# What other fields besides high-end audio are susceptible to 'woo'? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 8, 2017, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-fields-besides-high-end-audio-are-susceptible-to-woo/801057 "2017-11-08T15:42:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![Mr.Nylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/77aa72/32.png) [@Mr.Nylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Nylock)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2017, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-fields-besides-high-end-audio-are-susceptible-to-woo/801057/141 "2017-11-18T02:46:30Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > It’s three chainrings/9-speed cassette and a long cage derailleur… I figured that was a mtn.bike version. Maybe it’s a touring version. > > I don’t actually care all that much about the various group levels but that was the only group the bike was offered with > > ETA: Just went out to check, it’s all marked Ultegra. Ultegra is a great group, when I used to ride a lot I had the 11 speed, always shifted flawlessly. Even though your crank has three chainrings, it is still a road group. Triple is used for touring and also entry level road riding - most experienced road cyclists use a double so I can see why you would have thought it was a mountain bike group. Probably the mountain equivalent would be XT - but I’m guessing on that. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2017, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-fields-besides-high-end-audio-are-susceptible-to-woo/801057/142 "2017-11-18T03:03:12Z")
> [@Mr.Nylock](#): > > Ultegra is a great group, when I used to ride a lot I had the 11 speed, always shifted flawlessly. Even though your crank has three chainrings, it is still a road group. Triple is used for touring and also entry level road riding - most experienced road cyclists use a double so I can see why you would have thought it was a mountain bike group. Probably the mountain equivalent would be XT - but I’m guessing on that. I was never more than a marginal cyclist, mostly commuting and a partial Fred. At best, I was aware the component groups had a hierarchy but I didn’t worry much about the specifics. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Nylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/77aa72/32.png) [@Mr.Nylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Nylock)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2017, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-fields-besides-high-end-audio-are-susceptible-to-woo/801057/143 "2017-11-18T03:10:47Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > I was never more than a marginal cyclist, mostly commuting and a partial Fred. At best, I was aware the component groups had a hierarchy but I didn’t worry much about the specifics. Well . . . let me tell you, if you get the right component group _ **it will change your life.** _ Just kidding 😛 ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2017, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-fields-besides-high-end-audio-are-susceptible-to-woo/801057/144 "2017-11-23T21:23:33Z")
> [@thirdname](#): > > That claim, of course, has not been scientifically tested, so it may be even more woo itself. The graph showing 3db differences at different frequencies with a 4" change in location of the measurement microphone was the scientific proof - or at least the data. > [@](#): > > (I’ve never heard of any audio comparisons done with the listeners’ heads in a clamp vs. without. Not to mention the difficulty of building a double-blind head-clamp.) Why would a human head be necessary when we have measurement microphones and spectrum analyzers? > [@](#): > > The thing is, while there is a lot of woo in audio, what is not woo is the fact that there are vast differences in the quality of different speakers and headphones. You don’t want to throw the baby out with the bathwater. Most people have no idea how good a stereo system can sound. The speakers are the biggest factor, followed by the room acoustics, as well as the recording quality but the listener can’t control that. Sure, but the point is to keep people from wasting money on silly things when making the room right is a lot more valuable. > [@](#): > > Most people would be astonished by the sound quality you can get from the right pair of bookshelf speakers in the $300-600 range. Of course, if you want deep bass, high output, and surround sound, the costs increase to several thousand dollars. Sure, but a pair of Yamaha NS-10s (universally adopted as a standard of mediocrity by recording studios the world over) will sound better in a studio control room than any number of incredibly expensive speakers in a terrible room. ---
**Author:** ![Wallaby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/dc4da7/32.png) [@Wallaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallaby)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2017, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-fields-besides-high-end-audio-are-susceptible-to-woo/801057/145 "2017-11-27T23:51:55Z")
> [@Mr.Nylock](#): > > Well . . . let me tell you, if you get the right component group _ **it will change your life.** _ > > Just kidding 😛 Well, to be honest, if you’re not using the right component groupset, your life is hardly worth living at all. May as well chuck the bike and kill yourself now… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-fields-besides-high-end-audio-are-susceptible-to-woo/801057.md?page=7)