I could buy a **** for that.....

chris French said:

Over on uk.d-i-y, someone posted a link to this website:

<http://www.russandrews.com/product.asp?lookup=1&region=UK&currency=GBP&p
f_id=1046>

Yes, 1700 quid for mains lead !

You could buy a Really Nice Bike (TM) for that.

Now I know how people who uncomprehendingly say 'You could buy a car
for that', in reference to the cost of a nice bike :-)

Russ Andrews AKA "Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha (on our way to the bank) Ltd." You
really can convince hifi "buffs" to buy anything.

"Doki" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Russ Andrews AKA "Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha (on our way to the bank) Ltd." You
really can convince hifi "buffs" to buy anything.

I got a Linn LP2 and started getting into it, but after reading a HIFI mag
go on about hearing the difference between phono cables and even 3 as
against 4 spikes coming out of the speaker floor stands it got too much like
alchemy than science, so I quit the scene and kept the money.

--
Simon Mason
Anlaby
East Yorkshire.
53°44'N 0°26'W
http://www.simonmason.karoo.net

Simon Mason said:

"Doki" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Russ Andrews AKA "Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha (on our way to the bank)
Ltd." You really can convince hifi "buffs" to buy anything.

I got a Linn LP2 and started getting into it, but after reading a
HIFI mag go on about hearing the difference between phono cables and
even 3 as against 4 spikes coming out of the speaker floor stands it
got too much like alchemy than science, so I quit the scene and kept
the money.

"But just one word of warning – the effect of The Silver Reference
PowerKord can make your system SERIOUSLY addictive!"

Good job. Can you imagine getting addicted to something just because
of the power cable? Mind you, I thought the one on a Mac G4 cube I had
was quite pretty. Translucent, see.

A

Simon Mason said:

"Doki" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Russ Andrews AKA "Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha (on our way to the bank) Ltd." You
really can convince hifi "buffs" to buy anything.

I got a Linn LP2 and started getting into it, but after reading a HIFI mag
go on about hearing the difference between phono cables and even 3 as
against 4 spikes coming out of the speaker floor stands it got too much like
alchemy than science, so I quit the scene and kept the money.

"Audiophile (n): A person who listens to the equipment rather than the
music." ;-)

Hifi does share something in common with cycling, I think. A decent
bike or hifi will last *years*, and so the respective industries are
always looking for new ways to get enthusiasts to part with their
cash.

Much like you, I started getting into hifi a couple of years ago,
until I had an "emperors new clothes" moment when I realised how
much BS I was swallowing from the magazines!

I still find it quite pleasant to browse around hifi shops, in
the same way as bike shops, though.

--
jc

Remove the -not from email

In message <[email hidden]>, Jeremy Collins
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

Simon Mason said:

"Doki" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Russ Andrews AKA "Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha (on our way to the bank) Ltd."
You
really can convince hifi "buffs" to buy anything.

I got a Linn LP2 and started getting into it, but after reading a
HIFI mag go on about hearing the difference between phono cables and
even 3 as against 4 spikes coming out of the speaker floor stands it
got too much like alchemy than science, so I quit the scene and kept
the money.

"Audiophile (n): A person who listens to the equipment rather than the
music." ;-)

Quoted message said:

Much like you, I started getting into hifi a couple of years ago,
until I had an "emperors new clothes" moment when I realised how
much BS I was swallowing from the magazines!

Well, I guess it's still possible to be into Hi-Fi without swallowing
all the BS.

Quoted message said:

I still find it quite pleasant to browse around hifi shops, in
the same way as bike shops, though.

To bring this back to bikes then - what examples of similar [censored]
can we find regarding bikes ? :-)

Though I can't think of anyone trying to sell anything quite so
outrageous.
--
Chris French, Leeds

chris French said:

In message <[email hidden]>, Jeremy Collins
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

Simon Mason said:

"Doki" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

> Russ Andrews AKA "Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha (on our way to the bank)
> Ltd." You
>really can convince hifi "buffs" to buy anything.
I got a Linn LP2 and started getting into it, but after reading
a HIFI mag go on about hearing the difference between phono cables
and even 3 as against 4 spikes coming out of the speaker floor
stands it got too much like alchemy than science, so I quit the
scene and kept the money.

"Audiophile (n): A person who listens to the equipment rather than the
music." ;-)

Quoted message said:

Much like you, I started getting into hifi a couple of years ago,
until I had an "emperors new clothes" moment when I realised how
much BS I was swallowing from the magazines!

Well, I guess it's still possible to be into Hi-Fi without swallowing
all the BS.

Yes, but you wouldn't go very high up the scale of diminishing returns
like that.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I still find it quite pleasant to browse around hifi shops, in
the same way as bike shops, though.

