Daphne

From my point of view here in the US, it has been very interesting to observe the whole process of the Brexit referendum. It seems by the results of the vote that many in the UK are dissatisfied with the current state of economic and social affairs. Whether the fault lies within EU membership or not, is still a matter of debate. Nevertheless, the citizens of the UK feel it is time for changes to be made. It is all too easy to identify the errors made in the past; it is far more difficult for everyone to agree where they want to be in the future because that will dictate what meaningful changes should be made currently. Of course that will require new leadership which the majority agrees upon and identifies with. It will be interesting to observe how Parliament reacts. I have found the comments and opinions made by the UK citizens on this subject to be informative and quite interesting. So, how and in which direction do you gentlemen believe your nation should move forward into future resolution and prosperity?

Perhaps we should pause for a moment from the disgruntled comments and observe this thread as an enlightening experience which illustrates the diverse group of people who assemble here. Regardless of our backgrounds and beliefs, we all have one thing in common. Being an Audiophile is basically a hedonistic endeavor. We pursue this hobby for our individual self-pleasure. The pleasure of listening to the music we most enjoy through the components we assemble. We assemble our systems through the process of justification. We each employ various reasons to justify purchasing a certain component, but most relevant is the pleasure of feeling we made a right and reasonable decision; right up to the point when something new or different will entice us to justify the replacement or addition of a new component that has the potential of enhancing the pleasure of listening to our favorite music. For some, this becomes a vicious cycle in the pursuit of an ever increasing higher level of pleasure leading to impulse buying and self-justification bias where one will justify their actions after the purchase. However, it is interesting to observe the precise method one uses to provide justification; where one draws the line between rationalism and empiricism. The process always begins with logical, plausible reasons why we need a certain component and proceeds with determining what will meet the imagined requirements and fulfill our desires – how we rationalize an acquisition. The second aspect is all about the senses. After all, this is a purchase of a physical object. It must be observed, touched, and listened to, especially an object that delivers the music we so enjoy listening to. The whole process of being an Audiophile enables each of us to be gods of our domain. We are free to determine the level of self-pleasure without any outside influence; the freedom of choice without any criticism, or circumstances beyond our control that affect our everyday life. We enable ourselves the ability to create our personal sanctuary outside the effects of system-justification. Hundreds of people enjoy this forum daily to ask questions, gain knowledge, discuss the adventures being an Audiophile, new products, curious discoveries, music, and even dissatisfaction with items that affect our beloved hobby. Perhaps someone can explain why the few self-entitled need to express how malcontent they are with current politics, economic conditions, and social issues on an audio forum. Sure we go off topic a little now and then, even a few heated debates, but the topics posted on this thread with such condescending and arrogant attitudes are way outside the realm of an audio forum. Because Bill posted an interesting example of outrageous behavior over a cable demonstration, I don’t believe it was his intention to offer an open invitation for a few individuals to start bitching about life on planet earth. We are bludgeoned by these issues daily. This is a forum where Audiophiles come to escape from such nonsense and violating this principle demonstrates disrespect for the many that frequent this website.

