Expensive Rhodium/Gold/Silver plated mains plugs/wall sockets/fuses.

Well of course. And to those who have ears to hear, let them hear. And to market to as well with hyped-up, unscientific and unsubstantiated prose!

 

LOL..... there are some questions I won't entertain there......... I understand better now. Thanks for clarifying! I would say though the sum total of the time you have already invested being skeptical here on the board may already exceed the time it would take to turn off a breaker, replace an outlet, and turn the breaker back on.......... but then again, sometimes I tend to oversimplify things.

Cheers!

 

Otlset - I always suspected were a golden eared audiophile............ now I am certain! Cat's out of the bag from here forward.........

 

This is more than enough reason not to mess with such trivial things. Years ago I swapped in a couple Hubble outlets in my listening room to "improve" my setup. I can't say I heard a difference and when I moved out of that room, the outlets stayed put. Wasn't worth the effort. At this point, I have no intention of doing it again as the house we just moved into is fairly new with nice, grippy outlets.

My biggest problem with those that say they hear a difference is, just how familiar they are with the sound of a particular recording. I mean, I don't listen to the same thing over and over again to the point where I'd notice a difference if I changed a cable. If I change a cable and put on an album I haven't listened to in a month or a few weeks, there's no way I could compare what I'm hearing to what I heard on last listen.

Maybe someone can explain how they go about comparing what they hear after swapping in an A/C outlet to what they heard prior. Do you listen to some music, change the outlet and immediately listen to the same music?

 

Only if you also plan on upgrading all the wiring in your home, the drop feed going into your home, the transformer on the telephone pole outside, and then the miles of wiring to the nearest electrical substation...

 

I wonder if the cabling is cryogenic treated ?

 

I believe the possible improvements are very small if any at all. A NOS tube would be 100s of times more improvement. Same with cables. Spend you money on better amps, speakers, TTs and cartridges.

 

That's the beauty of this --- the results vary and I am not going to claim there is one reason why! When I did it, as I mentioned in the thread I shared, I was as skeptical as anyone. But since I had such a crappy outlet and it was a one weak link, and the wiring / breakers from the outlet to the panel were dedicated and up to snuff (I know I installed them myself) I thought "what the heck". Again, realize the line to that outlet was a dedicated one............

Now - this was discussed at length, at least in the thread I started, and I still think this is a big factor too --- I have a DEDICATED line to my panel / breaker for my audio setup / outlet. If you are sharing your audio system on a circuit with who knows what else and what other weak links are on that circuit........ or you have a failing breaker.........etc then who knows. Just curious, was yours a dedicated line or part of a larger circuit?

Anyway, why would I be hear on the board pumping a $15 Hubbell outlet? It's not like I am trying to sell you something or making any money off of it........ In my case the difference was very real. But clearly it is not for everyone.

 

Echoic memory - Wikipedia

 

Philosophical skepticism - Wikipedia

 

The point you're trying to make is...?

 

I have never plugged my gear into a NOS tube........ how does that work?

 

LOL, the time you have spent posting on this thread you could have listened for differences in a couple of pairs of interconnects. Probably more productive and fun too.

 

Shoot, Warren Jarrett's ears are more golden than mine. And Warren told me that our host Steve Hoffman has ears even more golden than his! So it's a matter of degree I guess.

 

And the people who sell "audiophile" wall outlets could've long ago spent the time to do double blind testing that proves to all the skeptics that their products do make an audible difference. But they haven't.

 

So the badges or lapel pins they give out for this, are there like a certain number of bars, you know like in the military rank, so you can discern and pick them out and know what level they've achieved?

 

Dang........you got us......... all of us on the Hoff who tout this improvement were actually planted here for the sole purpose / conspiracy to see if we could pry that $15 out of your wallet!!!!!

I told them it was just a matter of time till you sniffed us out......... Guilty!!

 

I never said anything even remotely like that. What's with the antagonism...did I cut you off in traffic or something?

 

LOL,........The emogees all over the post denonted I was trying to inject some humor into the exchange.........

See, like you did there........ that was funny! Don't take this, yourself or me too serious.........

Lighten up..

 

I find it puzzling your ears/brain have not memorized how your audio system sounds. Especially if you have owned it several years and listen to it regularly.

Just curios have you memorized the voice of your wife, children, and grand children? If any of them call you on the phone do you recognize their voice without being told or you asking who you are speaking to? Can you tell from their voice if maybe something is wrong or maybe they have a slight cold?

.

 

@timind - The question about dedicated line vs shared circuit I posed above -- really curious because ever since I posted the thread I did I am trying to find any common threads to resultant experience........ just trying to understand as it is helping me to recognize where it is getting the most bang for the buck.

 

Can you prove NOS tubes or cables make a difference? There are audio forums where the majority of posters/members say there is no difference. Purely snake oil. For those, numbers are very few, that say they can hear a difference they get shot down with prove it! Provide actual scientific proof, Lab measurements. Credible double blind testing.

 

I've been changing outlets for 50 years. When the plug feels a little loose its time to change. A good quality 20 amp outlet is all you'll ever need. My living room outlets are switched. The top plug is on all the time. The bottom plug is controlled from a wall switch. It took way more than 10 minutes to replace the outlet. The top outlet also has a branch circuit going to my ceiling fan. Eight wires total. I always clean the bare wires with a brass brush before installing the new outlet. Can I hear a difference? Only when I smoke a doobie.

 

Say, that's not a bad idea. Audiophiles could have competitions, maybe at conventions, to see who can discern the most inner details in certain musical selections in different formats in a controlled environment. And lapel pins, badges, bars, or other musical achievement insignia would be awarded by someone who knows the music inside and out. Like Boy Scout badges of merit! All subjective of course, so what a bickering mess that would be!

Oh well, I say let's mostly keep our sonic reveries to ourselves, or at least not push them as if they should be perceptible to all. Only the lucky!

 

Thanks for the serious question. Yes, I have a good idea what my system sounds like to the extent I can recognize who and what I'm listening to. Here's my point; the other night I listened to Interiors by Rosanne Cash. I love this album a lot, but still may only listen to it 2 or 3 times a year. Do I recognize her voice as the voice of Ms Cash? You bet. Do I recognize the brush of a snare in any particular song as the brush of a snare? Yes. Do I hear something new and different every time I listen to the album? I think I do. Why is this? Is it because I'm using different speakers, or a different amp? Maybe. It could also be because I'm listening with a different attitude or different state of mind or attentiveness.

The kinds of differences people talk about when they make minor changes ie; more air around guitar strings, deeper soundstage, or blacker background, are what I don't understand. And yes, I hear air around instruments and have a very deep soundstage with my system. But I don't notice them when I'm seriously listening to music, although sometimes some audio aspect will jump out at me. I hear them when I listen for them which isn't often.

I'm sure you're familiar with the sound of your system, but are you so familiar enough recordings to know when something is different after an A/C outlet change?