Articles for Audiophiles by Steve Deckert
AUDIO PAPER #028
THE POWER OF SUGGESTION by Steve Deckert Feb 2002
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This original article was written in February 2002, after a customer sent in an amplifier for upgrades. The amplifier was covered with foil stickers and writing, both of which were supposedly magical. The stickers and pen had been quantum-treated, and the idea was that writing the word "yes" with the magic pen on anything would make it sound better. To test this, you could write "no," and it would then sound worse.
Never mind that the person who purchased these tweaks spent enough money to buy better cables or tubes—things that could be heard by everyone, not just the purchaser.
In one of my weaker moments, I called out the manufacturer, who had apparently gone to AutoZone for the foil pinstriping and Office Depot for the Sharpie markers. This manufacturer then sold these items for hundreds of dollars by creating a marketing gimmick.
I once received one of my Zen amplifiers back for repair. It had been treated with both the "PWB Red 'X' Co-ordinate Pen" and "Rainbow Foil." The amplifier now looked similar to a heavily decorated object.
See figure one. The caption was something to the effect that this baby has been treated with the Red 'X' Coordinate Pen and now it will never get sick.
While this is an extreme example, quantum treatments have become a big thing for high-end snake oil salesmen or anyone wanting that 1000% markup to keep their business afloat. On a lesser scale are the things we do to ourselves, like listening to fuses in our gear, flipping them around, and claiming they are directional because we think we can hear a difference.
How good your system sounds is determined by the weakest link in the audio chain, and unfortunately, that includes both your room and your ears. When we talk about your ears—provided they work and aren’t clogged—we’re really talking about your brain and how it interprets sound and spatial cues from the stereo. This particular weak link can be the hardest to track down since it changes frequently. This is why placebos are so powerful in the world of audio gear.
Do things like lifting your speaker wires off the carpet make a difference? Sure. But can you actually hear it? That’s the big question, isn’t it? If you believe you can hear it, especially after letting things settle in for a few hours or days, you’ll likely enjoy your system more. However, if you’re uncertain, you can always set up a double-blind listening test to find out for sure.
Does a power cord that costs $20,000 sound better than one that costs $2,000? Do either of them sound better than a $200 cord? Once again, if you want to know the truth, double-blind testing will give you a clear answer. Over the years, the industry has responded with products that, through the power of placebo pricing, cause people to waste their money.
You can imagine the pressure on someone who just spent thousands of dollars on a power cord to justify that expense. This is the most powerful audio placebo there is. It’s why we have an industry full of grossly overpriced equipment.