[Review] Getting animated

If this thing is producing ultra high frequency output that somehow alters the hearing I would be very,very worried.

If that is how the thing operates it will be easy to measure.
Just be sure to keep the damned thing well away from my ears.
 
Not at all. We've established that the smoke test is not a test of how the unit works in the audio domain, that nobody who has heard the device has any remotely plausible explanation as to what it does, and therefore, in the absence of such an explanation, that it all comes down to faith, as is usual with these tweaks. We've also established that there is a difference between disagreement and trolling, and that Sceptics (or The Sensible as I prefer to call them) do not believe that True Believers are liars, but do think they're probably mistaken.

All in all, a useful thread :-)

-- Ian


you've decided !.......

You can call your answers what you like ....most readers will see them for what they are ....

can't see any again saying of the accounts of people who have heard this unit .....

You can bleat as much as you like ...it does not alter the fact that people have recognised a change in the sound .....now address the post of the people who have heard the unit ....
 
Not at all. We've established that the smoke test is not a test of how the unit works in the audio domain, that nobody who has heard the device has any remotely plausible explanation as to what it does, and therefore, in the absence of such an explanation, that it all comes down to faith, as is usual with these tweaks. We've also established that there is a difference between disagreement and trolling, and that Sceptics (or The Sensible as I prefer to call them) do not believe that True Believers are liars, but do think they're probably mistaken.

All in all, a useful thread :-)

-- Ian

The thread has shown that AN EFFECT has taken place - a repeatable and consistent on command effect, the origins of which remain unknown. The key words there are "consistent" and "repeatable", whereas something like ghost hunting isn't. Because the origins and source remain unknown, it's ridiculous therefore to assert that "faith" must be the only logical answer in the absence of a scientific explanation. Tut tut. That word used in this context is being used purely in a derisory manner IMHO.

Disagreement would result from 2 persons being available in a situation/environment where each will have a different view of the conclusion. Trolling by definition is where a person unilaterally barges in with incorrrect assumptions garnered from without that situation/environment so their contributions is both irrelevant and superfluous.

I have read words like "faith", "placebo", "experimenter expectation" and "delusional" throughout this entire thread and not one of them has been applicable or indeed relevant beyond the usual naysayer rhetoric. I have also read of a charm that is worn around the neck as a substitute for this device, but in the absence of hard evidence as to how the device under review works, I fail to comprehend it's relevance to the matter in hand beyond derailing the thread. An objectivist view? Hardly. Trolling? You decide.

I resent words like "believer" being used because it infers some sort of "superiority" empowerment by the poster to win the debate by the back door when logic fails. You have serious doubts and sincere scepticism that the device works, that's fine by me and probably others too, but don't try and push your blinkered dogmas onto us by using such phrases as if we are errant naive children that need educating.

I would hold far more respect for the "scientifically orientated" posters if they applied their collective wisdoms to eliminating what the device ISN'T or CAN'T be doing, which would advance the debate far more than spouting the predictable negative rhetoric and semantics. No, I think their forte is simply to torpedo everything below the waterline because criticising others is a much easier option and does their ego an immense power of good in the process.
 
The thread has shown that AN EFFECT has taken place - a repeatable and consistent on command effect, the origins of which remain unknown. The key words there are "consistent" and "repeatable", whereas something like ghost hunting isn't. Because the origins and source remain unknown, it's ridiculous therefore to assert that "faith" must be the only logical answer in the absence of a scientific explanation. Tut tut. That word used in this context is being used purely in a derisory manner IMHO.

Disagreement would result from 2 persons being available in a situation/environment where each will have a different view of the conclusion. Trolling by definition is where a person unilaterally barges in with incorrrect assumptions garnered from without that situation/environment so their contributions is both irrelevant and superfluous.

