Are the Maestro and Afterburner8 outlets included?
THE GREAT AC OUTLET SHOOTOUT.
Just to satisfy my own curiosity and because of the very passionate debate by some relating to this issue, I have decided to perform a controlled listening test of AC outlets, basically most of the ones suggested in this tread AC Outlets that I could get a hold of. I’m basically putting my own money where my mouth is.
I have procured the following AC outlets, all are new and unused.
Audio Magic NanoStream, $ 69 and WattGate 5266i AC Plug $10
Porter Port by Albert Porter, $41 and TBD AC Plug $ ?
Furutech FPX-G $95, and Furutech FI-11M-G AC Plug $55
Pass Seymour CR6300 Cryo $44 with Pass Seymour 5366XCCV4 AC Plug $10
Teslaplex SE by Synergistic Research $95 and TBD AC Plug $ ?
Hubbell HBL5362-I Heavy Duty Spec. Grade Grande Duplex $16 and HBL5266C AC plug $10
Levitron 5362-W Industrial Heavy Duty Grande, Straight Blade, Self Grounding Duplex $7 and AC Plug Levitron 5266-C Industrial grade $10
El Cheapo HomeDepot Outlet $0.54 with “regular” Cheap moulded power cord $5
Technical Description of the Test:
To ensure that all the outlets will be equally represented in this test they will be mounted in a test fixture evenly spaced. They will all be fed via a single piece of 12 gauge romex cable directly hardwired to a dedicated 20 amp breaker in our main panel. The wire will be uncut when wired between the different outlets - basically simulating a “single run” dedicated line as only one outlet will be energized at any time.
As you can see if have ordered AC Plugs of the same manufacture and grade as the outlets, I have asked the suppliers of the Audio Grade outlets what AC plug they recommend to get the best performance from the outlet, that way there should be synergy within the - connection point - that is to be evaluated.
The AC plugs will be wired with 3x12 Gauge SJOOW about 12” long these will be hardwired to each their own 3 pole 20Amp relay that will be controlled by a PLC (programable logic controller) this to enable remote controlled switching between the 8 different outlets. The control will be programmed so that the next circuit will energize prior to the past one is de-energized to ensure uninterrupted current flow to the system that will be used for the test. The Complete Audio system will be fed from this one test jig, one outlet at a time. The individual power cords for each piece of equipment will be hard wired into a common terminal strip that is fed from the output of the relays. With this setup the ONLY variable is the AC outlet and its associated AC Plug. The test jig with the outlets will be run in prior to the test for at least 24 hours to insure “break in” for the ones that feel that this is important.
I want to run it as a blind test at first to ensure a completely unbiased result. As each outlet is energized it will be represented by a LED indicating that now outlet “A” for an example is energized, enabling the test panel to identify which outlet they deem the “best sounding”. Many of you have stated that the AC Outlet a Audio System is connected to profoundly changes the sound of the Audio System, so it should be beyond obvious to the test panel which one “sounds” the best. Later on the same test jig can be used for testing AC Cables should the opportunity arise.
We will use a Audio System similar to the system I have listed here on AudioGon for the test, it may change a bit by time of the test based upon what I have available at the time. The total current consumption of the system is in the range of 6 - 8 Amp at idle I estimate at this time but a complete listing of the system used, with actual current draw will be published here on this forum, along with the results of the test for those interested. System
The Test Panel:
On December 2nd. we will host the San Diego Music and Audio Guild here at our facility from 2P to 5P. We host that great group of folks here about every two years or 3 years, usually in December so this coinciding presents a great opportunity to do the AC Outlet test as there will be plenty of Audiophiles available for a unbiased opinion. I ran it by the President of the group this morning and he thought it would be a great thing to do along with of course auditioning our demo system in our factory show room, see and hear our new offerings, discuss audio etc. For more information about our facility you can go to our website and take a peak at the video, there is footage there from our showroom as well. Website
Everyone is welcome to participate in this catered event, there will be food and beverage served. Slider Burgers, Finger Sandwiches, Draft Beer and Soft Drinks etc. If you want to attend just shoot me an email so I can plan ahead with the caterer making sure we will have enough for everyone.
If any of you have any suggestions on on how to conduct the actual test, ie how long do you think each AC outlet should be “on” for, how many times the test should be repeated etc. suggestions are more than welcome. Also, if you have any suggestions to as how the test jig could be technically improved, let me know and I’ll be happy to discuss further.
