James Randi to Take on StereoPhile

[Chu Gai]

At the end of this week's commentary at randi.org, James Randi, the noted debunker of false claims, made mention that in next week's column he'll be looking at Stereophile and examining the pseudoscience that masquerades as knowledgeable and informative writings and guides for audiophiles. Maybe Harley will come back for a rebuttal...

Heads up over there Mtry

[mtrycraft]

At the end of this week's commentary at randi.org, James Randi, the noted debunker of false claims, made mention that in next week's column he'll be looking at Stereophile and examining the pseudoscience that masquerades as knowledgeable and informative writings and guides for audiophiles. Maybe Harley will come back for a rebuttal...

Heads up over there Mtry

Love it
You made my day as I don't follow his web that closely.
I see the headlines now, form the golden ears What does he know about audio? Is he even listen to music on a revealing system? Same old stories.
But I bet he will have audio experts helping him out.
When you see the first writing, please post the link

[woodman]

I never thought I'd live to see the day when I would actually be in James Randi's "corner" cheering him on ... but here I am doing exactly that! Crikeys, Batman!

I've always considered Stereophile to be one of the leading purveyors of audiophoolery and BS, and a leading candidate for the title of: Most misleading and useless publication on the planet ... go get 'em Randi m'boy!

[Worf101]

"The Amazing Randi" as he used to be called, used to make the round of kiddie TV in the NY Metropolitan area when I was a kid. Back then he'd show up and do what I call.... "bad magic". Like once he said he'd make a tray of flowers disappear before our very eyes...and he did. He did this by flipping the tray over his head and letting the flowers fall behind him. Of course I thought he was a charlatan and a fake.

We've both evolved since then, or at least I have. It'll be very interesting to see what he does with Stereophile and alike. I'm not educated enough in this realm to know judge either so I'll leave that to guy like Mtry and Woodie. I will be watching with interest however.

Da Worfster

[Chu Gai]

I'd thought that in the past years, Stereophile was very gradually moving towards better articles and information. I say gradually, because I have the impression that they don't want to alienate their readership as well as their advertisers. I certainly find them less odious than say 6moons, enjoythemusic, positive-whatever, and the like where subjectivism runs rampant.

[mtrycraft]

I'd thought that in the past years, Stereophile was very gradually moving towards better articles and information. I say gradually, because I have the impression that they don't want to alienate their readership as well as their advertisers. I certainly find them less odious than say 6moons, enjoythemusic, positive-whatever, and the like where subjectivism runs rampant.

I looked at his web site but didn't see this announcement.
Do you have the exact link?

[skeptic]

The BBC took up Randi's challenge to award $1million to anyone who could prove the efficacy of homeopathic medicine. In a carefully conducted double blind experiment which involved some of the best scientists in Britain, Randi debunked the myth of homeopathy. You can undoubtedly find it on the BBC's web site. Randi's exploits debunking all kinds of crap around the world such as ESP is famous however, even after the nonsense is disproven, it's amazing how many new suckers come along and even more amazing how many old suckers dismiss his invariably irrefutable proof and just go on believing. Sometimes I think there is something inherent in people or at least some people which desparately wants to believe in the supernatural.

Based on my own experience with the AES demo at the New York Times WQXR auditorium 21 years ago, I came to the conclusion that most if not all "audiophiles" can hear a lot less than they think they can. I'll put my money on Randi debunking Stereophile magazine. This guy does his homework before he sticks his neck out. He must be running out of targets for debunking if he's gotten all the way down to this area. Unfortunately, I'm afraid it will probaby be a long time for the FTC to get to the same state of affairs and start going after the audiophile cable manufacturers. They still have a lease on life. License to steal that is.

[kingdaddykeith]

even after the nonsense is disproven, it's amazing how many new suckers come along and even more amazing how many old suckers dismiss his invariably irrefutable proof and just go on believing. Sometimes I think there is something inherent in people or at least some people which desparately wants to believe in the supernatural.

