We’ve just received this – as we expected – from Adam Blake, the CEO of Pear Cables, who had already agreed to participate in the proposed JREF tests of his Pear Anjou speaker cables:
At the request of Michael Fremer, with whom we have been communicating regarding his challenging of your assertions regarding high-end audio cables, we would like to inform you directly of Pear Cable's decision to not participate in your claimed challenge. While we support Mr. Fremer's efforts, and believe firmly in the performance of our products, we prefer that he simply use his own reference cables in his proposed test.
Please note the references here to “your assertions regarding high-end audio cables,” and our “claimed challenge.” These are the usual sort of juvenile ploys used by those who are well aware of their own presumptive and overblown claims. Let me correct Mr. Blake:
First: the JREF has made no “assertions” whatsoever in this matter; those were made by Blake and by Fremer, and we only offered to pay them one million dollars if they were able to support their fatuous assertions.
Second: the JREF prize offer is in no respect a “claimed challenge”; it is 100% genuine, fully outlined in print and widely advertised, and it constitutes a binding legal obligation on our part to pay the prize – one million US dollars – upon the success of any applicant. The funds are held by the investment firm of Goldman Sachs in an account specifically named, “The James Randi Educational Foundation Prize Account,” which at this moment of writing amounts to US$1,059,168.47, and is growing every day, though the prize only constitutes the first one million dollars. This is not – in any respect, a “claimed challenge.” It is very real and substantial.
Third – and most interesting – this retreat by Adam Blake effectively closes the current challenge, much to the relief of both Fremer and Blake, of course. Actually, I must admit that this was a rather clever way of squirming out of the huge dilemma in which these two blowhards found themselves. To repeat our proposition for the test, which I’ve already stated:
We are asking you [Michael Fremer] – and/or Adam Blake – to significantly differentiate between a set of $7,250 Pear Anjou cables and a good set of Monster cables, or between a set of $43,000 Transparent Opus MM SC cables and the same Monster cables – your choice of these two possible scenarios… This would have to be done to a statistically significant degree, that degree to be decided.
Returning to the rest of the cop-out just received from Adam Blake:
While we had initially planned to loan cable to Mr. Fremer for the test, upon consideration of your communications with him, as well as our doubts about the legitimacy of your misleading challenge (including the fact that you now personally claim that almost anyone can tell the difference between Monster cables and zip-cord), we do not wish to be involved. We do not expect this to hamper Mr. Fremer's efforts in any way.
Well, Adam, since you won’t provide a set of your marvelous cables for the test, and I’m sure that Fremer isn’t going to provide them, that closes the matter. Now, Fremer may decide to invest $7,250 in a set of these cables. Or, the Transparent people may send in a set of $42,000 wires for the test, but I’m damn sure not going to supply them…!
We’re now looking at the list of others who have expressed interest in taking the challenge in regard to regular-vs-ridiculous speaker cables. The requests are in chronological order, and the next person up for discussion will be announced.
As we so often say, stay tuned!
