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.
Very simple If you think at 5k it is too expensive then do not buy/try it. BUT do NOT then come here claiming PPT are a rip off or scam artist company when you do not have the BALLS to step up and try yourself and think EVERYBODY else here who has is an idiot. That is deeply insulting and demeaning
There seems to be an amazing resistance to the term "ripped off." I am not saying it doesn’t work or that the company is not giving some perceived value. Think about it. If you went back in time and visited a great king whose child was dying. You told him you could cure his child for $5000. He gladly agreed. You gave the child $50 worth of antibiotics. Child lives. King pays up. You have exploited his ignorance. Now imagine a company discover that putting a high quality $50 600v 4uF cap across the mains line filters noise. They market the product correctly knowing that niche products in audiophile circles can command untold markups. That is being ripped off.
@noromance, I believe the Gate comes with a full, no risk 90 day money back guarantee. So the assertion of anyone being ripped off does not apply to the Gate, agreed?
I bought PPT Total Contact. I bought one tube and used it. It was mindblowing. I bought another and used it. That’s 2 tubes. Then I bought 4 more tubes which haven’t arrived yet. That will be 6 tubes. That doesn’t include the free tube that arrived unexpectedly. I must like it!
I bought PPT E-Mats. I bought 3. I must have liked them because I bought 6 more. Somehow I received 12 even though I only paid for 9. How did that happen, isn’t PPT supposed to be a rip-off? I would say emphatically not.
I bought a bunch of PPT Alpha E-Cards. But I ended up with a very big bunch of E-cards, several more than I ordered. Somehow I also ended up with 10 gold RCA caps that I didn’t pay for either.
I don’t know anyone at PPT except for some friendly emails. When I ordered from them, I didn’t know what to expect because of all the crazy negative posts I read here before taking the plunge. The mindless negativity nearly turned me off buying from PPT. It really grates with me when people call PPT a rip-off. They’re not, they are the exact opposite. I haven’t heard the Gate, but I have no doubt, no doubt at all that it will be as good as has been claimed. Like everything else they sell.
To paraphrase Oscar Wilde--"Americans know the price of everything and the value of nothing."
This could also apply to the willingness to part with $5k without having any idea whether they are being ripped off. Perhaps a big high voltage shunt cap has the same effect for $10.
"No, I will not accept your comments as true or valid because I don’t trust the nature of the product."
Yes, fsonicsmith ... God forbid that anyone should take advantage of you.
If you've read through this thread, which was not started by me, you would have found a number of members who have bought and installed The Gate, and they are happier than Bill Clinton in a Russian brothel full of underage teenie-boppers.
I know its hard, if not impossible for you, but try to have a little more trust (and respect) in your fellow A'goners. There is nothing nefarious going on here at all.
And by the way fsonicsmigth, my invitation is still valid. If you're ever in Southern California, Ventura County specifically, give me a heads up and I'll demonstrate my highly modified and tweaked system for you. After you've picked your jaw off of the floor, I'll pour you a beer. :-)
“....like a lot of things ahead of their time - was that some newbies couldn’t heat it because they didn’t know what to listen for or they were all thumbs.”
The Tice Clock? Huh? The Tice Clock worked great. The only problem with the Tice Clock- like a lot of things ahead of their time
I trust and hope Mr. Kait that the last word quoted above was a pun.
One thing is left in order for you to skyrocket yourself into Super Genius status as a few others have on these threads ... just tell us what it sounds like before you hear it.
I don’t mean to show you any animosity. I do question your motivation-why would you repeat the same praises and phrases over and over again without adding anything new unless there is something else going on that you have not shared with us? No, I will not accept your comments as true or valid because I don’t trust the nature of the product. If it quacks like a duck, walks like a duck, and sounds like a duck, it is probably a duck. $5000 gizmo’s that don’t come bundled with a white paper are like ducks. So to sum up, "oops, I must have hit a nerve!"
Again, thank you for your non-judgemental comments. Kind words are always appreciated around these neck of the woods.
