Perfect Path Tecnologies ‘The Gate’


Having been a music lover and audio enthusiast for more decades than I care to admit to I’ve had the privilege of owning some tremendous components over those years and thought I had attained a level of musical enjoyment that would be difficult to improve upon without spending more money than I could afford. Then along came The Gate to turn my audio conceptions on end. 

While I was quite skeptical of all of the positive proclamations regarding the Perfect Path mats, cards and contact enhancer ( how could they possibly bring about such sonic improvements?) I took the plunge and purchased a nano bundle to see what the hubbub was all about. Much to my surprise they not only brought about improvements to my systems’ ability to recreate a more musical sound but did so in spades. 

When Tim of Perfect Path Technologies asked if I wanted to try his new product, The Gate, I jumped at the chance thinking it would be a nice addition to what the other products provided. I wasn’t prepared for the quantum leap The Gate brought to my music listening pleasure. As much as the other products brought about a much lower noise floor, greater detail and delicacy, improved dynamics, richer tone and more realism The Gate does so in magnitudes difficult to describe. The best way I can describe its affect is unreal purity leading the most realistic musical sound I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing.....outside of a live performance obviously. It has me listening to all of my CD’s as if for the first time again.

I have no idea how The Gate actually works or what it does I just know it’s the most dramatic tweak to my system I’ve ever experienced and I wouldn’t think of being without it. As to how it’s implemented, it’s installed in the electrical panel with one lead connected to the common buss and the other to a breaker ( preferably 220). Hope I got the terminology correct.....I’m far from being an electrician!

At $4,999.00 it’s not cheap but worth every penny to me as I’ve spent more on components with less sonic improvement. 

Lastly, I realize some will scoff at something they can’t understand and I get not understanding it as I don’t, but I would hope people could keep their skepticism healthy and civil. I am not here to promote or sell, nor do I have any affiliation with PPT. I am only sharing something that I’ve found to be transforming in my system. Sorry for the lengthy introduction.
128x128mac48025
Actually Miller,  Frank made that statement not atdavid.

But I get the sentiment.

Methinks someone needs a hug........
Good luck taking conjecture out of an argument when that is the only thing the argument is based on. 

You may as well ask someone to please stop breathing.   
Hang around here long enough and there's a good chance that you will learn the difference between "attacking" and "reacting."

Said the guy with 108 posts. Who has been here like, well ha, what a joke, dude just got here. During which he has done nothing but stir the pot. Pathetic.


@atdavid
No matter how oregonpapa wants to frame it, he’s attacked you. That is clear. There are just many people on this thread that like the taste of mud.

MOVs will always wear down, and they may not provide any surge protection when it’s needed. The Gate provides zero indication of what it’s clamping or let through voltages are.

Sustained overvoltages are not only the thing of 3rd world countries. All it takes is a damaged power pole or lost or intermittent
neutral wiring to result in a sudden connection well in excess of 208V.
Atdavid.
I don't know you and tbh do not care to.
Obviously you are free to post as you see fit as long as it follows forum rules but....

Maybe a little more respect for the recently departed would aid your credibility?

Just saying......
As of now I cringe when I see that username by a post.  
... and some relish it: Well reasoned, objective … maybe a tad argumentative, but given the lunacy that pervades this space, totally understandable.

Frank is a good guy, but the reported improvements are the same I heard in the studio day after day and still hear without making any changes at all!  Mumbo-jumbo like "permeate the AC circuit" make my eyes roll.
Given I have music on all the time at work, and usually relax with an hour+ on average every night, yes I think you could say I do. I am listening to it right now ...

Just curious ... do you listen to music?

atdavid ... 

Hang around here long enough and there's a good chance that you will learn the difference between "attacking" and "reacting."  

  • "I do not claim the product will not offer some level of protection, but most people on this forum are not able to make a critical analysis of the significant claimed feature set versus the reality of the communicated installation."

Perhaps what you say is true, but you can be assured of a few things ... Most who post here are very experienced in the hobby. We/they know how to achieve great sound. In addition, we know good music and music is what interest us the most.   

