More snake oil please (£300 usb cable)

[Andrew]

For Brian, here is the text :-

By applying the QSeries architectures developed for its analogue cables, KLEI aims to bring similar benefits to its digital cables. The cable?s architecture is designed to maintain a zero voltage and low-noise earth state, claimed to enhance the electron flow in the signal conductor. The aim of the design is to produce a cable that protects the signal from surges and RFI, capacitive and inductive effects as well as static charges in order to facilitate a smooth uninterrupted signal flow from one component to another. As a result, the components are effectively isolated, allowing them to perform their individual task without interference.

The cable is fitted with a USB Type-A (flat) connector at one end and a Type-B (square) at the other, making it suitable for connecting a PC with, say, a USB DAC. I use it to connect a Windows PC to an Alpha Design Labs GT40a (HFC 399), acting as a DAC for playing files stored on a PC through my hi-fi.

Sound quality

After running the cable in, I put it through its paces with some jazz and Cécile McLorin Salvant singing Mad About The Boy. This relaxed piece is very involving and the piano, double bass and drums are superbly clear. The soundstage is very well laid out in front of me and McLorin, together with each instrument in the ensemble, has her own clearly defined position. In particular, the piano is very believable, especially in the Bach-like solo section of the track.

Elinor Frey on the cello and David Fung on the piano playing De Falla?s Nana is extremely captivating. The position of both instruments is well defined with the cello very much in front and to the right of the piano.

It may be costly for a USB cable, but it provides a solid connection for digital audio components and its performance is hard to fault. NR

DETAILS Product: KLE Innovations QFLOW7 Price: From £300 for 1m Type: USB Cable

[Jethro_uk]

can it only be connected one way round because of the way it was drawn through the die ?

[GB]

My jaw dropped. Does anyone at all believe this stuff?

[Jethro_uk]

Well if only 1000 people in the world believed it, you've a potential turnover of £300,000 ...

[Peter Parry]

It is to allow the snake oil to lubricate the electrons so that the interspatial orientation is better multiplexed with the cardioinvertor. The process can be accelerated by parboiling the cable in liquid nitrogen.

[Andy Bennet]

Those are cheap rubbish - real audiophools use these ...

The 6m version is particularly good value.

[Richard]

The free delivery which swung it for me.

[Mike Fleming]

The staff of HiFi Choice, apparently.

I thought I'd have a look in the reviews section at cables and other accessories. This is for a rack:

apparently is great with a turntable if people are walking round the room (fine, those can acoustically couple to the floor), but also contains

"A CD of Ane Brun singing These Days shows a great sense of depth with the deep bass notes that accompany her vocal alongside a three-dimensional image that perfectly positions the organ behind the soloist. Her diction is beautifully clear and expressive throughout and there?s a great sense of spaciousness across the soundstage. With the Jan Harbeck Quartet playing Cole Porter?s Too Darn Hot chosen to demonstrate the effect the rack has on musical timing, the swinging piece is as spirited as I could hope. The playing isn?t downgraded in any way and is delivered with great energy and excitement. Impressive stuff from a highly stylish stand."

They really don't understand digital technology at all, do they?

[alan_m]

As sold by the "experts" in Hi-Fi.

[Graeme Wall]

Someone is taking the piss, surely!

[Chris Green]

I have to say that I think antivirus software mostly comes from the same stable as expensive cables.

[Theo]

In uk.d-i-y Mike Fleming <{mike}@tauzero.co.uk> wrote:

I think they do - it's almost as if the 'Sound quality' section is generated by a bot. If they can, so can I. Here's a few of their texts fed through a Markov Chain:

"After running the quiet, almost whispered mediaeval chorale of Spem In Alium by Thomas Tallis, performance. As the piece like larger, wired headphones can, but it?s Sing Sing. The drums are bright with superb detail in the strings are punchy and by the time it ends with somehow has more excitement and energy. The Boy. This relaxed piece is very much in front-to-back imaging is equally good with the high-speed guitar. If there?s a satisfying performance given the limitations of Bluetooth.

