Who Makes A Good Duplex Wall Outlet

In terms of getting a better grip every Home Depot has a few higher grade receptacles. Take a cord with you and get the one you like.

There's a lot more than gripping features to consider though. Its amazing how much better music sounds through some of the higher end outlets from Synergistic Research. Ideally you would audition a few and pick the one you like. But that is kinda hard with outlets so I would just buy whatever SR outlet you like that makes sense for you and what you have in terms of power cords, conditioner, etc.

I just bought several Cruze First Maestros but have yet to install. At $ 89.95 each I thought them an excellent buy.  

I had a Cruze Maestro installed at a former place of mine years ago and upon installation instantly heard a definite overall improvement in the sound quality.

You can’t beat this outlet for the price.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-HBL-8300HI-20A-125V-2P3W-HOSPITAL-GRADE-DUPLEX-RECEPTACLE-IVORY-NEMA-5-...

It is a NOS Hubbell HBL8300H hospital grade outlet. It’s the real deal.

Non plated brass contacts.

A non plated brass supporting back strap.

Slim Compact body.

There are many ways to skin a cat. I used to have a bunch of the silver plated Acme Audio outlets which are quite good in and of themselves I got on a trade with Bob Crump way back when. Better than hospital grade, for sure. But there are a bunch of characteristic of IDEAL outlets and outlet covers that should be addressed as best one can. Resistance to Vibration, connection effectiveness and resistance to RFI/EMI. Clean contacts, Graphene contact enhancer as a guard against micro arcing, carbon fiber or just paint the covers with Graphene for RF shielding, and use Marigo VTS or dampers on the outlet body and the wall plate. The Golden Sound Acoustic discs are wonderful on the wall plates. Your humble scribe actually has a relevant product - Flying Saucers for Unused Wall Outlets - that prevent RF from entering the system via unused outlets in the room AND unused outlets around the house, whether they be on the audio circuit or not.

I have now tried the Maestro (very organic with great bass), the Oyaide R-1 (good neutrality with rhodium coating), and last but easily the best to my tastes, is the all copper rhodium coated (cryoed treated) Furutech GTX D NCF outlets. Expensive but easily well worth it.....like a power cord upgrade. Highly resolving and responsive from lowering the noise floor. Requires serious break in time so be aware. Ping me if you want further experience on them. 
I also will have the Maestro and Oyaide for sale if interested.

I'm using Maestro and like them very much.....I have great respect for Furutech.....use their IEC and wall plugs.

Furutech review http://www.furutech.com/images/2016/07/PFO-Nanoflux-Power-Cord-and-GTX-D-NCF-Review-2016.pdf

@gwalt 

I have recently had Furutech NCF Outlets and a NCF IEC recently installed into my power conditioner and it is a big upgrade. I will strongly consider adding a Furutech GTX D NCF duplex outlet  soon.

elizabeth

7,012 posts
04-25-2019 8:51am

For $$$ ’high end’ duplex. one should actually go for duplex designed and built TO BE high end duplex. Not all those ordinary types ’gussied up’ with fancy treatments. I went with Furutech. Designed from the ground up to be high end. Pure copper!... NO brass anywhere. Just my two cents.
After I replace evry duplex (incuding two conditioenrs) I could HER the problem with brass if I stuck a brass AC plug into the system. a definite smear in the upper midrange.. 100% caused by one brass AC connection. Folks say avoid magnetic materials. I say brass is as bad or WORSE.

elizabeth

7,012 posts
04-24-2019 7:09pm

I used Pass & Seymour heavy duty 20 amp duplex 5362 for many years. They are at Menards, Like $5.A better but much more expensive type right here sold on Audiogon. $45 cryo’ed "Porter Port" very good.The Pass & Seymour 5362 grips forever. mentioned I used them for many many years. Always kept the good grip.
Just last year I spent a pile on Furutech.

I am not of aware of any rebranded OEM receptacle that does not use brass contacts. OEM manufactured receptacle? Hubbell, Leviton, Pass & Seymour, Eagle, ect. That doesn’t mean the bass, or brass alloy, used in the contacts in the OEM outlets is the same.

Who Makes A Good Duplex Wall Outlet


samgar2

Looking to replace my current duplex ac wall outlets. Any recommendation on a high quality outlet which has good gripping features.

I guess it depends on your definition of the word Good.

I wouldn’t put any of the Furutech outlets mentioned in this thread, to date, in the same category with any rebranded OEM so called audio grade receptacle outlet. Doing so is like comparing apples to oranges.
.

@ samgar2,

Here’s a Good thread worth reading.

https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/any-one-try-the-new-synergistic-research-blue-uef-duplex-rece...
.

EDIT:
The picture of this Hubbell HBL8300H duplex receptacle is misleading. The outlet shown is not the outlet the seller is selling. The seller is selling a new production Hubbell 8300H. It has a galvanize steel supporting back strap.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-HBL-8300HI-20A-125V-2P3W-HOSPITAL-GRADE-DUPLEX-RECEPTACLE-IVORY-NEMA-5-...

Click on the image of the picture and then press the > to advance to the next picture. There you will see what you are actually buying.

I asked the seller about the outlet he is selling in his Ebay ad. He responded the picture shown is a file stock Hubbell picture of the old original outlet. The second picture is of the actual outlet he is selling. The outlet is garbage for an audio system, imo......


Jim

Thanks Jim, I bit the dust and bought Cardas duplex outlets. Have a great grip and sound good.