Wall outlets

Thanks for posting your virtual system. Very nice. It really helps with recommendations.

If you are installing direct lines I think it makes sense to install audiophile grade outlets.

By the way. A case of beer is too much to install an outlet… one beer appropriate.

I would just do a hospital grade outlet if you are not putting in a direct line. The direct line will have a much bigger impact that just the outlet.

If you do not have direct lines (two preferred, one for amp, one for the rest), I highly recommend doing that.

Hospital grade is the worst, simply means that the outlet is resistant to moisture and chemicals used for disinfecting and cleaning hospital floors and walls. Most have anti corrosive coatings that are not great conductors.

@mc1969 

You are saying that hospital grade sounds worse than 89 cent (or whatever it is now) Home Depot cheap duplex receptacle?

Nice job!! Have you experimented bringing your chair closer to your rack? The speakers look a little narrow for how far back you sit. Dolby guidelines are a 22 to 30 degree angle. As for outlets I use Pangea, very nice.:

@kota1 the bass traps just got here yesterday. I have considered pulling the speakers a little closer to the side walls to see how that sounds. I have not had a chance to do the chair yet. If you check out my system you can see my sons knees on the left side of the picture haha. I also have some GIK acoustic 6a alpha panels to put behind the couch, then I plan on pulling the couch out a little more. 

The bass traps look fantastic, I use floor to ceiling traps too, you can see in my virtual system.  My MLP used to be near the back wall, I changed it to be in line with dolby specs and moved it forward toward the center of the room, WOW! Big difference. If you maintain a space of around 2-6 inches between the traps and your walls they work better because the back side can also absorb bass. You can compare both methods and see what works best for your room. For my room spacers worked better on the back wall, not so good on front and side walls.

@shtr74sims Furutech GTX-D Rhodium outlet is where it’s at. I installed one before I ran two dedicated lines and the improvement was immediate. It goes thru some insane break in until about 250-300 hours. It starts out sounding amazing then takes a turn for the worse. It is a rollercoaster from that point forward until fully burned in. 
When I got the dedicated lines, I installed the second GTX-D. Same exact behavior until the break in is complete. But I digress…the point is, it’s a negligible investment considering the cost compared to what we pay for cable upgrades that sometimes yield less in terms of improvements. I bought mine from VH Audio. Good deal there. 

When it comes to outlets, I found great improvement by installing  dedicated 20 Amp line split into 4 outlets, since your friend is an electrician, buy two cases of beer and get him to work. Just my suggestion.

TD

Seeing the placement of you sub I have to ask, did you place it there after a subcrawl or was it just the most convenient placing? Im not criticizing, just asking.

Thanks,

TD

From another posting…

This is my choice….well made at a reasonable cost if you can get by the knock off brand name use. I wish they wouldn’t use real brand names. We know they aren’t real brands.

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256805235421157.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.main.3.623b45d9oEWKrZ&algo_pvid=d4af39e3-f5b3-4c22-a29a-586be04a9f36&algo_exp_id=d4af39e3-f5b3-4c22-a29a-586be04a9f36-1&pdp_npi=3%40dis%21USD%2130.00%2127.0%21%21%2130.00%21%21%40212249cb16904777906887732d076a%2112000032999110772%21sea%21US%213252811505&curPageLogUid=64lR8TfgR9fd

Go whole hog and get the Synergistic Research cryo-ed outlets!

@ghdprentice Electricity has no sound. Waste your money how you like. As PT Barnum said.. 

You are saying that hospital grade sounds worse than 89 cent (or whatever it is now) Home Depot cheap duplex receptacle?

@tonydennison did you mean to ask me how I set up a sub ? I don’t currently have one…

@kota1 they are 6 inches from the back wall at the moment and 2 inches from the side walls. Reason being is the outlet for my power cable on the right side are in the way. That’s the reason to go forward in having a new outlet installed, that and it will look cleaner too. It’s going to take some time to get it all dialed in. I didn’t order all the acoustic treatment at the same time either. Trying to take it a little slow and smart. It’s been fun, at times I wanna pull my hair out too. Haha. Thank you for the comments on looks ha. 