To bring this back to bikes then - what examples of similar [censored]
can we find regarding bikes ? :-)

You do see people testing cranks or handlebars and talking about the
difference in feel they make.

Quoted message said:

Though I can't think of anyone trying to sell anything quite so
outrageous.

A

"Ambrose Nankivell" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

chris French said:

To bring this back to bikes then - what examples of similar [censored]
can we find regarding bikes ? :-)

You do see people testing cranks or handlebars and talking about the
difference in feel they make.

I've read tests of how well a bike accelerates (?) and how another climbs
really well. Had these been comparing a downhill mtb with a Madone, then
yes, I imagine you'd notice, unless mummified, but the bikes in question
were being compared to peers.

Pete

"Simon Mason" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Doki" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Russ Andrews AKA "Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha (on our way to the bank) Ltd."

You

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

really can convince hifi "buffs" to buy anything.

I got a Linn LP2 and started getting into it, but after reading a HIFI

mag

Quoted message said:

go on about hearing the difference between phono cables and even 3 as
against 4 spikes coming out of the speaker floor stands it got too much

like

Quoted message said:

alchemy than science, so I quit the scene and kept the money.

I'd imagine the minute-by-minute change in the state of ones ear wax would
have more effect on the perceived sound quality than minute changes in the
composition of interconnecting leads.

Pete

Peter B said:

"Simon Mason" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Doki" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Russ Andrews AKA "Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha (on our way to the bank) Ltd."

You

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

really can convince hifi "buffs" to buy anything.

I got a Linn LP2 and started getting into it, but after reading a HIFI

mag

Quoted message said:

go on about hearing the difference between phono cables and even 3 as
against 4 spikes coming out of the speaker floor stands it got too much

like

Quoted message said:

alchemy than science, so I quit the scene and kept the money.

I'd imagine the minute-by-minute change in the state of ones ear wax would
have more effect on the perceived sound quality than minute changes in the
composition of interconnecting leads.

Also, the echoes from spectacles make quite a significant alteration,
although if you suffer from vision problems, the cognitive effort
caused in the perceptual system arising from removing glasses will
severely hamper your appreciation of the music.

However, I can offer a solution to this. For only £121.42 per eye, I
can supply 99.9999% pure plastic ocular augmenters that correct for
this perceptual disorientation. I will need accurate visual
calibration information which may be purchased from your local
optometrist for under £20, and then I can supply reference quality
perceptual equalisers from my local internet unscrupulous contact
lense by post dealer.

A

Simon Mason said:

"Doki" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Russ Andrews AKA "Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha (on our way to the bank)
Ltd." You really can convince hifi "buffs" to buy anything.

I got a Linn LP2 and started getting into it, but after reading a
HIFI mag go on about hearing the difference between phono cables and
even 3 as against 4 spikes coming out of the speaker floor stands it
got too much like alchemy than science, so I quit the scene and kept
the money.

Ancient Arcam amp and tuner, free Sony CD player and a pair of KEF Cresta
twos. None of it bought new 😄. IMO, most magazines are nowt but extended
adverts, and you should go and try things out for yourself (be that bikes,
hifis, tellys etc.). I've often heard mention of an article in Which? where
the same washer (sold under two different names) came top and bottom of a
group test. Don't even get me started on flat CRT tellies...

Doki said:

I've often heard mention of an article in Which? where the same
washer (sold under two different names) came top and bottom of a
group test. Don't even get me started on flat CRT tellies...

What's the issue with that?

A

in message <[email hidden]>, Peter B

(') said:

"Ambrose Nankivell" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

chris French said:

To bring this back to bikes then - what examples of similar
[censored] can we find regarding bikes ? :-)

You do see people testing cranks or handlebars and talking about the
difference in feel they make.

I've read tests of how well a bike accelerates (?) and how another
climbs really well. Had these been comparing a downhill mtb with a
Madone, then yes, I imagine you'd notice, unless mummified, but the
bikes in question were being compared to peers.

But it does make a perceptible difference. My new road bike definitely
feels as if it accelerates better than my old one. My Mantra, while not
as good as my Jekyll overall, definitely climbs better, with better
traction under power especially when out of the saddle.

The mechanism with the hill bikes is reasonably easy to see - with a URT
(Mantra) the chain-line doesn't grow under suspension movement so the
power delivery is smoother, and the rear suspension gets unweighted as
you transfer more weight to the pedals and consequently stiffens. Why
there should be such a feeling of difference between two rigid road
bikes of very similar geometry I can't say.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

On 20 Sep 2004 12:15:51 +0100, Ambrose Nankivell
<[email hidden]> wrote (more or less):

Quoted message said:

Simon Mason said:

"Doki" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Russ Andrews AKA "Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha (on our way to the bank)
Ltd." You really can convince hifi "buffs" to buy anything.

