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Image: Oyaide WPC-Z machined aluminum bracket/carbon fiber faceplate device (shown with an Oyaide SWO-XXX AC outlet). The model number is "Oyaide WPC-XXX" when sold as a set including the AC outlet.---
I've installed an Oyaide WPC-Z aluminum bracket/carbon fiber faceplate system at the wall and it performs much better than expected. My system's overall gestalt has greatly improved; as-if other recent upgrades and tweaks have now finally fallen into place. With an Oyaide SWO-XXX AC outlet mounted on it, the presentation is far more relaxed and musical with a more organic quality (less "electronic" sounding) with a "liquid ease" in a similar manner as when other types of noise and vibration control devices are placed in a system. The system's soundstaging, imaging and other listening cues sound more like real acoustics. The bottom end is more authoritative and "naturally robust", the top end is smoother while not sounding softened, and there's almost a tube-like bloom from top to bottom, now (my system is SS), without sounding euphonic to my ear.
I'm *very* surprised it performs as well as it does, and find it's sonic benefit to be equal if not more impressive than what the SWO-XXX AC outlet provides (to my ear). That might be hard to believe, but that's my finding, at least. If one considers how expensive any high end chassis can be, the WPC-Z is cost effective for what it does, YMMV.
I've been joyfully listening to music all day, which I often could not do for such a longterm in the past due to a level of listening fatigue that set in after several hours...
Follow Ups:
I just tried the WPC with an HBL5362, HBL8300, and IG5362....all fit just fine.
....I only tried the Hubbell's to physically determine if they'd fit into the WPC. You gotta pay me to do the listening tests. That's work!
I'm a charter member of the Flat Forehead Society.There has been some debate on the Tweaks Asylum over whether the carbon is for acoustic or electromagnetic damping. Some have pointed out that the carbon plate is not opaque, so would not be an optimum shield. However, the benefit is not from shielding.
It makes sense that the carbon face would provide electromagnetic damping for standing waves on the power cords. These waves are centered on the cords but exist in space around them. One set of them treats the power cord as a single piece of conductor. It exists because the materials at the ends of the cords reflects electromagnetic radiation. These are the audio equipment chassis metal, and the outlet cover plate or junction box metal.
The carbon is similar to what is used on "stealth" aircraft to reduce their reflectivity for radar waves. It is sufficiently resistive to more closely match the impedance of free space, so that the amount of energy reflected is diminished compared to the amount that would be reflected from a good conductor.
If you hear a significant reduction in RF noise artifacts with use of the carbon plate, then it is likely your power cords support standing electrical waves and would benefit further from additional damping measures.
The Lotus Group (Oyaide's US importer) informed me that the carbon fiber faceplate is for EM absorption, not vibration damping which is the aluminum bracket's role.Oyaide's web site information also indicates, "Fasia Panel - 1.3mm thick CFRP (carbon fiber) panel; for absorption of radiant noise from internal contacts".
see link:
That is what Joe told me, also.I'm not sure Oyaide is telling us everything they know, or that they know everything about the benefits of this material. The thickness is a good thing to know for those interested in DIY.
Then what's the answer on the DIY debate? Would Moray James' idea of gluing just ordinary carbon paper behind the plate do anything at all for this or does it have to be a thick mass of carbonized somethingorother over the front of the outlet? If I read you correctly, it would be the latter, no?
Bart: given that the Oyaide C.F. cover plate is fairly thick that would suggest that there is a fair amount of carbon fiber mono filiments in its structure. The more fiber the more absorption. That would lead me to believe that more layers of carbon paper would provide more absorption also. There will come a point where you reach deminishing returns. Only experimentation will answer where that point is to be found. Still the carbon paper idea is cheap and easy. You could simply start with one layer on the inside surface of a nylon coverplate listen and then add additional layers. With only one screw to remove and replace and a puff of spray glue for each layer of carbon paper and then a trim of the outlet holes it is about as easy as diy gets.
I see no reason that the carbon paper could not or should not be on the front side of a coverplate. For cosmetic reasons the back side of the cover plate would seen the logical choice of placement. So long as the carbon paper is in front of the metal (in your case aluminum) mounting plate. As I said before if this works then you could also apply carbon paper to the to the body of the receptical as well for additional coverage. Regards Moray James.
moray james
Not just carbon, but carbon with sheet resistance in the ballpark of the woven fiber material. The depth might be important as well: a thin layer may not be as effective as the thicker carbonized fiber mat used by Oyaide.Ohm's Law for extended objects can be a little tricky to comprehend. A typical circuit resistor is a one-dimensional object. It has a resistance (voltage divided by current) given in ohms. The voltage and current are defined at points at the input and output of the resistor.
A conductive sheet, however, has a characteristic resistance given in ohms per square. The total resistance of an object cut from the sheet depends on the shape of the object and where the current goes in and out, so that a long, skinny shape has a higher resistance than a short, wide shape.
The easiest way to think of this is to imagine low-resistance wires attached to the ends of the object. If you have a rectangular shape that is a square, then the total resistance from one side to the opposite side, if wires are attached, is the sheet resistance. If the shape is a rectangle that is twice as long as it is wide, then it has two squares and the total resistance is twice the sheet resistance.