You may not have an EE, but what you do have is an inordinate ability to judge the cost of manufacturing a product before knowing what’s in it, or how labor intensive it is to build. That takes a genius.
So there you go, genius.
One thing is left in order for you to skyrocket yourself into Super Genius status as a few others have on these threads ... just tell us what it sounds like before you hear it.
Please add this post to my large volume of "constant repetitions of banalities."
I'm always a bit hesitant when a manufacturer at least does not give some information as to what makes a product function as claimed. Although the Gate must make some difference to ones system...it sure would be nice to know what makes it tick. If it was a hundred bucks or so...who cares!!! But... at 5k...it would be nice to know what that much money brings to the table.
The Tice Clock? Huh? The Tice Clock worked great. The only problem with the Tice Clock- like a lot of things ahead of their time - was that some newbies couldn’t heat it because they didn’t know what to listen for or they were all thumbs.
You can't debunk something that's not bunk. -old audiophile axiom
I am waiting for the inevitable expose' that like the Tice Clock (that dates me), this gadget consists of $30 of materials wrapped in a nice bow tie for the gullible. Your constant repetitions of banalities does nothing but take up space in this thread and adds nothing to the discovery of the truth. I am no EE but I agree with the earlier assessment that this must be a shunt. How can the materials for a shunt possibly cost more than $30? Based upon it's shape, I am thinking that the shunt in question is based on a vintage Russian oil and paper capacitor such as this https://www.ebay.com/itm/4-uF-600V-Military-Russian-Paper-In-Oil-PIO-Vintage-Audio-Capacitor-KBG-K-K-/253777898791
Thank you for your positive post. Non-judgmental comments regarding what I do with my time are always welcome.
I don't live in Oregon, I live in Southern California, so if you're ever in the neighborhood give me a heads up. I would be delighted to demonstrate my system for you.
By the way, The Gate is way too large to fit inside of a Cracker Jack box. I should know, I've eaten a lot of Cracker Jacks in my time.
Finally, if you "have no interest in the $5,000 white box," then why are you getting your panties in such a knot over it??
@oregonpapa-I don't have a stick in this fire; I have no interest in this $5,000 white box and wouldn't install it in my house breaker panel (or anywhere else) if it came free inside a box of Cracker Jack (in which it would likely fit). I read through this thread from time to time merely to give myself a break from work. But I must point out that with your last post above you have in my estimation officially jumped the shark as going from the nominal extreme to the absolute absurd in your efforts to promote this product. You have not posted anything that is the slightest bit new or different than your previous comments so why do you persist anyway? I will be in Oregon for two weeks in September. If you are for real, and if you are truly independent of PPT in every conceivable way, perhaps you will PM me and I will meet you and listen to your system and report back. Life is short and fascinating, so why not? Feel free to PM me.
Who would have ever thought that Redbook CDs could sound like this? I can't say at this point which format sounds the best. CD's are quiet, dynamic, convenient and involving. Vinyl has that something extra that suggests more organic realism. With vinyl, one has to put up with some surface noise and less convenience. I like both.
I have to say, with The Gate installed, new life has been brought to my early mono jazz albums. Vocals are super intimate. June Christy, Jo Stafford, Ella, and Sarah Vaughn are to die for.
In the meantime, my vinyl rig is sounding better than ever. The amount of information we are getting out of these record grooves with The Gate installed and broken in is astounding.
Thank you PPT. What I was thinking about was a non-invasive installation and thus just a direct plug-in to an existing outlet. I realize this was not the intent of The Gate. Such a device would clearly be on the load side of a breaker switch and thus only in parallel to all the outlets on that circuit. This would be a user friendly solution for many people here who can’t or don’t want to fuss with the circuit panel and can run most or all (except for big amps) of their system on one circuit. Perhaps a light duty version (lower cost) of The Gate, e.g. The Hinge would fill this void?
@jafox. You could mount The Gate in your situation. Few inches to an outlet next to the panel, doesn't get any better then that!
