Nordost Power cable scam. Audiophoolery alert

[FrankD]

At a recent Axpona event Nordost was caught red handed doctoring a power cable listening session.
It turned out a cd was used with the same music on different tracks at different loudness levels and for each power cable demonstrated the track was used with a slightly higher spl levels that corresponded with the price level of each power cable.

Nordost reacted by threatening with legal actions and the blog was removed from the web page.

http://www.realhd-audio.com/?cat=45

[stmdude]

 

Someone is going to learn about the Streisand effect in a killing-your-companys-brand kind of way.

I won't be loosing any sleep it.

[John_ITIC]

Lawyers of course don't understand that once information is released on the internet, it is always available somewhere:

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:B51LpQguWEEJ:www.realhd-audio.com/%3Fp%3D5656+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:ijzHv62vjpcJ:www.realhd-audio.com/%3Fp%3D5659+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

[iampoor]

I wish he recorded it. Really sick of seeing companies like this damage the general reputation of the professional audio industry.

[amyk]

Lawyers of course don't understand that once information is released on the internet, it is always available somewhere:

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:B51LpQguWEEJ:www.realhd-audio.com/%3Fp%3D5656+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:ijzHv62vjpcJ:www.realhd-audio.com/%3Fp%3D5659+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

I'd just leave the posts up... the Internet will help anyway.  But save those pages quickly, they won't last long in Google's cache. I've asked them to be saved online here:
http://archive.is/60mMI
http://archive.is/Enw8U

[AntiProtonBoy]

I've created two Pastebin entries for good measure:

http://pastebin.com/DCY8i7V9
http://pastebin.com/4dEegJPU

[CJay]

While I wholeheartedly agree that this is information that should be out there, would posting this far and wide not just cause the author further legal problems?

(I'm hoping it won't and the company involved is widely pilloried for it's possible mis-use of the law to hide the truth)

[Delta]

While I wholeheartedly agree that this is information that should be out there, would posting this far and wide not just cause the author further legal problems?

(I'm hoping it won't and the company involved is widely pilloried for it's possible mis-use of the law to hide the truth)

Surely not?  He has done as asked, it's not his fault how the internet works...  I've got both articles saved for good measure too.

I hope he fights this tooth and nail.  An audiophool demonstration under oath would be most enjoyable!

[borjam]

It's surprising nobody has come up yet with audiophool cables washed in oscillococcinum.   

[edy]

I doubt the blog would be effective at swaying audiophools in any case. It is a religious belief... no amount of science will convince them.

However, free speech should not be silenced. The issue here is not whether the cable works or not. We all know the truth. The issue is can you report an event that you observed or quote a person that you interviewed on what happened.

The blog post would have conveyed the same message if it have simply stated that different conditions were being used for different cables (volume, track number but same music, etc.). Any reasonable person would have come up with the same conclusion... except audiophools who wouldn't care anyways as there is no way to scientifically convince them.

I'm not sure they have a legal case anyways. It is just not worth the fight. Knowing that the company tried to shut him up is a sign of what they are truly up to and enough bad press (again, falling on "deaf" ears, no pun intended.... as audiophools still will not be swayed the wiser).

Here is an article that sums it up, once again preaching to the choir:

http://www.skeptic.com/eskeptic/10-01-06/

[CatalinaWOW]

Good article, but slightly in error.  It does not admit that transient response or slew rate limits can be a factor in reproduction of sound.  While in many cases these can be detected by an appropriate frequency response test, they really are a separate category that needs to be evaluated appropriately.  They are also reproducible and measurable, not the response of some copy writer or golden ear.

[AntiProtonBoy]

Good article, but slightly in error.  It does not admit that transient response or slew rate limits can be a factor in reproduction of sound. 

It's a power cable. Has no effect on any of the things you mentioned.

[CJay]

I doubt the blog would be effective at swaying audiophools in any case. It is a religious belief... no amount of science will convince them.

However, free speech should not be silenced. The issue here is not whether the cable works or not. We all know the truth. The issue is can you report an event that you observed or quote a person that you interviewed on what happened.

The blog post would have conveyed the same message if it have simply stated that different conditions were being used for different cables (volume, track number but same music, etc.). Any reasonable person would have come up with the same conclusion... except audiophools who wouldn't care anyways as there is no way to scientifically convince them.

I'm not sure they have a legal case anyways. It is just not worth the fight. Knowing that the company tried to shut him up is a sign of what they are truly up to and enough bad press (again, falling on "deaf" ears, no pun intended.... as audiophools still will not be swayed the wiser).

Here is an article that sums it up, once again preaching to the choir:

http://www.skeptic.com/eskeptic/10-01-06/

It's a rotten situation where money can silence people who speak the truth, sadly it's a tool that's often used as a strategic weapon in corporate battles and quite often to silence dissenting voices who question the Emperor's new clothes even when the fact that he's naked is in plain view for all who choose to see.

[TinkerFan]

The sad thing is, that people who tend to buy these things have enough money anyway, so they don't inform themselves properly (if you can even say that about audiophools...). If you buy crap, blease buy the right one

[kaz911]

not only do they produce "not needed products" - but they name them after Norse gods - that is an insult to the (us) Norse people! I think the need a cease and desist letter against using religious iconography to promote their snakeoil.

[SL4P]

...However, free speech should not be silenced.

That will spell the end of lawyers!

It's a power cable. Has no effect on any of the things you mentioned.

Since when did logic and rational thinking affect audiophools
(notwithstanding the potential for crosstalk or connector noise to get into the audio chain)