WTF ?

[Bigman80]

http://www.madscientist-audio.com/magictubes.html

Anyone have any idea [emoji23]

[RothwellAudio]

Complete snake oil (imo), only in powdered form.

[prestonchipfryer]

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooo!!!!! :lol: Mad is an understatement.

[Bigman80]

[emoji23][emoji23]

[Haselsh1]

Oh Jesus don't tell me its Peter Belt incarnate ?

[willbewill]

No it's true, white powder does have an effect...:lol:

[smangus]

Go on Olli you know you want to try them! Lol 🤣

[Firebottle]

"The first thing to note is that they don't work fully to start with."

Absolute pile of
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSkIOytG1_8R24gRDFBzELkhJ7ZTLJX6 SAzVlOTTFfktzMQ4X0M

[walpurgis]

I think it outrageous that a respectable product like this should be besmirched by naysayers! And, without even trying them!! :sofa: :eek:




:lolsign:

[Bigman80]

Go on Olli you know you want to try them! Lol 🤣Lmao, no chance mate.

[Bigman80]

"The first thing to note is that they don't work fully to start with."

Absolute pile of
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSkIOytG1_8R24gRDFBzELkhJ7ZTLJX6 SAzVlOTTFfktzMQ4X0M[emoji23][emoji23][emoji23][emoji23]🤣🤣🤣

[Shovel_Knight]

It reminds me of a certain individual in Russia who spent years “studying” “directional properties of waves and materials” and who now claims that all the wood in a listening room should be “directionally aligned”, otherwise it would have a “disastrous” effect on sound quality. The same individual also claims that if your listening room has a ceiling lamp, lightbulbs in it should be aligned in a certain way to avoid “dulling” the sound.

[walpurgis]

Following exhaustive experimentation over the years, I came to the conclusion that near identical and quite remarkable benefits can be reaped from utilising teabags in similar strategic positions. Has to be Earl Grey though for optimum results. ;)

[Stratmangler]

Following exhaustive experimentation over the years, I came to the conclusion that near identical and quite remarkable benefits can be reaped from utilising teabags in similar strategic positions. Has to be Earl Grey though for optimum results. ;)

It's far better use for Earl Grey than drinking the stuff :)

[Bigman80]

Following exhaustive experimentation over the years, I came to the conclusion that near identical and quite remarkable benefits can be reaped from utilising teabags in similar strategic positions. Has to be Earl Grey though for optimum results. ;)🤣🤣

[Macca]

Surprised at all the people commenting without listening. Don't you know that you can't hold an opinion on anything, however ridiculous, without trying it yourself? That's the rules.

I mean I'm of the opinion that if I jump off the roof of my house I will break my legs (at the very least). But I have no right to hold that opinion because I have never tried it.

Anyway yer man gives a perfectly credible explanation for how they work:

'I think that it's due to the special materials relaxing into the earth's local magnetic field'


See? No mystery there, just special metals relaxing and improving the sound. Not in any way anything to do with imagining it. Not at all.

[struth]

bollocks :D

[Hammer]

Total what Grant said

[Puffin]

A well respected UK audio reviewer once said that if all the screw heads in all the 13A plugs used were orientated horizontally, it resulted in better sound:lol:

[walpurgis]

Total what Grant said

Seconded (or is that thirded? :scratch:).

[Spectral Morn]

I think it outrageous that a respectable product like this should be besmirched by naysayers! And, without even trying them!! :sofa: :eek:




:lolsign:

yes exactly, I have and somehow they made a difference. So throw your stones those who never tried stuff but have an opinion.

I have to say I am right royally fed up with ill informed comments based on zero experience, but sure nothing new here plenty of people have opinions based on nothing, and love the sound of their own voices. Just for once it would be a refreshing change to read I tried it I heard nothing, anyone else try it and hear nothing. Sadly those who said they had would get a pitch fork up the arse and burnt for daring to say they did. Well I dare, can't explain it, but there you go and no it wasn't placebo.

[GrahamS]

Really?

[Bigman80]

yes exactly, I have and somehow they made a difference. So throw your stones those who never tried stuff but have an opinion.