Hi udis: To answer your question, I have not seen or listened to any Ayre component with Raidho speakers. The Ayre AX-5 Twenty is an excellent integrated amp, but who knows how it will match with your Raidho D1’s. Perhaps some other audio forums will have more information, or a home audition might be required. It is definitely a combination I’m interested in hearing. I’m not familiar with any dealers in the area that carry Ayre components except Audible Images way up in Melbourne. This past fall while in Switzerland, I listened to the D1 speakers connected to a Jeff Rowland Continuum S2 integrated amp, with a Lumin A1 and also with a dcs Rossini Player and Clock; a very simple and excellent sounding system. Just thought I would mention; this is a Class D amplifier, but it does not sound like any Class D amp I have ever listened to. (Nevertheless, many still believe that Class D does not produce the sound quality of a Class A or A/B amps.) This is a very neutral and revealing pairing so choose your front end carefully. I have an employee (my system analyst) who has the D1s, with a single 10” REL subwoofer powered by the new Mark Levinson No. 585 integrated amp/DAC and Aurender N10. That is one sweet sounding system for a small room. This is the only system I have listened to with a subwoofer added to the D1’s and it definitely added a missing dimension. It is set up in a room that is 11 by 14 feet with a high vaulted ceiling and a skylight. The room is primarily used as a studio by his wife and contains only a large drawing table, a long computer desk with shelves, stool, and love seat sofa. She is an editorial illustrator and enjoys listening to classical music while working. They originally auditioned the Raidho D1s with a Devialet unit, but Alex is a Mark Levinson fan and claims the D1s sound better with the No. 585. I had the opportunity of listening to this system for 2.5 hours, with and without the subwoofer, and a wide variety of music. Now this is just my opinion, but I found the D1s performed just fine without the subwoofer. How much SPL does one really need in a small room? In addition, I found the No.585 to be well worth the $12,000 price, and the internal DAC is outstanding. Well worth the trouble if a home audition. To explain in more detail; listening to a string quartet on the D1s is outstanding, but with a full orchestral performance, or Rock and Roll, the D1s lack weight, impact, and SPL in the bass. I know one can say this about all two way monitor speakers, but the Raidho’s tend to lack just a little more than some others, but they make up for it in every other way, and not by a small margin. The Continuum S2 or the Devialet are the only Class D amps I have ever seen being used with any Raidho speaker. Most amplifiers have been Class AB. My employee Alex was telling me he was at some audio show where the D1s were being powered by a pair of Constellation Centaur monoblocks (extreme overkill). While in Paris, at Aphrotide’s Melody, I saw the D1 connected to the unique Aavik Acoustics integrated amp/DAC, a Playback Designs server, and a Brinkman turntable, with Ansuz cables. It sounded really nice to me. The rather nice middle aged Frenchman gave me the State of the Art rap about the system right up to the point I made the comment there was nothing state of the art about a belt drive turntable and suggested he save it for the next Retrophile. Even though my French was better than his English, I failed to adequately explain Retrophile and moved on to ask why the Aavik only had single ended inputs like an integrated amp from the 1980’s. I am familiar with the Vitus RI-100 integrated amp. Four to five years ago, one would be hard pressed finding an integrated amp to compete with the RI-100, but in the past two years the competition has caught up. However, it is still one of the best available. A step up would be the Vitus SIA-025 integrated amp which is simply outstanding. Close friends I went to college with live in New Hope, Pennsylvania overlooking the Delaware River. They have a gorgeous home (more like a compound) and in their living room they have the Vitus SIA-025 integrated amp with the Vitus SCD-025 CD player/DAC connected to a pair of Wilson Sophia 3 speakers. They purchased the system from a dealer in the Philadelphia area. I have no idea where Vitus components would be available in Florida. When I was visiting for 3 days after Thanksgiving they had added an Aurender N10 and are now using strange magnetic cables made by a company called High Fidelity. I share an apartment in NYC with this couple (I own the apartment, but we split the monthly maintenance fees). We have an Accuphase E560 integrated amp with the DP720 SACD/CD player and a pair of Vienna Acoustics Kiss speakers. Accuphase builds some really nice integrated amps. They will last for decades, and the resale value is fairly good. I have been following all the threads on speakers and integrated amps because I have a new second office in Sausalito, California with windows looking out over a colorful houseboat community and the bay. I really like the Raidho D1 speakers and think they would fit nicely in the new office space, but I am also undecided on which integrated amp to use. I generally listen to light music during the day while working and the Raidho D1 speakers are superb for my purpose. In my Boca Raton office I am using a pair of Wilson Duette speakers, a Boulder 865 integrated amp, Berkeley Alpha DAC RS with the Meridian Control 15 and Media Core 600. Except for the DAC this system is a good 7 years old. I like the Wilson speakers because they are designed to perform close to the wall which works well in a small office. I thought about going with the Wilson Duette Series 2 speakers which are even better. However, I’m up for something a little different this time. There are some excellent integrated amps on the market today. I was thinking about checking out the Constellation Argo which I hear is an excellent integrated amp and pairs very well with Raidho speakers, but a little on the pricy side – around $23,000. Also, the Dan D’Agostino Momentum Integrated Amp, specifically the new D’Agostino Mlife integrated amp with the built in DAC and streamer to audition, the thought of a one box solution for my office is appealing. Then again, even though I’m a D’Agostino owner and fan, $45,000 for an integrated amp just to power a pair of small monitor speakers seems ridiculous. Considering the Raidho D1 monitors with stands are in the neighborhood of $23,000, they are truly in the realm of high-end speakers. And now talk of integrated amps crossing the forbidden threshold into five figures, well… this seems to be an uncommon thread for CA.

Hi udis: I see you are down in Miami. Is the dealer you purchased the Raidho’s from John (I forget his last name) located in the old Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables?