All this is important for the ability of the carbon mat to absorb energy from electromagnetic radiation. Too low of a sheet resistance will reflect like metal. Too high of a sheet resistance will allow the wave to pass through. I don't have the equipment to measure sheet resistance of carbon paper or the Oyaide mat, but these concepts are well-defined.
Putting the carbon paper inside the metal plate would only provide a little damping for cavity modes. I can't say for sure this is not important for our audio systems, but I think that is the case.
Your explanation (always a bit beyond me, but not so far that I can't get the main idea) fits with what I perceive of the shape and size of the aluminum bracket and carbon fiber design in the pix.I'm going to see about getting a piece of the Dragon CF and see what I can make of that. May take a while. Sounds more plausible than the carbon paper idea, but who knows?
Oyaide's description of the carbon fiber's purpose is to absorb noise emanating from an AC outlet's internal contacts.As long as the carbon fiber device is placed *between* the AC outlet's internal contacts and the power cord, that's what's important in this case, IMHO.
Duster: I would agree with your assesment. I think that it might help with this discussion if people thought of the radiated noise as light that you are trying to block. Any holes will let the light through. Full coverage will go a long way to better absorption and reduction of this noise. Regards Moray James.
moray james
nt
But I would expect the amount of RF noise generated by the Oyaide contact technology to be far below what would be found on a typical undamped power cord. I'm just speculating here, as I lack the instruments to measure any of this directly. I do know that damping power cords helps, and treating the contacts with silver-bearing grease also helps, so perhaps the carbon plate is providing multiple benefits.
The material that Oyaide implements as the faceplate seems to be a "woven continuous-carbon fiber (CCF) epoxy composite". The look of the carbon fiber faceplate is that of a carbon fiber sheet encased within an epoxy resin. The faceplate is smooth to the touch, "bends like" a typical epoxy PCB, and actually does resemble a PCB to my eye.see article link:
- http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3776/is_200403/ai_n9405582#continue (Open in New Window)
nt
What's the gist of it anyway?
-snip-A Novel Structure of Woven Continuous-Carbon Fiber Composites with High Electromagnetic Shielding
Journal of Electronic Materials, Mar 2004 by Jou, Wern Shiarng
A novel structure employing the woven continuous-carbon fiber (CCF) epoxy composite with high electromagnetic (EM) shielding is presented experimentally and theoretically. The influences of weave type, number, and angle of overlapped plates upon the shielding effectiveness (SE) of the woven CCF-epoxy composite are investigated. The minimum SE of the single, double, and triple-plain or balanced-twill woven CCF-composite plates was measured to be as high as 50 dB, 60 dB, and 70 dB, respectively. More than 100 dB in SE was obtained for the triple-overlapped, plain-weave CCF composite at a frequency of 0.9 GHz. The weight percentage of the single CCF-composite plate required for electronic application is 4.8% only, which is less than one quarter of the CF content, and the performance in SE is 10 dB higher in comparison with long, CF-filled, liquid-crystal polymer (LCP) composites. The SE calculated theoretically is consistent with that measured by the experiment.
Key words: Electromagnetic shielding, shielding effectiveness, continuous carbon fiber, unidirection, plain weave, balanced-twill weave, epoxy composites.
-snip-
I have had two of these in my listening room setup for about 8 months or so and can corroborate most of Duster's findings. It was not unlike doing a component upgrade for less than the price of an upgrade.But i did find that it took a long time before they sounded good, heck i even thought that after a 2 weeks or so might rip the things out of my wall.....
Now be careful with how many of these you install in your listening room, as on A. Kafton's advice 3 or more would be too much of a good thing.....
as on A. Kafton's advice 3 or more would be too much of a good thing.....I was referring more about how the various platings are combined, and that sometimes having the *same* plating for power cable connectors *and* duplexes can be "too much of a good thing"....striking a sonic balance is sometimes more preferable.
On the other hand, I have no doubt that the importer would very much enjoy customers purchasing gobs of these for their homes and for every room....it's good for the economy. :--)
quoted: I have no doubt that the importer would very much enjoy customers purchasing gobs of these for their homes and for every room....it's good for the economy. :--) :end quote
i would love to have about 5 or six more around the house for other systems(audio and video)..... IMHO, i should add better than upgrading the components...geez...did i not say that before...always repeating myself....something to do with getting older and no one listening to experience
It would appear from Alan's site that they do not.
....and I don't really know if Oyaide would consider this a viable product (how many units would they need to build to make the new setup and tooling profitable, and how many units might be sold?). They are an audiophile products company, not an industrial provider like Hubbell or Leviton, etc. But I like the idea very much, JCS....I'll make the inquiry.
I can understand the tooling cost issue, but as I have two four gang
outlets for my system what they offer now I cannot use.
I wish it were different, but we can't anticipate the demand nor can Oyaide....sorry. I wouldn't mind a 4-gang unit myself.
Hey Duster,I have been wanting to try the WPC-Z kit and with your positive findings, you just might have provided the final nudge for the purchase :-)
Thanks for the report,kenster
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