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ESP MusicCord

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#661
Paullee01 said:
I think once Mark Reccord and Bongomania receive the cord and do some testing it should pretty much end this debate once and for all. Over 13,000 views so far.....

I was hoping Michael Griffin, president of Essential Sound Products who btw has been following this forum would have made an appearance (obviously he's a no show) :hmm: C'mon Mike what's up with that???
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I'm afraid that I'm on the side that it won't stop the nonsense.

In fact, I would have to say that if they do find a difference, then their gear is broke. This leaves the door open to say if they don't find a difference their gear could be also broke.

A true test of a cable like this does not need to go through any audio gear. Just voltage, a dummy load, accurate measuring gear (a PC) and typical realistic environmental conditions.

If you don't have testing/measuring equipment then a true double blind test can tell if humans can hear a difference or not. But there are always going to be golden ears. And chances of guessing right.

The past listening tests on this board have pointed out that people can't hear a difference in many gear.

And to harp on it - the discussion then changes to something that can't be heard but could be measured, but is left unmeasured so people have an out.

It will never end.
 
#662
Hey since Hi-end Audio was mentioned I asked a salesman of said gear and some enthusiasts. They said your whole system can actually sound good one day and bad the next. It can be so in reality or based on your mood. They said, some have heard something from these cables. If you're rich and have done everything else to perfect your system then go ahead. They said there is better bang to be had upgrading earlier in the system. Of course I can hear one of you say it doesn't get any earlier.:)
 
#663
scotch said:
I can see the argument of: "if it makes someone play better & thus, sound better - even if it is psychosomatic...". But, it sucks that there's a company misleading people and profitting off of it. It's not illegal, but it's definitely unfortunate.
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It is illegal to purposely sell something you know doesn't do what you claim it to do.

There just are no police for this. Especially in this industry.

How about a class action?

But if these guys truly believe they're telling the truth, then it's much harder to shut them down. I think they "believe" this, and choose to not test. Proof denies faith, and without faith there is no belief.

I'd like to see owners of ESP volunteer for a third party blind test. When they can't tell, then they could be help responsible for falsely selling crap.
 
#664
#665
Faderoktopus said:
What would cap this off would be to have Jauqo participate in a blind test, but to be fair that would put him in an awkward situation as he is an endorser (whether paid or not, this will have some implications), so let's play nice and let it all die out here. Peace.:)
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To be honest I would love to do a blind test. But I would do so only if there were trusted people to watch over those who would be switching the power cord or what other tricks they may have in an attempt to throw me off.

This power cord has to much of a witch hunt hovering over it.
 
#667
You are all aware that these cables sound even better when employing Cardas Myrtle Wood cable management accessories are you not? :rolleyes:

However if you really want to stress out your IEC connector and compensate for other issues with an Annaconda sized power cable then try the Pangea power cables at Audio Advisor. You'll also have a rather large chuck of change in your pocket vs. the MusicCord.
:hiding:
 
#668
chadds said:
Hey since Hi-end Audio was mentioned I asked a salesman of said gear and some enthusiasts. They said your whole system can actually sound good one day and bad the next. It can be so in reality or based on your mood. They said, some have heard something from these cables. If you're rich and have done everything else to perfect your system then go ahead. They said there is better bang to be had upgrading earlier in the system. Of course I can hear one of you say it doesn't get any earlier.:)
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it's true. In reality, there is no objectively "good" audio. It all depends on your taste and what you are used to hearing.
 
#669
JAUQO III-X said:
To be honest I would love to do a blind test. But I would do so only if there were trusted people to watch over those who would be switching the power cord or what other tricks they may have in an attempt to throw me off.
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You can do a double-blind test on the recorded clips provided by ESP using the instructions I posted earlier in this thread for using Foobar's ABX comparator. The ABX comparator takes the two sound clips that you specify for the test, labelled "A" and "B". For each trial, it randomly selects one of those clips as "X" (and the other as "Y"). There are four "play" buttons which allow you to play A, B, X and Y and compare them to each other. You can play each of the clips as many times as you want to, and for as long as you want to, and you can instantaneously switch from one to another to compare them directly. Once you've made your decision about whether X = A or X = B, you input that selection and then move on to the next trial. There are no "tricks" invovled.
 
#670
newbold said:
Bongo: are you confident that you can accurately change that recorded audio signal back into a signal that behaves like an instrument plugged directly into the jack?
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A) yes, and
B) it doesn't matter anyway, since the contention is that the ESP cable alters the performance of the amp, not whatever is plugged into the input jack.
 
#671
seamonkey said:
There just are no police for this. Especially in this industry.

How about a class action?
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Lawsuit? They are certainly not the first people in the music industry to claim that their product will make you sound better. I've seen everything from spray on string coatings to headstock weights that make the same type of claims to make you sound better. These companies all make products that can either buy or not. If you think their product is BS, simple, don't buy one.