I have used various Stillpoints on components in the past with mixed results. I used the Ultra SS on a SACD/CD transport and separate DAC that worked fine. The same Stillpoints performed excellently with one headphone amp, and poorly on the other. I had a pair of large Wilson Maxx 3 speakers several years ago, placed on a concrete floor covered with a Brazilian Cherry (Jatoba) glued to the floor. I replaced the spikes with the large Stillpoints Ultra 5 and they worked wonders. However, on a wood floor supported by wood floor joists I am not sure they would be the best choice. My daughter has a wood floor supported by joists. She placed Herbie’s Spike decoupling gliders under the speaker’s spikes in lieu of small plain metal disks. Currently I am using Symposium Rollerblocks, and a few of the Symposium Ultra Platforms on several components like my DAC, SACD player, and turntable. (Rollerblocks are very touchy to stress exerted by cables.) I am also using some Finite Elemente Cerabase for heavier components. After experimenting with several different types of vibration isolation methods, I have found these products to be superior for the components in my system. There are quite a number of vibration isolation products on the market today. I have discovered there is no one solution for every component. It depends on the component, the placement of the components in the room; the type of rack, shelf, or cabinet one is using, and the flooring. I only decided on Symposium Rollerblocks through a trial and error method. There are several excellent threads here on the CA forum relating to vibration isolation. Check out this blog: Roller-type Vibration Isolation Devices info for audio - Blogs - Computer Audiophile Dave has supplied some excellent links.

There has been a lot of talk and articles written about the Ayre KX-5 Twenty. I must admit, the sound quality is superb, but on the pricy side if you are firm on under $10,000. I have an employee who just purchased the KX-5 Twenty to power his TAD Compact Reference speakers. The digital front end is an Aurender N10 to an Ayre QB9 DSD DAC, Nordost cables, a Torus power supply, and a selection of Stillpoints’ acoustic panels. He upgraded his speakers from Dynaudio C1 to the TAD, then from the Ayre AX-7e to the new KX-5 Twenty. I also listened for several hours the KX-5 Twenty with a pair of Vienna Acoustics Klimt Kiss speakers, another outstanding system. IMO it is hard to imagine most of the integrated amps mentioned so far in this thread competing with the KX-5 Twenty. The Pass INT 150, comes close to the Ayre at a good $5000 less, just an impressive amp for the price. More neutral and with superior bass control is the Boulder 865 at the same price point as the Ayre. I purchased one back in 2012 with a pair of Wilson Duette speakers for my office. In 2014 I purchased a 2012 Boulder 865 for $8800 for my son and mated it with a pair of used 2010 Wilson Sophia 2 speakers (my daughter’s old speakers). I have a friend that has matched the Boulder 865 with a pair of Revel Ultima 2 Studio 2 speakers. That is the limit the Boulder will handle, even though it will deliver the 150 watts @ 8 ohms and 4 ohms. Also the build quality and longevity of any Boulder is the finest. The Ayre and the Bolder only have balanced inputs if that makes a difference. The Pass INT 150 has balanced and unbalanced inputs. Of course, all three have exceptional build quality. I recently listened to a Jeff Rowland Continuum S2 integrated amp. It has a Class D amp with lots of power: 400 watts @ 8 ohms and 800 watts @ 4 ohms. The sound quality is outstanding and definitely does not sound like any Class D amp I have ever listened to. In my opinion it beats the SQ of any Devialet. It had no problems driving a pair of YG Acoustics Hailey 1.2 speakers. It is on the pricy side, around $9500. A basic internal DAC and Phono stage are also available options for a few hundred more. Just thought I would mention a point to consider about Devialet components. Despite all the glowing reviews and outstanding features, this is a new company without any history of longevity and customer service, and unpredictable resale value five years from now. I cannot comment on Balanced Audio Technologies or Parasound. I know people who own these components but have not really listened to their systems with music to offer an opinion. Both are using the components as home theater/music systems.