Engineering psychobabble is truly boring to most who post here. There are a few you can appeal to, no doubt. The rest? .. well their eyes just glaze over and they move on.

Personally, I could care less HOW these things work or HOW they are made. I only care about how they perform. I hire folks like you to figure this stuff out for me. Folks like our recently passed friend Tim Mrock for example.

Just curious ... do you listen to music?

Frank

PS: I am not "attacking" you here ... just carrying on a conversation.
grannyring,


You will note that your "kindest and most professional posters" who I have seen exhibit quite different behaviours (this is not the only place he posts), came after me first.

I admittedly made one small snarky comment which I took down. It wasn’t very professional and I can admit that.The rest of what I wrote are some of the few, but not the only posts that take a more critical view of some of the claims made for the product and I have addressed (as others have) such claims as it is a whole home surge protector, but only connects to 1 hot and neutral, and the wires are long both which limits effectiveness for protecting the whole house, that the claim was made that lightning will not damage it, but it connects across the AC lines and mentions clamping voltage which means dissipated energy, and that energy has to go somewhere if the unit is to protect your equipment, that the power factor correction is via only 1 hot-neutral connection which means effectively the circuit for PFC extends back to the mains transformer.


I do not claim the product will not offer some level of protection, but most people on this forum are not able to make a critical analysis of the significant claimed feature set versus the reality of the communicated installation.


grannyring4,919 posts11-05-2019 1:45pm I find @oregonpapa to be one of the kindest and most professional posters on Agon. He is well respected here and has shown more patience than most when confronted with the types of negative posts we see here based on zero actual experience with the products being trashed. He is one of Agon’s good guys and aims to help others here achieve great sound.

grannyring ...

Thank you for the kind words. So appreciated, especially considering the events over the past week.
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folkfreak
...

  • "Much like other system cleanups that take out the mid-lower bass bloom that many feel is impactful bass. But you hear lower frequencies that were previously masked. My system is not a bass head setup and is more about natural sounds on acoustic music."

Perfectly stated, and parallels my experience exactly. I’m finding that the natural sound of bass notes are much improved. Stand-up bass is very tuneful, much like one would experience in a live jazz performance. Also, bass drums have that natural tone too. On percussion instruments of all types, ie., bongos, congas, piano, vibes ... they all have taken on a realism that still has me shaking my head. And by the way, the PPT "Stop Its" go even further in that regard, especially in coordination with The Gate. When you get to the new place, you should try them out.

Frank




5:22pmI would validate with the supplier that the device is rated for 220-240V
.

I have, it is
 I find @oregonpapa to be one of the kindest and most professional posters on Agon. He is well respected here and has shown more patience than most when confronted with the types of negative posts we see here based on zero actual experience with the products being trashed.  He is one of Agon’s good guys and aims to help others here achieve great sound.

We have a new poster trying to redefine a man when he has no idea what he is talking about. Sort of the same thing being done to gear and manufactures he has no actual history with. It would be nice if @atdavid would share his obvious knowledge in a positive and productive manner so we all could benefit.  As of now I cringe when I see that username by a post.  
I would validate with the supplier that the device is rated for 220-240V.  The way you currently have connected is 120V (hot-neutral).
@oregonpapa my impressions on the gate are covered in my numerous comments to this effect. From recall (now four months since the system was last live) it added more naturalness to the bass but diminished it. Much like other system clean ups that take out the mid lower bass bloom that many feel is impactful bass. But you hear lower frequencies that were previously masked. My system is not a bass head setup and is more about natural sounds on acoustic music. 
@atdavid. There is diffusion all over the front wall. The narrow ASC strips are diffusive plus all the SR gizmos have diffusive effects

as to the electrical setup kind of moot as the system is now in boxes in the UK awaiting installation as part of a 240v setup. Will report on what that sounds like in due course
folkfreak ...

Beautiful system. Very nice music shelving too. 