I have read words like "faith", "placebo", "experimenter expectation" and "delusional" throughout this entire thread and not one of them has been applicable or indeed relevant beyond the usual naysayer rhetoric. I have also read of a charm that is worn around the neck as a substitute for this device, but in the absence of hard evidence as to how the device under review works, I fail to comprehend it's relevance to the matter in hand beyond derailing the thread. An objectivist view? Hardly. Trolling? You decide.

I resent words like "believer" being used because it infers some sort of "superiority" empowerment by the poster to win the debate by the back door when logic fails. You have serious doubts and sincere scepticism that the device works, that's fine by me and probably others too, but don't try and push your blinkered dogmas onto us by using such phrases as if we are errant naive children that need educating.

I would hold far more respect for the "scientifically orientated" posters if they applied their collective wisdoms to eliminating what the device ISN'T or CAN'T be doing, which would advance the debate far more than spouting the predictable negative rhetoric and semantics. No, I think their forte is simply to torpedo everything below the waterline because criticising others is a much easier option and does their ego an immense power of good in the process.


Well written....well put.
 
I'll second that too ....


jimbo ....had the unit in his system this morning ....I'll not spoil the fun ..and let him describe the effects [if he wants]...

I've also got another view of how this unit works ......for some of you this will make the makers claim seem reasonable.

Uncle ants suggested I keep this one to myself .....but hay what the hell some of you think I'm half baked alraedy.

As many of you know I Dowse.....so at the last meeting of EMDG [east midlands dowsing group] I asked for some opinions ....

the consensus was that it works via Geomancy ..I'll let you look up the description as its not my field...

effectively this unit is drawing negative[bad] energy from the room forming a "sink" this lowers the bad therefore there's more good energy ...making the room [and all its content] feel better, work better etc.

The downside is if the unit becomes "contaminated" by a bad energy ...it will make the room feel bad .....

......one of the members said they could feel a cone of "energy" spiraling into the unit ....

one interesting aspect was that before I said what the unit was or did or even switched it on another chap was able to confirm by dowsing many of the things I already knew ie it affects the air it contains quatrz and a liquid , doesn't give off a magnetic field nor is it transformer ...

I don't discount this explanation, as I don't the makers claims ....its just a little to off the wall.
 
I would hold far more respect for the "scientifically orientated" posters if they applied their collective wisdoms to eliminating what the device ISN'T or CAN'T be doing, which would advance the debate far more than spouting the predictable negative rhetoric and semantics. No, I think their forte is simply to torpedo everything below the waterline because criticising others is a much easier option and does their ego an immense power of good in the process.

I think that is unfair. Audio reproduction is a science: there is a known input and one wants to see as much as possible of that at the output. As such anyone wishing to have a controversial new product taken seriously really needs to have it impartially evaluated. I haven't read this thread in it's entirety so don't know whether or not this has been done or not. If not, and all favourable comment so far is based on non-blind listening tests it is seriously unwise to rule out the placebo effect. This is not meant to be offensive to anyone. It is simple fact. I've been caught out many times as has everyone I know (well all the honest ones at least).

If we get to the next stage, i.e. we have actually ascertained there is a real and repeatable difference then that difference needs to be analysed and understood. This is the time to ask what exactly is the device doing to the listening environment? I am an atheist - I can safely and confidently rule out magic, gods, witchcraft, voodoo etc. This only leaves us with reality. If it works it has to be emitting something (other than blue light!). My personal guess would be HF noise and this could comparatively easily be measured.

Tony.
 
I am an atheist - I can safely and confidently rule out magic, gods, witchcraft, voodoo etc.

Not true. An atheist does not believe in the things you mention. You cannot confidently rule out such things in any absolute sense.
I am a Christian believer and it would be just as easy for me to say that I rule them in (which I don't). I just do not believe that God is interested in making a hifi system sound better! Or that any voodoo etc is concerned in making hifi sound different.
IF the effect is consistent and repeatable, then there must be a rational explanation. The fact that the explanation is unknown to us at the moment does not make it non-existent.
 
