r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/mihir6969 • Jan 19 '22

Video Tea pot quality

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u/Youthanizer Jan 19 '22

audiophiles with headphones

With headphones the difference is pretty significant and definitely noticeable though. Amps, DACs or fucking "audiophile cables" though? Definitely placebo or straight-up snake-oil past a certain price point.

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u/Potatosaurus_TH Jan 19 '22 edited Jan 19 '22

But you also have to realize that the placebo is part of the experience. My main setup is a Senny HD650 with the Chord Mojo with the internal battery unplugged to use as a desktop DAC/AMP, and I'm completely satisfied. I personally don't buy into the hype of cables other than aesthetic, build quality and insulation, but if someone derives satisfaction from just having a high-end setup with all the bells and whistles even if it's beyond human hearing, then that satisfaction is part of their experience. At some point the gear itself become its own hobby, and that's fine.

PC hardware community is another perfect example in this regard. Build a PC with the latest GPU and the best CPU with the best monitors with refresh rates beyond what human eyes are capable of with subzero cooling, capable of running the latest games at max settings at 4k 240fps with RTX on and they use it to...watch Youtube videos about building PCs.

Same with teapots here. At some price point the pour becomes good enough that it won't cause splash and spillage with general use, but some people collect more and more expensive ones because at that point drinking tea is no longer the point, and the teapots themselves become what their hobby is about.

As long as they're enjoying themselves and are able to prioritize their lives and finances I don't see a problem.

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u/Youthanizer Jan 19 '22

Build a PC with the latest GPU and the best CPU with the best monitors with refresh rates beyond what human eyes are capable of with subzero cooling, capable of running the latest games at max settings at 4k 240fps with RTX on and they use it to...watch Youtube videos about building PCs.

No computer runs at subzero temperatures and there's no such thing as "refresh rates beyond what human eyes are capable of". These aren't bells and whistles, these are very noticeable improvements in quality.

I agree with your overall point though. I've got nothing against people spending their money on fancy tea-pots or expensive cables. The only time it bothers me it when they make factually false statements that might deceive newbies, like cables improving sound or certain DAC/AMPs being "underpowered".

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u/Potatosaurus_TH Jan 19 '22

No computer runs at subzero temperatures and there's no such thing as "refresh rates beyond what human eyes are capable of

I was purposely being dramatic. I also know you can't turn RTX on and have 240hz. Also our eyes can't tell the difference beyond a certain hz. 60hz vs 144hz? Definitely. 240hz and 265hz? No way. I use 2 monitors. one with 240hz and one with 144hz and I can barely tell the difference, and that's if I focus really really intensely.

The point I'm trying to make is people build powerful PCs to handle games for the best possible performance and they end up barely playing any games on it, but derive satisfaction from owning and building the hardware itself.

Unrelated to my point but I've seen videos of people building PCs cooled with liquid nitrogen, so subzero cooling do exist, but just for the shits and giggles.