I don't see how they are ripping anyone off. ESP offers a 30 day money back guarantee. if your not happy with the cord, send it back.
 
#672
R Baer said:
Lawsuit? They are certainly not the first people in the music industry to claim that their product will make you sound better. I've seen everything from spray on string coatings to headstock weights that make the same type of claims to make you sound better.
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So what? Because others have gotten away with scams - they should also? Tell that to the cop on your next speeding ticket.

R Baer said:
These companies all make products that can either buy or not. If you think their product is BS, simple, don't buy one.
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If it doesn't work as claimed. It shouldn't be on the market. This is how consumerism works. In fact you'll see one company buy another companies product - just so they can sue them.

I'm educated enough not to buy one. A few years ago - maybe not. And apparently still not for many people.

The American way:
"Don't take the law into your own hands - Take them to court."

R Baer said:
I don't see how they are ripping anyone off. ESP offers a 30 day money back guarantee. if your not happy with the cord, send it back.
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Still a rip off. 30 days later you still may not know any better.
 
#673
I really thought this was Snake Oil. I played the same bass (Carvin Icon 6) through the same rig (Thunderfunk head and DNA 410 cabinet) with the same settings and only switched the amp power cable. I could totally hear the difference. It's similar to when I A/B'ed a Taralabs and conventional guitar cable. I'm really not sure how this works-I'm not an engineer. I have been playing for a very long time and I am pretty skeptical about any "latest and greatest" technology but this really changes my tone for the better.
I've been using them on my live rig and studio rack for the last 6 weeks and I've had a significant number of players that are extremely interested in this cable. I call it "the Anaconda". :D
To be fair, I'm a new endorser. I was totally prepared to debunk this and in all seriousness I was convinced. Had I not been I wouldn't have endorsed the product.
 
#674
seamonkey said:
If it doesn't work as claimed. It shouldn't be on the market...
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Well, in capitalist America, these would mean removing about 75% of the products in our marketplace. I guess I just don't get the point of bagging on this company for 30 pages and trying to convince people, who are obviously happy with their cables, that they are hearing things and should be outraged that they have been ripped off. Sorry, but as much as you may disagree with them, you are just going to have to accept that fact that some people, and some very respectable players at that (see above post), have actually tried this product and like the results. Does it really matter "why" they like it? People that actually buy them and aren't happy can get their money back.

There are plenty of people who might say you are been ripped off into buying fancy imported beer by unscrupulous marketing folks that have duped you into believing that their beer is somehow far superior than good old fashioned Budweiser. These people might ask you to show proof that your fancy $3 a bottle beer is indeed better. You say it taste better, fine, then where's your proof? To that you reply "Well I can't really prove that it actually taste better, but I like it better and don't mind spending $3 of my hard earned money on it, so get off my back about it."

Stay thirsty, my Friend!
 
#677
Oh no! They got to Roy!

:D

Well all I'll say to those who get them is when you get them, do a blind test before your 30 days to get a refund is up.

And again, like Jauqo, I totally respect Roy. But he didn't really throw a monkey wrench into it. Those of us who are against it are still going to be against it. And I'll still like Roy just as much as I ever did. I'll just suggest doing a blind test again ;)
 
#678
R Baer said:
There are plenty of people who might say you are been ripped off into buying fancy imported beer by unscrupulous marketing folks that have duped you into believing that their beer is somehow far superior than good old fashioned Budweiser. These people might ask you to show proof that your fancy $3 a bottle beer is indeed better. You say it taste better, fine, then where's your proof?
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What an utterly bogus straw man argument. First off, there is nobody out there making the beer ripoff claim you just made up. Secondly, there is a vast quantity of scientific evidence supporting the fact that different beers can taste different. There is NO scientific evidence supporting the idea that this cable alters the performance of an amplifier. Hmm, let's see, literally centuries of scientific testing on nearly every continent and in hundreds of languages, with peer-reviewed journals and university programs, all for beer brewing... Or jack squat for this cable?
 
#680
bongomania said:
What an utterly bogus straw man argument. First off, there is nobody out there making the beer ripoff claim you just made up. Secondly, there is a vast quantity of scientific evidence supporting the fact that different beers can taste different. There is NO scientific evidence supporting the idea that this cable alters the performance of an amplifier. Hmm, let's see, literally centuries of scientific testing on nearly every continent and in hundreds of languages, with peer-reviewed journals and university programs, all for beer brewing... Or jack squat for this cable?
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I'm not taking sides here, my point was simply that there are plenty of users completely happy with this product. Why? Just like the beer comment in my earlier post... it's all personal preference. Some people will spend $150 for this cable, hear a difference and be perfectly happy with their purchase. I just don't see why it's necessary to spend 34 pages giving them a hard time about it.
 
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