Do the Knobs Make a Difference?

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 2 Aug 2006 6:58 pm

ran across this today:
Silver Rock Signature Knob

Is it some kind of elaborate joke, or are audiophiles really that gullible?

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<img align=right src="http://b0b.com/b0b2005.gif" width="78 height="78">Bobby Lee (a.k.a. b0b) - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs, Open Hearts
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Jim Peters · Post by **Jim Peters** » 2 Aug 2006 7:18 pm

The equipment thing is way out of hand. Gullibility is enormous. It's like a pyramid scheme to me.JP

Greg Cutshaw · Post by **Greg Cutshaw** » 2 Aug 2006 7:22 pm

From the same site, Mod for a Denon Receiver:

Silver Coupling Transformer Stage and other Part Replacements
($1000.00 Installed)
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

They appear to be for real. Guess I'm not much of an audiophile. Look at all the people who swear by Monster Cables for their "sonic" qualities. Audiophiles need to get a life and just enjoy the music.

Greg

Post by **Dave Mudgett** » 2 Aug 2006 9:15 pm

Is it some kind of elaborate joke, or are audiophiles really that gullible?

IMO, yes, and yes - at least some of them. And look at the whole enchilada - a 30W/channel stereo hi-fi amp for - only $9050. Required battery not included - only an extra $2100. And if you want the good Silver Rock transformers, a mere pittance - an extra $1500).

This is for people with way too much money to know anything sensible to do with it, IMO. I've seen extremely rich people do even nuttier stuff than this.

Before we go off on audiophiles, plenty of vintage guitar and amp collectors seem, IMO, to have taken complete leave of their senses lately. '50s Les Paul switchtips, knobs, truss rod covers, and so on trade for totally insane prices. You know those hundreds or even thousands of dollars definitely affect the tone and playability of those guitars, right?

Jussi Huhtakangas · Post by **Jussi Huhtakangas** » 2 Aug 2006 9:45 pm

And you all thought tubes make a difference! They're right about one thing though, bakelite is the best sounding compromise!!

Per Berner · Post by **Per Berner** » 2 Aug 2006 10:35 pm

The sad fact is that most of these nutters are not extremely rich, but rather average Joes spending every penny they've got (and more) on silly sucker stuff like this.

Most audiophiles I know of drive rusty old cars and live in tiny apartments with cheap furniture... overcrowded with expensive electronics. I can't see how, but I hope it makes them happy.

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´75 Emmons p/p D10 8+4, ca '72 AWH Custom D10 8+3, Hybrid Zum coming soon, Peavey Nashville 1000

David Mason · Post by **David Mason** » 3 Aug 2006 12:38 am

Silver Rocks cannot be returned or exchanged for any reason so please make sure it fits in your system....

Amazing, that anybody would even be tempted to try to return a $6,820.00, passive potentiometer....
Silver Rock Potentiometer

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 3 Aug 2006 1:17 am

try returning a $6000 Custom made Pedal Steel after a 1 year wait ..

t

Tommy Roten · Post by **Tommy Roten** » 3 Aug 2006 2:17 am

Black knobs always sound best

Jack Francis · Post by **Jack Francis** » 3 Aug 2006 2:41 am

Here is my sad tale..one of my son-in-laws is a audio-nut case...he came over to the house a few years ago and told me about a "SUPER CONDUCTING" treatment that he had scored for making tubes "Way better,Dude"..
he told me that he spent around $150 for this special silver paste, and offered to "treat" my tubes on the amp that was setting there.

I told him "No thanx, Dude" but got tired of his efforts to help me so I gave in...he pulled out my tubes and coated them with said paste and I put them back in.

For an hour he raved about how much better my guitar sounded...(sounded the same to me)..the next day the amp started cutting out, then went dead..I took it to my amp doc and he checked it out but couldn't get the damn thing working, I brought it home, took out the tubes and cleaned them and the sockets and and it worked fine.

I never did tell him that I am as stupid as he is.

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 3 Aug 2006 2:54 am

Well, when you consider all the sound differences in the Blackface and Silverface Fenders, and then consider that only the color of the panel does that, it's easy to understand what a tremendous difference that knobs can make!

And, of course, many people think that it's something in the guitar that makes a '58 Strat or Tele so special, when any really intelligent person could tell you all the "Mojo" really came from those tweed cases! You see, the tweed was a natural fiber, and the organic component of that covering naturally migrated to the instrument inside, and gave it a more "nature-al" vibe!

And then, there's the numbers on the knobs, and the shape of the fret markers...all this stuff changes the sound (if you're in the proper, chemically-enhanced state, that is).

Ray Minich · Post by **Ray Minich** » 3 Aug 2006 4:39 am

$485 for a knob. I'm in the wrong line of work...

Tube coatings, whoodathunkit? Man, snake oil comes in many variations...

I want to know what benefit "oxygen free copper" gives to a voice coil.[This message was edited by Ray Minich on 03 August 2006 at 05:40 AM.]

Jim Sliff · Post by **Jim Sliff** » 3 Aug 2006 4:57 am

In the audiophile world this stuff is as common as keyed vs keyless discussions here.

For a completely sarcastic view of equipment in the guitar world (and some hlarious products) , check out www.funklogic.com. I wrote one of their initial "reviews"...

c c johnson · Post by **c c johnson** » 3 Aug 2006 5:19 am

I won't do anything without a good knob. CC

Mike Brown · Post by **Mike Brown** » 3 Aug 2006 5:38 am

There's a lot of BS in this world!

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 3 Aug 2006 6:10 am

Could it be a money laundering scheme?

Mike Ester · Post by **Mike Ester** » 3 Aug 2006 7:27 am

I think this takes G.A.S. to a new level.

Jim Bob Sedgwick · Post by **Jim Bob Sedgwick** » 3 Aug 2006 7:56 am

RED pilot lamps on amplifiers will come on faster. Black grill cloth colors the sound of the speaker much better than any other color. That's all the BS I can muster right now.

David Mason · Post by **David Mason** » 3 Aug 2006 8:34 am

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>..."Very special winding techniques"
..."Very special assembling techniques"

"Bandwidth: enough to get much more music than with any other device, and still get ridd off plenty of RF!"<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Apparently once you get ridd off "plenty" of RF with very special techniques, you end up with: "almost unmeasurable... Distorsion, at all frequencies."

Precison in turmonology is so inspiring! Wjere's my checkbook?

Brad Sarno · Post by **Brad Sarno** » 3 Aug 2006 9:44 am

Hey, don't knock it. I bought 2 of these wooden knobs for my car stereo and it nearly doubled my gas mileage.

Brad

Bob Kagy · Post by **Bob Kagy** » 3 Aug 2006 10:18 am

You should try filling your tires with nitrogen.

Chris Brooks · Post by **Chris Brooks** » 3 Aug 2006 11:00 am

Chek out Randi's expose / correspondence with these audio guys and their special expensive knobs, speaker wires, etc.

He also has debunked 'special' wine treatments which some oenophiles have raved over.
www.randi.org

Skeptically yours,

Chris

Joe Smith · Post by **Joe Smith** » 3 Aug 2006 2:52 pm

Jim Bob, the Red lamps come on faster, but the green ones sound better

They can handle those back waves better.

Jim Bob Sedgwick · Post by **Jim Bob Sedgwick** » 3 Aug 2006 7:56 pm

Back Waves? What are you doing, surfing on your amplifier?

Joe Smith · Post by **Joe Smith** » 4 Aug 2006 4:11 am

Jim Bob, that's a great idea. An amp that could double as a surf board.