I got a Linn LP2 and started getting into it, but after reading a
HIFI mag go on about hearing the difference between phono cables and
even 3 as against 4 spikes coming out of the speaker floor stands it
got too much like alchemy than science, so I quit the scene and kept
the money.

"But just one word of warning ? the effect of The Silver Reference
PowerKord can make your system SERIOUSLY addictive!"

Good job. Can you imagine getting addicted to something just because
of the power cable? Mind you, I thought the one on a Mac G4 cube I had
was quite pretty. Translucent, see.

I used to share a flat with a design engineer for one of the top end
hi-fi companies.

When we rewired the flat, we installed more double mains-sockets at
the hi-fi's corner than in the rest of the living room. And we
installed more cable for tri-wiring the speakings than we put into the
living room's main.

--
Cheers,
Euan
Gawnsoft: http://www.gawnsoft.co.sr
Symbian/Epoc wiki: http://html.dnsalias.net:1122
Smalltalk links (harvested from comp.lang.smalltalk) http://html.dnsalias.net/gawnsoft/smalltalk

Ambrose Nankivell said:

Doki said:

I've often heard mention of an article in Which? where the same
washer (sold under two different names) came top and bottom of a
group test. Don't even get me started on flat CRT tellies...

What's the issue with that?

They cost a more, don't make a particularly massive difference to the
quality of the screen in terms of reflection when compared to an FST set,
and when you've got widescreen combined with a flat screen, you very often
get very dodgy geometry (not sure if this is exaggerated by the very thick
leaded glass (ie, more refraction than a normal telly) they have to use to
make a flat screen, or what). I'd have a decent FST telly over a flat screen
one any day, even if the price difference were negligible. And unless 100Hz
tellies are considerably better than they are, I'd not have one of those
either. You either need a massive telly, or to sit *very* close to it to
notice 50Hz. It's not like a computer monitor that's a couple of feet from
your face at most.

Jeremy Collins said:

"Audiophile (n): A person who listens to the equipment rather than the
music." ;-)

For the ultimate Hi-Fi experience, throw the speakers away and replace them with
a matched pair of wide band oscilloscopes. That way even half deaf listeners
(like me) can _see_ the quality of the sound.

--
Terry Duckmanton.

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/terry.duckmanton
A website mostly dedicated to cycling
http://tduckmanton.bravejournal.com
A daily log of my cycling exploits

Simon Mason said:

I got a Linn LP2 and started getting into it, but after reading a
HIFI mag go on about hearing the difference between phono cables and
even 3 as against 4 spikes coming out of the speaker floor stands it
got too much like alchemy than science, so I quit the scene and kept
the money.

Well if you're going to get rid of the LP12 I'll take it off your hands
(and offer my Linn Axis on eBay). When the Axis "likes" a record it's
as if the sound comes from Mt. Olympus. If it doesn't like the record
it's as if the sound came from uk.tosspot :-(

Oh, if you're throwing out the LP12, you won't be needing the arm any
longer will you? Tell you what, throw in the arm and I'll pay the
postage. Can't say fairer than that can I?

Mike (not holding my breath...)

"Mike Causer" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Oh, if you're throwing out the LP12, you won't be needing the arm any
longer will you? Tell you what, throw in the arm and I'll pay the
postage. Can't say fairer than that can I?

You're joking - the arm cost more than the turntable!

--
Simon M.

Ambrose Nankivell said:

Also, the echoes from spectacles make quite a significant alteration,
although if you suffer from vision problems, the cognitive effort
caused in the perceptual system arising from removing glasses will
severely hamper your appreciation of the music.

You may jest but...

I play a musical instrument (the instrument loses) so have some appreciation
of rhythm and tone. I find it very hard to sit in a concert hall and watch
an orchestra because of the time lag between the motion I see and the sound
reaching me.

So everyone accuses me of falling asleep because I sit back, relax and close
my eyes. I'm not asleep, honest, I'm just stopping the cognitive dissonance
between visual and aural stimuli.

...d

Doki <[email hidden]> wrote:

: They cost a more, don't make a particularly massive difference to the
: quality of the screen in terms of reflection when compared to an FST set,

For most of us though the reason to get a LCD TV isn't anything to
do with picture quality at all. It's to avoid having an enourmous
lump of telly sat taking up the room.

Arthur (not that I have a TV at all mind 🙂

--
Arthur Clune PGP/GPG Key: http://www.clune.org/pubkey.txt
"Technolibertarians make a philosophy out of a personality defect"
- Paulina Borsook