Perfect Path Tecnologies ‘The Gate’

Must be new. Not on their website yet. https://www.perfectpathtechnologies.com/shop

Yes, I forgot to mention that the Gate should be released within a week. 

WOW! $$$

@mac48025 - did you install it yourself or hire an electrician? No problem with it fitting in your panel?

@lak- the cost can be daunting at first but for its impact I find it very cost effective. The Gate has brought about greater sonic benefits than components that I’ve spend thousands more on and for those with multiple systems it’s particularly worthwhile as every system in your house will benefit from it. All of our tv’s have the pictures ever. 

@sbayne- I installed it myself. It was very simple and easy and took all of five minutes. For anyone uncomfortable with working in an electrical panel a handyman or electrician is probably best for installation.  One lead is connected to common and the other to a breaker, preferably a 220 breaker as it increases the Gates affect. The Gate itself easily fits inside the panel, resting on the bottom of it. I’ll get some pics of it installed this weekend and add to my system page here. 

mac48025,

With this device, since it is installed in the breaker box everything in the house should be getting purer, cleaner power. Any claim to lower the electric bill?

ozzy

I can’t attest to that yet Ozzy as it’s only been in a week since installing the Gate. I hope so though as my electric bills are quite high during the summer as my koi ponds’ pump’s consume a lot of electricity so I’ll let you know after next months electric bill comes in. 

I can say that I’ve turned my refrigerators thermostats down since installing the Gate.....items on the lower shelf were freezing, that never happened before. I can only assume that the Gate is allowing the refrigerators to run more efficiently? Maybe the lighting in the house will make me look younger now! A man can dream can’t he?

"I’ll get some pics of it installed this weekend and add to my system page here." - Great. Thanks!

The Gate

This morning marks the eighth day with The Gate in the system. I'm in agreement with everything the OP said in his opening statements.

First, the price - $4,999.

On the surface, it may look like a lot of money (and it is), but measured on a performance basis, it's a bargain. If one is thinking about upgrading to a more expensive piece of equipment, a new amp, or pre-amp, for example, one would be far better off installing The Gate.

The size -

2" x 2.5" x 10." Weight 10 pounds.

 The sound -

When The Gate had been in the system for only two days, I had a fellow A'goner over for a listening session. He was silent for the first two recordings. I asked him to describe what he was hearing. To that, he responded that the use of the usual audiophile terms wasn't adequate. It goes far beyond that.

The Gate removes grunge, hash, and distortions from the AC power, and leaves nothing but the music and the performers in the room. The clarity attained brings this hobby to an entirely different level. The Gate is a real game changer and it will transform the hobby. It is that good.

Listening -

Upon first turning on the system immediately after installing The Gate, there's not much improvement to be had. Maybe slight. After 15 minutes, things started to open up a bit. You can hear The Gate slowly improve over maybe an hour or so, then WHAM! The purity of the sound starts becoming very evident. By the time the first listening session was over, we were shaking our heads in disbelief. Nothing ... and I mean NOTHING I've done in this hobby has had this much of a profound effect on improving the sound quality. Forget terms like focus, transparency, dynamics, black background, noise floor, sound stage, speed, tonality, and such. Just replace all of the normal terms with one word ... reality.

Break-in -

The Gate continues to improve day by day. Tim Mrock, the designer, says that it will continue to improve over a four to six week period. If the first eight days are any indication, I can't imagine what things are going to sound like after several weeks of continual break-in.

What others have heard -

So far, I've had two fellow A'goners over to experience The Gate. The best testament I can give this product is that both of them returned home, called Tim, and ordered The Gate for themselves. When they heard it in my system, it had only been installed for two days. At eight days, it is much better than what they heard.

The results so far -

In terms of how large of an improvement one can expect from The Gate, I'm equating it to all of the tweaks I have in the system at this point. Even culmulative, I'll take The Gate over all of them combined. In total, they have created a true magic music machine. The Gate just brings things to a whole new level. Highly recommended.

Frank

Thank you Frank, you described the Gate much better than I and I concur with all of your observations and assessments. 

