Awesome Audiophile Snake Oil

I was digging in because when I read the description I was wondering if it was literal oil derived from reptiles but it looks like it may be similar to this product: https://www.solvay.com/en/brands/pfpe-functional-fluids

you're right of course that it is a lubricant - it microscopically fills in the surface of the grooves, reducing friction and allowing the stylus to travel across the surface more smoothly

the difference in terminology is that lubricants generally aren't finishes, ie they don't permanently adhere to the surface. like if you touch a greased pan, grease comes off on your hand.

of course there are plenty of exceptions to this terminology and lots of examples of permanent solid lubricants, like teflon film on cooking utensils.

so yeah you can either think of it as a rather thick and adhesive lubricant or a rather thin and non-adhesive lacquer, in the end it's the same thing

fair! thanks for the description, this is interesting stuff

definitely need a few gallons of this as the molecular cohesion of my records has really gone to shit over the last few years, can barely open the door of my record room, molecules all over the damn place

every time i come home from the record store with new molecules of music, my partner is always on my case like "but you never listen to the molecules you already have!"

that's when I reach for my atomizer

goddammit i knew i should've copyrighted my dumb idea for "record lotion"

lol

https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/holiday-gift-ideas-for-the-vinyl-enthusiast-in-your-life/

these seem mostly... fine? I'd go for a record cleaning brush over a stylus brush, though

I have that Turntable Lab needle brush. It works! I also drop the needle onto a chunk of Magic Eraser after every few plays. But it's not "THIS WILL ADD LIFELIKE WARMTH TO THE SOUNDSTAGE THAT ONLY YOU CAN HEAR"; it's just cleaning/maintenance.

real heads know only steel wool can repel the negative ion buildup that takes the lustre off your upper mids

was mostly using this thread to take another shot at the constant unwavering stupidity that is pfork (totally NOT a lifestyle website, btw). the "Isonoe Isolation System" is peak snakeoil afaict. also the preamp thingie is questionable and slipmats are not needed unless yr qbert or roc raida (rip). $13 for a 45 adapter too? gtfoh.

stylus brushes are always a great idea, tho.

also good to see turntable lab is still around.

if you have a receiver that doesn't have a phono input and a turntable without a built-in amp, you definitely need a phono amp! I own an earlier model of the one they recommend and the local on-the-level audio shop I go to has been selling them for years. the snake oil version of the same device costs hundreds if not thousands.

right, that's my bad. i've had the same late 70s stereo for twenty years and take that for granted i guess.

the graphics in that list are maybe the worst thing thats ever been published in pitchfork

getting a Vincent phono pre was the best thing I've done in awhile, really fantastic, $300 so "cheap" (haha) for audiophiles, built like a tank

I have a pretty nice amp but it doesn't have a phono in

order of stuff I think matters from most to least:

speakers
amp
cartridge
turntable
DAC
CD player/disc spinner (currently using a $10 off Craigslist optical out into onboard DAC in my amp)
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
all the other bullshit accessories

what a weird, writing-free piece. The no-nonsense phono is the best thing about it (I use that one with my tiny class T speaker amp)... but do not buy one for your vinyl loving friend, unless they can't actually listen to vinyl and lack of a photo stage is the specific reason why.

I wouldn't be mad if someone got me some outer sleeves

also isolation is an issue if you, like, can't dance near the table. but that's when you make a little shelf on the wall

yeah, the plastic sleeves are good (and seem to keep my cat from attempting to claw records)

ha, they have the opposite effect on my cat - he loves to chew the plastic, i cant ever leave a record out

I dislike those sleeves for aesthetic reasons. Then I worry that I'm neglecting my LPs. But no, I can't bring myself to use them

sleeve city outer sleevs are my favorite but i have yet to find a satisfying solution for doubles/gatefolds

for every possible way to protect your possessions, there is a cat who has figured out how to counter it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5poEu9uBwyM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=La3U41b0WSU

xpost to mh

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7dcSr04G8s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tHOUV_bJn8

Kind of a bummer/guilt-trip final selection on that Pfork list.

No one said loving vinyl was easy. Between caring for old records and getting the best sound out of your gear, being a turntable devotee is as rewarding as it is intensive

*sigh* speak for yourself re this whole vinyl is hard nonsense

ok how do you pronounce ‘phono’?

does it rhyme with slo-mo or Bono?

(or Pono)

Pono

like phonograph

Thanks

I said it in conversation last night and realised that it’s a term I’ve never actually spoken aloud and someone said “is that how you say it?” and I freaked out

RIP Stereophile's Art Dudley

enjoyed his writing

https://www.stereophile.com/content/art-dudley-rest-peace

oh man I have read a lot of art dudley columns over the years... RIP Art.

yeah he was one of the good ones

damn, Listener was a great little magazine.

https://jcat.eu/featured/m12-switch-gold/

What a shame they have to sully it with an RJ45 connector at the other end of the wire, albeit one from the space station where “air” and “fine grained ambience” are a must for all data

amazing

thank god that the audiophiles have finally invented a 5 port unmanaged ethernet switch you can spend 4000+ euro on

NB I checked eBay you can get a Juniper EX4200 for like less than $100

an acquaintance observes that the M12 connector, having only two twisted pairs, is insufficient to actually deliver gigabit ethernet, so this dumb thing doesn't even work

https://i.imgur.com/eaa92jl.jpg

psych - this is a real ad

That seems...reasonable? Analogue TV tech remains amazing to me!

Who knew? "Snivets are thin parallel vertical lines which may appear at one or more positions of the reproduced image. It has been suggested that the production of such thin vertical lines is due to Barkhausen oscillations developed in the horizontal output tube."

the history of analog TV tech is fascinating, even more than the history of radio

How does this ... possibly work

https://www.stereogum.com/2101286/oda-speakers-jessica-pratt-madlib-arca-microphones-standing-on-the-corner/news/