So here’s my $.02. I have 15 amp circuits, and I’m running a low power tube amp and 98 db speakers, so I’m not needing massive current like some. I replaced my 2 outlets with 20 amp Hubbell medical grade outlets. Yeah I know 20’s on a 15 circuit , oh no 😮. But I’m in control of what gets used, so no worries. I then added a Richard Gray power conditioner and I run Morrow level 4 power cords. I MIGHT of had a slight improvement with the outlets and the conditioner. A few weeks later I replaced the original Gray provided cable ( it’s pretty beefy ) with a Shunyata Venom HC 20 amp cable. This made a significant improvement! FWIW , my subs are directly into the outlet and I tried the amp directly into the outlet and prefer it through the conditioner. So my experience is that the “ Pinch Point “ was the between the conditioner and the outlet. I’d love to have an electrician install 20 amp dedicated lines , but under my current ( pun intended ) circumstances it won’t happen. Thanks for sharing and happy listening, Mike B.
Upgrading power system
Since I already have components and speakers that I love, I try to make an improvement every year with something or another. Last year I bought Magnarisers for My Maggie 3.7's. Nice improvement. Immediate difference. The year before was power cables and conditioner, all Shunyata. And I always wondered why there was little if any improvement. A couple audiophiles said to replace the wall outlet. So I thought about it for years before buying a JPS labs audiophile hospital grade outlet. After removing the original outlet, I compared them. No comparison at all, the JPS weighed almost twice as much and the metal was better quality as well. The JPS was 2o amps and the original was 15. Would I hear the difference? It took all of one minute. Best $150 I ever spent. I was skeptical until I heard the difference, mostly clearer and more pronounced highs and well defined low end. Anybody else have this experience?
Showing 2 responses by buellrider97
@lowrider57 . It was not my intention, it just worked out that way. I wanted better outlets and I’m cost driven. I found 2 gold plated, 20 amp Hubbell's online for way below cost. I installed them and used Ivory covers to mostly hide the bright Orange color. I then added a Richard Gray conditioner. I tried this with my amp into the wall as well as through the conditioner. I run my subs directly to the wall. I gained little if any SQ improvement with the Gray and the outlets. The Gray has a 20 amp IEC and I have 4-5 brands of power cords around. Unfortunately they’re all 15 amp rated. I wanted to upgrade the stock Gray cord as everything else is upgraded. I purchased a 15/20 adapter and tried my various power cords, Morrow, Anti-Cables, Acoustic Zen and the heavy Pangea. This resulted in little if any improvement. About 2 weeks later, I saw the Shunyata Venom HC on sale at Music Direct and noted their return policy. So I tried one and had a major improvement. In retrospect i had little if any direction and was just trying stuff. Lowrider I appreciate you asking and I’ve appreciated your input over the years. I like trying stuff just to see if it works. And I appreciate people that will just experiment and be open minded in doing so. Many times here people are dismissive and condescending to others. Another random thought I’ll contribute to this thread. With all the changes I experimented with I’ll ask others , have you put fresh breakers on your panel? I have a 40 year old house and those breakers get weak and spongy. I noticed on the the high current one for my pool it was pitted from poor contact with the bus bar. Regards , Mike B. |