In Reply to: Nova Physics Memory Player posted by charleslowe on February 18, 2008 at 00:38:11:
In the early '90s Tice made power line conditioners that were very highly regarded. Then they stumbled on to a tweak whereby a digital alarm clock could be "treated", and plugging this clock into an AC outlet would make your stereo sound better.
Tice made all kinds of mumbo-jumbo explanations for the product. Something about aligning the electrons to make them "coherent". Their explanations had two properties:
a) They were so outlandish that they destroyed all credibility that the company had, and within a few years they were essentially out of business. Please note that this had *nothing* whatsoever to do with the actual performance of the clock or their other power line conditioners.
b) It was obvious (at least with a moment's reflection) that the process was too cheap and easy to replicate for them to reveal it. (It also must have been unpatentable.) If they had told the truth about their process, then everyone and anyone could have copied the process. Perhaps some kind of cryogenic treatment, perhaps some kind of demagnetization, or something along those lines.
Now Nova Physics is following the exact same script. They take a computer and use standard technology to create a (presumably excellent sounding) CD player. Since the technology is nothing that cannot be easily copied and is not patentable, they make up a big story about "error correction" that is so outlandish that they are mocked in print by Robert Harley in TAS.
Now other companies are starting to copy some of their technology. For example, PS Audio has shown a prototype of their "Memory Link" and it uses some of the same features claimed for the Nova Physics device. All of a sudden the Nova Physics website changes and says that the PS Audio player is *not* really a "memory player" because it only stores 4 MB of data in solid-state memory, and the *real* "memory player" stores the entire disc in solid-state memory.
I would guess the following:
a) The NP "memory player" probably sound pretty good.
b) It could probably be duplicated by an end user for less than half of their asking price.
c) The main reason for its (presumably good -- I haven't heard it) sonic performance is *not* their "RUR" bit-perfect nonsense, but rather that the audio data is stored in solid state memory.
Just guesses, and I could be wrong about all of it. But the main point is that they are shooting themselves in the foot when they make up obviously incorrect stories about how their stuff works.
This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:
Follow Ups
- They are repeating the mistakes of Tice - Charles Hansen 02/18/0807:51:24 02/18/08 (57)
- RE: They are repeating the mistakes of Tice - hahax@verizon.net 20:16:36 02/18/08 (21)
- RE: They are repeating the mistakes of Tice - Charles Hansen 22:16:58 02/18/08 (0)
- RE: They are repeating the mistakes of Tice - J.Mac 20:21:14 02/18/08 (19)
- RE: They are repeating the mistakes of Tice - hahax@verizon.net 21:23:06 02/18/08 (18)
- RE: They are repeating the mistakes of Tice - J.Mac 22:27:07 02/18/08 (17)
- RE: They are repeating the mistakes of Tice - hahax@verizon.net 13:07:47 02/20/08 (0)
- "if they differ by a single bit then _I_ would be amazed." Well, they don't. - clarkjohnsen 12:12:52 02/19/08 (13)
- RE: "if they differ by a single bit then _I_ would be amazed." Well, they don't. - J.Mac 12:27:37 02/19/08 (12)
- RE: "if they differ by a single bit then _I_ would be amazed." Well, they don't. - chris.redmond2@bushinternet.com 13:49:38 02/19/08 (3)