I have a basic general outlook on the subject of audio cables. If there is one thing I have learned being an unhinged audiophile over the past 25 years or so - there is a difference between theory and reality, a difference between objective data and the subjective listening experience. Here is my opinion on cables: HDMI cables: From my experience, most of the claims made my manufacturers of outrageously expensive high end HDMI cables are pure nonsense. Analog interconnects: I have found the sonic difference between balanced interconnects to be so minimal I have actually induced a headache attempting to hear the difference. Then again I have only been using cables with superior shielding which tend to cost more. USB cables: I am not a fan of USB. I will hold my head down in shame as I confess wasting too many dollars on USB cables, not to mention all the wasted time comparing cables. Even more idiotic, twice I purchased pairs of USB cables to compare in an attempt to verify the theory of burn in time, only to discover that was nonsense. Now, if I need to use USB I will generally connect through the Berkeley Alpha USB interface. Ethernet cables: I have a Meridian system with drives and a server connected to several rooms with Meridian in wall speakers. I am not sure what type of LAN cable was installed. The rest of the internet around the home is using Cat6a. I was using a GISO isolator for my Lumin S1 and the result was like they say “not subtle.” IMO forget expensive Ethernet cable and go fiber for a fraction of the cost with superior isolation and sonic results. Speaker cables: I have tried a number of speaker cables over the years and all have produced a slightly different sonic signature. Why, I don’t exactly know, and basically don’t care. The difficult part is in deciding which one I prefer over the other. One thing is for certain, I am not parting with the same amount, or more, for a pair of speaker cables than the cost of an excellent amplifier. Power cables: Power cables can make a sonic improvement. However, what I have found to make the most significant improvement with any system is delivering clean power to each component and isolating the digital components away from the analog components. Power cables are secondary. So, addressing the main thread subject; here is a unique, and confusing, marketing statement AudioQuest has published on their website in bold type: “DO NO HARM! Cable design is all about damage control. No Cable can make your system sound or look better, they can only cause damage to the original signal. AudioQuest’s perspective has always been to design cable that DO NO HARM!” For a company that offers 5 to 10 levels of each type of cable, it is obvious that some cables do “more harm” that others. I assume it is left to the consumer how much harm to the audio signal each is willing to live with. Don’t forget, “no cable can make your system sound better.” As I was writing the above AudioQuest statement my thoughts were spinning. It is like reading some type of oxymoron statement – “Always be sincere, even though you do not necessarily mean it.” This brought to mind my dad’s opinion on audio cables. Most audio cable manufacturers (not all) are a direct result of the Maker Culture. Basically, someone tinkering with a piece of wire and a multi meter with a good dose of bricolage thrown in. They have reduced the marketing strategy of the audio industry into “if you make it, they will buy it.” Then there is the dark side where a good 25% of audio cable manufacturers are nothing more than unscrupulous opportunists – the definition of a carpetbagger. My dad also has a theory about why some cables may sound different than other cables. He believes it is partially related to the connectors. Factors such as the metallurgy of the connectors, lack of quality control when bonding the wire to the connector and possibly the insulation within the connector, or any combination the three, may affect the sound quality. Just some Tall Talk from a man in his late 60s who has been an eccentric audiophile, tube loving, vinyl aficionado for the past 50 years. I can recall watching him cut the RCA terminals off cables and soldering the connections between the turntable, to the internal components of the phono pre amp, pre amp and amplifier. He was eliminating the problems associated with connectors and the atmospheric contaminants which cause tarnish and corrosion on non-soldered and non-gas-tight electrical connections. Purchase top quality cable in bulk like the type used in recording studios, hard wire all your components, and never waste any time or energy listening to anything a cable manufacturer claims. Oh, my dad has many opinions on the audio world. Now my daughter is a young, 25 year old digital audiophile and proud of it. She believes everything her grandfather has to say, right up to the point when she turns to ask, “mom, it that true?”

Currently I have around 450 SACDs. Most are unavailable as high resolution downloads, or any other format with equal SQ. I did not expect my collection to grow past 200, but I have been visiting Japan every June or late August since 2006. SACDs are alive and well in Japan, and the selection is outstanding. I had a Marantz SA-11S2 from 2009 through 2013, it was an excellent CD/SACD player, well made, and I never had a single problem with it. My daughter has the Ayre Acoustics C-5xeMP and that is also an excellent CD/SACD player. Unfortunately, both are out of production now, but if you can find one used, either would be a great buy in my opinion; about $3200 for the Ayre, and less than $2500 for the Marantz. A more versatile, but more expensive, player would be the Ayre DX-5 but I’m not sure if SACD would sound any better than the C-5xeMP. I have several friends who believe dcs is the global standard, claiming their quality leaves all other manufacturers of disc players and DACs in a state of embarrassment. Why else would their components be so expensive. I have nothing negative to say about dcs, except for the price. Used Puccini SACD/CD players from 2008 are going for around $6K to $7K. However, we are talking SACD here, and the Puccini in my opinion, when playing SADCs, is no better than the Ayre C-5xeMP at one third the price. “If,” you can find a used Meitner EMM Labs CDSA-SE SACD player, it would also be a very good choice. The SACD sound quality is excellent. Just make sure it has the Esoteric drive, and not the Phillips drive. I have seen a 2011 unit for around $4000. There are used Accuphase SACD players available. I have a friend who recently negotiated $5900 for a DP-700 unit in pristine condition. He drove 4.5 hours each way to get it. This is a unique player, meaning outstanding SACD performance, but don’t expect it to excel with RB-CD. The SQ of the Accuphase is a whole level beyond anything I have mentioned above, or most likely above 85% of any SACD players, even the transport is the best, and the unit weighs in at around 60 pounds. Then again, many rant and rave about the Esoteric K-03, or the K-01. A used K-03 can be found for $4000 to $5000, double that amount for a K-01 (>$9000). I listened to a demo of a new Esoteric K-07 ($5K to $6K) and K-03 through Wilson Alexia speakers and D’Agostino components. There was no mistaking the K-03 was a superior unit. I had the opportunity to compare the Marantz SA-7S1 with the Esoteric players. The Marantz has a distinct sound and will match up better with a highly neutral system. I also listened to the Krell Cipher which was quite nice, but connected to all Krell components with CAST cables. I did not hear the Cipher used with other systems. I cannot offer a more detailed description on each SACD player because most of my listening sessions were performed during May, or October of 2014. The following is just my personal opinion: I have not seen or listened to any miraculous improvements over the past 3 to 4 years with SACD players, just more convenience like the addition to utilize the player as a DAC, and some trickle down DAC technology from high end to less expensive models. I suggested used high end players from around 3 years ago (originally in the $6K to $15K price range) because they still offer superior sound quality and construction when compared to many new players under 5K. Accuphase, Ayre, Esoteric, Krell, Marantz, Meitner EMM Labs are all quality SACD players which just might outlast SACD production. I omitted Denon players because I owned 3 during the late 1990’s. The transports failed in each one in about a year. I won’t be fooled again. Just my personal choice. Four months ago, I listened to at least 6 new SACD players in the 7k to 25K price range prior to making a purchase for my new system. By far, in my opinion, the two best were the Accuphase DP 720, and the EMM Labs XDS1-V2. New, both are 5 times your budget; used would be greater than 3 times your budget. I went with the XDS1-V2 because I liked the way is sounded in my system. Perhaps someday I will take on the project of downloading my SACD collection. For now, I have not advanced to the total couch potato stage in life. I can still arise and take four steps to select and insert an SACD. Anyway, I enjoy visiting the music stores in Osaka where I have met a number of audiophiles and interesting characters over the years.

