@ghdprentice i have heard the same. Seems to be a very common thing now days. Thanks for the heads up though.
Base trap spacing
Hello everyone, I got my corner bass traps from GIK Acoustics today. The thing is they won’t go all the way in the corners because of the wall outlet that I am using to plug my Niagara 1200 in. I wrote GIK and was told it shouldn’t affect the sound, he also told me I could get a right turn power strip and plug my power cable coming from my Niagara in it. The idea behind the right turn power strip is to get the bass traps closer to the corners. Currently they are 6 inches from the back all and 2 inches from the side walls. I really don’t want to have a new outlet installed. Thanks guys.
@erik_squires after thinking, it’s better to just fix it the first time instead of avoiding haha. |
OP,
Just a note. Typically 2 meter power cords are recommended. This is because the longer they are, the more “power conditioning” you get. This was a fairly new concept to me, so, I got a hold of a one meter and two meter AudioQuest Hurricane and tried it. Darn if it wasn’t true. The two meter sounded notably better than the one meter, quieter and more dynamic. |
@campoly lol… |
@maxdukecapone if I move my outlet behind the rack, it will fix the issue all together. That and I can get shorter power cables when I upgrade 😀 |
@erik_squires the general consensus is there can be space but I agree with you that it looks odd. To be honest the ocd in me it drives me nuts. They are cut to be put in the corners for a reason. |
@wolf_garcia GPS? |
@campoly - With panels, yes. Space behind can, to a point, improve the bass absorption of the panels and extend the panel's effectiveness downwards. In this thread we are talking about devices designed specifically for being placed flush in the corners. Having said that, a few inches of space won’t hurt , but it looks weird. |
I’ll tell you why I think moving the outlet to behind the system is a better strategy -
Commercial grade outlets are fine if that’s what you think is good enough. Leviton plugs are not for audio. Hospital grade outlets aren’t either. The design goals there are to create a death grip connection that makes accidentally pulling the plug less possible. None of these connectors or outlets offer any benefit as far as improving sound quality. The hospital grade outlets will strip the plating off the plugs on power cords. Unless you are using all stock cords and have no plans to upgrade them, you’re fine. Other than that, look elsewhere. |
@erik_squires I have an Audioquest Monsoon cable atm. The bass traps came in yesterday and I thought I had more room. Thank you though |
@erik_squires yea, I will likely go with the cord option. I emailed Pass Labs this morning asking what they thought on the options you offered me. I know the traps don’t need to be all the way in the corners, more for looks at this point. Your thoughts are much appreciated. |
Just to be clear, the Leviton is a replacement plug, not an adapter. You don’t plug a wire into the bottom, you wire it through the bottom, and mimimizes extra connections. That is, you’ll have to remove any existing plug, disassemble the Leviton, wire it, and re-assemble it. If that’s too scary, and you don’t mind an extra plug and socket in the way consider this 14 gauge extension cord: They also make pure 90 degree adaptors, but I don't like them. I think it is too easy to disconnect or get a partial connection over time. |
OP:
Lots of good power strips have 90 degree plugs which is probably why GIK was suggesting it. Truth is that the cable in my blog goes to a Furman voltage regulator, which then feeds my conditioners. The original plug though was not a right-angle plug and the Leviton was a better solution than a right-angle extension cord.
Nope.
In the picture you see, that’s exactly right, the power cord goes out the bottom instead of the back of the plug, and the GIK bass trap is snug to the back of the plug (except when I'm taking pictures). The plug can be wired to plug in from almost any angle, in case your outlet has the ground up or down or sideways, or you want to to direct the cable to the left or right more than down.
The outlet is not your space problem. You don’t have to install another outlet to fix that, just a new plug. I do however recommend you at least get a Commercial/Residential outlet because they are well built, reliable, have a solid grip compared to normal cheap residential outlets and will give you a chance to clean up the wiring and make sure you don’t have backstabbed connections. About $5 and 10 minutes to install. About the same effort as installing the Leviton plug. Of course, make sure you have turned off the breaker and use fine grit sand paper to clean the bare wires. |
@erik_squires I never even thought of that. Pretty sure GIK was recommending a power strip instead. I have a furman I used on old set up. However I didn’t wanna have the furman in the wall then my power cable in the furman. Do you notice different sound with it set up the way you have it. So basically the power cable plugs into the plug from The bottom ? I really really don’t wanna install another outlet. |
Um, I would send you a picture, but it’s behind a bass trap and subwoofer!! :D I’m suggesting a decent outlet with a 90 degree plug. The plug is the key. It keeps the cable flush to the wall until it hits the outlet. I do suggest at least "Commercial/Residential" outlets ($5-$10) to replace old residential outlets. The commercial part adds higher quality and tighter contacts, the residential part of the label adds tamper resistance (TR) which is required in residential outlets. Of course, you are free to go nuts with even more expensive outlets. :) I wrote about this here: https://speakermakersjourney.blogspot.com/2022/01/audiophile-ac-outlets-for-frugal.html |
@erik_squires are you suggesting a high quality outlet along with the plug you sent a link to ? Would you mind sending me a picture of how yours is setup ? Thank you |