I'm curious ... after you installed The Gate and gave it a chance to permeate the AC circuit, what were your impressions as far as the changes in your bass and in the realism of percussion instruments? 

Frank

PS: That tonearm is awesome. 
Beautiful system by the way. I would consider adding some diffusion as opposed to only absorption in your room, but I assume you have had someone professionally help with the acoustics? Your speakers are far enough apart and the Magicos wide enough in dispersion that some diffusion between them on the front wall may help a bit.

That aside, you really seemed to be clutching for a difference in your review and perhaps were not sure if the difference was positive or negative? FYI, the neutral is not really "floating". It is the center-tap of mains transformer that two hots that go to your Torus are connected to, but now 1/2 that mains transformer (outside your house somwhere) forms a loop with your "GATE", but the other half does not. As the GATE will still be a capacitive load for the split phase feed to your house it will modify power factor, but do it only through 1/2 the mains transformer split-phase ... through the aforementioned loop.


I am not sure you can visualize what I described above, but hopefully you get a sense that maybe something is wrong. If you believe a product like the GATE can help, then you should have something that connects to the two hots coming to your TORUS, and if you are concerned about the surge suppression capabilities, then also a connection to Neutral/Ground.






folkfreak1,325 posts11-05-2019 8:57am@atdavid I think there are a few more sales than that -- and in my system, with maybe a little more "up to date" speakers the Gate contributes a clearly positive improvement ... https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/perfect-path-tecnologies-the-gate/post?postid=1748846#1748846

I’m on record as being on the cynical side of the fence as it relates to PPT but in this case the "hype" is justified ... but on the other hand as my system contains loads of other voodoo tweaks you may choose to just ignore my perspective :-)

@atdavid I think there are a few more sales than that -- and in my system, with maybe a little more "up to date" speakers the Gate contributes a clearly positive improvement ... https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/perfect-path-tecnologies-the-gate/post?postid=1748846#1748846

I'm on record as being on the cynical side of the fence as it relates to PPT but in this case the "hype" is justified ... but on the other hand as my system contains loads of other voodoo tweaks you may choose to just ignore my perspective :-)
Must have hit a nerve or two ... LMFAO.

Pretty pathetic when people resort to flagging posts that contain nothing but the truth and do NOT violate any forum rules.

Have at it children......
Oh I stand corrected OregonPapa,


The 3 people who spent $5,000 with barely any information claim to have "huge" improvements in their system one of them being you. So let me get this right, you have untold amount of expensive fuses, connector treatments, interconnects, wires, etc. ..... but the currently going for about $1000-1500 (tops) on the used market, approximately 20 year old speakers with 20 year old drivers are -not- a limiting factor in your system? Changing the binding posts and jumpers is not going to fix inherent limits in the driver technology of the time. Things have changed a lot since then and a simple fuse change is not going to change limitations in the drivers no matter how much you convince yourself. No matter what price they were built at, the present value is $1,000 - 1,500. If they were truly a cult item, the price would be higher. They are built to a price point, and with large cabinets and a lot of drivers, compromises had to be made. Magic beans. I saw the pictures of your room. A fuse would not be my first upgrade.

You have attacked people online for all matter of things, but mainly for disagreeing with you. You can try to label how you wish, but that is the gist. I can’t even read many of your posts because the threads have been shut down for excessive shilling. What am I supposed to think about that?

You claim the "gate" isn’t a mere accessory. Can you tell me what it is? The MFR claims passive PFC functionality. That implies capacitors across the line. There is also the claim of 3 stages of surge protection, but it cannot be damaged by lightning/etc. above. This unit connects across the AC lines. If you are clamping like this, to do an effective job, you must absorb energy, possible lots of it. The claim of "no damage" is questionable in that case. Maybe it is no damage for a certain level of surge, but there are no specifications on what that is. Has that surge capability been tested? It only connects neutral to 1 phase. What about the other phase?

Just came across this thread this morning and it is simply too long to read every comment
My question is; " has anyone compared the Gate to say, plugging ones components into a couple Li-Ion Yetis?
atdavid ...