Religious faith is being passed about as if there is some type of reasonable logic involved. All the logic is in favor of the deity, never in favor of the worshipers. All gods require blind faith, to believe in their intangible existence without question, otherwise a God would cease to exist. All gods are jealous of other gods, and they should be feared if their strict rules are not followed. In connection with Christianity, the only rewards are toil, self-sacrifice, and a life of redemption only to feel your God’s loving kindness, and forgiveness of one’s immortal soul in the afterlife. What a wonderful concept. The formal worship of a god offers humanity the opportunity to feel there is something more to life than eating, toil, rest, and reproduction. Blind faith promises to help us prosper; overcome earthly fears, and the bonus of a heavenly afterlife or the possibility of being reincarnated into a better life. For Christians everything is laid out in Exodus 20, 1 through 26. Oh, and for Christians there is a special caveat, if you covet your neighbors fine audio system, that could be tantamount to the sin of heresy requiring punishment to even your third and fourth generation. And let us not forget all the illogical and somewhat bizarre rituals involved with worshiping a God. I’m just taking the position of being an observer of religions, in life I do make every attempt at being a virtuous and ethical person, (and hope my children will do the same). After all, good intent and good deed contribute to good karma and future happiness, without the need to worship a god. That brings me to the infinite. Metaphysically speaking, the Infinite is all inclusive. The term stands alone, it has no opposite, there is no beginning or end, the infinite includes all and nothing. God is not the infinite; God is a human concept, part of the finite, therefore included in the infinite. To experience the infinite it to be enlightened, there is no path to enlightenment, and no guide to point the way. One may be able to relate to audio in an enlightened way by contemplating the question, what is the sound of one hand clapping? So, when considering the analogy of God and the Audiophiles one can spin in circles for days with attempting to compare non-empirical concepts with empirical activity. In the end, when everyone moves on to the next thread what remains is simple: what you are, or what you know, or what you believe, is what you get. Now, for what I would consider a religious connection, last year I saw a dream audio system that was just stunning. While in the San Francisco Bay area, I stopped by to visit some old friends who had finished renovation on their home in Ross. They had built a new wing on the house and on the lower level is a wine room with the new listening room above. On the heavy entrance door to the listening room was a redwood burl plank. Engraved with a laser is the last half of the poem Kubla Khan, modified at the end. Our Guiding Mantra It was a miracle of rare device, A sunny pleasure-dome with caves of ice! A damsel with a dulcimer In a vision once I saw: It was an Abyssinian maid And on her dulcimer she played, Singing of Mount Abora. Could I revive within me Her symphony and song, To such a deep delight ’twould win me, That with music loud and long, I would build that dome in air, That sunny dome! those caves of ice! And all who heard should see them there, And all should cry, Beware! Beware! His flashing eyes, his floating hair! Weave a circle round him thrice, And close your eyes with holy dread For he on “AUDIO” hath fed, And “heard the sounds” of Paradise. They had created a room to worship their audio system. The interior architecture is something to behold. An oval dome on the ceiling with a sunny blue sky mural painted inside the dome, with black and white cranes flying above. All the acoustical absorption/diffusion panels were built into the wood paneled walls. Rounded curved beams cascaded down from the dome with an exquisite art nouveau pattern, like giant vines. The trim moldings had black, red, and gold leaf accents. The lighted wall sconces were large frosted glass ice icicles back lit to glow and hung from the vertical side beams. They had a pair of Living Voice Vox Olympian Speakers with the large sub woofers. Between the speakers is a long, low, antique, hand carved teak Buddha alter with 4 VTL tube mono blocks on top. The speakers and alter sat about 6 feet forward from the wall, behind the alter on a dark brown marble base is a 4 foot high bronze statue of a sitting nude woman playing a golden dulcimer. Natural light was supplied through a strip of stained glass windows. The windows ran around the perimeter on three walls, about 12 inches down from the ceiling, but only 24 inches high, with an art nouveau pattern of lotus and poppy flowers, as if the entire vaulted ceiling floated on the strip of windows. On the back wall was a large 6 foot square painting of the Buddha Goddess Kurukulla (pronounced koo-roo-KOO-lei). Below the painting is a shelf with a collection of Buddha statues. On either side of the painting are heavy teak doors with ornate relief carved panels of jungle scenes with dragons, tigers and elephants. The doors open to reveal their vinyl album and CD collection. The audio components are on the left wall near the entrance door sitting within built in cabinets. The wood flooring was done in a herringbone pattern and stained to match the woodwork. The room is 30 feet deep and 24 feet wide. The listening position had three dark emerald green leather club chairs with ottomans. Behind the chairs, about five feet, is a long matching leather sofa. In front of the chairs is a thick Persian Bidjar rug, a geometric design of trees and flowers in dark reds and greens, gold and ivory colors. Oh, and those three, thick, 4 foot square white rabbit fur pillows for lounging on the floor was a nice touch. The exotic décor of the room had this warn enchanted feel about it, like some hidden pleasure retreat deep within an Asian palace. A custom designed and built shrine to enjoy their audio system. Oh, and those bespoke Olympian horn speakers are not only exquisite works of art but the sound quality is divine. Now that is a room most any audiophile, subjective or objective nature, could possibly make a religious connection to their music.

