Calling BS on Snake Oil Cables

We like to rant, but rarely does a rant result in some pretty productive "put your money where you mouth is" results as it did this week. Dave Clark, Editor of now-disgraced audio review publication Positive Feedback Online described, in his recent review,  a $7,250 pair of ANJOU speaker cables as being "... way better than anything I have heard..." He then, in a not-so-rare example of audiophile thesaurus-crunching loquacity, "Simply put these are very danceable cables. Music playing through them results in the proverbial foot-tapping scene with the need or desire to get up and move. Great swing and pace--these cables smack that right on the nose big time."

Danceable. That's a new one on me. I wasn't aware the music style of choice for audiophiles was 70's disco or hip-hop, but far be it from me to label these people. I do know that something smacked him on the nose, however it wasn't these cables. It was a challenge by James Randi, who considers the art of cable science to be a form of paranormal belief, that pits $1 million against anyone who can demonstrate the ability to discern a difference between these $7,250 cables and a set of Monster Cables. Dave Clarke, of course has not stepped up to the challenge, neither has John Atkinson of Stereophile. These two are accompanied by Sylvia Browne, Dr. Brian Josephson, Uri Geller, Dennis Lee, John Edward, James Van Praagh, George Tice, and Ben Piazza, among others who have refused to take the challenge.

Personally, I think that's stupid. Based on our own research it is often quite easy to tell the difference between esoteric cables and a baseline product - at least with some models. Some esoteric cables measured so poorly they were practically analogue EQs. Any golden ear worth his salt will be able to tell a rolled-off high end in a heartbeat during ABX testing and the $1 million would be won quite handily. On the other hand, some esoteric cables measure almost as good as 12- gauge zip cord - and those will be all but impossible to distinguish.

Granted, the challenge is tough and the parameters favor James keeping his money (duh), but if these golden ears are as good as they say, then they should be willing to figure out a compromise.

In my opinion, the audiophile community should be DEMANDING that their heroes step up and take James' money. I mean, what better way to win the argument once and for all than to take a $1 million prize and rub it in the faces of all the skeptics.

So if you're an audiophile get cracking. Send out those emails. Get your editors and writers to take this challenge. It's simply an excellent opportunity to shut us up and win this cable debate quickly and completely.