- RE: "if they differ by a single bit then _I_ would be amazed." Well, they don't. - J.Mac 15:14:07 02/19/08 (2)
- RE: "if they differ by a single bit then _I_ would be amazed." Well, they don't. - chris.redmond2@bushinternet.com 09:18:49 02/20/08 (1)
- Oh, BURN! nt - clarkjohnsen 11:03:06 02/22/08 (0)
- "...then those systems are very badly broken." Fact is, they're *all* "broken". nt - clarkjohnsen 12:30:28 02/19/08 (7)
- Ho hum... you're another one of those [nt] - J.Mac 12:35:43 02/19/08 (6)
- And you are one of those who *enjoy* edgy sound? Fine. nt - clarkjohnsen 12:57:07 02/19/08 (5)
- RE: And you are one of those who *enjoy* edgy sound? Fine. nt - charleslowe 18:31:44 02/19/08 (4)
- "...the chaffing from the rear port." Translation: - clarkjohnsen 09:48:36 02/20/08 (3)
- RE: "...the chaffing from the rear port." Translation: - charleslowe 17:41:36 02/21/08 (2)
- "...the psyche of the extreme detractor." Yes. Perhaps I have misread you? - clarkjohnsen 11:01:40 02/22/08 (0)
- That's all right... - Ted Smith 21:07:17 02/21/08 (0)
- hahax, do you see what J.Mac is saying? - Charles Hansen 22:37:40 02/18/08 (1)
- RE: hahax, do you see what J.Mac is saying? - hahax@verizon.net 13:12:25 02/20/08 (0)
- just a couple of comments - unclestu52 11:10:05 02/18/08 (0)
- 25 minute memory player build - Gordon Rankin 08:53:35 02/18/08 (33)
- RE: 25 minute memory player build - dzzmiller 09:51:58 03/1/08 (0)
- Mac with FLASH - audioengr 18:02:18 02/18/08 (0)
- RE: 25 minute memory player build - Awe-d-o-file 16:32:52 02/18/08 (5)
- It would be a complicated mod. Outboard conversion would be a better solution. - orpheus 22:19:40 02/28/08 (4)
- Perhaps, perhaps not - Ted Smith 15:40:37 02/29/08 (3)
- There is always a maybe, but it definately would not be easy to do yourself, or cheap to hire someone else.... - orpheus 23:13:22 02/29/08 (2)
- People do it all of the time. (No comment about the advisability :) - Ted Smith 00:08:01 03/1/08 (1)
- The Xbox link was interesting, apparently you can just solder to the board. - orpheus 23:02:38 03/2/08 (0)
- XXhighend - SeVeReD 14:33:12 02/18/08 (5)
- RE: XXhighend - Dawrazor 21:11:31 02/18/08 (4)
- RE: XXhighend - PeterSt 00:46:42 02/21/08 (0)
- RE: XXhighend - Miab 23:09:40 02/18/08 (2)
- RE: XXhighend - Dawnrazor 00:01:51 02/19/08 (1)
- Thanks (nt) - Miab 11:11:35 02/20/08 (0)
- Or just use the memory playback option in Foobar - Kiepu 13:07:51 02/18/08 (1)
- RE: Or just use the memory playback option in Foobar - dzzmiller 11:08:52 02/29/08 (0)
- I'm curious... - clio09 09:53:27 02/18/08 (2)
- RE: I'm curious... - Gordon Rankin 11:03:59 02/18/08 (1)
- Thanks for the response... - clio09 11:25:38 02/18/08 (0)
- RE: 25 minute memory player build - theob 09:53:22 02/18/08 (6)
- Takes longer but PC instructions - Gordon Rankin 11:13:53 02/18/08 (1)
- Ok cheapest, smallest memory transport - Gordon Rankin 15:47:09 02/18/08 (0)
- RE: 25 minute memory player build - kgturner 11:10:21 02/18/08 (3)
- You would want only the SSD to operate that's the whole point (NT) - Gordon Rankin 11:15:05 02/18/08 (2)
- RE: You would want only the SSD to operate that's the whole point (NT) - theob 12:06:44 02/18/08 (0)
- o i c (nt) - kgturner 11:20:10 02/18/08 (0)
- Quick Question on SSD vs other SS memory? - AbeCollins 09:36:06 02/18/08 (3)
- RE: Quick Question on SSD vs other SS memory? - Gordon Rankin 11:18:27 02/18/08 (2)
- RE: Quick Question on SSD vs other SS memory? - Gary G 12:31:13 02/19/08 (0)
- RE: Quick Question on SSD vs other SS memory? - AbeCollins 12:00:55 02/18/08 (0)
- QED - Charles Hansen 09:15:14 02/18/08 (2)