Amir from ASR did exactly that, and I didn't see a whole lot of respect or belief being afforded to him here. I know you're going to say, "But he was mean about it!" -- but what is this, a schoolyard Nintendo vs. Sega debate? I've seen some of those which were far more civilized than this thread. I don't see anyone insisting that. You are hearing what you're hearing! But hearing is a psychological process that can be influenced by other factors than just the changes in air pressure reaching your ear drums. And no amount of willpower or concentration can overcome that fact.
@Calvin_and_Hobbes : Thank for your kind words about my earlier post. Now it is my turn to thank you for your recent responses. They have been reasoned and well thought out. You are not taking your results and jumping to conclusions and making blanket statements. You are not trying to force your experience on everyone else. I totally believe you are not hearing anything and you explained your results and prior experiences very well. We need more of that around here in terms of trying to learn a little more about how this device works and under what conditions. IMHO no one posting on this thread really knows how it works despite their statements to the contrary. Lots of speculation, which is not fact. For the millionth time there is an easy way to find out-just try it. Please keep us informed how you make out with future trials of the NCF. Sharing actual experiences with a product with other hobbyists is one of the many fun aspects of this hobby. That was the original intent of the OP for this thread.
I dont doubt this one bit. Trying to discern differences in blind tests is anything but fun. At least that was my experience. Your experience may vary, but you will never know if you dont try. Im very happy for you Jim, you are "listening to the music play", (that means thoroughly enjoying it for all practical purposes) and that is what it is all about.
I think people (including myself of course) on both sides of this debate need to "roll away the dew" just a bit. Franklin's Tower In another times forgotten space Your eyes looked from your mother's face Wildflower seed on the sand and stone May the four winds blow you safely home Roll away the dew Roll away the dew Roll away the dew Roll away the dew I'll tell you where the four winds dwell In Franklin's tower there hangs a bell It can ring, turn night to day It can ring like fire when you loose your way Roll away the dew Roll away the dew Roll away the dew Roll away the dew God save the child that rings that bell It may have one good ring, baby, you can't tell One watch by night, one watch by day If you get confused, listen to the music play Some come to laugh their past away Some come to make it just one more day Whichever way your pleasure tends If you plant ice you're gonna harvest the wind Roll away the dew Roll away the dew Roll away the dew Roll away the dew In Franklin's tower the four winds sleep Like four lean hounds the lighthouse keep Wildflower seed on the sand and wind May the four winds blow you home again Roll away the dew Roll away the dew Roll away the dew You'd better roll away the dew Roll away the dew You better roll away the dew (roll away) Roll away the dew You better roll away the dew (roll away) Roll away the due Roll away the due (roll away) Roll away the due Roll away the due (roll away) You better roll away
Well, I plugged the NCF as well as the Shunyata Venom Defender into an open outlet on my power strip. Still didn't hear any obvious difference with and without the devices. Next experiment: I also got a Shunyata Venom V10 NR power cord from my friend. I just swapped out the Supra LoRad 3x2.5 power cable on my Denafrips Pontus II for the Shunyata Venom V10 NR power cord.
I found the most pronounced effect of the Clearline when it was plugged into the same outlet as the power conditioner source, or in another outlet in the same electrical zone as the system. Worth trying.
So, I wound up taking receipt of and installing a new Furutech GTX-D NCF(R) wall receptacle, GTX wall plate and NCF carbon fiber frame behind my main system yesterday, with the Clear Line remaining in my power conditioner and my amp plugged directly into the new GTX outlet. Immediately upon plugging in and powering up, the improvements yielded by the Clearline were improved upon at least 2 fold with the addition of the new outlet in my chain. First listen of the AP 45 of SRV's Couldn't Stand the Weather was stunning. Taller, wider, and deeper soundstage, exceptionally reduced noise floor (almost totally black background on that QRP record), and clarity/instrument separation I really didn't expect. I could hear every note strummed and pinpoint the exact place SRV's Fender Vibratone was swirling around in the recording. Really impressed by the change. I understand that these outlets go through some significant teething in the first 500 hours, but so far, everything has been a positive in the right direction, sonically. I'm getting a second receptacle set for my Mancave based on these initial impressions, in addition to an NCF inline filter to pair with my main integrated amp, which I think will effectively complete this power tweak journey before my ROI starts to significantly diminish. Really impressed with these products, the build quality, and the surprising sonic gains from paying closer attention to the quality of power we feed our equipment for comparatively little money to the rest of the crap we focus on in this hobby.
Amir disqualified himself. I guess you weren't paying attention. If someone states their desired outcome before they test something , their findings are not credible. End of story. In fact, it is such a regular occurrence it's shocking he has a following at all. I guess it isn't that difficult to fool a lot of non-scientists.