I have to say I am right royally fed up with ill informed comments based on zero experience, but sure nothing new here plenty of people have opinions based on nothing, and love the sound of their own voices. Just for once it would be a refreshing change to read I tried it I heard nothing, anyone else try it and hear nothing. Sadly those who said they had would get a pitch fork up the arse and burnt for daring to say they did. Well I dare, can't explain it, but there you go and no it wasn't placebo.Still have them in your system?

[Macca]

Whilst nothing much is certain in this life apart from death and taxes, the likelihood that these things have any affect beyond the psychological is very small indeed. And given that there is no (credible) explanation given for how they work it is impossible to say that the effect you experienced was not wholly psychological.

Now I'll grant that whether the effect is real or psychological it makes no difference if subjectively the sound is improved. I just think there has to be better ways of getting a purely psychologically derived improvement without handing over real money for a set of magic beans.

[walpurgis]

I just think there has to be better ways of getting a purely psychologically derived improvement without handing over real money for a set of magic beans.

A few beers will achieve that.

[RothwellAudio]

...the likelihood that these things have any affect beyond the psychological is very small indeed. And given that there is no (credible) explanation given for how they work it is impossible to say that the effect you experienced was not wholly psychological.
I agree. These things would be outrageous enough if they claimed they were for a specific application - interconnects, for example - but no, they do magic stuff on anything near them. Interconnects, inductors in crossovers, power cords ... is there anything that can't be improved by simply putting a Magic Tube near it?

[Spectral Morn]

Still have them in your system?

Yes

[Spectral Morn]

I agree. These things would be outrageous enough if they claimed they were for a specific application - interconnects, for example - but no, they do magic stuff on anything near them. Interconnects, inductors in crossovers, power cords ... is there anything that can't be improved by simply putting a Magic Tube near it?

Try them Andrew and I will respect your view.

[Spectral Morn]

Whilst nothing much is certain in this life apart from death and taxes, the likelihood that these things have any affect beyond the psychological is very small indeed. And given that there is no (credible) explanation given for how they work it is impossible to say that the effect you experienced was not wholly psychological.

Now I'll grant that whether the effect is real or psychological it makes no difference if subjectively the sound is improved. I just think there has to be better ways of getting a purely psychologically derived improvement without handing over real money for a set of magic beans.

Here we go the usual its all in the mind. Well blind testing was done, guess what ? A difference was heard.

[Stratmangler]

Yes

Do you have a compass?
What happens when you bring it near to one of the tubes?

[Bigman80]

YesWhat are they supposed to do?

[TazSob]

http://www.adventuresinhifiaudio.com/22/04/2016/mad-scientist-audio-magic-tubes-down-another-rabbit-hole/

[The Black Adder]

Why don't you guys just try some? :)

[struth]

Yup you all try things so give it a go and pass them around

[Stratmangler]

I'm just interested in whether or not the stuff in the tube makes a compass deflect.

[doodoos]

I can speak with great authority as the good fellow sent me a couple of Black Discus a few years back gratis. I stuck them in a recommended place and thought they did something. However on blind testing I couldn’t detect any difference. Maybe they work best south of the equator....

[Macca]

Why don't you guys just try some? :)

I refer you to the answer I gave earlier. Beside which if I tried every crazy idea in hi-fi there would be no time left to try the things that do at least have some rationale. if someone brought some round to my house I would try them. I would not go out of my way or indeed expend any effort or money whatsoever to try them.

There is also the wider question of how these tweaks effect the whole hobby. If everyone spends their money on this sort of thing why would anyone bother trying to advance the science and engineering side? That all goes out of the window if Physics does not apply to hi-fi in the same way it applies to everything else.


And finally, the people who market this sort of thing have no idea how it works. So how did they develop it? Just wake up one morning and randomly fill some tubes full of whatever and site them round the hi-fi? 'I hear a difference, must be quantum tunnelling at work, lets get to market with this'. How many other potential applications are there? Would putting one on a CAT scanner or X-Ray machine improve the definition of the scan or X-ray? Would putting them on the engine of the car improve fuel efficiency? It always seems that the only application for these scientific breakthroughs (and let's not be coy here, if true then it is a much bigger deal for Physics than anything they have ever done at Cern) is audio. Why would that be?

[walpurgis]

Funny how the make up of the powder contents of the tubes are not even alluded to, let alone identified. For all I know, it could be from a vacuum cleaner bag, scrapings from a dog's claws or even ash powder from the urn of a cremated relative.

