Ya Gotta Laff

[don't even experiment with this, because it will harm your CDs.]

Hmm... if Pledge fills in scratches a tad and there are fewer errors to correct, it might make a tiny difference.  But if you can hear that difference, you clearly have a significant disc abuse problem!

And if you know the basic principle and ingredients you shouldn't be surprised. These are nothing less than silicone-based sprays that improve the optical readability of the discs, hence the sound.

Hmm... individual scratches are very unlikely to cause uncorrectable errors unless they are along the line of the pits, and around approximately 1/3 of the disk circumference or thereabouts. To cause any read error, you'd have to alter a pit length. But to make this significant, you'd have to make it read so incorrectly that the error correction failed completely - quite an undertaking, and usually this requires copious quantities of dust and muck. And, you have to bear in mind that there are plenty of playback errors anyway that are corrected - so I don't think that scratch removal comes into it at all, quite frankly - a simple wipe clean would suffice.

As for the 'optical readability' claim - well, that comment's a straightforward insult to the Philips and Sony engineers who developed the system. They know full well what the transmission properties of polycarbonate are, and that if you want to improve them, then the only way to do it is with an optical coating that will create a better impedance match between the material and air - in just the same way that a coated lens does on your camera. Polishing a disk with silicon does not provide that coating, and also is likely to reduce the flatness of your disc - both of which effects will make things worse, not better.

It's simple; your player either reads the disk correctly, and the results are as intended, or fails progressively to do so, and after you've got through the correctable errors then you get interpolation or stalling sound.

So, the bottom line, which is important, is - don't even experiment with this, because it will harm your CDs.

The science behind the other link is slightly better, but all we are really talking about is the effects of edge diffusion, and a few bits of felt in the appropriate places will take care of this completely. And strictly speaking, it's not just the edge of the speaker you should be concerned with, but also the edges of the cabinet it's in - unless you have speakers specifically designed to prevent this - like most modern monitors. This is why Genelecs are designed the way they are - just to get rid of edge diffraction.

Another one for the list...

http://www.highendcable.co.uk/Nordost%20VALHALLA%20Power.htm

Obviously, that last 2m between me and the power station must make all the difference.

Is there anything at all on that site that isn't based on complete bollocks?

Is there anything at all on that site that isn't based on complete bollocks?

I doubt it.  I just wish I had the gall to sell stuff like that. Half a dozen gullible idiots and I could make a comfortable living.

I quite liked this one - http://www.highendcable.co.uk/Nordost%20ECO.htm - at 40 quid, a real bargain by their standards!!

From that site I followed to this one: http://www.synergisticresearch.com/ Don't know if it is the cofee or solder fumes that do it but i can't make any sense out of what's on that site.

Good grief!!

Isn't Valhalla another name for Hell? 

Hmm... I had a look at the synergistic research site (more bollocks, agreed), but they haven't put these so-called 'minimalist' recordings up yet. However you look at it though, from the equipment list used these recordings aren't going to be anything less than somewhat coloured. An old microphone (although there's nothing particularly wrong with that) but from there, it's downhill all the way through the mic preamp, which is full of old iron and some of those old glowing things. The circuit topology of that Ampex could be considerably improved... and from there into an Alesis Masterlink? Nothing wrong with Masterlinks either, but this whole chain isn't going to make the effects of changing anything to do with the interconnects any clearer at all, is it?

But quite frankly, it doesn't matter, because to make any discernible difference, he's going to have to fiddle with the files anyway! And you won't be comparing like with like either, because he clearly can't run two rigs at the same time with otherwise identical equipment. So the performances will be different, and any meaningful comparison will be out of the window.

You really have to read this: http://www.synergisticresearch.com/acoustic-art/acoustic-art-vibratron/ And if someone can explain what this is about: http://www.synergisticresearch.com/acoustic-art/hand-tuned-quantum-tunneled/ A quantum tunneling french horn?? Extra points for those that can calculate the wavelength of a french horn 

That site should brighten up every physics student after the exams...

These people are certifiably insane. Period.

It's also curious how doing random "treatments" to randomly chosen objects not only always has an effect, but the effect is always beneficial.  Amazing that it never goes wrong or is inappropriate.

Paul

These people are certifiably insane. Period.

But making money!!

I recall reading recently how some guy had come up with a method of equal scientific value for detecting explosives carried by terrorists in Iraq.  Amazingly, the device was bought in quantity at huge expense - and its failure to work cost lives.  At least these guys aren't killing anyone (apart from those who might well die laughing!).

I recall reading recently how some guy had come up with a method of equal scientific value for detecting explosives carried by terrorists in Iraq.

Yes - I remember seeing that as well.  What surprised me was the forces had invested a fortune in this thing without (apparently) trialling it first.

But making money!!

And probably far more than most of us here...