Snake oil etc

[Cricketbat70]

Yes I remembered that, they were so evangelical that if you mark the edges with green felt it will transform the sound and as I have always been open to trying things.
I went ahead and bastardised my CDs.
Do you also recall those stick on CD circular plastic stabilisers that's supposed to improve the sound.
Yep tried that and the green felt, absolutely zilch, I agree, this was pure snake oil.
I think it's kind of human nature that you want to extract the best sound quality for the least amount of outlay.
Though I would say, around about that time (80s, 90s), I was using 13 amp solid core mains wire instead of the much costlier speaker cables and I was getting good results.

If I'd had a CD player back then I probably would have tried the green marker pen.

 

[Cricketbat70]

Remember in WHF mag they used to have a whole page dedicated to how to improve the sound of your kit. One of the suggestions was to place a thumping great house brick on top of the CD player.

Never tried it myself, couldn't get permission from the council. 😁😋

And cutting squash balls in half and using them as vibration damping isolation feet. That again sounds plausible but I never tried that one either.

 

[Dom]

Ok, adding green felt to the edge of a CD would absorb stray light from the red laser. However, there is no scientific evidence this would improve audio quality.

That is the best example of a snake oil product. Thanks Jasonovich.

 

[Jasonovich]

And cutting squash balls in half and using them as vibration damping isolation feet. That again sounds plausible but I never tried that one either.

This idea has taken root, I have self adhesive absorption pads under solid planks of wood.
Though if I'm honest, it was aesthetics purposes only 😊

 

[Deleted member 201267]

This idea has taken root, I have self adhesive absorption pads under solid planks of wood.
Though if I'm honest, it was aesthetics purposes only 😊

Bubble wrap under components !

 

[Moonfanatic]

On the subject of Hi-Fi snake oil, the list is endless. Cable lifters for your speaker cables is one of the best I've ever heard. Oh, and audiophile weights in the centre of your LP!

 

[Jasonovich]

Bubble wrap under components !

Brill idea!

 

[Deleted member 201267]

Brill idea!

Cheaper than this !
(although maybe not as sturdy...)

eSseCi Relaxa 750 Floating Isolation Platform

eSseCi Relaxa 750 Floating Isolation Platform now at Analogue Seduction

www.analogueseduction.net

 

[Jasonovich]

I think in my main set up the speaker cable cost me £2.50 a meter but in the dining room I'm using Bose speaker cable that appears to be little more than bell wire. I have a box full of Bose speaker cables, when our custom installer at work used to install Bose lifestyle systems, some of the rooms were too big for the bundled Bose speaker cable to reach the surround speakers at the back of the room, so he would order extra long ones from Bose, as I said it appears to be little more than bell wire but I'm sure Bose marketing bull would have described it as something far superior.

I must admit, I'm not a fan of Bose or any of those hyped up marketing companies, Apple and Dr Beats included.
Ok that was a broad brush, some of their products are good, but would I own one? I rather puke in my own soup than to become a hipster.
Oh look at me I have a shiny silver fruit laptop

 

[Jasonovich]

Cheaper than this !
(although maybe not as sturdy...)

eSseCi Relaxa 750 Floating Isolation Platform

eSseCi Relaxa 750 Floating Isolation Platform now at Analogue Seduction

www.analogueseduction.net

Yeah I've seen those, but my bathroom scales does the job perfectly. 😂

 

[Roger_A]

I'm surprised no-one has mentioned Peter W Belt who had some weird and wonderful items that he sold through his company PWB Electronics.

 

[doifeellucky]

On the subject of Hi-Fi snake oil, the list is endless. Cable lifters for your speaker cables is one of the best I've ever heard. Oh, and audiophile weights in the centre of your LP!

A couple of previous comments have actually indicated adding weight on vinyl has benefit when the pressing isn’t completely flat.

 

[doifeellucky]

Ok, adding green felt to the edge of a CD would absorb stray light from the red laser. However, there is no scientific evidence this would improve audio quality.

That is the best example of a snake oil product. Thanks Jasonovich.