[Macca]

Funny how the make up of the powder contents of the tubes are not even alluded to, let alone identified. For all I know, it could be from a vacuum cleaner bag, scrapings from a dog's claws or even ash powder from the urn of a cremated relative.

Doesn't actually matter though does it? I do want to see the results of the blind test though. How many trials, how many times their presence was correctly identified. If it is significant then I am happy to reconsider. Although even then I would still be looking for other explanations than that the Earth's local magnetic field was somehow being (passively) manipulated to give improved sound quality.

[Stratmangler]

There's black stuff in it, and white stuff in it, and I reckon that the white stuff is there because of its hygroscopic qualities.

[alphaGT]

They do offer a 30 day money back guarantee, other than some shipping fees no harm in trying them?

But I pose the question, how does one come upon these Magic results? To simply say, “it works but we don’t know how”, what prompted the designer to even try whatever is in the tube? If these tiny tubes of dust make a notable difference, why not make them twice as big? Or round to incircle the whole wire? I’d be more comfortable if he claimed the tubes contained uranium 238 than to have no idea what it is. While it may work exactly as advertised, the manufacturer has done nothing to separate himself from other snake oil salesmen. i.e. “Its Magic! It’s mysterious! Read my testimonials!”, does not instill me with confidence.

Russell

[Macca]

I'm just interested in whether or not the stuff in the tube makes a compass deflect.

Say it did. What would the ramifications be for sound quality?

[Stratmangler]

Say it did. What would the ramifications be for sound quality?

There's very common real world use of ferrite beads to block very high frequency noise.
Ferrite does have magnetic qualities, and what's the bet that in powdered form its magnetic qualities are negatively affected by moisture - hence the comment about the powder degrading in air.

[Shovel_Knight]

I do want to see the results of the blind test though. How many trials, how many times their presence was correctly identified. If it is significant then I am happy to reconsider.

Thanks for this. I’m a bit familiar with how comparative testing should be done, and I’m always very suspicious when a blind test is mentioned. Unless done properly (which is rather difficult), most such tests are a waste of time and effort.

[Macca]

There's very common real world use of ferrite beads to block very high frequency noise.
Ferrite does have magnetic qualities, and what's the bet that in powdered form its magnetic qualities are negatively affected by moisture - hence the comment about the powder degrading in air.

So it could be doing pretty much what ferrite clamp does? Although presumably, from the design, less effectively.

[Stratmangler]

So it could be doing pretty much what ferrite clamp does? Although presumably, from the design, less effectively.

Quite possibly.

[walpurgis]

So it could be doing pretty much what ferrite clamp does? Although presumably, from the design, less effectively.

I doubt it. Unless it encompassed conductors and even then the effect would be unpredictable, as the powder is loose and free to settle anywhere in the tube.

[Bigman80]

Shall we crowd fund a pair? Send them round. They are $49 a pair.

[Pieoftheday]

I've never tried these, I won't be trying these, FFS ,oops wrong thread:ner:

[Macca]

Shall we crowd fund a pair? Send them round. They are $49 a pair.

Okay then I'll go against my better instincts and put in five bucks in the interest of keeping an open mind.

[Bigman80]

Ok Macca, you and me makes £10. I'll have a look at Postage

Anyone else?

[Macca]

Ok Macca, you and me makes £10. I'll have a look at Postage

Anyone else?

I thought it was US dollars? Mind you there's not much difference at the moment.

[Barry]

They're not the only vendors of crystal filled containers to attach to your cables; supposedly to enhance performance: http://www.machinadynamica.com/machina31.htm

[Bigman80]

This is what I get without actually checking out https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180214/f4d87528316b820dabed4429d0fd9357.jpg

[Bigman80]

[emoji848]https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180214/bff9753598b041fab13c728972bf9800.jpg

[Macca]

They're not the only vendors of crystal filled containers to attach to your cables; supposedly to enhance performance: http://www.machinadynamica.com/machina31.htm

That's a great site. I like the one where they just call you up, (you can be anywhere, on a different continent to the system) and the system does not even have to be switched on. They went nuclear with this stuff a long time ago now.

