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I recently replaced my el cheapo AC single plug outlet the builder put in for my stereo system with a Bryant hospital grade duplex (about $7 at a local contractor's electrical supply house) to allow me to try the Hammond choke tweak. After 3 days of break-in, this tweak is astounding. It sounds like a whole different system is playing. Everything is so natural and lifelike it's almost scary. In any case, now that I see AC makes such a profound difference, I'm thinking of trying one of the Oyaide outlets, but am curious how big a difference this would make, and if someone would be willing to describe what kinds of changes I can expect, i.e., could someone compare the change garnered by one of these outlets to something else, like is it similar to adding a Herbie's Blackhole, is it like changing cables, is it like upgrading a component, is it more subtle like adding new feet to a component?
Any input is greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Chris
Follow Ups:
It has been my experience over the more than 40 yrs. I have been pursuing the audio Holy Grail that ANY genuine upgrade to your system will be noticeable. If your ears tell you that the Hospital Grade outlet made a major difference in your system's sonics you will be blown away by one of the high quality Audio Grade outlets. In the end, you are listening to your system's power supplys, and your power supplys are fed by the AC delivered to your system and that AC is, at it's best, GARBAGE ! ANYTHING you can do to improve the quality of that AC will be quite noticeable in your systems' sonics. Canvass the Tweaks Asylum and you will find much information about High Grade outlets. The Oyaide's seem to be very popular with the inmates.Happy Upgrading !
It can make anywhere from negligible to profound differences, depending on what is the present limitation on your system's performance. If you have a lot of RF noise pollution, you may not like enhanced resolution of the RF noise artifacts that an outlet with improved contact stability can deliver. Other weaknesses can mask the benefits of improved AC connections.Outlets differ in two basic areas. First is plug contact stability and freedom from modulation from acoustic vibration. The tighter the spring force, and the smoother the surface, the better the performance will be. In this regard, hospital-grade outlets are superior to commercial or residential-grade units, because they have more robust metal parts and tighter springs.
Second is in how the materials interact with the audio signal. Yes, the equipment power supply allows a ghost of the audio signal to be present on the AC line, and how the AC hardware interacts with this ghost helps determine the purity of what comes out of the equipment.
The metal parts' composition, states of mechanical stresses, platings, and method of wire connection, all affect this. A robust but nickel-plated hospital outlet may sound horrible due to the plating. A steel back-strap will interact with the power current's magnetic field, so that an outlet made with non-magnetic materials will avoid a midrange coloration added by the steel. Your hospital-grade outlet is likely made with a steel back strap for strength. You would recognize the coloration most easily by its absence.
The plastic body material has to be strong but have a benign dielectric and ability to dampen mechanical vibrations. The better audio outlets have attention to the body plastic composition for these reasons. The present crop of audiophile outlets offers improvements in areas that other improvements cannot duplicate or replace.
Al, it wasn't until I installed dedicated AC lines (nylon box) that I begun to hear radio station through the speakers for a few seconds upon turning OFF the system, and only at night. I don't know if the RF problem was being masked...prior to installing the dedicated circuits, or if faulty installation is the cause. No other system changes. Any thoughts on troubleshooting sequence are welcome!acme cryo outlet => balanced power PC => 300B mono => TVC => CDP
Your power amps contain enough reserve charge in the filter caps to keep them on for a few seconds after the AC is switched off.If your source's output stage goes off more quickly than the amps, and loses control of the cables, then you hear the noise present in your cables and source acting as a passive antenna. This includes the AC wiring connected to the source.
If this only became apparent when you had dedicated lines installed to a plastic box, then something about the dedicated lines is improving their ability to pick up a radio station.
Does your old AC circuit use steel boxes? These are bad for sound, but do provide some shielding against radio waves.
To identify where the radio station is getting in to your system, listen to your amps with your source switched off but not unplugged. If you hear the radio station, then mute the amps and unplug the AC from the source component. Listen again to just the amps. If you still hear the station (but perhaps weaker) mute the amps and unplug the interconnect cables from the source. Listen to the amps again. If this causes lots of hum, obtain some cheap RCA jacks and solder 100-ohm or so resistors to them. Plug the input ends of the interconnect cables into these jacks and listen to the amps. Next, remove the interconnect cables from the amps and listen (always mute the amps or turn them off when changing anything about the input connections).
One of these changes will cause the radio station to disappear, or not. If not, then the amps are getting the radio signal directly through their power cords.
What you have here is a case of true Radio Frequency Interference (RFI). It is more serious than the typical RF noise, where there is no sound from the audio system in the absence of an audio signal, but it will have similar bad effects on your audio system's performance. If the radio station signal is getting into your dedicated AC lines, then the choices are to install shielding around the wires and outlet box (expensive) or filters on the AC for your equipment. Most of the filter techniques discussed on this forum will be helpful, and can be built for not much money.
If you can identify the radio station, try calling their engineering staff and asking for help. They may be able to specify a trap for their carrier frequency.
Thanks for the thorough reply. I look forward to working through this sequence as soon as I return from vacation in Brasil. Looks like I have an RF problem!
I guess that you have already reaped 95% of the improvement with hospital grade.Perhaps it is worth investigating carbon fibre foil tweak on the inner side of the receptacle cover and vibration dampening of the receptacle housing. Make sure you do not violate local electrical code.
I doubt he's achieved "95% of the improvement with hospital grade" at all! Hospital grade is a bit beefier in many instances, but also has extra or different platings and is really designed for a harsh cleaning chemical environment, more than anything.MRI grade receptacles are an improvement, as they actually pay attention to removing all ferrous metals, something taht hospital grade does not do ordinarily.
While I've tested neither, I'm going on results reported here and in particular by Al Sekela, who tested tweaked P&S outlets, MRI grade P&S that was cryoed, Furutech Cu (old model), and Oyaide gold. You can look up his results here in the archives, but he rates the MRI grade high and the reason is what I mention above. He does NOT rate it nearly as high as the Oyaides (and I've heard his system before and after).
I've worked with tweaked P&S outlets and with both Furu Cu and Oyaide SWO-XXX now. I can vouch that there is far more improvement possible with the better audio grades I'm mentioning than with what a regular hospital grade would give you (barely better if that than any other more than cheap contractor grade outlet).
In the terms that you've framed, I'd describe the change resulting from installing an Oyaide SWO-XXX as being similar to upgrading/changing IC's. Six or seven years ago I'd have told you that rectifier tubes could not possibly make a difference in the sound. Now I know differently. Four or five years ago I'd have told you that power cords couldn't have any effect on the sound. Now I know differently. A year or two ago if you'd told me that A/C outlets make a difference in the sound I might've thought you were on drugs. Guess what? Now I know differently.
Even that isn't guaranteed to tell the whole story sometimes. It amazes me how much variableness can be involved in the process.
For all the tweaking of the AC I have done over the past few years, my biggest jump in AC performance came from replacing the original wall outlet in my listening room with a Hubbell. My bet is the original outlet was at least 20 years old! All AC tweaks after that (including dedicated lines, Oyaide, etc) helped, but none to the extent of that simple, inexpensive ($5?) original tweak. YMMV.
Do an "Oyaide" search on this asylum and the Cable asylum.Alot has been reported on the Oyaide or Furutech outlets and suffice it to say that U should place your order right now for an Oyaide....preferably cryo treated :-)
Cheers,
~kenster
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