I think that is unfair. Audio reproduction is a science: there is a known input and one wants to see as much as possible of that at the output. As such anyone wishing to have a controversial new product taken seriously really needs to have it impartially evaluated. I haven't read this thread in it's entirety so don't know whether or not this has been done or not. If not, and all favourable comment so far is based on non-blind listening tests it is seriously unwise to rule out the placebo effect. This is not meant to be offensive to anyone. It is simple fact. I've been caught out many times as has everyone I know (well all the honest ones at least).

If we get to the next stage, i.e. we have actually ascertained there is a real and repeatable difference then that difference needs to be analysed and understood. This is the time to ask what exactly is the device doing to the listening environment? I am an atheist - I can safely and confidently rule out magic, gods, witchcraft, voodoo etc. This only leaves us with reality. If it works it has to be emitting something (other than blue light!). My personal guess would be HF noise and this could comparatively easily be measured.

Tony.

I was agreeing with your posting Tony until I read the word "placebo" :confused: This word is brought up far too readily in these discussions and used an erroneous answer to what isn't easily explained, especially when no objective evidence is to hand. Look at the evidence that has been presented so far in this thread; more than one respondent has been able to summon the effect to command repeatedly and consistently. This exact same effect has been noted by others introduced to it, again by command and more than once so the likelihood of a placebo effect being that contagious amongst so many subjects is virtually nil. To the best of my own knowledge a true placebo has only been replicated, observed and recorded twice with one individual and that was in the absolute sense of the word.

At least I can salute you for applying your mind in a positive manner to what it MIGHT be rather than the usual derisory ballyhoo that occurs from the more cynical quarters :)
 
IF the effect is consistent and repeatable, then there must be a rational explanation. The fact that the explanation is unknown to us at the moment does not make it non-existent.

The atheist comment was intended in fun, nothing more. Audio does however work entirely in this physical reality. The Phonosophie box is either placebo or a device that does something. If it is the latter then working out what exactly it is doing is not beyond our collective knowledge – it exists, it can therefore be reverse engineered.

Tony.
 
Look at the evidence that has been presented so far in this thread; more than one respondent has been able to summon the effect to command repeatedly and consistently. This exact same effect has been noted by others introduced to it, again by command and more than once so the likelihood of a placebo effect being that contagious amongst so many subjects is virtually nil.

That is fair enough – if the effect of this device can be accurately identified without the listener knowing if it is on or off then we have ruled out any potential placebo effect entirely to my satisfaction. As I say I haven't read the whole thread (I'll do so later) so I don't know if this is the case or not. I'm certainly not accusing anyone of anything. I'm far more interested to know what the device is actually doing or emitting.

Tony.
 
Why dont you worry with radio frequency also, and mobiles, etc... :confused:

Those will not have any direct effect on my ears. High levels of signal up around, for example 25-30khz could well have some effect and therefore I'd like to know exactly what (if anything) this device does before going anywhere near it.
 
The Phonosophie box is either placebo or a device that does something.

The Phonosophie box certainly does something - it shines a blue light and separates a lot of gullible people from a lot of their money (CHF1198 (£492) :eek: ). I can attest to this because I have one sitting beside me right now - I found that the Swiss distributor of Phonosophie's stuff is just over the Jura from me, so I nipped over and borrowed one and have been playing with it all afternoon - to precisely no effect. No time to report further now, but will write more next week.
 
Zanash, aside from the obvious blue LED, are there any holes or apertures in the device?
Since I'm on the air, no, Frank, none at all. It's a flattish, brushed aluminium cylinder, 120mm diam, 34mm h. There is a plug for the power supply (6V) on the side. The bottom is black and sealed, so that getting inside without wrecking the thing is impossible. It's quite heavy and it rattles lightly when shaken, as if there was some sand loose inside.
 
I wonder... could you stick a multi-meter in line and see how much current it draws? Check that against what a similar blue LED needs to run, and we have a very strong hint as to whether it does anything or not ;)
 

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