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From: wmartin@STL-06SIMA.ARMY.MIL (Will Martin)
Newsgroups: rec.audio.high-end
Subject: Re: Hi-Fi Audio Pseudoscience
Message-ID: <10975@uwm.edu>
Date: 12 Apr 91 12:39:17 GMT
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Approved: tjk@csd4.csd.uwm.edu
Originator: tjk@csd4.csd.uwm.edu

I went to the library over lunchtime today and read that Skeptical Inquirer
article. By the way, it is in Vol 15 #3, not #5 -- the Spring '91 issue.

It is very short, and basically consists of about 4 small pages of quotes
from high-end-audio mags like Stereophile and TAS, along with some comments
to the general effect of "this is obviously nonsense", and a half-page of
footnotes citing the sources. Rather disappointing, actually. For example,
ol' Auntie Enid Lumley isn't even mentioned; she'd be worthy of an article
all by herself! The magic clocks are mentioned briefly, but most of the
emphasis is on CD treatment fluids, ink, dampers, etc. 

It's just too superficial, in my view. The subject deserves a lot greater
depth, but I guess the problem is that the Skeptical Inquirer audience
would be too unfamiliar with the field. To really appreciate a detailed
study of the topic would require that the reader have a background of
years of reading the underground audio press, and those of us who have
done this are probably so "contaminated" with repeated exposure to the
kind of ideas expressed therein that we could not step back far enough
to be completely objective. We'd always tend to say "Yes, but..." since
we've seen concepts which at first appeared to be insane turn out to be
real and significant (or at least we now *believe* they are :-).

I wonder if there are other hobbyist/enthusiast fields which have such 
a press and a coterie of writers espousing viewpoints the "outside"
world would find incomprehensible? Are there underground auto or
photography magazines? Hmmm... Maybe film enthusiasts have a subculture
like this? 

Regards, Will
wmartin@stl-06sima.army.mil