Reply #26: Cables are the BIGGEST rip-off [View All]

$37 for a fancy USB cable when that gold plating doesn't do jack, it's on the outside shield conductor and is just a large ground. You can get perfectly-good USB cables from cyberguys.com for $3 a pop.

Audio cables are a big ripoff as well...ungodly prices for stereo interconnects when "golden-ears" have failed to discern any audible differences between interconnects and speaker wire in scientifically-rigourous double-blind tests (which many audiophiles shun as such scientifically-sound methods slay many of their sacred cows and shibboleths.) Monster is one of the worst, they indoctrinate the BB salesdrones with pseudoscience. It's really consumer fraud, but they get away with it. I won't even get into some of the wierder insanity of high-end audiophiles, who shell out $200 for a wall socket and $1500 for an AC power cord. One born every minute...

Todd in Beerbratistan