Did you watch the YouTube video I left for you? If so, did you absorb it? If not, watch it again.

  • "I see the anger and lashing out every time someone moves your cheese."

Wrong. I don’t get angry, I just respond to personal attacks and to those who attempt to burn legitimate businesses down.
  • "You are quick to tell others their hearing is bad or their system is not "resolving" ...
Nope again. It is true, however, that I have recommended ear wash to a few individuals a number times ... mostly anti-fusers.
  • "Turning the world upside down?" ..... a couple posts by a few people is hardly turning the world upside down.
Your reading comprehension is sorely in need of improvement. Here’s what I said: "The Gate" is a device that is turning the audio world of THOSE USING IT upside down.
  • "If you cared about the sound of your system you would return this, upgrade your speakers and invest in-room treatment, not keep looking for magic beans."
Thanks for the suggestions. And thanks for telling me how to live.

I took care of room treatments long before I installed "The Gate." Years before, as a matter of fact.

The speakers I use, just like PPT products, perform way beyond their price point. Have you ever heard Legacy Signature III’s tricked out to the Nth degree? If not, I guarantee you would be in for a shock. Out of production for many years, they are becoming quite a cult item at this point. Original price with the finish I have was $5000.00. Adjusted for inflation ... you do the math.

How do the Legacy’s sound? Have you heard the Harbeth 40.2s? Imagine the Harbeths with all of that great tonal balance they are famous for, but with better highs and MUCH better bass. And at 93db efficiency, they can be driven easily, and quite beautifully by the way, with a modified Dynaco Stereo 70 if necessary. With the ARC REF-75se that is presently used in the system, the amp just coasts no matter how loud and/or dynamic the signal fed to them. Read the many reviews available on the Web.

And speaking of beans, you are full of them, my friend.

Frank



I read your posts here, and on Facebook. I see the anger and lashing out every time someone moves your cheese. You are very good at telling others how to live, but don’t follow your own rules. You are quick to tell others their hearing is bad or their system is not "resolving" meanwhile .... your speakers ....


"Turning the world upside down?" ..... a couple posts by a few people is hardly turning the world upside down. That is quite some hyperbole in your statement. If you cared about the sound of your system you would return this, upgrade your speakers and invest in room treatment, not keep looking for magic beans.
atdavid...

"Questionable?" There are no questions left to be answered. PPT's "The Gate" isn't a mere "accessory." That's simply laughable. "The Gate" is a device that is turning the audio world of those using it upside down. Read the threads. And as far as worth? Its all about bang for the buck. There has never been anything that I'm aware of to hit this hobby like it. Not at least in my 40+ years of listening experience. 

And as for anyone "picking on you"  ... cry me a river. Life is an echo, you get back out of it what you put in, no more, no less.

Here's something for you. I sincerely  hope you find it helpful:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0p1fjLPjYQ&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR0rnoO4nlE25MzjDJlxAk-y4P3NGGq9aefDC9ZrG55V72iuttYtLvDW8qQ

Frank
atdavid.  Uh, question- Frank Isn't fooling anyone by buying the Gate??!
What in the heck does that even mean?!
If you take a wee peek at the thread topic, you'll notice it is indeed about.........buying the Gate and user experience!
Frank speaks from experience since he owns and actually has experience with it. Have you heard, have experience with, or own the Gate?
No? Then what do speak from, you know, besides your.......
Frank isn't fooling anyone either buying a questionable "power conditioner accessory" worth 3-4x his speakers, but sure, you guys pick on me. Have at it. Nothing you can say about me changes what I wrote above.
I 100% stand by my statement that you are bringing absolutely 0 to this thread and in fact are derailing it for your own personal agenda. You should be ashamed of yourself but probably too lacking in self awareness and too full of self importance to feel that.
I see. You've been a member here 5 whole days and your the expert on how this forum works. How presumptuous. And I 100% stand by my statement you quoted. Do you disagree with it given the comment I was responding to? Because it sure seems no one else does. Funny how you don’t mention the pretense behind it, only the cherry picking of it. Weak, weak, weak.
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atdavid, others can read what I have not written??!
How does that work?
And why would I refute what you write? Is that what you feel I should be doing?
It's not the gist of what you write that rubs people the wrong way, it's your attitude that shines ever so brightly through your writing.
There is no way you are not the recently deleted roberttcan reincarnated.
atdavid,
What are your thoughts on Thermotron environmental test chambers? Have you ever used or commissioned one? "Asking for a friend"   
atdavid: Narrator ... and here I thought you were an engineer?


