Outlet shoot out

Sean: Yes, it is Bob Crump who has stated that nickel is "bright", and while I respect Bob very much and appreciate much of the advice he has given me over at Audioasylum, I can only state that, with respect to the receptacles I've used, the nickel plated ones (Arrow Hart and Hubbell) were considerably smoother, less congested, and less bright (and at the same time, more open and natural sounding) than the receptacles with brass contacts, particularly the Pass and Seymors that Bob likes. In my opinion, they are a horror story compared to the Hubbell 8200/8300. Perhaps Craig is able to comment on this too, as he has the silver plated Acme, based on the P&S that Bob likes. I would guess that the Acme shares the basic character of the Pass and Seymor it is based on, and in my system that was fairly congested in the midband, quite forward and very bright (and yes, they were fully broken in). This is initially very "exciting" but when compared with the Hubbell 8200/8300 or even the Arrow Hart 8200, it is very quickly quite apparent that there is lots and lots of distortion. The Arrow Hart has a more open midband than the Pass and Seymor, but when compared to the Hubbells, even it suffers by comparison, and that is a nickel to nickel comparison. What I'm saying is that the so-called brightness of the nickel (I don't actually believe this) is in no way translating into the "open-ness" of what I hear in the Hubbells-to my ear they are anything but bright-sounds emerge from a blacker and quieter background in what I would describe as a more "mid-hall" kind of presentation. Yes, they are more open, but this is not based on "brightness". There is clearly less distortion than with the Pass & Seymor or Arrow Hart. I may be able to comment further on this in month or two as I may actually have a chance to compare the Hubbell 5362 (brass contacts) to the 8300, but for now I can't accept Bob's generalization about nickel being "brighter" in terms of power applications with receptacles.

Well Sean I am glad I am not the only one, whom seems skeptical and confused about this issue. Though it is something worth trying, no time better then the present-though I want to gather a few others opinions before I make any life altering choices ;)

Hdm, thanks for the response and personal findings. Like you, i respect Bob and most of the others that are willing to share their personal findings and thoughts. Also like you, my personal experiences sometimes contradict those of others. That is, within the confines of my systems and personal tastes. As such, i might not always agree with someone's point of view but that does not make their opinion any less valid.

As such, that is why it is SO great to have these forums. I am really greatful to the multitude of folks that are willing to step up to the plate and compare notes / share their thoughts with us. That is what makes this a worthwhile place to frequent.

Like Tim and i ( and probably a WHOLE lot of others ) are doing, we are "researching" BEFORE shelling out any money or even going out to audition. It at least gives us a better idea of what to look / listen for and see what is out there.

Based on the general statements above, it looks like the Hubbell's look like a solid starting point. I'm still curious as to see what the thoughts / opinions of the Purist modified Leviton's is like though. Given Purist's reputation, i would think that they would not chance using / recommending a product that was of an inferior design to start with. Sean
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PS... Do the Hubbell's have an isolated ground ?

well, i have something really important to do (i just gotta go clean the rocks out of my tires RIGHT NOW) or i would go do an Outlet shootout.

but somewhat seriously, i confess i just accepted the advice of Jennifer Crock and bought her (Jena Labs) deep-immersion cry'od outlets without doing a comparison when i installed my dedicated lines. the complete dedicated line system was a major improvement over my previous standard residential outlets and circuts. but i can't say exactly what the outlets did in the big picture.

anyway, i appreciate the work (it is work comparing outlets....or power cords.....or power conditioners) and feedback that others can use to make their decisions.

Sean: The 8300/8200's I use are not isolated ground, but the Hubbell website shows those models also available in isolated ground, with no nickel plating on the contacts (contact area is smaller, so I'm just assuming the extra contact area is the plating itself-about 1/10 of mm.) Haven't heard them so can't comment and no idea of price. I have had experience with the Leviton isolated ground (with bronze contacts) at both the wall and in my line conditioner (they were the standard receptacles in my line conditioner) and they were no match for the Hubbells I currently use.