As Always, Good Listening
Peter
I have procured the following AC outlets, all are new and unused.
Audio Magic NanoStream, $ 69 and WattGate 5266i AC Plug $10
Porter Port by Albert Porter, $41 and TBD AC Plug $ ?
Furutech FPX-G $95, and Furutech FI-11M-G AC Plug $55
Pass Seymour CR6300 Cryo $44 with Pass Seymour 5366XCCV4 AC Plug $10
Teslaplex SE by Synergistic Research $95 and TBD AC Plug $ ?
Hubbell HBL5362-I Heavy Duty Spec. Grade Grande Duplex $16 and HBL5266C AC plug $10
Levitron 5362-W Industrial Heavy Duty Grande, Straight Blade, Self Grounding Duplex $7 and AC Plug Levitron 5266-C Industrial grade $10
El Cheapo HomeDepot Outlet $0.54 with “regular” Cheap moulded power cord $5
Technical Description of the Test:
To ensure that all the outlets will be equally represented in this test they will be mounted in a test fixture evenly spaced. They will all be fed via a single piece of 12 gauge romex cable directly hardwired to a dedicated 20 amp breaker in our main panel. The wire will be uncut when wired between the different outlets - basically simulating a “single run” dedicated line as only one outlet will be energized at any time.
As you can see if have ordered AC Plugs of the same manufacture and grade as the outlets, I have asked the suppliers of the Audio Grade outlets what AC plug they recommend to get the best performance from the outlet, that way there should be synergy within the - connection point - that is to be evaluated.
The AC plugs will be wired with 3x12 Gauge SJOOW about 12” long these will be hardwired to each their own 3 pole 20Amp relay that will be controlled by a PLC (programable logic controller) this to enable remote controlled switching between the 8 different outlets. The control will be programmed so that the next circuit will energize prior to the past one is de-energized to ensure uninterrupted current flow to the system that will be used for the test. The Complete Audio system will be fed from this one test jig, one outlet at a time. The individual power cords for each piece of equipment will be hard wired into a common terminal strip that is fed from the output of the relays. With this setup the ONLY variable is the AC outlet and its associated AC Plug. The test jig with the outlets will be run in prior to the test for at least 24 hours to insure “break in” for the ones that feel that this is important.
I want to run it as a blind test at first to ensure a completely unbiased result. As each outlet is energized it will be represented by a LED indicating that now outlet “A” for an example is energized, enabling the test panel to identify which outlet they deem the “best sounding”. Many of you have stated that the AC Outlet a Audio System is connected to profoundly changes the sound of the Audio System, so it should be beyond obvious to the test panel which one “sounds” the best. Later on the same test jig can be used for testing AC Cables should the opportunity arise.
We will use a Audio System similar to the system I have listed here on AudioGon for the test, it may change a bit by time of the test based upon what I have available at the time. The total current consumption of the system is in the range of 6 - 8 Amp at idle I estimate at this time but a complete listing of the system used, with actual current draw will be published here on this forum, along with the results of the test for those interested. System
The Test Panel:
On December 2nd. we will host the San Diego Music and Audio Guild here at our facility from 2P to 5P. We host that great group of folks here about every two years or 3 years, usually in December so this coinciding presents a great opportunity to do the AC Outlet test as there will be plenty of Audiophiles available for a unbiased opinion. I ran it by the President of the group this morning and he thought it would be a great thing to do along with of course auditioning our demo system in our factory show room, see and hear our new offerings, discuss audio etc. For more information about our facility you can go to our website and take a peak at the video, there is footage there from our showroom as well. Website
Everyone is welcome to participate in this catered event, there will be food and beverage served. Slider Burgers, Finger Sandwiches, Draft Beer and Soft Drinks etc. If you want to attend just shoot me an email so I can plan ahead with the caterer making sure we will have enough for everyone.
If any of you have any suggestions on on how to conduct the actual test, ie how long do you think each AC outlet should be “on” for, how many times the test should be repeated etc. suggestions are more than welcome. Also, if you have any suggestions to as how the test jig could be technically improved, let me know and I’ll be happy to discuss further.