Nope. Wrong. He claims to be a theoretical physicist, developer of interstellar space craft and quantum drive, protege or pal of the late Nobel laureate Richard Feynman. But all we know for sure is he has a website where he sells flying saucers and teleportation tweaks based on morphic fields. http://machinadynamica.com

Seriously. Not making this up. Click the link. Flying saucers. Teleportation tweaks.

A quick web search will turn up a guy who claims to have met him at a show one time and that he is really only putting on a big show of being a nut job in order to poke fun at super-serious audiophiles.

DYODD, make up your own mind. All I can say is, if its an act he makes Andy Kaufman look like an amateur.
Post removed 
New theory! We’ve been infiltrated by a tag team of pseudo-scientist mud wrestlers sent by a secret underground cabal of anti-audiophile theologians. Their primary target? Your humble friend and narrator!
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I wouldn't put much stock into these two videos.
In the first video, it would be easy to find a MOV that will easily take a 6KV/3KA hit. That is not very big.
In the second video, all I can suggest is buying equipment at least of this type that has proper UL or other recognized safety lab testing. They will not do what is illustrated in that video (start on fire). Unless you have a faulty power conditioner, you will not see an extended voltage event past about 132V for any period of time either unless you are in a developing country. There are many fail-safes to prevent this.

jay23187 posts11-04-2019 6:30pm@atdavid
Thank You for posting that!
We have made it a priority to keep your equipment safe with our products, and we accomplish this by:

-clamping voltage (the lower the better)
The mention of a clamping voltage means The Gate most likely uses cheap MOVs. Not only is it a potential liability for your insurance, it is also a potential safety & fire hazard!
https://youtube.com/watch?v=zmcD635NNPU
https://youtube.com/watch?v=JujCqjLSQF8


He had the same dumbass arguments as the other dude. Like the ridiculous E and H fields “counter argument.” Oh, brother! Give me a break! Maybe pseudo skeptics all go to a laughing academy.
And I did attack the substance of your posts and not you. Note the 'holier than thou, know it all' portion. Can't help it if it also applies to you personally. 
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What is creepy is all the people attacking me personally to the point I am getting messages from others warning about the pile-on. I have never been warned about a "pile-on" on any forum of any topic ... ever.


What is creepy is people not addressing the substance of my posts, but again attacking me. If you feel the need to attack me, but not address the topic of my posts, I think you should be asking yourself first, why? What are you afraid of?
Creepy.

As a kid my mother would tell me study hard so you can get a good job. No, ma, I won’t have to, I’m going to be an electrical engineer. 😬
geoff,
Is there another member on here that was making you look silly? Perhaps you can share his contact information. Sounds like my type of person ...


You know what is weird, it is always the same 4 or 5 people that attack me. Not the content of my posts, but me.


You know how bad it is ... one person here even contacted me privately and warned me about the pile-on.  Strange huh?


Post removed 
And you are like many others in these forums that attack the person and not the substance of their posts. Don’t kid yourself that you are popular with everyone ....

p.s. I took down one of my posts as it was a bit catty.


thecarpathian691 posts11-04-2019 7:22pmatdavid, you sound suspiciously like a certain member who recently vanished from the forum taking all his holier than thou, know it all statements with him.
Robert something I believe. Quite a coincidence he disappears and you show up out of nowhere. I trust you shall be just as popular as he was....

Good detective work! Same MO, too. A hundred posts since joining 5 days ago. The plot thickens. Or sickens. Whatever! 🤗 Is it just me or is it getting crazier out there?