The simple strings are superb recording of Trevor Pinnock has all of the cello and David Fung on the piano, double bass and drum accompaniments. It manages to convey all of the multi-layered mediaeval chorale of adjusting with great test of how tight and controlled the bass guitar gets a little harsh when the shouted chorus with chamber music, I add a couple of instrument in the synthesised percussion sounds or the hi-hats, which I attribute to the silver contrast with the top end of the Syd Lawrence Orchestra. Act 1 Scene 2 is a section, which I attribute to the compact earpieces can?t believable, especially for silver composition with some more exciting with the limitations and there is an overwhelming sense of realism, as the MW07 does well to maintain the MW07 performance. As the whole ensemble, has more Bach, this instruments is well extended and the piece without any hint of edginess, even during the bass guitar gets a little head-banging delighted to hearing. The track Caravelle is a concert piano Concerto No.1 in G Minor Frey on the cello and violin is excellent from a premium interconnects between the driving guitar. If the Syd Lawrence Orchestra playing De Falla?s a weakness, it?s that the balances the whole ensemble, I can?t quite capture the orchestra, even during the organ really bristles with each instrument and exhibits a well extended and tinny and unreal, or indeed muffled as though it is a concert piano playing to the drums that the bass response. The organ really blossoms here.

Staying with great test of how tight and the piano playing with a return to the entire piece are punchy and then launching is infection, which I attribute to the ridiculously raucous, the thrashing rock of the piece, creating an effectively convey an air of openness and drum accompaniments. It manages to convey all of the energy and by the orchestra, even during the sheer energy of the little lost lower down into the right of the piece is very involving arrangement of the rest of the music ranges from the sublime to the performance, thanks to be. The notes are punchy and tight is a concert piano being in place. The track seems to fly by and the Silver Ultimate interconnects as it really blossoms here."

(continues ad infinitum)

4

[Andrew]

At a very high profit margin too :-(

[Huge]

[snippage]

s/digital//

[Huge]

Especially given this isn't an email, it's probably impossible to transmit viruses by Usenet and the sig separator is broken.

[Brian Gaff]

This failed to send just now...

Hmm, well, what a load of tosh. I wonder what an unbelievable piano sounds like?

I'm sure if you actually look at error rates over a good quality normal usb cable and the posh one you see no difference as all the components that matter are in the two devices you are plugging into and hence you are stuck with them. I will however say this. Many usb connections seem less than good over time, particularly those on laptops and in line ones in extension cables. Also the cheap connections inside are just as much rubbish on high end gear as in cheap gear. Its a bit like Russes mains cables, there are so many variables outside of the bit you are making super dupa that its like pissing in the sea. Bah humbug, ps don't tread on that speaker wire it will cause the oxygen free state to alter. Brian

[Chris Green]

Exactly! :-)

[Brian Gaff]

Yes read my reply on one of the other groups this was posted to. We should all be aware of this load of tosh by now, its the old problem that there are still consumer grade items in the chain so even if bending over backwards to assume there are error correction issues, you aint not gonna tell the difference.

Brian

[Woody]

Ah, dear old Peter Belt (from Leeds IIRC.) I wonder if he is still alive? He was expounding the improvement that could be achieved with CD and record players by either buying machines with only three feet or (the more usual) putting a piece of cooking foil under one foot only. Can't remember if it was him that came up with the idea of 'painting' the edge of a CD with a green felt-tip pen to improve the sound?

I presume that Rip-Off Russ was his natural successor?

I sometimes wonder if an article in (I think) HiFi News back in the early/mid 70's was the start of all this c**p (rubbish.) They reported that a Frenchman had found that rewiring his front door bell circuit with Litz wire improved the 'tintinnabular sonority' of the bell.

TNALUY (They're Not All Locked Up Yet....) or in the line of the Wall-Martians - they are passing amongst us... Be afraid, be very afraid! :-))

[soup]

Minus the £1000 they actually cost.