You should probably thank Cricketbat70 as they are the original poster.

 

[Jasonovich]

You should probably thank Cricketbat70 as they are the original poster.

Yes, it wasn't me!

 

[Jasonovich]

I'm surprised no-one has mentioned Peter W Belt who had some weird and wonderful items that he sold through his company PWB Electronics.

Would you like your Free sample of PWB Silver Rainbow Foil
Check out the link below

Free sample of PWB Silver Rainbow Foil | PWB Electronics

 

[Dom]

You should probably thank Cricketbat70 as they are the original poster.

Ah, thanks Cricketbat70.
I suppose those laser cleaning CD's could be looked at as pointless since the laser being dirty was never a thing. It played Mozart as it cleaned which made it feel like it was doing its job better. The power of suggestion.

 

[Al ears]

And cutting squash balls in half and using them as vibration damping isolation feet. That again sounds plausible but I never tried that one either.

It would be better than nothing!

 

[Al ears]

I have a friend who runs his own business buying and selling screen printing machines and running courses on how to use them. He has Apple PC's iPad's iphones etc, he is such a snob, really looks down on anyone that uses android and was horrified a couple of years ago because he had to buy a windows PC as a piece of software he needed was only available on windows and not apple.
Yet I have another friend who works for WWF who started off with an iPhone now has android and won't go back to iPhone

Not at all sure what this has to do with the subject of your thread.
Please explain

 

[Jasonovich]

Not at all sure what this has to do with the subject of your thread.
Please explain

I think what Cricketbat70 was alluding to:
the perceived benefits of Apple iPhone over Android is just snake oil 🍏😉

 

[Cricketbat70]

Not at all sure what this has to do with the subject of your thread.
Please explain

Yeah sorry

 

[Cricketbat70]

This idea has taken root, I have self adhesive absorption pads under solid planks of wood.
Though if I'm honest, it was aesthetics purposes only 😊

The squash ball idea I did think was a good one, just never tried it myself. I have put self adhesive absorption pads under a minidisc recorder I got off eBay a couple of months ago. I needed something as the unit had no feet at all as it had previously been rack mounted.

 

[Al ears]

I think what Cricketbat70 was alluding to:
the perceived benefits of Apple iPhone over Android is just snake oil 🍏😉

Then he has a very different idea as to the definition of snake oil than I have....

 

[Cricketbat70]

Then he has a very different idea as to the definition of snake oil than I have....

No I just got carried away and went totally off topic

 

[James105]

I must admit, I'm not a fan of Bose or any of those hyped up marketing companies, Apple and Dr Beats included.
Ok that was a broad brush, some of their products are good, but would I own one? I rather puke in my own soup than to become a hipster.
Oh look at me I have a shiny silver fruit laptop

Yeah, I had a pair on the org noise reducing BOSE earphones with the little block inline the cable rubbed out they where 6 years old they replaced them for free, my GF had a BOSE wave cd at her bedside it died after 10 years, they gave her the latest version for £100,I also have a revolve speaker thats traveled with me all over mid east and far east and sits next to the fire pit outside. my shiny silver laptop is 10 years old and still faster than anything you can buy for £600 today. But hate away

 

[Jasonovich]

Yeah, I had a pair on the org noise reducing BOSE earphones with the little block inline the cable rubbed out they where 6 years old they replaced them for free, my GF had a BOSE wave cd at her bedside it died after 10 years, they gave her the latest version for £100,I also have a revolve speaker thats traveled with me all over mid east and far east and sits next to the fire pit outside. my shiny silver laptop is 10 years old and still faster than anything you can buy for £600 today. But hate away

I don't hate, only making fun. Competition is always good, without Apple dominating its sector, its competitors would never up their game.
Kudos to Bose for their excellent customer service.
A £600 laptop today can outperform any 10 year old laptop, Mac included 😊.
It's important that you are happy with your product. It doesn't matter what I think, its a little bit of tribalism on my part.
My sister who has a MAC, I would tease her and she would call me peasant because I can't afford to buy one!
Apologies for going off topic.