I hear ya, I read a interesting article a while ago that took on the haunted mansion stories, and once they dug a little deeper they found that the same people were seeing these haunting incidents at all these so called haunted locations. So in reality the haunting was following the people where ever they went, and in fact had nothing to do with the location. People who see UFO’s or Ghosts see these things everywhere they go, and people who don’t, don’t, no matter where they go. Some people see and hear thing's that just aren’t there, my old girlfriend used to swear to me when my cat meowed it was saying "Mama", se was convinced that the cat was specifically calling her, sounded like a meow to me.

[mtrycraft]

Some people see and hear thing's that just aren’t there, my old girlfriend used to swear to me when my cat meowed it was saying "Mama", se was convinced that the cat was specifically calling her, sounded like a meow to me.

Same as when you ask someone to repeat what they said just to be told that they didn't say a thing

[Chu Gai]

Well I'd hoped for a bit more, but one finds at http://www.randi.org/jr/072304willful.html#11 the following...

HI-END FLUMMERY

Reader "Andrew" writes, re what he calls, "Bad science in Stereophile Magazine":


While this is not, strictly speaking, a claim of paranormal powers, you will recognize many familiar elements. Stereophile Magazine, and similar publications, promotes various audio equipment, fancy power cords, gold speaker wire, that sort of thing. They run tests which "prove" that these are better.
The article I provide a link to (www.stereophile.com/features/141/) is, in summary, the editors of Stereophile stating that they do not use double-blind testing because it gives them different — "wrong" — answers. ABX is the terminology used for a particular kind of double-blind audio testing, a very easy kind to do. In effect, Stereophile Magazine is "dowsing" for whatever equipment they are promoting each month. Using techniques beloved of dowsers everywhere, they always find the right (usually more expensive) equipment!

Well, yes, this is a paranormal claim, Andrew, if there actually is an advantage to having speaker leads that conduct a signal because they're treated magically — the only description one can make of the "special processes" they go through…. I've had run-ins with Stereophile before. Refer to www.randi.org/jr/03-23-2001.html. We discussed doing proper tests of their ridiculous claims for such devices as the "Tice Clock," a simple and definitive procedure that would certainly show the truth behind the nonsense — but they opted out half-way into the discussion. I also pursued George Tice himself, and found that he kept running away from proper tests, even though I had top audio people and the very best equipment available to do the work. It was ever thus. Bold claims, then retreat…. And they're never embarrassed, because they know that the suckers will continue to buy the products.

[mtrycraft]

Well I'd hoped for a bit more, but one finds at http://www.randi.org/jr/072304willful.html#11 the following...

If that is what he was referring to, yes, it is very disappointing. But we do now know he had past run ins with the usual response, backpeddling.

[Mash]

Why all the complaining? Seems to me that a frozen audio tape could produce some pretty cool sounds....... and did you Dweebs ever consider than maybe these people smoke their Shakti stones ? Gettin stoned, man.... And maybe the CD Pen is good for curing nose hair?

[mtrycraft]

Why all the complaining? Seems to me that a frozen audio tape could produce some pretty cool sounds....... and did you Dweebs ever consider than maybe these people smoke their Shakti stones ? Gettin stoned, man.... And maybe the CD Pen is good for curing nose hair?

Ah, you are a stand up comedian or sitting down LOL, great

[woodman]

Why all the complaining? Seems to me that a frozen audio tape could produce some pretty cool sounds....... and did you Dweebs ever consider than maybe these people smoke their Shakti stones ? Gettin stoned, man.... And maybe the CD Pen is good for curing nose hair?

No Mash - all of these claims are bogus! The frozen audio cassette only yields cold and indifferent music! As for smokin' the Shakti Stones ... they're very, very difficult to keep them lit - plus from all reports I've heard, you're likely to feel isolated after smokin' 'em. Those that have tried to clear out nose hair with the CD Pen report that it was terribly ineffective, and left them with a green nose!

So much for all of those audio miracle "tweaks". I sure won't be spending any of MY hard-earned on any of them - especially that dreaded green pen. I've heard that anyone showing up at the polls in November with a green nose will be denied the right to vote!

[mtrycraft]

I've heard that anyone showing up at the polls in November with a green nose will be denied the right to vote!

Isn't that a brown nose?

[DMK]

Isn't that a brown nose?

That would be very bad for the polls. Brown nosers are NOT a niche market! The company I work for has hundreds of them.