Welcome, Jon. We are here for your thoughts, especially if there are new thoughts there to share with us.
I have read a number of threads on high end cables are snake oil and have a few "REAL LIFE EXPERIENCES" I would like to share.
I bet we have real life experiences to share as well, in all these posts you have read or planning on reading; we have a few for you to catch up on, especially in the technical library of this site.
To preface my comments I am troubled by anyone who is close minded enough to look only at numbers on paper or readings on a machine.
Hey, Jon, this is a great first post. Bound to win you more enemies than friends. Have you given any thoughts that perhaps you may be the one with a closed mind???
Has anyone else seen an obviously inferior television have great numbers on paper (resolution, contrast, ect.) that was smoked by a much better picture by something that was backed by better quality components and better video processing?
Well, at least you didn't bring up the old car analogies. What a guy. But not a good analogy, never the less.
Back to cables- I would challenge anyone who would subscribe to the belief that all high end cables are snake oil to take 5 minutes being open minded enough to listen to a proper A/B comparison with a quick switcher to make up their own mind.
That is not a challenge but a requirement to compare cables under bias controlled conditions, using only your ears, not your eyes, right. Why do you think we have come to the conclusion about cables and snake oil claims are synonymous? Yes, you are correct, through listening comparisons. Bravo.
This supposed placebo effect that I see referred to is hard for me to swallow
You need to get out more, expand your reading into the placebo effect and how it works, what is needed to minimize it, how science has found a way to minimize its effects. there is a huge library out there on science and human psychology.
with the huge differences I have personally heard.
Well, it is like this, Jon. You perceived something for sure. What that was has yet to be established by you so who knows what was really heard' no one knows.
I have taken very good product ex: Klipsch RB75 bookshelfs already wired with monster cable inside and rewired internally with CV-4.2 Audioquest and had multiple blind folded listeners NEVER pick the wrong set when asked which speaker sounded better.
You call this a valid comparison??? No wonder it supports your beliefs.
These every day "Real life experiences" are very hard to ignore if anyone will actually take the time to visit a professional and simply close your eyes and listen and then be prepared to make a more qualified opinion.
You mean a professional like you? Oh, it is very easy to ignore such anecdotes and testimonials. Flawed.
Why else could their be so many successful speaker manufacturers.
Why are there so many vitamin peddlers out there? So many psychics out there? Because, humans are so gullible maybe???
We all hear different, and like to listen to different music.
What does that have to do with all those speaker makers??? Nothing.
I am not claiming what speaker or wire is best,
Good thing.
only that to claim it does not make a difference is ludicrous.
Very bad thing to claim with no evidence, credible evidence in hand.
If someone wishes to really learn what does and doesn't actually perform I simply encourage all of you to get out from behind your computer and actually LISTEN TO THE DIFFERENCE.
I encourage you to read more, more science, what is known, in the natural world. Is that a deal???
to say there is none; well you would have to be deaf.
No, you have to establish that there is one. You have not. Actually, no one has in 30+ years of trying. Are you ready to open your mind???
now I look forward to everyone's feedback.
I bet.