Upgraded wall sockets

[Beobloke]

Indeed, Dave. As they say: 'suck it and see'!

I've always been one for assessing anything in audio from a position of practical experience, rather than cynically dismissing the efficacy of something, based on mere technical theory

Marco.

Believe me, Marco, I've done the practical experience bit too. The only outcome was losing days of my life that I'll never get back!

[Marco]

Well, Adam, in terms of the sonic value gained from upgrading plugs and sockets, our experiences are very different. Therefore, I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree, and allow others who haven't had that experience the opportunity to make their own discoveries, and thus from that, form their own conclusions

Marco.

[prestonchipfryer]

http://www.mains-cables-r-us.co.uk/m...ll-socket.html


I have just fitted one of these, my power amp is remote from the pre and is plugged into this. It's too early to say if there is a night and day difference but I would say, so far, that the soundstage has opened up a tad.

Of course when fitting it gave me the chance to inspect the mains wiring leading to the socket. Trimmed it back to reveal fresh, shiny copper wire and deoxited it. So that must help as well.

DO NOT WORK WITH MAINS ELECTRIC IF UNSURE. IT CAN KILL.

[Marco]

Hi John,

Nice one!

I have just fitted one of these, my power amp is remote from the pre and is plugged into this. It's too early to say if there is a night and day difference

There will never be 'night & day' differences with that kind of stuff; merely, in my experience, subtle but worthwhile improvements gained, which at the end of the day all add up to making us enjoy listening to our favourite music more!

Marco.

[prestonchipfryer]

[Marco]

Incidentally, in response to 'Daniel Quinn's' comment on RD's site, here:

http://hifisubjectivist.com/viewtopi...p=54343#p54343

Why on earth this clown doesn't have the balls to challenge me here, as he's a member, rather than running off to another forum, like a girl, to 'laugh' there, I don't know!

I don't give a flying fuck if measuring the earth pin mains socket resistance is 'completely meaningless from a hi-fi sound perspective' - that wasn't my point, and simply what you get when jumping in to sneer at and pooh-pooh somone's observations, without first having a proper understanding of the point being made!!!

My point was that when my electrician and I measured the overall impedance of the dedicated mains spur, powering my hi-fi system (by whatever method was used), the reading clearly reduced by a notable degree, every time a wall socket or mains plug was removed from the chain (as I have most of my system hard-wired to the incoming mains supply, with minimal use of plugs and sockets), and sonically both of us heard a distinct improvement, during the process, as the system was assembled and on 'stand by', ready to be powered up temporarily, in order to subjectively assess, sonically, any measured differences.

Don't quote me, but I *think* the device that the electrician used was one of these: http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Ind...s_6/index.html but then, I could be wrong. However, whatever device he used, the corollary was that there existed a demonstrable and repeatable difference between a lower measured reading, and the improvement we both heard, sonically, when switching back and listening to music on the system.

Therefore, IMO, the same result should be possible, although perhaps to a lesser degree, if one upgrades sockets to ones which have less contact resistance, since reducing resistance in the mains supply is precisely why we hear subsequent sonic improvements.

Now, whether or not the Missing Link sockets concerned actually achieve the claimed lower contact resistance or not is of course debatable (and I only posted pictures of the readouts to demonstrate a point from the perspective I've mentioned), but something which I thought the OP could try for not much money - certainly less than he was originally proposing, by using sockets from Furutech!

I trust that for the benefit of Danny-boy and others, on RD's site, I've now explained myself more clearly, so as they say in Glasgow: 'get it RIGHT up ye, ya bams!'

Marco.

[MartinT]

the best sound-per-pound option is The Missing Link EPS-100 Ultrapure Silver plated (un-switched) wall sockets, shown here:

http://www.the-missing-link.net/new_page_1.htm

The first thing I did when I moved into my house was to replace the main double socket feeding my system to an MK unswitched. I've now ordered an EPS-100 on the basis that my regenerator (perversely) responds very well to mains supply improvements. I also have a boa constrictor of a Furukawa mains cable (2.6mm cores) coming from Mark Grant to connect the two together

[AlanS]

http://www.mains-cables-r-us.co.uk/m...ll-socket.html


I have just fitted one of these, my power amp is remote from the pre and is plugged into this. It's too early to say if there is a night and day difference but I would say, so far, that the soundstage has opened up a tad.

Of course when fitting it gave me the chance to inspect the mains wiring leading to the socket. Trimmed it back to reveal fresh, shiny copper wire and deoxited it. So that must help as well.

DO NOT WORK WITH MAINS ELECTRIC IF UNSURE. IT CAN KILL.

How can anyone ascribe what proportion of improvement/difference is due to the cleaner cable or the socket itself. Certainly oxidised cable will introduce resistance. Pitty we cannot do a before and after with mains changes. Here's the new and revert back to before to compare.

I've given up bothering with mains stuff unless things are faulty or dire

[MikeMusic]

The first thing I did when I moved into my house was to replace the main double socket feeding my system to an MK unswitched. I've now ordered an EPS-100 on the basis that my regenerator (perversely) responds very well to mains supply improvements. I also have a boa constrictor of a Furukawa mains cable (2.6mm cores) coming from Mark Grant to connect the two together

I wonder what could be done with the cable before that.
Our mains comes in overhead, which is apparently not good from a sparky point of view and Paul thought there might be an improvement by having x something, sorry can't remember, but as we have overhead cables we can't have it.
There were dramatic jumps when he improved what I thought was already a good earth, twice and then put in a slightly chunkier circuit breaker.
Cable is standard twin and earth so far as I know.
Has anyone gone behind the sockets and have a report ?

[AlanS]

My point was that when my electrician and I measured the overall impedance of the dedicated mains spur, powering my hi-fi system (by whatever method he used), the reading clearly reduced by a notable degree, every time a socket was removed from the chain (as I have most of my supply hard-wired), and sonically both of us heard an improvement, during the process.

Therefore, IMO, the same result should be possible, although perhaps to a lesser degree, if one upgrades sockets to ones which have less contact resistance, since reducing resistance in the mains supply is precisely why we hear subsequent sonic improvements.


Marco.

It would have been great if you had noted/recorded the figures measured by your man as the improvements happened. Certainly the Missing Link sockets resistance figure are soo small - like saying a sound level difference in dB of 0.005 is readily heard.

Glad you got a benefit for your efforts/expense