[Macca]

This is what I get without actually checking out https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180214/f4d87528316b820dabed4429d0fd9357.jpg

We need 11 more investors then. Come on lads, where's your spirit of discovery?

[Pieoftheday]

We need 11 more investors then. Come on lads, where's your spirit of discovery?

It's trying different whiskey:) which is the more sensible option

[Pieoftheday]

They're not the only vendors of crystal filled containers to attach to your cables; supposedly to enhance performance: http://www.machinadynamica.com/machina31.htm

Oh god make it stop!!

[Svend N]

I've never tried these, I won't be trying these, FFS ,oops wrong thread:ner:

For a second there I thought Bill Clinton had joined our group...."I never snorted coke and I never slept with that woman!"

[walpurgis]

For a second there I thought Bill Clinton had joined our group...."I never snorted coke and I never slept with that woman!"

There should be a gag about cigars to be got from that somewhere.

[Shovel_Knight]

They're not the only vendors of crystal filled containers to attach to your cables; supposedly to enhance performance: http://www.machinadynamica.com/machina31.htm

This whole website is ridiculous.

I don’t know about diamond hardness glass, but this surely does look like an Ikea chopping board inside an Ikea tray. :D

http://photo.torba.com/images/pavel.urusov/f1024/Lba4uaiJ2MfBEO1rhpcF.jpeg

[Shovel_Knight]

It took me a while to understand that this website is just an elaborate joke. It reads just like Hi-Fi Advice :D

[struth]

Here! Less of that. [emoji23]

[Mixc]

Has any one tried the Shun Mook Pendulum? It must work cos its expensive...

"Locate the pendulum a few inches above the pre amp or cd player.... You will find the music cleaner and more musical"

If any one says its not working you must send them out of the room.... Bad Aura...

http://www.shunmook.com/userinfo/Shun%20Mook%20Mpingo%20Pendulum%20Application%20No tes.pdf

[Bigman80]

Has any one tried the Shun Mook Pendulum? It must work cos its expensive...

"Locate the pendulum a few inches above the pre amp or cd player.... You will find the music cleaner and more musical"

If any one says its not working you must send them out of the room.... Bad Aura...

http://www.shunmook.com/userinfo/Shun%20Mook%20Mpingo%20Pendulum%20Application%20No tes.pdf🤣🤣

[Pharos]

Has anyone realised that when holding the swinging pendulum in front of you, you hypnotise yourself into thinking the sound is better?

[GrahamS]

I do that just by watching the record label go 'round & 'round........

[hifi_dave]

You've all dissed it without any personal experience. What you failed to take into account was that they are "Magic", so anything is possible..:rolleyes:

[Roy S]

You might get an effect if you snort the contents?

[Haselsh1]

Funny how the make up of the powder contents of the tubes are not even alluded to, let alone identified. For all I know, it could be from a vacuum cleaner bag, scrapings from a dog's claws or even ash powder from the urn of a cremated relative.

Surely that would add a lot more spirit to the music.

[Haselsh1]

Who remembers that guy from the very early eighties who announced that if you turn your speakers around to face away from you there is a massive improvement in sound quality..? Must've been using some really dodgy speakers. Strangely, his name escapes me.

[Gazjam]

Who remembers that guy from the very early eighties who announced that if you turn your speakers around to face away from you there is a massive improvement in sound quality..? Must've been using some really dodgy speakers. Strangely, his name escapes me.

Jimmy Hughes

[wee tee cee]

A bit like Reggie Peron when he makes a fortune selling crap.

[Macca]

A bit like Reggie Peron when he makes a fortune selling crap.

"Seventeen minutes late, water seeping through the cables at Effingham Junction - there was a lot of Effingham and a good deal of Blindingham!"

[struth]

Ah. Reggie Got it on DVD somewhere

[Pieoftheday]

"I never snorted coke and I never slept with that woman!"[/QUOTE]
Are you suggesting that Bill was fibbing?:)

[Barry]

Jimmy Hughes

Yes - and the speakers were the Impulse H2s.

[Barry]

I do that just by watching the record label go 'round & 'round........

Especially the Vertigo label with the "pure new wool" motif.

