Replacing generic RECEPTACLES

I bought 2 power cords for my phono preamp. Both OFC stranded 12 gauge. One has gold plated pins, the other rhodium. The latter has a *slightly* steely black clean sound -more dynamic with less hash- with blacker chromium silences. The gold version does not have those qualities and is a touch warmer. It is as if the rhody is clean water while the gold has a drop of burbon in it.

A few mins after I posted the above, I thought I’d swap back in the rhodium power cord to check if what I wrote from memory was correct.
Put it this way, it’s not the same stereo it was earlier. It is louder and fine detail is much enhanced...illuminated even. Cymbals and delicate percussion are much clearer. Bass is tighter and snappier. The music seems to have taken on more drive, coherence and nuetrality. I swapped back to gold to check. This is ridiculous. I’ll have to listen to the collection again. I'm glad I read your post!

I think you will notice an even greater positive effect from the Rhodium connectors in 10 days to two weeks. During that time you may well have some days where the system sound 'tight' or even just plan bad.

David Pritchard

I use  "hospital grade" receptacles for my audio equipment.  Hospitals are always plugging and unplugging equipment at patient beds. Ordinary household receptacles are not meant for this type of abuse, the receptacle blades lose their "spring" in no time at all.  The electrical industry came up with extra heavy duty/sprung receptacle blades, tested with pull out weight tension, for the hospital industry.  This construction is also beneficial to audio equipment, assuring a good solid connection.  I use "20 amp" receptacles regardless of whether the receptacle is on a 15 or 20 amp circuit, as I would expect the 20 amp receptacles to have more copper and offer a better connection.  There is a limit to what can be achieved by a receptacle and a good tight connection is about all that is reasonable to pay for, so I don't buy "audio grade" receptacles.