ptsoundlab.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1229

 

[classd4sure]

What a rip off this place is,

http://www.amusicdirect.com/products/detail.asp?cat=380&sku=AAQEV8

http://www.amusicdirect.com/products/detail.asp?cat=310&sku=AAURPRO

http://www.amusicdirect.com/products/detail.asp?cat=280&sku=AELEV

http://www.amusicdirect.com/products/detail.asp?cat=280&sku=AWAHDL

http://www.amusicdirect.com/products/detail.asp?cat=280&sku=ASHAKONLIN

http://www.amusicdirect.com/products/detail.asp?cat=280&sku=ASHAKSTN

http://www.amusicdirect.com/products/detail.asp?cat=160&sku=ASHAKHALLOGRAPH

I can get this stuff at least 10% less. Can't wait for boxing day.

Seriously, those hallograph things from shatky, do a search on those they get killer reviews from all over

What do you suppose the going rate is to buy a good review?

A. Hooker?
B. New car?
C.BigMac with cheese?
D. All of the above, with pictures possibly sent to the wife?

 

[audiousername]

Does anyone here remember the Tice Clock?

Unfortunately, yes. Some stuff Stereophile said about it here.

From Stereophile
When I'd first done a series of A/B tests with and without the clock, I hadn't heard any differences. However, I'd left the clock plugged in for a long time. Obviously I'd become accustomed to what the clock did, but remained consciously unaware of its effects....... Reinstating the clock removed the harshness. Much to my surprise, the TPT-treated clock did have a positive effect in my system. It's back in and staying in

 

[jackinnj]

Even applies in the world of technology:

from the New York Times -- on "Carly Fiorina's Folly"

"Hewlett (Packard) Chief Says a Breakup Was Discussed
By GARY RIVLIN

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 7 - For at least a year, Wall Street analysts who follow Hewlett-Packard have been calling on its chief executive, Carleton S. Fiorina, to break up the company. On Tuesday, Ms. Fiorina acknowledged that on three occasions the Hewlett board considered doing just that, but each time the board unanimously decided to keep the company together...
Indeed, Ms. Fiorina's rationale for the company's acquisition of Compaq in 2002 was that both companies would become more profitable because the economies of scale would permit the combined company to cut costs. "

TRANSLATED

"HP Board of Directors suggests that Carly Fiorina made big boo boo. Sum of parts worth less than the whole."

 

[Variac]

Enzo is right- these guys are great!
http://www.funklogic.com/
Check out the Valvecaster 1960

Actually some of their stuff would be usable for DIY- and cheaper to boot! We should comvince them to make the Koa wood model as a chassis!