[Milsurplus] Re: serious tube

[David Stinson]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "mikea" <mikea at mikea.ath.cx>
Subject: Re: [Milsurplus] RE: [ARC5] serious tube


> The "sound stage" verbiage is utter and complete bafflegab. Next thing
> they'll be talking about threel proctors, the effect of the transformer
> paint on the audio....

Already been done, believe it or not.

This is a very old con game,
based on an emotional desire to be "in with the 'In' crowd."
The chief con-men form a clique-
usually by publishing a magazine or some other form of wide publicity-
that promotes them as the "gurus" of  their particular con;
"modern" art, audiophoolery, "fine" wines- it's all the same concept.
They promote themselves as the experts
about some exceedingly subtle distinctions or fine points,
doing their best to corner the market
on whatever thing they've pronouced as "special"
(5AR4 rectifiers, Jackson Pollock monkey-dung splatters,
 1954 Merde Vineyards Merlot (green bottle with Tuscan cork, of course)
so they can take advantage of the demand they are going to create.
The cons only need a half-dozen or so stooges to "me too" for them and,
using their magazine or other P.R. vehicle,
they develop a following of "me too" sheep
who would sell their souls to be part of what they perceive as an "elite."
The con-men create the phony distinctions 
and ethereal fine divisions on which their con is based,
and their followers, desperate to be included in this elite new club,
delude themselves into believing
they  hear/see/taste the phantom distinctions.
The sheep then reenforce each other in their common delusion,
and the con-men can count on a steady income stream ever after.
No one wants to be "the skunk at the wedding"
and say he can't hear/see/taste "it."
Even if a guy fudges and says:
"Well, I think I might hear something,"
the sheep all look at him with pity and whisper:
"poor fellow; he just doesn't have what it takes to be one of us."
Go to a CES show in 'Vegas and watch
the "single crystal oxygen free copper wire"
vs. "plain' copper wire" and other audio freak shows
at that carnival midway of a convention.
Speak up and say:
"I can't hear any difference,"
then watch the crowd around you.

People want desperately to be thought "special" and "elite,"
without ever accomplishing anything
that would make them truly special or elite.
By joining the mass delusion of audiophoolery,
they can go to wine and cheese parties with other "connoisseurs" and
discuss "transparent tintinnabulation of the 211 triode's sound stage
when using progressive bi-lateral feed-forward"
and other silly nonsense with a straight face.
They know they will be validated and reinforced
by people just as invested in the delusion as they.
People are willing to pay massive amounts of money
to have an "I'm special" feeling which they have 
not otherwise earned.

Sometimes, I wish I were smart enough to figure-out
how to run one of these fantasy farces; if a fool is going to 
throw away his money, he might as well throw it at me ;).
But then I imagine what my daddy would say about making
one's living by lying and stealing from the foolish..... 

D.S.