Thank you, esldude, for not employing your typical modus operandi and actually stating your opinion in the original post. However, I must disagree. It has always been this way! Ever since the first article appeared in TIME magazine on Monday, Jan. 14, 1957. Audiophilia A new neurosis has been discovered: audiophilia, or the excessive passion for hi-fi sound and equipment. The discoverer: Dr. Henry Angus Bowes, clinical director in psychiatry at Ste. Anne's Hospital for veterans at Ste. Anne de Bellevue, Que., himself an audio fan. Tweet by tweet and woof by woof, at a research meeting of the American Psychiatric Association, Psychiatrist Bowes spelled out how audiophiliacs behave. Most of them are middleaged, male and intelligent, drawn largely from professions requiring highly conscientious performance (the church, accountancy, medicine, especially psychiatry). They are often single (or if married, childless). They rarely play any musical instrument well themselves. The hi-fi devotee, Dr. Bowes found, "is very frequently of compulsive personality, and tends to go through rituals in the playing of his recordings." What distinguishes the psychopathological addict from the enthusiastic followers of this (or any other) hobby? Dr. Bowes answered: "His tendency to become preoccupied with, and dependent upon, the bizarre recorded sounds . . . combined with the urgency of the need and the final insufficiency of all attempts to satisfy it ... The sound is turned up and up until it reaches the physical level of pain . . . One addict told me he would not be satisfied until he could hear the drop of saliva from the French horns." Those who are not well organized emotionally, said Dr. Bowes, "will treat their hi-fi set as the emotionally immature treat a car—as an expression of aggression, as a power symbol." To many it has a sexual connotation: addicts may be seeking a "sterile reproduction without biological bother," and in extreme cases, a record collection becomes a "symbolic harem." Significantly, says Psychiatrist Bowes (married, no children), an addict's wife almost always demands that the volume be turned down: "Perhaps in the male's interest in hi-fi she senses a rival, as shrill and discordant as herself." An unconscious motive for buying expensive equipment is often a desire for revenge, said Dr. Bowes. "One very compulsive patient, who found the sexual side of matrimony completely nauseating," he recalled, "was financially ruining his fairly wealthy wife by his extravagant purchases . . . while she obtained instinctual gratification elsewhere. As he somewhat ruefully remarked: 'She's interested in low fidelity and high frequency.' " For my opinion on this subject, I don’t give a damn what anyone thinks about my Audiophile tendencies for several good reasons: It is my personal hobby, my time, my discretionary income, and ultimately my enjoyment. In addition, this is the internet which offers the opportunity for any yahoo with access to publish an opinion 24/7/365 on any subject imaginable. If someone feels the need to criticize Audiophiles for purchasing any outrageously expensive tweak why should that be any concern to anyone on this Forum? If those type of articles, which have been circulating for almost 50 years, cause anyone in this hobby to have a degree of anxiety, or feel offended, then perhaps that is a matter for seeking some therapy. Now, esldude, you know that this same subject matter has periodically appeared on the CA forum and well discussed time and again. You have been here long enough to know what most opinions are, as we are all too familiar with your opinions. In fact, I can say that regarding the redundancy of subject matter with many of your recent thread posts. It is like watching a cat play with its favorite toy every day. The cat will see it, crouch in anticipation, lay in wait, then pounce on its toy and beat it around the room. Then again, this is the internet, and you seem to be having a delightful time expressing your agenda. Many thanks for reminding us of our Audiophile shortcomings.