Describing the affects of the Gate is quite difficult as it’s a level of purity I’ve never experienced before. Words don’t do it justice. All of my other tweaks ( isolation, grounding cables, PPT mats and cards) were all beneficial in lowering noise and allowing more of the music to flow forth but their cumulative affect doesn’t match that of the Gate. It’s crazy just how much closer the Gate brings one to the sound of the musicians ....as if they were there before you. It’s eerie. 

I had the same break in experience. Day 1......meh. Day 2.....wow. Day 3....are you kidding me, is this my system? Every day after has been a slight improvement and if it continues for another 4 weeks or more I may never leave my listening room 😀

I can’t wait to have some fellow Agoner’s over to hear what I’m hearing ......just to confirm I’m not crazy if nothing else. Ok, at least that I’m not crazy regarding the affects of the Gate.....other aspects of my sanity shall remain confidential 😜

mac ...

I've been digging deep into the record and CD vault and coming up with recordings that I thought were just average. I have them because of the history of the music and the musicians.

Typical are the early BeBop recordings of Charlie Parker and his band, or early Stan Kenton and his orchestra.  I have lots of jazz and vocals like that.

Surprise! With The Gate installed, the mediocre recordings are totally listenable now. My God, I have thousands of recordings to go through.

 At this point, I seem to be having a problem prying myself out of the listening chair. Maybe I'll start having my food delivered. 

Frank

<3 Like all of Timmy's products (except for the paste), there is a 90 day return policy. <3
This is a "power correction device".... going beyond the scope of tweek. It's also beyond conventional conditioning. <3 Like sitting on board the Starship Enterprise. <3
LOL.
<3 Should have an Audiogon ad up this weekend. <3  Many thanks to those who have already purchased! <3 Krissy <3 

@mrs_ppt
Glad to hear The Gate is already out and exceeds expectations...per usual for Tim's products! I spoke to Tim several months ago and he mentioned that he expects to have a version of, or an alternative to The Gate, for those of us living in an apartment without access to a circuit breaker box. I was wondering if that was still the case and if it will be available soon? I have been upgrading  power cords and power conditioners lately but will change my trajectory on purchases if it is to be available soon.

Question for those who have the Gate already and Tim.

If one already has a top flight power conditioner is the Gate still likely to give the same improvement.

Additionally is the same top flight power conditioner even required if one installs the Gate?

Thank you.

uberwaltz

I’ve had the Sound Application power conditioner in the system for years and wouldn’t be without it.

http://www.soundapplication.com/review3.html

http://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/equipment/0600/cfx.htm

http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue22/sound_application.htm

A few years ago I totally upgraded the receptacles in the Sound Application power conditioner, so it is even better than those used in the above reviews. 

I’ve pasted it completely with PPT’s Total Contact, including the inside of the lid. It took a whole tube of TC to do the job. It is sitting on top of three Omega E-Mats. This was a very nice improvement in SQ, and was done months before I installed The Gate.

The Gate is in another league altogether. Think of it as a super-power conditioner for the entire house. Even with the Sound Application power conditioner in the circuit, The Gate just blows everything away.

I’ve had to adjust the color temperature of the TV twice again after installing The Gate, and the vegetables in the refrigerator’s vegetable drawer started freezing again, so that had to be adjusted as well.

What The Gate does for the audio system’s sound quality is just unbelievably nutz. The purity has to be heard in order to be believed. So far, I’ve never heard anything like it before IN ANY SYSTEM. My audiophile friends, some of whom are A’gon members, concur.

Frank

Well said Krissy. The Gate definitely deserves a label much greater than a tweak, but there isn’t a current way to properly describe it. Power correction device works for me. 

@uberwaltz, I own the P.I. Audio Uberbuss and Equitech Son of Q and as well as both of these power conditioners work they don’t compare to what the Gate does. I use the Uberbuss in my system and it lowers the noise floor without compromising dynamics at all and I had thought my noise floor was as low as it could get with the addition of two Gutwire Ultimate grounding cables and the PPT mat, cards and TC. Boy was I wrong, the Gate has lowered the noise floor to a depth I knew not existed and it keeps getting better every day. It’s really remarkable just how much music I was missing hidden behind whatever noise/grunge/distortion that was in my signal before adding the Gate. The Gate is appropriately named as it’s opened up a whole new world of musical purity and enjoyment for me 

For those that have I asked for a picture of the Gate installed in the panel, I posted a pic on my Virtual System page. Sorry that it’s not the greatest pic but the lighting wasn’t very good. There are two wires that come out of the Gate on the left end, one is attached to the common and the other to one of the 220 breakers. The Gate is laying on the bottom of the panel. It doesn’t have the label or clear sleeve over it like the production models will have. Hope that helps. 