As Always, Good Listening
Peter
108 responses Add your response
Doc, When you find it send it our way and I'll make a slot for it, I'll return it upon completion. Thanks Peter PBN Audio |
Mr T That indeed is a good question that I hope to answer with this test - if you have the time read the post that lead to this and you will get my take on it as well. My position is that if you have a good connection all the way from the breaker to the transformer in your component the make model etc. of the outlet its connected to will have little if any impact. However many of the others involved in the discussion were/are quite passionate about their outlets - hence the test. Good listening Peter |
Mr Tennis, I was able to remove my amplifiers from power treatment by replacing the AC outlets with Audio Magic duplexes. The replaced duplexes were fairly new levitons. I was a sceptic about all of this but I ran the experiment, since it was not expensive to do so. I was shocked (pun intended) by the difference. Straight to the wall using the levitons, the amps were very grainy and there was also some brightness as I recall. Insertion of power treatment between the amps and the levitons improved things, but straight to the wall using the audio magic duplexes was even cleaner and the dynamics improved. I was so surprised by this I thought I was hearing things so I put everything back the way it was to make sure. Nope, this improvement was real. As always, one can't make predictions about the general applicability of what I experienced. As I have said before, this is a cheap experiment. If you try replacing a duplex and it doesn't make an improvement, you are not out much. |
Changing your outlets can affect a change of the same magnitude as changing a cable or component.And somehow the various brands impart different "flavors."One would think any sturdily built outlet with a tight grip would reduce noise,and they definitely do.After trying a hospital grade,a PS Audio,and an Oyaide, I was surprised how different they sound from each other.Possibly it's the various metals interaction with the plugs and cords used? |
| Post removed |
I think the "shootout" will be fun and interesting. There may even be some surprises. Thanks for taking this on! PS: I'm not suggesting this but it would very interesting to have the whole batch cryo'd after the initial test and doing it all over again, just to stir up another area of contention. :^) |
@Browns...exactly...often called a dedicated line. I had an electrician out who was friendly and showed me how to add a breaker to a panel (I wouldn't recommend anyone do this themselves without a full understanding of wiring codes and safety issues). He ran one dedicated line for me and I ran two more. He ran a standard 20 amp using 12 ga and I added another 12 and one 10 ga for my main amp. Probably overkill but you know anything less and the obsessing haunts, and note 10 ga is a pain to run being nearly twice the thickness of 12. Anyhow the cost was minor in the realm of this "hobby." I can't quantify in detail today how much that changed the sound back then...as I recall it got bigger and rounder...and I wasn't tripping breakers anymore on power-up. |
Foster_9, Well I actually have 3 Maestro, 4 Synergistic Teslaplex SE, 4 Audience Croyed, 2 Oyaide R1, and a few Hubble Cryoed. With all of these outlets I have been able to try all of one type or mix and match. Well to me the Oyaide R1 is the best overall and it grips the plug like no other. With the Oyaide R1 The bass has a tight deep sound but the outlet also presents the best overall balanced sound. The other outlet types have slightly different sound characteristics from each other and I would have a hard time picking the second best. |
| Post removed |
| Post removed |
I'm hoping to get the shootout done with the help of the San Diego Audio and Music Guild the middle of December, they are schedule to meet at our facility to audition the New XmaX kit we designed for SB Acoustics along possibly a new Speaker to be offered through our Liberty Audio company. Stay Tuned Peter PS If you want a Afterburner included send me one, I will send it back to you after the test. |
I have a dialog going with Darren of Avatar, seems that we will get a Afterburner outlet included in the test too. Audiotweak, possible, a brief glance at the posts by the 4 posters you mention seem to have a common tread to them, negativity. If that is the case them maybe the poster should take his/her own advise. ---- 07-16-11: Audiofeil Let the guy spend his money as he chooses and mind your own business. Which probably needs more attention anyway. ----- Good Listening Peter |
I purchased single outlet Hubbell 6361's less resonance I believe, all brass and copper save for some external mounting and one terminal screw which I replaced for brass. I had these triple cyro'd and ordered single gang stainless [virtually non magnetic] steel mounting plates. $6 for each of the outlets $6 for the plates and 20 bucks for the cryo for the 10 I had treated. In the past I found some name brand Gucci priced duplex's that were suppose to be entirely non ferrous, non magnetic. Guess what with the aid of a neodymium magnet I made the internal parts hop around so they were not as written non magnetic. I sent all these back. Some complain that copper based alloys may oxidize and wear more quickly the single plugs are full and never unplugged. All my power cords use copper connectors as well so I may never see or hear the affects of galvanic corrosion. I believe in the synergy of using the same materials.Tom |