Opinions will vary however I'd recommend one of the Audiophile-type outlets.

After trial and error, I settled on the Furutech GTX-D Rhodium outlets. I'm not stating it is the best but it's what sounded the best to me.

Just remember that the Furutech GTX-D Rhodium outlet has about 300 hours of break-in to achieve what will become its signature sound. I realize some will criticize me for what I just stated but if you research the outlet you will see that many others agree. One should not be critical unless they have heard and experienced the product in question.

@lak I agree with you. @audphile1 has recommended the same ones too. There are fixes for things here and there but likely cost more in the long run vs just doing it right the first time. 

@ghdprentice when I installed my 5 lines in my listening space I did an experiment. Installed a Leviton 8300-R 20 Amp, Hospital Grade. Installed a standard HD .99 cent outlet, installed Monosaudio 20 Amp Audio outlet, installed Cardas 4181 and a Audioquest NRG Edison Duplex.

Zero difference after 90 days and swapping from outlet to outlet, amps and integrated Zip, Zero, Notta. so buy the .99 cent outlet works as well as the $200.00 one. Electricity has no sound, interference on your lines  will have an impact but these outlets do nothing to filter noise. 

BTW the Cardas and the Monosaudio look identical.

Electricians do recommend replacing receptacles as the get old, baggy (lose clamp force) and the plastics can crack. Copper or copper plated silver are your best conductors for outlets. Hospital grade often uses is rhodium

Is Rhodium more conductive than silver?
Rhodium is a precious metal from the platinum family. It is hard, acid-resistant, and has a very high melting point (1964°C). Compared to other platinum metals, it is a very good conductor, but still only half as good as gold and just one third as good as silver and only 50% of Copper. 

hospital outlets would work but they can strip the coating off our nice power cables.

I’ve been around this forum a long time and yesterday is the very first time I’ve heard this ever happened. Before I believe this even happened I’d like to see pictures along with brand and model numbers. Also, if it did happen I’d blame a cheap plating process.

In other words: I call BS. Prove it ever happened or this is another UFO story. "I knew a guy who lived in Roswell who had a dog that claimed it saw aliens being taken out of escape pods...."

About Rhodium: It is so very pretty, and not a very good choice for any contact in audio, though I admit to using some RCA male plugs in a board a long time ago.

The issues are not just conductivity (as mentioned above) but also hardness. rhodium is almost as hard as Nickel (from my experience) and therefore wont’ deform at all. That’s BAD in a high current connector. You want it to deform at least a little so the contacts squeeze and get a grip. Basically in AC plugs rhodium on rhodium feels lubricated, like it can slip out easily. In a speaker spade with equally hard terminals you just can’t tighten the terminal enough for a reliable connection.

Copper is simply a far superior conductor AND has better grip strength. Next to that, gold plated copper because gold, unlike rhodium, is still soft.

You might also take a look at this outlet: ACME AUDIO 20A SILVER PLATED CRYOGENICALLY TREATED AUDIOPHILE OUTLET 

https://acmeaudiolabs.com/products

https://www.dedicatedaudio.com/collections/outlets/products/acme-audio-20a-silver-plated-cryogenically-treated-audiophile-outlet

PS - I remind you all, as mentioned in my blog (below) that outlets for homes must be Tamper Resistant (TR) to meet the latest National Electric Code. .If you must go boutique please keep that in mind.

Hospital grade and Commercial grade outlets can be easily found with TR features.

More here:

https://speakermakersjourney.blogspot.com/2022/01/audiophile-ac-outlets-for-frugal.html

@shtr74sims Wrote:

Wall outlets

Monosaudio DP-2 Pure Copper Duplex Wall AC Power ReceptacLes Outlet US Power Distributor 125V 20A Socket Connector. See below:

Mike

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/2255800785072050.html?gatewayAdapt=glo2usa4itemAdapt

 A direct line to the main electrical panel of the house made a big difference for sure in my case ...