I have had several homeowners that had no room left for The Gate in their panels, due to one reason or another. They attached theirs by adding a workbox, connected to the side of the panel. My point is close proximity with the device is all that is needed.
I have also come up with a good non invasive hanging system for The Gate, that I will include for those who want to plug theirs in.
As far as plugging it in, and putting it by your rack, well................. You could, but that is not what it was designed to do, you could also put it under your bed with great results, but again that's not what it was designed for.
What would two gates in the circuit panel sound like? Or three? @oregonpapa
Frank I don't think you would make a good recreational drug user. LOL
If I were you I would directly message Tim and see what his thoughts are. He is so easy to work with and I am sure he would be able to suggest the best solution for your situation
You could have a Gate placed at the breakers and another plugged into an outlet of each duplex in use. Or could there be a smaller version for duplex use? Tom
Good question jafox, hopefully Tim will chime in with an answer.
I imagine there’s a greater advantage having it in the electrical panel as it benefits the entire home but your solution would be great for apartment dwellers. Not sure an A/B comparison would be so easy as it takes days/ weeks for it to energize the signal. It will be interesting to see what Tim has to say about it.
The Gate has afforded me the most enjoyable music listening experiences ever. It would be great for everyone to hear what it can do for a system.
jafox...there is...it’s called an Akiko Audio Corelli. Well,really it isn’t,but from what I can gather by reading the reviews here...they both seem to be doing the same thing sound quality wise.
I have been following this thread and this exciting product. Sounds like The Gate is wired in parallel across an arbitrary circuit. So why can't one just go get a high quality Furutech plug, connect the Gate's Hot and Neutral lines to this plug, leaving the earth ground line not connected, and just plug this into a wall outlet...perhaps the one where the main rack of components are plugged into? Or, for my situation, where there is an outlet a few inches on the side of the main circuit panel, all built into a little wall closet, I could plug The Gate into that outlet and no need to worry about needing an electrician, turning power off, etc. And it would be hidden inside there. It would be easy to A/B with and without The Gate. AND, it makes things a lot easier when I move. Yes? No?
I always believed that the hourly fluctuations in sound quality were the result of the power conditions. That's why most people prefer the sound after midnight. I just love what the Omega E-Mats did to up the sound quality at peak power usage hours. I don't have to apologize to guests from 6pm to 9pm any longer.
Can you compare a GATE devices or HFC MC or SteinMusic Harmonizer or Bybee ARN? I successfully use these in my system, but I want the best. Sorry for not correct English))
That’s interesting (The Gate completely eliminating night/day listening differences). Because if true it would prove that night/day differences are the result of AC powerline disturbances, not air quality related (Franck Tchang’s theory), or the often speculated difference in listener relaxation states.
Okay, as to the Omega E-Mats which are 1% as powerful as The Gate, I have good news that I didn't realize. I use 12 E-Mats in my system/power panels which resulted in a "night" quality listening 24/7. I didn't realize until now how good my system sounds all day. I used to have particularly uneven sound between 6pm and 9pm which really bugged me the last 25 years.
My Gate is now 'mature', and its been installed for just over one month. My system is now stone 'quiet' with deep blacks, lowest noise floor I've had in my rig, better sound stage, and more musical magic and presence than before. My LCD TV is also a bit sharper, and the TV sound thru my AV pre-pro is also improved, on same circuit as my two channel rig. I still use Shunyata Triton III power conditioner to good effect. I am keeping my Gate, and sent in payment. I like its additive effects with the eMats and TC paste. As Frank has described, now I am just sitting back, and rediscovering my music collection, listening and enjoying more, and worrying less about tweaking gear or focusing on equipment issues. Tim has a hit on his hands with this product...highly recommended
I'm doing the same as you ... discovering recordings all over again. Those late 50s and early 60s LPs that were recorded during the Golden Age of Stereo are super fantastic now. I have a lot of early pre-stereo jazz albums. With The Gate installed, Coleman Hawkins and Chu Berry are in the room.
I know ... I know ... who's Coleman Hawkins and Chu Berry? :-)
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