It’s a simple process that so many people seem to avoid like the plague. Lately I have been doing some reading on skeptic’s websites and evaluating how I look at the world. Deep down I think I have always been skeptical about what the world presents as truth. I don’t think that everything should be taken at face value just because it comes from a so called “reliable” source. Every thing needs to be evaluated for it’s accuracy and considered carefully before you accept it and make it part of your beliefs.
My pet peeve for critical thinking are audiophiles. I’m a sound engineer and have a desire to replicate audio as well as I possibly can. I have studied the physics and science of audio to understand what each piece of equipment does, how it effects the audio signal as it passes through it and what the end result of any adjustments I make should be. And all of this knowledge can be measured to show it’s effects on the signal.
Audiophiles on the other hand have developed a penchant for believing unsupportable, unscientific and unmeasurable bullshit from unscrupulous salesmen who push snake-oil products at exorbitant prices claiming to improve the audio of an audiophile’s stereo system. Now I know that you might be thinking, “But surely there are products that can make a massive difference to audio and they might well be worth the money.” And I have to agree. There are very expensive speakers that have been so well designed and manufactured that they are capable of reproducing audio almost perfectly. There are amplifier designs that show extremely low levels of distortion. There are even record players that reduce vibration so that those amazingly archaic black discs of vinyl can sound better.
These are not the items that piss me off. No, these items are possibly well worth the money that you pay, if “perfect” sound is what you are chasing. However, there are other products that can, in no way, improve audio in any measurable or quantifiable manner, other than hearsay and personal opinion. Here are a few examples of these products:
The Silver Rock Potentiometer ……..(Wait for it)………. Knob
This fantastic piece of wood is intended for use with the Silver Rock Potentiometers(an expensive volume control). The device itself may have some merit. It could be the most accurate and transparent volume control ever devised by man. (Although, at $6820 USD for the gear I will probably just use the volume controls already built into my gear) But this simple wooden knob claims that -
Good vibrations, Bad vibrations it’s all about vibrations!! RAM would like to introduce a new signature level knob developed for the mighty Silver Rock potentiometer. The standard bakelite knob is certainly the best sounding compromise… but now Audio Consulting has taken this aspect of the Silver Rock much further. The new knobs are custom made with beech wood and bronze where the bronze is used as the insert to mount to the stem of the volume pot. The beech wood is coated several times with C37 lacquer for best sound as pointed out by Dieter Ennemoser. How can this make a difference??? Well, hearing is believing as we always say. The sound becomes much more open and free flowing with a nice improvement in resolution. Dynamics are better and overall naturalness is improved. Here is a test for all you Silver Rock owners. Try removing the bakelite knobs and listen. You will be shocked by this! The signature knobs will have an even greater effect…really amazing! The point here is the micro vibrations created by the volume pots and knobs find their way into the delicate signal path and cause degradation (Bad vibrations equal bad sound). With the signature knobs micro vibrations from the C37 concept of wood, bronze and the lacquer itself compensate for the volume pots and provide (Good Vibrations) our ear/brain combination like to hear…way better sound!!
Yes, that’s right. A knob that reduces bad vibrations and improves your sound. All at the bargain price of $485USD. Oh wait, you need two of them for the Silver Rock Potentiometer, so that makes $970USD. Never mind that there is no physics to back it up. Forget that electrons flowing in electrical circuits are entirely unaffected by vibrations. Does the Space Shuttle vibrate on launch? Hell Yes!! Do the computers stop working or suffer in performance because of those vibrations? No, they work fine.
Why then, do people who buy these products claim that the sound is amazingly improved over it’s previous quality? It’s a combination of the placebo effect and that most terrible of human traits, pride. No one wants to admit to their friends and family and most importantly themselves, that they have spent $6820 on a volume control that may have improved the sound, and then spent a further $970 on pretty knobs that have done absolutely nothing.
This is one of the most extreme cases that I have found. There are others such as the “Brilliant Pebbles” at up to $179 per jar that improve audio just by being in the room, or power cables like the Ultimate Cables starting at $1195. The list gets longer and longer every day. Like P.T Barnum said, “There’s a sucker born every minute.” People will pay ridiculous amounts for products that do nothing or could be replaced with far cheaper alternatives with absolutely no change in performance.
The thing is though, many people get fed this audio woo-woo sales pitch every single day. Have you ever bought a new stereo, cd player, dvd player from an electronics store? Did you get to the checkout and find a rack of cables conveniently located beside the register? And then did the salesman tell you that the included cables in the box are poor quality and that you should buy these alternative cables at a fairly exorbitant price? These cables are often sold with such comments as, “it’s directional cable that improves electron flow between devices” or “the construction of these cables rejects EMI interference” etc.
Directional cable is pure bullshit. The electrical signals that flow in audio and video cables are alternating current. Wire is made up of atoms that pass electrons between them to carry signal. Atoms cannot be aligned to improve electron flow. It’s snake-oil marketing at it’s best.
So, the next time you go to buy home stereo equipment, or you meet someone who has just spent thousands on power cables, “Brilliant Pebbles” or expensive interconnect cables, tell them they are deluding themselves. Ask them to do a double blind test to test the improvements.
For an awesome example of someone who has gone over the edge when it comes to audio myths, check this thread at the James Randi Educational Foundation and look for posts by a guy calling himself “ExtremeSkeptic”. James Randi has been debunking psychics and paranormal claims for years and this forum is an excellent place to discover the concepts of critical thinking.
Remember, just because someone says it is true doesn’t make it so. Think for yourself and teach others to do the same and the world will be a better place.