Opportunity Knocking Now that audiophile Cat 7 cable is here, for those with an entrepreneurial spirit opportunity is knocking. I can hear it from where I’m sitting. The door is open for the Audiophile grade Gigabit Switch!!! A 4 or 8 port switch, high quality parts, military grade circuit board, all internal wiring is Cryo treated, separate linear power supply, high quality fuse, both cases are milled from aluminum billet, spiked feet, and comes with a high quality power cable, all for the reasonable price of $8500. All one would need is a great line of marketing BS, just the right amount of pseudoscience to imply a mystery, and hit the audio show circuit with samples for review. Within a year we will be reading articles that tout 100 hours of burn-in time for these CAT cables. Why not hijack that notion and create a special CAT cable break-in generator at the same time. The real humor here is the developer’s greedy laughter all the way to their bank.

I like Paul and have always enjoyed reading his posts, so I will address his comment first. Why would that be surprising? There are advertisers who seduce the masses into believing without using a certain brand of toothpaste you will be sexually unattractive. I don’t know what you could be thinking of Paul. Just look at all the crazy gadgets claiming their use will enhance the sound quality, from magic bricks to self adhesive dots. Without some type of mystery implied within the seduction, who would ever make a purchase? Come on guys, you are killing me here. Am I to believe that sbgk is so socially inept that he has no clue of seduction and requires an example? I realize few men had any idea of seduction skills through the mid 19th century, but that dramatically changed during the 20th century. OK, perhaps I was wrong to make such an assumption, please accept my apology. It was never my intent to be abrasive or to upset anyone. I can offer up hundreds of examples, from historical to modern day. Seduction can take many forms: verbal interaction, the written word, facial expressions, body language, alluring attire, tone of voice, poetry, art, music, etc. For centuries women secretly held the art of seduction. A woman who had enough ambition and courage to seek opportunities, beyond being treated as owned property, would use the skills of seduction to gain power and wealth in a world completed dominated by men. History only tells of the most audacious of wives and mistresses. Most preferred to stay anonymously in the background. Of course, well-behaved women don’t make history. I don’t believe an intense tale of sexual seduction would be appropriate for this website; therefore I will focus on a more practical situation for an example. When purchasing high end luxury goods, where commissions are substantial, savvy salespeople can employ oh so subtle yet sophisticated seduction techniques. I can illustrate an example I experienced this past holiday season. I was shopping at a high end jewelry store in Boca Raton, Florida. For Christmas I was seeking a pair of earrings with a matching bracelet or necklace for my daughter, something she could wear with a formal black cocktail dress; Black onyx with a few diamonds. The salesman was pleasant and quite helpful. I narrowed the selection down to two pair and needed to make a decision. He described the differences and started the closing. He looked straight into my eyes with a nice smile, and then came the question, “So what do you think?” Those five simple words initiated the seduction. I had not seen that technique since I purchased a car last year. He was not looking for a verbal answer, but a physical response. Here is how it works. This old technique requires keen observation skills. One needs to be familiar with eye movement, facial expressions and body language. The salesman was attempting to discover my decision making process. If one looks up while contemplating a decision is means the person bases their decisions on the visual, sided to side is on sound, looking down is emotions. The higher the IQ the more likely the person will look in two or all three directions. Once the reaction has been observed, regardless of the verbal response, the salesman can make an intimate connection. Using comments like, just imagine how nice you will look, or just imagine the compliments, or how good it feels to be wearing something so exquisite and new. An ever so subtle and effective intimate connection and the purchaser will feel more at ease, more trusting, more willing to spend without having a clue to being seduced. Once the salesperson knows your decision making process the closing is an easy process and they have the opportunity to up sell, or sell additional items. This is an effective initial technique employed with seduction through verbal interaction. One needs some type of clue of an individual prior to proceeding with their introduction of a new idea, or their point of view. Teachers use this technique to seduce student’s curiosity in a subject, Coaches with athletes, or a motivational speaker with a doubtful untrusting individual. I can take this method a step further. Imagine you are having a discussion with a small group of people. You have listened and want to gain their interest in your point of view. By presenting a scenario and asking “what do you think,” will offer clues on how to proceed with your presentation; thus seducing them into considering your point to be more relevant than their opinions. Since I am addressing a group of men, imagine you are in the same group. This time you notice a female in the group you are attracted to. You want to discover more about her, perhaps asking her out on a date. By making eye contact and directly addressing the question “what do YOU think,” will offer clues on how to respond without the group having any clue as to what is going on. It will offer the opportunity to initiate a later more intimate seductive conversation, because she is more at ease, more trusting and more willing to be open. Always remember, seduction through verbal interaction is generally most successful when conducted in a delicately complex and understated manner using language that expresses rich and subtle meanings. I have used the described method (along with other techniques) when conducting business. Prior to entering a negotiation, if I am unfamiliar with anyone attending, I will initiate a casual conversation prior to the meeting. This will enable me to employ various methods. I am uncomfortable sitting down at a conference table without a psychological advantage. If I do not have that advantage I will listen and postpone any decision or agreement. I like winning on my terms. The objective is seducing the other parties into believing I have compromised. For an excellent primer on the subject read The Art of Seduction, by Robert Greene. However, this is only a “primer.” To be truly successful at seduction one will need to read the relevant classics and develop skill sets. So gentlemen, “what do you think” of my example.