Quite, I mean Amir and ASR has built a reputation as a "myth buster" and as such is hardly a neutral scientist approaching testing open-mindedly. Furthermore, if we go by the bible of ASR then we would all just use $200 Chinese DACs (they measure the best according to Amir) and $5 Costco cables (expensive cables are a waste of money according to Amir). In fact the forum threads on ASR are unsurprisingly reminiscent of some of the posts on this thread - Amir reviews and lambasts a product (if it isn't a cheap Chinese DAC), his followers go onto the thread lauding him with god-like praise and laughing at the poor fools who would buy such a product, bathing in their perceived superiority for "seeing the light". Sound familiar? The irony is that when you look at the gear list of posters on this and other threads who adopt the objectivist approach and laud ASR, I don't see them using those same cheap Chinese DACs that ASR bangs on about measuring so well and I often see expensive cables listed in their gear list. Seems they don't always practice what they preach.
This is quite an interesting thread, as in that it has a lot of parrallels between religion (especially flat earth theorists) and science, only the other way round. Ghe flat earthers so to speak treat the scientists as a non-founded religion. Funny that. Too bad no-one will read it as I’m blocked by the majority of flat earthers.
So anyone who thinks this product works is equivalent to a flat earther? I'm a behavioral scientist conducting experimental work all the time so hardly a flat earther ! I mean I teach Psychology students experimental design and statistical analysis. I teach about the philosophy of the scientific method, Kuhnian paradigm shifts, falsifiability and all of that. But when it comes to audio I just don't go down the route of designing and executing double blind experiments on every piece of kit I demo - are you saying that you do?
That is rich. You have "graced" this thread with your presence for a little over 2 weeks with an attitude of total superiority and condescension. Your latest is to insult all organized religions. Your questions are always leading questions and asked in a way that is insulting. Somehow the concept that not everyone shares your personal beliefs and opinions is totally lost on you. Yet you lament that the very people you insult and denigrate will not read your words because they have blocked you. I rarely block people, 3 so far with 2 on this thread. Don't give yourself too much credit, your words speak for themselves and I find they are so predictable and for me they are laughable.
So if you fall for Furutech's technobabble marketing hype and the rave reviews in this thread and are absolutely convinced that it's going to make an improvement in your system's sound, and it does, then your findings are not credible? Got it!
‘Understanding’ = anecdotal accounts from other users of the same product. ‘Teething’ = ‘break in’. Ok?
As many have stated ad nauseum, most of those on this forum who found that the NCF made a positive difference were initially quite skeptical. Not one of the positive reviews that I am aware of came from someone who stated "I am absolutely convinced that it's going to make an improvement." This is where your argument doesn't hold water, IMHO. Most, myself included, fully expected the NCF to have absolutely NO effect whatsoever. When it did, as I initially stated when I started the thread, I was so surprised that I had to share my find with others. I was NEVER expecting positive results.
If you're claiming that preconceived notions can change the way it sounds, then you're admitting that the effect it produces is purely psychological.
First thank you for this thread, it raise so many crucial and interesting issues that we (audiophiles) have to live with in the pursuit of our hobby. This device, when looked at how it is built and how it plugs is a very nice case. Not often do we see a device that does absolutely nothing and does not even plug to the audio system while at the same time improve the listening experience. As you, in particular, but other as well, have demonstrated trough your comments and how long you have been on this forum, seem to be both intelligent and credible, it is puzzling that this device can help you with “better” sound. Since it is so easy to take in and out of the equation, just plug and unplug the thing, I looks to me like the perfect candidate to a non sighted test, trying to determine when not knowing if it is there or not, if it still makes a difference. No level to match, no moving of anything, just an assistant plugging it in or out. Why would anyone who has one not be curious about what the results is, is even more puzzling that this device itself.
Yes. Wash, rinse, repeat. His well established bias and agenda renders his conclusions/measurements/etc. absolutely worthless, especially in the context of those attempting to use his data as a reasoning or backup for their opinion. You have all these folks who worship measurements, and their favorite source fails basic scientific standards before he even touches something. It's very telling.
For goodness sakes, it is not I that is claiming preconceived notions, but you. I am merely pointing out the fact that if so many people entered into the listening experience thinking it was NOT going to make a difference, but DID, that throws out YOUR philosophy of preconceived notions.
I don't know what to make of your comment. "Not often do we see a device that does absolutely nothing." Says who? You? Did you try it? If so, and it did nothing, then you have a right to say it did nothing in your system. Please be careful when you make that blanket statement.
