A/V "Audiophile" Digital Cables - am I going crazy, or are they?

I've just noticed how even mainstream sites like What HiFi? are reviewing and recommending "high quality" USB and HDMI cables.

They're reviewing £100+ HDMI cables and saying things like "Excellent timing and video looks detailed and surround effects are delivered with immense precision".

Seriously, what the hell? I thought it was only salesmen and the poorly informed punters they prey upon who believed any of this rubbish.

Did I miss something?

 

With digital cables, buying expensive won't net you any sort of tangible results. The only difference between cables might be the gauge of the strands and the shielding, which might be helpful, but does it justify the cost? Nah, not really.

 

It's BS, but so is homeopathy and the NHS funded that... maybe these people really are seeing clearer pictures: the placebo effect can be very powerful.

 

If that comment is from a full time professional reviewer, then I'm not sure why that'd be written since you're right that it's digital so it's 0s or 1s. Can't really get clearer 0s or 1s.

If it was from a user commenter/reviewer, then I could understand it since it's become a sort of internet fad to leave silly fake reviews for overpriced digital cables.

 

Exactly! Good to see bit-tech retains sanity!

Seems to be. Take a look on the site, browse to the digital interconnects category. There are dozens of reviews like it for all kinds of different cable types.

Haha, well that's the NHS. I'm not going to go as far as suggesting they're managed by sane people.

 

Here's the HDMI review I was referring to;

http://www.whathifi.com/Review/Chord-Company-Silver-Plus-HDMI-3m/

 

What the **** am I reading?

Seriously... I thought that was a reputable magazine and now this?

Right now I'm reading a "review" of an USB-cable that's supposed to improve the sound of your DAC.... I knew some people are retarded enough to pay for gold-plated optic cables, but wouldn't have thought they can limbo so low in What HiFi.

I don't mind people being robber by such products, but I do know there will now be a person somewhere arguing about digital cables online, based on the knowledge he's acquired from such reviews. And that really annoys me.

 

You'll be shocked to hear some 'audiophile' quality mains (kettle leads) sell for $6,000 a meter?

 

They're onto that as well, though they clearly haven't been given one quit so expensive yet.
http://www.whathifi.com/Review/Wireworld-Stratus-52/
Perhaps somebody should buy WhatHifi an oscilloscope...

 

Well, at least they're analogue... but still, unless you've gone through the chain of cables your electricity passes through all the way back to its source, what difference is it going to make?

The only power issues I know of are ground loop problems, which are solved by using balanced audio cables or ground lift switches.

If people can hear the difference between a $6,000 kettle lead and the free one that came with my amp I wonder if they can also hear pigeons sitting on the power lines outside?

 

Presumably they're still using the same thinking as once applied to analogue cables - where gold plated actually might make a difference?

 

Sorry I got it a bit wrong! $7,000/6ft!

http://www.stereophile.com/content/xlo%E2%80%99s-hefty-purple-rush

You say it's okay because it's analogue but why would you be wanting to save you precious 6ft of 230Vac sine wave from interference when the whole house and street isn't shielded?

EDIT - Didn't read all your post! Could of saved myself some time! I agree!

 

On a related note, I think I need to buy a new memory card for my camera; this one just isn't sharp enough.

 

I think it's "mushrooms" they're using, not "thinking".

Shees what a load of BS.

 

This makes me hurt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How mains does a cable change to sound!!!!!??????

What are these people thinking!

 

That is terribly ridiculous.

 

I bet they will sharpen their image quality more with a cheaper eye exam...

 

Presumably they have been given some money by some cable guy to say it's better, even though cable companies themselves say there is no difference. Great. Can't wait for more of this to happen.

 

Chord Company Silver Plus

Personally I thought it was a rather **** cable.

It didn't fit in any of my USB ports.

 

The entire site could have been produced by a spambot with a particularly good cliché database