[Svend N]

"I never snorted coke and I never slept with that woman!"
Are you suggesting that Bill was fibbing?:)

I can neither confirm nor deny that allegation :D

[Sherwood]

http://www.madscientist-audio.com/magictubes.html

Anyone have any idea [emoji23]

I think you're meant to smoke the contents!

[Bigman80]

I think you're meant to smoke the contents![emoji23][emoji23]

[RMutt]

How come glass tubes filled with stuff attract almost universal derision, whereas using oak feet or those little bags, attaching expensive mains cables or polishing fuses, non of which, correct me if I’m wrong, have any scientifically proved evidence to support them, are readily accepted?

[struth]

How come glass tubes filled with stuff attract almost universal derision, whereas using oak feet or those little bags, attaching expensive mains cables or polishing fuses, non of which, correct me if I’m wrong, have any scientifically proved evidence to support them, are readily accepted.

Boom boom

[walpurgis]

How come glass tubes filled with stuff attract almost universal derision, whereas using oak feet or those little bags, attaching expensive mains cables or polishing fuses, non of which, correct me if I’m wrong, have any scientifically proved evidence to support them, are readily accepted.

By some.

[Wakefield Turntables]

Has the website been written by this man http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/film-news/11270453/James-Randi-debunking-the-king-of-the-debunkers.html ??

Remember has IC challenge?

:drugs:

[Wakefield Turntables]

OK, here's some more to rattle a few sabre's :fence:

http://archive.randi.org/site/jr/121004science.html#11

[Macca]

How come glass tubes filled with stuff attract almost universal derision, whereas using oak feet or those little bags, attaching expensive mains cables or polishing fuses, non of which, correct me if I’m wrong, have any scientifically proved evidence to support them, are readily accepted?

I don't know about anyone else but for me it is a sliding scale, running from, maybe, mains cables at one end down to the nuttiest Machina Dynamica stuff at the far end. I'm sceptical about all of them but some seem more credible to me than others. I don't give anything a free pass. Why should I?

[Shovel_Knight]

I think it might be possible for a mains cable to affect sound if it somehow restricts the amount of current that can pass through it. 2.5 square mm of “ordinary” copper is more than enough for 10A (that’s 2300 VA), and that’s precisely what’s inside your walls. Even if the last 1.5m are made of snake-like triple-insulated silver-plated LC-PC-OCC-WTF stuff, it’s not going to make a difference.

That said, I’m guilty of buying a couple of (formerly expensive) hi-fi mains cables on eBay because I think they look pretty :D

[alphaGT]

It may be OK for some lay persons to believe in magic, but I’m an educated man, I know all about the properties or electricity. If I can’t think of a single plausible reason why something might work, then I can’t make that leap of faith that it may work! In fact, if I heard it and it did work, then It would bother me so much that I couldn’t enjoy it! I don’t know exactly why a better mains cable may work, but I can at least imagine a few reasons why it does. It may be as simple as a larger ground wire? Isolation from radio signals and magnetic waves from transformers? At least it’s in the path of the electrical circuit!

Then there are the claims. Why is the material in the tubes a secret? If it worked as well as claimed, don’t you think another accessory company could just open one and analyze what’s in it? They offer no reasonable reason why it works, the only thing they have going are testimonials. All of these are the behavior of most other snake oil salesmen. Have you tried the $330 carbon fiber wall socket cover? The $6 plug strip that is supposedly cryogenically frozen, for only $290? All advertise their products in the exact same way.

But this is just me, if you hear a difference and love them, more power to you! I’m not going to judge, if you’re happy, I’m happy. It’s just not for me, I could never reconcile my need for scientific evidence and reasoning. My personality flaw I suppose.

Russell

[walpurgis]

I'm afraid I feel scorn when I see something that (to me) is a load of old bollocks. Nothing I can do about that.

[Haselsh1]

I'm afraid I feel scorn when I see something that (to me) is a load of old bollocks. Nothing I can do about that.

:thumbsup:

[Pharos]

I feel anger that people can exploit the gullibility of others and make money from their ignorance, they should be prosecuted.
But we are in a world in which, (see other thread on Edward Bernhays) allows this. How many people have died through smoking, which Bernhays' methods were used to promote?

Oak feet can at least be seen as in an energy path, and transmission line theory and losses can be a factor in energy travel.

I thought that they are air travel salt and pepper packs.