And i need to change the wall outlet now..😊

@erik_squires I had a Leviton hospital grade outlet from HD. It stripped the plating off the AQ Tornado AC plug, plugging and unplugging that cord several times. I sold the cable (not because of stripped plating) and replaced the outlet with Furutech. Do these few scratches impact the sound of the cable? No. But it definitively makes it look ugly and impacts the resale value. Browse thru photos of my ad here.

@mahgister how much was it to do that ? 

To amend my earlier post, the outlets I have are the Furutech GTX-D NCF, not the regular GTX-D. 

Its possinle to damage your duplex inserting a poorly made cord end that cuts into the outlet blades.  Now the outlet blades cuts into new cord ends.  A 2 way street. 

I usually spec a Hubbell 5362 Industrial with heavy brass backstrap. 

Duplex have a sound like cords have a sound.  My belief is the platings as well as the base metal make a difference.   I guess the NCF from Furutech also impacts sound.  I don't really know.  

A good friend I trust also said Furutech NCF take 300 to 500 hours of breakin.  Seems excessive for me.  But people claim to experience it.  Not sure how you measure it.  Lots can change in 300 hour span.  

Tamper is a code requirement.  But so is using a listed and labeled cord with a NRTL stamp.  I don't know of any audiophile cords that meets that requirement.  If your likely to let your 3 year old climb behind your rack and play with cords, paperclips and screwdrivers then yes, use a tamper proof duplex.  

Following and very interested in hearing of your experience.

I've thought about getting a SR outlet....as I primarily use them for my cables, interconnects, tweeks, etc.....(why not, right?), but am open to Furutech.

I installed four of the Hubbell 5362 outlets last year but can't remember which ones.

There have been marathon discussions on Audiogon about this topic in the past. I think mine used high copper content brass. My power cables are all copper bladed AntiCables brand.

If you use brass or copper contacts then a periodic deoxidation with Deoxit will be necessary.

Hubbell 5362

For what it's worth.

https://iaeimagazine.org/2005/january2005/receptacle-grades-what-do-they-mean/

@mc1969 

I too did an outlet shootout test using a 4 gang box , used a Medical grade double cryo'd , a lower grade Pangea , a P.S. Audio and an Audioquest NGR Edison , plugging in the amp only .

I had the opposite experience than you , each had an effect on what I was hearing with the Audioquest sounding the best . 

I would love to have tried a Furutech or Oyaide but they are $100 more than a Audioquest .

@vair68robert electricity has no sound. Outlets only conduct and distribute power no filtering. It is a simple circuit. 

@mc1969 , electricity has no sound. But the stuff you plug into it sure does. The goal here is not create a simple circuit, but to get the most out of your equipment. 

I don't see your system listed, so perhaps a simple $.89 Leviton outlet from Home Depot is more than adequate for your particular setup.

However, once you reach a certain level of equipment, it's fairly obvious that cables, connections, connectors, power conditioners etc... all make a difference. 

Good luck on your journey and happy listening.

@mc1969

As a retired Biomedical Equipment Technician I understand a little about electricity and electronics . As an ever improving DIY type audiophile I heard a difference , I'm not sure what your point you're trying to make ?

But thanks for repeating yourself about " electricity has no sound " , if you can't hear a difference then you've stated your opinion you can't hear it .

It cost nothing...I was lucky all that was already done in my new smaller house...

I was in the obligation to sell my larger house...

My system there was connected to a secondary electrical grid on the second floor..

The sound quality was impacted negatively, but i never realize this ...

I had been conscious of this only on my new house...

My audio system is near the  main electrcal panel in the basement...The improvement was noticeable at the first minute of listening...

I will change the wall plug and all will be done for the best...

Another great improvement was using a small battery dac... No connection to the grid or my computer at all... Save the amplifier on the direct main panel line ...

@mahgister how much was it to do that ? 

Keep telling yourself that 😂 @coralkong  my system is as or more revealing than yours. Have 5 dedicated lines, and all those outlets are still in place. The .99 cent outlet is what I plug my laptop into. 

So when you go to a audio show they replace all the outlet in that hotel room? If it really made a difference they would, but they do not.