Vibes sound so alive and real, Frank....and yes, I need to have Charles over for a listen. 

^^^
I have a small secondary system in the bedroom that consists of a desktop PC, a pair of Audioengine A2+ speakers, a pair of Grado RS1 headphones, and an Audioengine DAC. 

I listened to this system last night for the first time since installing The Gate. I just used Spotify for a source. Holy Cow! The Gate has transformed this little tyke into a full-fledged adult too. 

Frank

It seems to me that a AC plug could be attached to the 2 wires on the gate. Then it could be plugged into the main outlet at/in the Audio system.

ozzy

I assume the Gate would have the same or greater impact on your rig at the breaker vs hardwired to your stereo room outlet/outlets. Right? Plus the rest of your home electronics benifit! Charge your iPad in 5 minutes! 

^^^
Now that The Gate is installed in the circuit breaker box, not only is the stereo system sounding incredible and beyond belief, but the bedroom system is better than ever, as is the TV. Now then, if only I can keep the vegetables from freezing in the refrigerator, I'll be all set. :-)

Frank

<3 Our website is expanding! <3 www.perfectpathtechnologies.com <3 It won't be long now. <3 Love, Krissy 

The point I was making was for those who don’t want to get inside the breaker box.
Plus having the unit closer to the Audio system may increase the effectiveness.
ozzy

Wow, the gate sounds like an end game for power conditioning. Congrats to mac48025!

Not at $5k it won't be.

While I agree 5k is a lot of money for what some may consider a tweak, compared to some other upgrades it is not astronomical.
Indeed I figure we have some here who have already spent way more on ecards, emats, fuses etc in pursuit of excellence.

The way I see it right now is you are likely to consider The Gate if you already have a good resolving system that you are pretty happy with the flavour and balance of overall , and just looking to maximise its impact and strengths.

With that being said I am unlikely to dive in head first but will wait and see a few more positive reviews.

Yes I know there is a 90 day returns policy which is very generous and tells me a lot about both Tim's nature AND his confidence in this product.

Certainly not for you millercarbon

^^^

When it comes to price, I look at it a bit differently.

First of all, The Gate isn't a "tweak." Once installed, it will be considered by the owner as an absolutely necessary component much like an amp, line stage or phono stage. The difference is, it allows all other components in the system to reveal their best attributes. 

If you had the money to spend, would you spend 5k on the best amplifier you've ever heard? How about the best overall system you've ever heard? Most of us would gladly spend 5k to get those kinds of results. 

There will be others chiming in as more "Gates" are installed and up and running.  Upon hearing the results in my system, two of my friends have stepped forward and ordered one and they will be installed soon. Hopefully, they will post their results here. 

I'm eleven days into The Gate now and it still continues to improve. Last night's listening session took a big jump in SQ. It was truly astounding.  

Frank

@ozzy 

Thanks Ozzy. Definitely something to consider that may work for me. Now to just come up with the scratch. My guess though is once people hear how good it sounds in a system they will find a way to buy it. Put off all upgrades and tweaks until you can buy The Gate first!

I've had the Gate in my system for a few weeks and I am in full agreement with everything Frank stated above.  Nothing I've ever added to my system comes close to what the Gate does. "Reality" is the best single word to use to describe how my system sounds.  The noise floor is reduced to such an extent that all aspects of the system's performance is improved.  My digital system is completely grain and glare free and really get a better sense of the acoustical space.  One of the biggest differences I hear that no other component has done is the effect on the musical pace.  Ground breaking product for sure.

Thanks Mike, reality sums up best what the Gate has brought to my system. The sense of ambience is unreal. Tone is to die for.  The noise floor gets lower seemingly every day. With it only being in my system for 10 days I can’t imagine what it will sound like in another 3-4 weeks. 

