[vorbis] CVS RC4 -q0 too good!

[James Boer]

>
>
> fungus <meditvr at teleline.es> wrote:
> :
> : I don't mean out of phase (the + and - are wrong
> : on one of the speakers) - that's easy as you say.
> :
> : I mean they buy "directional" speaker cables where
> : one end of them is labelled "amp" and the other
> : end is labelled "speakers".
> :
> : They claim to hear the difference if you connect
> : the cable backwards (ie. the "speakers" end to
> : the amp and the "amp" end to the speakers).
>
> Well, it's possible that with a cable that's specifically designed to be
> directional it might have a polarized capacitive effect, and in that
> situation I could see the possibility for hearing the difference one way
> or the other, but that wouldn't apply to a normal copper wire. In fact,
> it would probably be harder to tell the difference between a lamp cord and
> a "directional" speaker cable than it would be to hear the difference
> between the "directional" cable hooked up forwards and backwards if this
> is the case.
>
> Naturally, I would opt for the lamp cord.
>

<p>"Polarized capacitive effect?"  lol, sounds like a nice buzzword (when
applied to cables, that is) to sell some audiophile sucker some really
expensive cables.  Not that there's anything wrong with that... If someone
has $1500 to spend on a power cable, then more power to them ;) for pumping
their money back into the economy.

The whole problem is that the effect of these devices is _entirely_
subjective, so technically you can really never prove someone does or
doesn't hear a difference.  The hilarious thing is that according to some
reviews I've read, there's even a built-in argument why standard scientific
double-blind studies wouldn't work - because power cords need a "substantial
break-in period" before you can really hear the difference.

Most "reviews" I've seen are obviously written by people obsessed with
buying the "best" of every possible component, and will swear up and down
that even a power cord will make a vast difference.  I have this sneaking
suspicion that many of these "golden ears" are a case of "King's new
clothes" syndrom.  Someone claims to be able to hear a difference with a new
power cable, and other audiophiles pick up on this and so, unconciously or
contiously, will listen with the intent of finding some very subtle
difference in the music, and - surprise, surprise - they will in fact hear a
difference.

Mental pre-disposition, or "the power of suggestion" is a very potent thing
on the human mind.  After all, many people will claim to feel better after
wearing fake magnets or crystals, or after taking sugar pills (placebos).

I'm not saying I don't think that many people can hear subtleties that go
right over my head (for instance, I trust that some folks can actually hear
differences in very high Vorbis quality settings, which seems plausible to
me), but I remain a healthy skeptic regarding some of the more fantastic
claims.

<p><p><p><p><p><p><p><p><p><p><p><p>--- >8 ----
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