Originally Posted by
Joe
Fair enough. My 'thing' is books. As far as I'm concerned, the criteria for any book are that a) the print must be legible and b) if it's a scholarly text (as opposed to a throwaway novel) it should have useful introductory material and references, and a comprehensive index. I couldn't care less about the binding, whether the book is hardback or paperback, or whether it still has its dustjacket, or whether it's signed by the author. Indeed, I'd actually prefer a clean, legible paperback to a fancy special edition, if the former had a clearer typeface. A bibliophile/book collector would have different, almost exactly opposite criteria.
Much advertising, especially of luxury goods, is predicated on the basis of 'You deserve the best, this is the best. Only discriminating individuals like you will appreciate just how good this thing is'. I won't pretend to be immune from such messages, but as I get older and (I hope) wiser, I become better at spotting the spin. In audio terms, this is how much 'fancy' equipment is sold; another angle is the 'bespoke' one: 'You are too good for the standard issue that everyone else buys. What you need is my 'modded' version, which elevates the basic product to a whole new level'. Not all of this is spin, no doubt there are genuine improvements to be had, but it can be hard to distinguish what constitutes a real improvement, as opposed to a difference, especially once you've 'invested' your hard-earned cash.
As for fancy mains cables, I've tried them several times on both source and amplification and heard no difference. The only one I still own (a purple Nordost something-or-other) now connects the TV to the mains, as it's the only one long enough to reach the socket.