You have been bit by the Snake Oil Salesmen and so was I. I did my experiment and found ZERO benefit, Also same with the vaunted cable lifters. Now I do use quality cables (Synergistic, DH Labs, Transparent, LossLess) I also use quality power distributors  ( IsoTek and Wisdom Cable). I have Puron (4) and NFC Power (4) filters as well and they made a substantial improvement as they actually have filtration qualities unlike a $200.00 outlet that simply provides a ground. Also have the Puritan Ground Master (made minimal difference as we upgraded our whole house ground when upgrading our dedicated lines),.

My journey is complete and I am enjoying Piano Concerto No 18 in B-Flat by Vladimir Ashkenazy and it is giving me goose bumps. I am sure it becasue of the Cardas Duplex that my SPL m1000s are plugged into. 

@vair68robert one more time "electricity has no sound" it may transfer noise.

I had a Leviton hospital grade outlet from HD. It stripped the plating off the AQ Tornado AC plug, plugging and unplugging that cord several times.

I'm really not following why you blame the outlet and not Audioquest's cheap plating procedure.  Personally, I think the message here is that Audioquest's products don't hold up.

I have tried many outlets. I currently now have 10 Furutech NCF outlets. To me, they sound better especially when used with hi-quality power cords.

If you only have one outlet, why cheap out? 

ozzy

@mc1969

Again you have stated your opinion so what is your point by repeating yourself 3 times other than being argumentative!  You are not convincing anybody that they aren't hearing an improvement in their system just because you don't .

I will admit that with conventional thinking I did agree with your opinion until I started getting serious about listening to and improving my system, the same being with a power cable where only the size gauge matters or even a fuse is a fuse , but since I and many others have tried different outlets , power cables and even fuses and found that sound can be influenced in ways that were not thought of in 1969 .

@mc1969 , sure you do.

These things come with a 30 day money back satisfaction guarantee, you know. 😉

The fact that you don't have your system posted, and more importantly, used the term "snake oil" in your response above, as well as your need to try to prove yourself both more capable and more knowledgeable than everyone else leads me to believe you're not being entirely honest.

Have a great day and happy listening.

I had really poor experience with the material quality of Furutech locking bananas, and I’ve stayed away from the brand ever since. If I ever spend money on boutique connectors again it will be on WBT.

No amount of cry-deep-space-cosmic-ray-treated hype will convince me to spend a penny on Furutech ever again.

Also did a whole write-up on Wattgate products.  The more I have worked with and used boutique connectors the less impressed I am and for outlets will absolutely stick to Leviton/Hubbell/Eaton where I'm never going to be worried about the material or design quality.

Nitty Gritty

Ok, I just found the 2013 Audiogon link to the finer points of the Hubbell 5362 in its various versions

All things Hubbell 5362

This is supposed to be a fun pace to come ask for someone’s thoughts. Not to criticize or belittle someone. There has not been one time I have created a forum to get genuine options on something and without fail someone starts to run their mouth. Just sayin… 

Online forums are to argumentative people as honey is to the bees.

@erik_squires 

You must have purchased counterfeit Furutech locking bananas, I have seen no such problem with them.  

@shtr74sims 

I apologize for responding to a post that I think is just being a contrary  , I've never bothered  taking the time before but today it just got to me .

From your post you are leaning towards going with the Furutech GTX-D NCF that cost $280 without a cover .  while I am using Audioquest NGR Edison ( now $80 less than Furutech ) it comes with the outlet cover  , it was also on sale for $135 .  I would have gone with Cardas ( about 5 years ago ) but then they were using what looks like a Hubble made outlet  whereas now they look like they are using an Audioquest made which costs $150 without a cover . I think that all 3 would be equivalent .

As for Medical Grade or HG they are just very heavy duty for being able to handle constant plugging and unplugging and also after taking one apart the 15amp is the same internally as the 20amp !   

Only after the job is done and tested. 🙂

A friend of mine is an electrician and has offered to install a new outlet behind my rack. He said I could pay with a case of beer.