I just wish someone would post a recording with the unit plugged in and one without it plugged in. Or even the manufacturer could do that.
Chris I will respectfully disagree with some of what you said. It really is that simple or could be. I'm sorry but your thought experiment may work for you but is really irrelevant IMHO. We are not talking about your crystals. No disrespect intended. I have no dog in this hunt. I tried it, heard some differences and said so. I only reported what I heard, I am not telling others they must buy it. Unlike others who have never heard it and are in some case being quite arrogant in their insistence that it will not and can not work. I am only suggesting it might be worth trying. Why would I or anyone else that heard positive experiences lie? The people that reported positive experiences do not gain financially if others buy it. They are simply reporting what their personal experience was having actually bought the product and listened to it. About 75-80% reported hearing a difference. Some felt the difference they heard was worth the $250 and kept the product. Other's felt it was minimal or negative and returned it and got their money back. 20-25% heard no difference. I totally respect the opinions of all of the people who bought it, positive or negative. IMHO those are the ONLY relevant opinions. People are trying to tell me how it is going to sound on MY system and they haven't even bothered to try it on their own systems. This product is sold by reputable audio companies with a money back guarantee. It is intended for people that have more than an entry level system that will be able to benefit from what it provides. An entry level system is likely to mask the benefits. This device only costs $250 and there is a money back guarantee. Again Simple. Buy it, try it, keep it or return it. If you aren't willing to try it, just let it go. No one made you buy it-let others make up their own mind for themselves.
There was a gentleman in the UK who did post such a recording of him demoing the sound with a without it. That video was the final item that pushed me over the mark. I thought I heard a difference and decided to give it a go. I have had good experiences with several other Furutech products in other non-electrical power categories. Lastly the OP made an interesting case for trying it and I could get my money back. As for the test I spoke of I thought I could hear a difference so that clinched it for me. At the same time while the test seemed legit, I realized it would be so easy to fake it. The other problem with such a test is you are recording it to video, streaming it up and back again on YouTube and running it through a bunch of equipment that could affect the sound and what you hear.
Ingenieur, you are taking the line that humble-bragging gets you out of all responsibility: "I'm not that smart but I like it, and I can't be responsible for others buying it because I did and recommended it." Jim, yes you do have a dog in this hunt. If you publicly acclaim it as being a benefit to your system, you have encouraged others to buy it. You two may both be right. It may work for you. Are you willing to take any responsibility for others buying it and finding it useless? We all criticise reviewers when we perceive they promote things that they might have been paid to promote. We are sensitive to that. Why should we not hold ourselves to that kind of standard? I'm not saying you were paid; of course not. I am saying the simple fact you paid good money for something affects your view of it. What is our aim here - to give accurate advice and honest experience, or to encourage others to do just as we have done?
Please there is a big difference from me posting on a forum where users share information about their personal experiences and a "professional" reviewer review. I take zero responsibility here. I value my reputation and have no reason to lie or make up stories about this. It worked for me others can decide what to do. As you say I was not paid. I responded to the OP asking what others experience were. Plus I am certainly not the only one posting about their positive results. I have given my opinion of how it works on MY System, on MY electrical grid, in MY listening room to MY ears. That's it. In the past I have also mentioned reasons why it may not work in every system. I fully believe people who tried it and did not have the same experience on their systems. My paying good money for this certainly does influence my opinion of it. It has to work well enough to make it worth the $250.00. The usual suspects will scream expectation bias, my honest expectations were it wouldn't work at all or at least I wouldn't hear it. EDIT: I gave my honest experience and there is a simple money back way to find out for yourselves. Once again all this fencing is pointless. Try it or don't try it. It really doesn't matter to me. My advice was for people who might be interested to try it for themselves. The two sides to this argument will never agree.
If the aim is only to have accuracy, we would spend a lot of time correcting or removing inaccurate posts like "There is no scientific way this can make any difference" or "It's just an empty box", is that what you are proposing? “Science does not aim at establishing immutable truths and eternal dogmas; its aim is to approach the truth by successive approximations, without claiming that at any stage final and complete accuracy has been achieved.” ― Bertrand Russell, Sceptical Essays
This thread cracks me up for dozens of pages guys were saying it does nothing it hasn't been opened up no ones measured it. @Ingenieur very kindly buys one, opens it up and measures it and now the same guys are angry about that! All I want to know is what are you hooked up to yourself @Ingenieur I did see a wire running from whatever you're wearing on your wrist last page.
Ground strap. Good practice to keep electrostatic discharge gremlins away. https://www.digikey.com/en/products/filter/anti-static-esd-straps-grounding-cords/604
Honestly I've become agnostic about these types of tweaks. My system has lower hanging fruit. More to the point who am I to tell others how to approach the hobby? How to spend their money? "Convert" them. I wish I could derive the joy they do out of these types of experiments. The problem is not them buying these devices, it's us for trying to convince them it doesn't do anything. How the heck do we know what they perceive? That is pompous and presumptuous.
Nope Apple Watch and the meter lead, just trying to keep it out of the way. Although I likely did violate NFPA 70E
Oh, hahaha. I was wondering since there were no sensitive components there, thought was just a habit of yours. I’ve gotten pretty cavalier myself, used to strap up all the time working on sensitive chips, now just touch a power supply screw once in a while
On the contrary, I was glad to see the work you did (Ingenieur) on measurements and posting, and after that the thread got to a point where it was determined it's *not* an empty box as some had claimed.... at least I think we reached that point, vwestlife didn't protest after Ingenieurs measurements. If so, that was a milestone given the "empty box" claims in the prior 74 pages. So that was a learning, for me and obviously others who weren't sure or thought it was..... ... now, does nothing to answer the next question though - why is that voltage drop there, and what does it do to contribute to the magic of sound quality improvement. Maybe that's the proprietary part.... But I'm forever trying to dig out facts, with data, and devoid of that I tend to slowly come around to subjective assessments, if ever. Unless i make the investment and hear it for myself, which I don't when it's something so hotly contested like this, and my engineering brain still protests until it understands. If that makes sense, and is OK with everyone!
I'm taking no position other than it's none of our business what people say about a personal experience. People are not sheep, but if they do buy it based on what someone said so what? They believe it. You do not. You are telling others to temper their opinion or enthusiasm which is pretty high handed in my book. They assume no responsibility for the actions of others. We are adults. When I've made bad choices, more than a few, I don't blame the magazine reviewer, forum member, etc. I own it and can't foist it on others. Too much of that going on anyways. That is how we learn. Own the blame Share the credit
I have an arc-flash suit, face mask EH rated boots and gloves that are tested annually and checked for pin hole leaks by blowing into them when used. Maybe I'll suit up next time I check my phonoamp output to set azimuth. A pic of that oughta get some mileage around here.
I’m not recommending anything. I don’t recommend members to buy a tube amp. Or records. Or anything. I state my observations of how something sounds in my system to my ears. That’s it.
I had been away from this thread for at least 6 months. I followed the few new posts and gave an occasional Like. It has suddenly come alive again. 74 pages and nothing has really changed on this thread. What has changed for me is I got my dream/retirement system. So I am going to bid everyone farewell and spend the time listening to and enjoying my new system. I'm am going to stop following this thread and don't plan posting any further. For people on the scientism side of the fence, don't consider this a victory. It sounds better on my system, so I am good regardless of what you think you know. I have better things to do than try to win an argument that I really don't need to win. I just hope some more people will have an open mind and buy it. If you like it keep it and if you don't return it.
It's refreshing to see that there's no "show ignored content" listed on my page since the thread was cleaned up. Thanks mods for doing a great job
