I have learned a lot on this forum and am definitely still learning. I’m that spirit, please do not “shoot the messager” (!)
This article discussed some of the controversies in audiophile equipment, including those that frequently show up here. Accordingly, I thought it might be interesting to some.
Cheers,
Richard
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15 Worst Audiophile Snake Oil Products That Break the Laws of Physics but Still Sell in 2025 | Headphonesty https://share.google/1EyfE9rtEeITGFfQ1
I guess one technical mistake doesn’t invalidate the entire article… but
The claim that a conditioner can “dramatically reduce mains impedance” is also impossible. The impedance of your home power line is determined by the transformer and wiring upstream. Nothing you plug into a wall socket can alter that.
Not impossible actually.
Especially for a Power Conditioner which includes internal batteries and isolates from the AC mains during operations. It could certainly be designed to have lower impedance as compared to the AC mains (typically sub 1Ω), an example would be StromTank (but they don’t provide an exact output impedance spec, so, we can only speculate if it actually does).
As a scientist, although not an electrical engineer, I agree with most/all of the debunking comments in the linked webpages. However, I think that even raising these issues is like bringing to the forum a large pallet loaded with cans of worms… and then inviting people to open them!
I’m just glad that dCS succeeds by good engineering and attention to detail, without needing to invoke ‘quantum tunnelling’, ‘universal energy fields’, etc. It is probably the fear of being asked about these kinds of fantastical ideas that causes the nervous, slightly hunted, looks on the faces of the dCS engineers on the rare occasions they are brought out to face the audiophile public. (Ok, I exaggerate, but not by much.)
Perhaps. But it’s a pretty well-written article and if raising these issues results in just one forum member not wasting 10,000-30,000 USD/pounds/euro on products that serve no function, then I believe there is some merit.
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I’m just glad that dCS succeeds by good engineering and attention to detail, without needing to invoke ‘quantum tunnelling’, ‘universal energy fields’, etc.
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Agreed. I’ve always valued the professionalism of dCS’s marketing. In great contrast to other companies including Transparent, a brand I own (!) : /