Poor baby, you must be living alone in a basement with just your computer. How charming is that? If you are referring to the statement in my above example, the seduction suggestion has already been made. Your response would be a denial. Meaning you were successfully seduced into listening but did not agree with the suggestion. On the other hand, if one made the suggestion “I cannot hear a difference,” the suggestion could seduce others into listening for any difference. Seduction is very successful when one implies a mystery, because it’s in our human nature to solve mysteries. We are naturally attracted to the mysterious.

Can’t You See This I Believe: The Art of Seduction is a very powerful tool in life. We all seduce and are being seduced every day. Seducing another person is what children practice; seducing the masses requires a degree of knowledge and skills. It is not that difficult, and with practice, you will be amazed with the results. However, seduction is a skill one must practice with discretion, restraint and responsibility; otherwise your world will evaporate while being crucified by your victims. However, once you know the Art of Seduction, you will be able to see through the veil of manipulation and deception and avoid becoming a victim. Avoid finding yourself singing: Can't you see, whoa, can't you see What that woman, Lord, she been doin' to me! It never ceases to amaze me how many perverted idiots, time and again, can point their finger at something and shout. With repeated pointing and shouting, other idiots will join in, and once a small group is seduced, many others will join in, all along having absolutely no clue what they are pointing and shouting about. Narcissistic, money grubbing Politicians and bogus Evangelists are the drop dead experts at this particular technique of seduction. Sometimes, the Art of Seduction only requires a simple suggestion to initiate a chain of events. In the audio world, all it takes is for someone to say “I can hear a difference.” Suddenly, hundreds will start to listen for that difference, and amazingly a few will agree. After that point one only needs to offer up any explanation as to why the difference and hundreds will hear the difference and agree, while all along no difference actually existed. Oh, it gets better. If you want to make a profit off a seduction, then just offer up a solution and put on your big smile all the way to the bank. Can't you see, can't you see What that woman, she been doin' to me! “It is not enough to conquer; one must learn to seduce.” Voltaire

esl-DUDE!!! Your motive for starting this thread is a little out of line in my opinion. Issuing a science lesson on Occam’s Razor to support your endless facts and opinions issued through over 3000 posts could be considered a bit egotistical. I find it hard to believe you are suggesting we should always conform to staying with currently known facts. That it would be the only “safe” path to follow, anything else would be dangerous if you always want to be correct. How fortunate we are to have someone on this forum that is always correct and available on a daily basis to quote those known facts. I am not saying your points are invalid or illogical, but they seem to be never ending. Do you believe that with a constant daily bombardment of your facts and opinions people will naturally fall in line and become your disciples? To believe without question in the audio gospel according to ESLDUDE? Having faith in the scientific process can expand our knowledge, having unquestionable faith in generally accepted facts locks us into ignorance. We are all free to question what we don’t know or understand. After all, knowledge is the never ending journey into the unknown. Please consider there are just not that many chest beating audiophile gorillas here on CA. You may be taking this subject far too seriously. Perhaps a vacation is long overdue. Venture out and enjoy life, enjoy some new music along the way. On the lighter side, here is an anti-audiophile terrorist, hell bent on defeating the world of recorded music. From this omniscient grey beard of wisdom we have two new terms in the audio world: AnoiseLog and DiJitter. High End Audio Does Not Exist!!! Perhaps this man needs to be cloaked with your gospel of audio scientific facts. Have a Nice Day.