AudioBanter.com - View Single Post - Comments regarding: Cables, Hearing, Stuff!!

From: Stewart Pinkerton
Date: 4/28/2004 3:37 PM Pacific Standard Time
Message-id:

On Tue, 27 Apr 2004 23:39:07 GMT, (S888Wheel) wrote:

From: Steven Sullivan
Date: 4/27/2004 11:42 AM Pacific Standard Time
Message-id: 1Qxjc.52349$_L6.4139753@attbi_s53

S888Wheel wrote:
From: (Nousaine)
This follows the absolute polarity thread. No one has ever shown an
ability to
"hear" absolute polarity under normally reverberant playback
conditions (
loudspeaker in a room.) So exactly why would any enthusiast care on
eway or
another?

Motivations are personal in nature. I wonder why some one would
purchase High
end equipment only to argue that it isn't really all that good. I
see that as a
waste of money or a commitment to arguing. To each his own.

I'd wonder about that too. I haven't seen anyone do it here, though.

Maybe you missed this....

Stewart said

"To be fair, that is certainly one reason why I have always kept that
Krell, the Apogee speakers and the Gyrodec - they fend off the tired
old 'you've never heard decent gear' strawman."

I said

"Really? Seems like a major investment in an argument. Wouldn't it
simply be
wiser to buy less expensive equipment if you think it doesn't make any
difference in sound quality? One doesn't have to own highend equipment
to hear
it and have an opinion on it. The arguments have gone on for many
years. I
would never invest money in equipment so I could agrue about it with
people who
have already made up thier minds about things."

No answer was ever given.

That is untrue. I replied that the Krell was bought used for a grand,
and it's certainly the case that the GyroDec and Apogee Duetta Sigs
have quantifiable advantages over cheaper equipment.

I never saw any reply to that specific post. If I missed it I humbly apologize

Now it is entirely possible that Stewart did believe
those components were sonically superior when he bought them

Indeed yes, that should be obvious. Aside from the Krell, which simply
has more current reserves than other sonically similar amps,
suggesting long-term reliability driving the 3-ohm Duattas.

and decided to
keep them even after concluding there were not superior and in one
case quite
inferior to less expensive equipment.

Excuse me? Which of my items have I found to be 'quite inferior to
less expensive equipment'?

The Gyrodeck to any "competent" CD player.

I haven't seen anyone who owns 'high end ' equipment say that taht
the unit
they own 'isn't really all that good'.

So why make the baseless comment above?

I don't think it is baseless.

Stewart has many times commented on the superiority of any CD player
over his
turntable rig which retails for a few thousand dollars plus.

Any *well-designed* CD player, certainly - and over Andy Payor's
$75,000 Sirius III, too.............

And there you have it.

Indeed, I'd now include the better 'universal' players in that
category, as the latest models seem to have covered all the bases very
well - and they show movies, too! :-)

I have seen them say they own such
devices because 1) they got a good deal on them

Yes

2) their system has special requirements

Yes (3 ohm speakers)

3) they wanted certain
features such as connectibility, DSPs , etc., that the particular
brand
had,

Not in my case, but certainly a valid argument.

or 4) they routinely do comparisons in a professional or hobbyist
capacity and need to have a variety of units on hand.

Yes

Note that for any of these,
it is quite possible to also maintain that amps, cables, transports
etc
running within their design spec will likely sound the same, without
it being a contradiction.

Yes - especially if you have previously compared 'high end' versions
in your own system under controlled conditions.

Stewarts comments seem pretty clear to me. He keeps some of his stuff
in some
part for the sake of the argument. Like I said, I don't understand
that.

Sure you do - that much is obvious from your own posts...........

No I don't. Please feel free to cite any quotes that support your assertion
though.

didn't say it was wrong.

Well, you couldn't, now could you? :-)

Sure I could. But I think it is a matter of personal choice not a matter of
right hoice or wrong choice, even if I don't understand the choice.

As for 'committment to arguing' I wonder how one suhc as yourself who
gives all the signs of having that very quality, presumes to question
it in others.

Maybe you should reread what I said. I have no problem with people who
are
committed to arguing.

Clearly so!!

Clearly not since I just said so.

I don't understand the investment in high end audio
products for the sake of argument.

Neither do I - and I don't know anyone who's done that. All I said was
that a defence against the 'you've never heard decent equipment'
argument is *one* reason why I *keep* the stuff which I bought on
grounds of sound quality. Note that this fifteen grand's worth of gear
is fronted by a six-year old £250 Sony CD player, not even an ES
model.................

That does not seem to jive with this quote IMO.

"To be fair, that is certainly one reason why I have always kept that
Krell, the Apogee speakers and the Gyrodec - they fend off the tired
old 'you've never heard decent gear' strawman."

I have never purchased or owned any piece of
equipment for the sake of arguing against it's merits so I am clearly
not
questioning something in others that I do myself. By the way, I never
siad I
have a problem with buying and owning equipment for the sake of
arguing against
it's merits, I simply said I don't understand it. I did say "to each
his own."

Strawman, as clearly set out above.

Not so clear to me.