Spending this much on anything audio isn’t something I do lightly or easily but it’s a no brainer for me after hearing the results. It allows every component to perform at its best, or at least close to it. It’s as if I upgraded every component in my system, which would be much more costly than the Gate. And for those with multiple systems the Gate will be even more beneficial and cost effective.

Interesting idea ozzy, would like to hear Tim’s thoughts on that.  Could be a way for apartment dwellers to use it. 

Thanks t_ramey but the congrats go to Tim, he’s created something very special with the Gate. 

I look forward to hearing from others as they receive their Gates. 

Frank, Bobby Hutcherson has never sounded better on my system!

Mikeg & Mac ...

During last night's listening session, the sound was spectacular. I had the lights down low and was nursing two fingers of single malt while listening to Diana Krall's "Live in Paris" CD.

While listening, the clarity was such that it occurred to me just how good of a pianist Diana Krall is. Her touch and phrasing came through like never before. Very intimate, indeed.

It also occurred to me how brilliant the design of my ARC gear is. With the pure power afforded by "The Gate" flowing through the electronics, it sounded as though any remaining distortion had been eliminated. The ARC Ref-75se is an amazing amp. I knew it was good, but THIS good? I had no idea.

Bottom line ... The Gate allows one to hear into the music like never before. If anyone wants to hear what their gear is really capable of, install a "Gate." There's a 90-day return policy ... but once heard, I guarantee you won't be returning it.

Frank

https://www.audiogon.com/listings/lis9deij-perfect-path-technologies-the-gate-ac-conditioners 

The Gate is here!
Should be on the website in just a few more days. <3 <3

Love,
Krissy

We're going to install a friend's Gate tomorrow. He's in for a real treat. 

Frank

Frank, I noticed that the ad for the Gate is only for 100 or 200 amp main power panels.  My new home has a 400 amp main power panel.  Would I need two Gates or only achieve a smaller percentage gain using one Gate (like 25% or 50% of a smaller main power panel)?

Ad says its sized to fit inside those panels. Not that its sized to handle those loads.

In fact it doesn't seem to handle any load at all. I thought maybe someone was mistaken but sure enough this is what the ad says:
One lead connects to an existing breaker, the other to neutral bar. That's it!
Connected that way, if you know anything about electrical panels, the breakers are hot and the neutral is the utility ground that completes the circuit, in other words if it was a wire it'd be a short. Now since nobody has said anything about these things glowing red hot before bursting into flames I'm gonna go out on a limb and say its not a wire.

But also, the size or number of circuits or even the panel can't matter because it doesn't have any current flowing through it. What it almost certainly does have however is something that shunts any and all noise riding on the AC line to ground. 

Its interesting its wired to neutral and not ground. Three wires come into residential panels- two hot and one neutral. In addition to this we are required to add an earth ground. I notice they do not say to wire to earth ground. Also notice they do not require connecting to both incoming legs. Well, all circuits from either leg are completed by connecting to neutral. So if the goal is line noise then connecting one leg to neutral in effect connects everything in the house. This is why flipping breakers off improves sound even when its circuits with nothing connected or running. The wires themselves even with nothing running are antennae feeding RFI into the system.

All the review comments so far sound to me exactly like what I get when I go flip off all the breakers. Noise floor drops dramatically, grain and glare disappear, everything just sounds incredibly real. 

So Frank you're gonna put one in tomorrow. Got to flip the breakers off anyway. Only take a few minutes to flip them all off except the system, see how it sounds. To compare no breakers before to breakers Gate after. Be very interested to hear what you hear. Very interested. 

Tom Port of Better Records told me when he was seriously listening to music, he would unplug all household equipment except the frig.  I believe he was correct that he gained better sound by doing so.  But I wouldn't do that, I'd rather install the Gate to do the equivalent.

For a product designed to be attached to an electrical panel, or sub panel, it appears remarkably home made. I wouldn't allow it anywhere near my electrical until it was UL tested.

And ... it has 2 leads ? One of which is neutral? So what happens to the other leg of the transformer? Does it only treat one?

No no no, this product gives me snake oil and home going up in flames type hives.

