How good is the Shunyata Venom Silver A/C outlet?

I have no idea. Most of us hereabouts use the Porterports.

Now down to $99 on the Music Direct website, probably reflecting a lack of sales at $195. Essentially a cryoed Hubbell 5362 with rhodium/silver plated contacts. Whether the plating performs miracles, I don't know and I'm too cheap to find out. You could look at a non-plated cryoed 5362 from World Power/audioexcellence for half the price, or a cryoed 8300 HI (also unplated) from Takefive Audio for about $20 Cnd. or $17 U.S. (don't know how Gene does that price but he does!). Unless you have 20 amp equipment and/or lines, you're better off with the Hubbell 15 amp versions of the above receptacles (HBL 5262 and HBL 8200HI) in my opinion, but I don't think you'll find anyone selling cryoed versions of the 15 amp receptacles.

The Venom outlet is not a 5362. It is custom a manufactured outlet made exclusively for Shunyata by Hubbel. The outlet was specified to be designed with an oversized internal chassis, reducing heat at the AC contact points. One look at the enlarged back of the outlet should distinguish it as a unique product. All ferrous metals and carbon were removed from the design, and the outlet is then disassembled and plated with silver to lower contact impedance and rhodium to protect the silver from wear. We then treat all outlets in our own deep-immersion cryogenic tanks.

The original price was $195 because the initial order was for a sample assortment and not stock. Once there was a strong market established for them, we ordered large quantities, driving our price down and allowing us to cut the retail price in half.

Divining facts from ill informed opinion on internet forums is a challenge, indeed.

Regards,

Grant Samuelsen
Shunyata Research