Un-Sound Advice about Cables

[gene]

<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><A href="http://www.audioholics.com/news/editorials/un-sound-advice.php"><IMG style="WIDTH: 125px; HEIGHT: 80px" alt=[dbs] hspace=10 src="http://www.audioholics.com/news/thumbs/dbs_th.jpg" align=left border=0></A>Over the holiday break, I decided to peruse my local A/V retail shop for a new Plasma for my master bedroom system. To protect the store’s identity lets refer to them as “Un-Sound Advice”. While I was walking the floor, I couldn’t help but listen in on some of the salesman talking with customers. I invoked the most cherished Federation prime directive of non-interference on myself and the Audioholics staff years ago to avoid any conflicts at local retailers I happen to be visiting of my own free will. This did NOT however preclude me from eavesdropping or writing editorials on my experiences.</SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">[Read the Editorial]</SPAN></P>

 

[abboudc]

I had a similar experience at RadioShack over the holidays. I went for a subwoofer cable and the chirpy sales associate handed me a high end wire. I put it back on the shelf and took the generic shielded RCA to RCA cable that was 10x less expensive.

She sees me do this and as i check out decides to take a jab.

Her: "So you didn't want the best sound from your system, huh? I see you bought the generic and didn't want to spend the money. And i only gave you the mid-grade"

Me: "Yeah, well, cables don't make any real difference, so why spend the money"

Her (rather condescendingly): "MonsterCable.com. I suggest you look it up when you go home."

I just laughed, shook my head and walked out. I'm sure they hook a lot of people though.

 

[Seth=L]

I tell you those Radio Shack technicians are really smart.

They once told me that Component Video is the single yellow wire, Composite was red, green, blue, and S-Video was better than the other two.

REAL SMART PEOPLE!!!

 

[JeffCos]

Her (rather condescendingly): "MonsterCable.com. I suggest you look it up when you go home."

How could you not respond "Bluejeanscable.com, i suggest YOU look IT up when you go home"

Oh man, i would have died laughing if i heard that.

 

[The Dukester]

Nice choice of names...Ben-Dover. I hear/see the salesfolks at the big box stores all the time doing nearly the same pitch, even if the coutomer is buying a $79 DVD player.

 

[Seth=L]

The part I love is how the salesman said the Battery is not connected to the cable. What is Audioquest's claim to what having a battery on the cable does for the cable or sound?

 

[majorloser]

Alas, I must admit that I have spent far too much of my hard earned money at that establishment.........................Oh do I hate Un-Sound Advice!!!

Their employment interview must include some sort of ulta "A-hole" personality test. I have not been in one of their stores where the creatures working inside do not deserve my favorite term,
"sales hole".

But we live and learn.

 

[pbarach1]

Gene: Thanks for posting this. I particularly enjoyed the remark about the speaker cables needing to be of equal length. Since the signal travels at the SPEED OF LIGHT, the principles of physics mean that you'd need ears that can hear the signal before it travels down the cable in order to hear "timing differences" between different lengths of speaker cable.

 

[jneutron]

from my semi photogenic memory

Semi photogenic?? This I gotta see. I've never seen a "pretty" brain that photographs well.

Was it a CAT scan, an MRI, or a PET scan???

Hi Gene, Happy new year.

Purchased me a 40 inch bravia EO last year. Salesguy was gonna sell me a "nitrogen dielectric" cable..

I asked him..what is a nitrogen dielectric?.

My sig. other looked at his "deer in the headlights" face...she told him not to go there..she is kind..

Cheers, John

 

[gene]

The part I love is how the salesman said the Battery is not connected to the cable. What is Audioquest's claim to what having a battery on the cable does for the cable or sound?

Well you can read this advertorial, I mean review of the system:
http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue18/audioquestdbs.htm

or check out our interview with Audioquest on this manner:
http://www.audioholics.com/techtips/audioprinciples/interconnects/Audioquest_DBS.html

Personally I think the Audioholics GLOB blows the Audioquest DBS system out of the water, especially since it has IBS

http://www.audioholics.com/ces/CESmisc/GLOBcable.php

 

[gene]

Semi photogenic?? This I gotta see. I've never seen a "pretty" brain that photographs well.

Oops you caught a typo which until you actually mentioned it, I used to use this term as if it meant photographic. Thanks and Happy New Year to you as well!

 

[majorloser]

Semi photogenic?? This I gotta see. I've never seen a "pretty" brain that photographs well.

I think he meant semi-pornagraphic mind

 

[jneutron]

OOOOOOOhh.you went there...

I think he meant semi-pornagraphic mind

I refrained from the "Ben Dover" reference..I was told that about 20 years ago, one of the cameramen for that type of flick used the pseudoname Ben Dover.

I figured it was best left unsaid..

Cheers, John

ps..Happy New Year

 

[cmusic]

This reminds me when I went to BB to get a PS2 component video cable. The salesman handed me a $125 Monster Cable brand cable. I asked if there were anything less expensive. He said no, this was the only cable of that type BB sold. I noticed some more PSs cables just over his shoulder, but he moved in front of and physically blocked them when I tried to see what they were. I told him I did not want to pay that much and walked off. A few minutes later I came back when the salesman was not around and found a Sony PS2 component video cable he was standing in front of previously for $20.

 

[Seth=L]

That is what I have, the $20 one, works fine.

I loath Monster Cable and A-hole salesmen.

 

[jneutron]

That is what I have, the $20 one, works fine.

I loath Monster Cable and A-hole salesmen.

Why bother?

Monster makes good quality product. Pricing is what the market will bear, build quality is good. Ad hype is another story entirely, they hope that those who do not understand all the gobbledygoop will buy.

Salesmen are doing what is expected of them..

People like you who know about this stuff, just won't spend on something you don't need.

Cheers, John

 

[Seth=L]

Why bother?

Monster makes good quality product. Pricing is what the market will bear, build quality is good. Ad hype is another story entirely, they hope that those who do not understand all the gobbledygoop will buy.

Salesmen are doing what is expected of them..

People like you who know about this stuff, just won't spend on something you don't need.

Cheers, John

It is one thing to try and sell something, but to lie in order to get a better sale is wrong.

 

[JKL1960]

Gene: Thanks for posting this. I particularly enjoyed the remark about the speaker cables needing to be of equal length. Since the signal travels at the SPEED OF LIGHT, the principles of physics mean that you'd need ears that can hear the signal before it travels down the cable in order to hear "timing differences" between different lengths of speaker cable.

I learned this the hard way when I hooked up my first stereo. I used 1 meter of wire to the left speaker and 150,000 kilometers of wire to the right. I got about a half second delay.

I'll never pull that boner again.

 

[jneutron]

It is one thing to try and sell something, but to lie in order to get a better sale is wrong.

Lying is of course inexcusable, if that were the case.

Monster isn't lying, they may just be stretching the truth, or taking creative licence.I still am not sure what a "flux tube" is, it has no meaning to me. But it may just be a trademarked buzz word.

The salesman was asked if there was anything less expensive..did he realize the question was any cable, or just the monster product. May be a lie, may not.

I certainly would not trust a salesman to provide good technical content, nor to tell me it was out of his domain, but I rarely encounter outright lies. I would also be wary that the salesman would tend to direct my attention away from the lower markup material.

Cheers, John

 

[Seth=L]

Stretching the truth is definitely lying. And the salesman in question was a pretty good example of a deceitful person.