I know. Part of us all feel this way, but you have 90 days to determine if it is snake oil. No risk, no games, no snake oil with this fact. Also the builder has integrity as a person and professional. You will indeed be refunded if you don’t love what it does in your home. So our anxieties about the product as well as our ignorance as to how it specifically works doesn’t have to escalate into broad brushed negative hyperbole. One should also call Tim for more information if genuinely intrigued and interested.

It is very easy to quickly dismiss and think the worst of products when we don’t fully understand them. That is the easy button reaction for most of us. When in this situation I am curious enough to look into it more, ask questions of the inventor and try it for myself for first hand experience. Absent that I try not to become negative and assume the worst about things I don’t fully know about or understand.  

@erik_squires

Erik put aside the Gate for a second. Have you tried the Omega Emat or Total Contact yet? If not you should and let us know if its snake oil or not. You get 90 days with the Emat at least. Just put one on your break panel door or a component, like a CDP or DAC.

Erik

Please do not go down the same path another long standing member did and end up out of sorts over it.

Yes some of the claims seem over the top for sure but I am using emats, ecards and TC ( along with SR Blue fuses and duplex) and these all work extremely well to lower the noise floor and open up the music in my system.

With a money back guarantee ( except the TC) what do you have to lose by trying any of Tims products.

No affiliation at all, just one happy customer.

Not just on this thread, but in general, there is an obsession towards lowering the noise floor.  Maybe its because I have good electricity, but I have to say when I step back and look at it objectively, lowering the noise floor of my audio system is just about as important as having the blackest blacks on my television.  

I like and feel I have a low noise floor, but its just something I would have never thought to be overly concerned about until it became the subject du jour. 

From the description of the sound quality improvements with the Gate installed... it sounds like an exact copy of what I am hearing with the Akiko Audio Corelli and the Akiko Audio DIY Harmonizer Unit [also installed in the breaker box..via ground connection only!] used in tandem together as a complete noise reduction system I now have installed in my system. Which by the way, sounds glorious!!!

I would have to ’guess’ the Gate is using some type of crystal optimization like Akiko Audio...albeit at a far higher cost to the audiophile consumer.
Maybe Perfect Path Technologies could elaborate a bit more on how the Gate actually does what it does without giving up any trade secrets...

Before I even get into performance, the main issue I have is fire safety.


I don’t even want to have discussions about their other products or how effective this thing might be.


First and foremost discussion should be about it’s construction and testing as being safe to attach inside an electrical panel. What independent lab has verified it is safe? How does the material respond to excess heat or another fire inside the panel?


I’m not joking around. You don’t home brew stuff and throw it in your electrical panel and I don’t care what veils it lifts of the sound. They don’t even bother to list the necessary amperage rating of the breaker it may be attached to. Seriously? And it doesn’t have a built in fuse/breaker? NO no no no. This shouldn’t even be on the market.


But hey, it's $5k, and has innumerable benefits, so sure I'll fork over the cash and risk the safety of my home without a moment's thought ..... ???? NO NO NO NO. I don't want to hear about it's audible performance. You don't screw around with life safety and fire hazards like that, regardless of the money back guarantee so please don't ask.


Best,

E

Erik
I hear you.
But don't you think you should at least discuss your concerns with its creator Tim?
Rather than just blanket diss of it without knowing if your concerns/questions already have answers?

I'm not about to fork over $5K for this.

Any potential buyer should ask to see industrial certifications and test results for anything before they attach it to their electrical panel.


Best,

E

I am sure Tim will read this thread and post regarding the safety of the Gate.

^^^

Oh man, after reading some of these posts, I panicked. I started looking around at my equipment and wires for UL approval tags.

Do my SR power cords have UL stickers? Nope. How about my Von Gaylord speaker cables and IC's? Nope. I even checked my box of spare cables ... no UL stickers to be found.   

Well surely, my Audio Research gear would have UL stickers attached, right? Nope, none there either. Not on the amp, the line stage or the phono stage.

Oh, then it occurred to me to check out my Legacy speakers. I even opened up access to the crossovers. Nope, no UL stickers there either. 

My God!!! ~ Would someone come over and take these fire hazards off of my hands before my house blows up? Hurry, please!

Frank