Replacing generic RECEPTACLES

Well said dynaquest4. The joy of listening and experimenting can be a wonderful pursuit. I just think that too often people are being taken advantage of. 

“I recently replaced my old $5 hospital grade outlets with $100 Oyaide R1's and replaced my old dedicated line comprised of 13 ga Romex with cryo'ed 10. The improvement; minimal. “

Uggghhhh!!!! THIS is testament to the ridiculousness of the pursuit of hifi from power cables. First, there is no such thing as “13 ga Romex”. Second, we are talking about alternating current at 60Hz, which is filtered for high frequency transients, then stepped down on the order of 5:1 then rectified and filtered again, then regulated and filtered once yet again.

As long as you are not experiencing a significant I*R voltage drop across a puny 18 AWG power cord and 59 cent duplex receptacle with backstab connections to your amplifiers, you have more than sufficient energy transfer at your amplifiers(‘) disposal to maximize their design potential. 

Please people, don’t buy into the mythical notions that a rhodium plated silver power cord (or some other cockamamie bulls@$&t) is going to revolutionize your listening experience with “blacker blacks” or other nonsense. It is simply and purely a function of the amplifier, not the power cord. 

People, if you were Electronics Engineers, you would understand what I’m telling you. Granted that not everyone has a degree in Electronics Engineering, but that doesn’t mean that they have license to shove down everyone’s throats their own made up theories taking some kind of superior position over the likes of Georg Ohm, James Watt, Heinrich Hertz, Nikola Tesla, Alessandro Volta, Michael Faraday, Albert Einstein et al.

The improvements in sound quality that you are experiencing are simply the result of maximizing the potential energy transfer to your amplifiers. That plateau is easily achieved with spec grade or hospital grade receptacles that are property wired to your (14 AWG or 12 AWG) romex branch circuit, and making sure your amplifiers have no lighter than 14AWG power cords.

By the way, I own a pair of NAD integrated amplifiers (3020i and 3225PE) in a bi-amp setup to my Energy Reference Connoisseur speakers. Speaker cables are 8ft Monster Standard 12AWG with Monster QL-GMT banana plugs. My source is a Technics SL-1700mk2 that I restored myself with an Audio Technica VM540ML Line contact moving magnet cartridge and fully balanced connection to the turntable with Belden Brilliance 1696A AES/EBU cable with Neutrik XLR connectors. My phono stage is a NAD PP2 with my own 2 Amp regulated 24Vdc power supply and Burson V6 Classic discrete op-amps.

The insults from some members are probably a reflection of insecurity that stems from lack of understanding how power supplies and amplifiers really work. The laws of physics cannot be subverted by anything, let alone magic pixie dust sprinkled to obtain imaginary improvements in sound quality.

I’m not here to belittle anyone. Insults and behaviour such as some members have demonstrated is the downfall of social media, and only makes a mockery of this forum. To those people I say - go ahead and keep it up if you want. That is your prerogative. Not mine.

The laws of physics haven’t changed since the 80’s Elizabeth. 

Well boxer, you laid out quite a stereotype at the same time as attempting to depreciate the works of many brilliant scientists who individually forgot more than a thousand average people combined will ever know. Believe what you want, and I will believe in the science that explains how every modern convenience we enjoy today actually works.

The problem is optimization beyond the point of excess, where some consumers are brainwashed into spending hundreds of dollars on power cables with unsubtantiable qualities. If you don’t see anything wrong with that, fine. But I do, and I will speak up. 

Dill asked: “Do you think it is your mission to denounce cable upgrades, outlets and the like to save us from ourselves? You do know it is a tired argument at best.”

Well since you are asking, it is my mission to educate people so they can be more informed consumers. No apology if that makes you feel inadequate.  And please, if you are going to be critical, be accurate. I have promoted optimization, but not to excess. Somewhere in discussing this topic, fact must be separated from fiction. For instance, there was somebody going on about his 13AWG Romex - and anybody that’s even remotely aware of household wiring will tell you that there is no such thing as 13AWG Romex - people who make things up sometimes fool others who are less informed. So if that happens, I will gladly be the voice of reason to set things straight. You can choose to be part of the problem or part of the solution. Why you insist on not being part of the solution mystifies me. 

Your efforts won’t work dill. I’m a contributing member and I don’t hurl insults at other members. 

Thank you Dynaquest4!

It is very unfortunate that some members of this forum insist on being disrespectful and unreasonable when presented with facts. It is to everyone’s disadvantage when a few people spoil what is otherwise a good opportunity to learn and support each other. If common sense and decency does not characterize the administration of this forum, I suspect that I’ll be removed. If that happens, I will not be disappointed in myself, as I have been welcoming to those who have been polite and courteous. I will however miss the lost opportunity to openly discuss topics here about one of my favourite hobbies.

They just fill the wall with magic pixie dust whilst making snide comments in public to each other about the new family that moved in down the street, and the vibrations of the wires mysteriously disappear.

Loserbreath must live in a dilapidated rooming house to be so concerned about the structure not being able to dampen reflected sound waves. And being so knowledgeable about the NEC, has ironically created a fire hazard by stuffing flammable foreign materials into receptacle device boxes. But then, box fill is only a concern for “old men that write books of doctrine”, and not a worry for some ignorant people. That sounds like a big liability when it catches fire and burns down the rooming house or group home or whatever it is. Beware of these risks folks, and keep your homes safe by not embarking on fool’s errands.