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Akiko Tuning Stick AC -- It IS Magic

None are more skeptical than I when it comes to tweaks. Most come and go; few survive for the long term. So it was with not a grain but a shaker of salt that I decided to try the $170 Akiko Tuning Stick AC (not the new Triple AC, which is $395), which one plugs into an open outlet on a power conditioner or into the wall outlet. I decided to try it based upon rave reviews in 6 Moons both for the version I tried, and more recently the Triple AC -- which I most assuredly WILL buy.

I plugged it into my Audience AR6 power conditioner and my skepticism dissolved as fast as the salt from the shaker would in water! This thing is magic, I tell you. It is transformative. My system is no slouch (PS Audio DSD DAC/VTL 7.5iii pre/Krell FPB 300cx amp/VSE 5HSE speakers, top cables and PC's) but this kicked it up about 20%-25% in sound quality. More depth, more realism, more liquidity, more naturalness, more life. I removed the device and reinstalled it several times just to check, and each time the sound became flat and one-dimensional.

I have only had the Akiko for about a week, but every time I turn on my stereo, and whether listening to music through the DAC or my Sansui TU-9900 tuner, my head snaps back and I say to myself: Zounds! Does that sound good!

So forgive me for gushing, but I have been at this audio mania for over 40 years and am not easily impressed., But this is an extremely impressive product. There is no guarantee the Triple AC, more than 2x the AC price, will be any better let alone twice as good as the AC, but I aim to find out. Of course, I cannot tell you what it will do in your system. Jaguar Audio sells these (nice, responsive folks) and I think they have a 14 day return policy. I doubt you will return it.

Neal
nglazer
aolmrd1241
1,042 posts
 
Akiko Audio tuning sticks are the best tweak this listener has ever used. I have the Triple AC pluged into my dedicated wall outlet which feeds the system through my Shunyata line conditioner, along with Universal sticks on my speaker cables...speaker side. I also have a rca stick pluged into my subwoofer and a balanced version pluged into my dac.

As with most things to much of a good thing can reverse intended outcomes. I had another AC stick in my hydra 8 and I felt it added nothing and actually took away from the sound quality.The biggest improvement in my system is a more natural and harmonic upgrade to the sound.The higher frequency's have a more robust shimmer and the mid's have more coherent staging. Voices come alive in a more organic way. Meat on the bones if you will.

Of course ymmv but that's my story and I'm sticking to it...

Mark
melbguy1
1,438 posts
 
01-29-15: Aolmrd1241
..that's my story and I'm sticking to it...

Mark
Pun intended Mark? :D
spar
15 posts
 
Interesting following this discussion as I have also recently acquired an Akiko Triple AC Stick. Similar to others I also have an Audience power conditioner and when I plugged the Triple AC into it, it was a mixed bag. The soundstage widened substantially as did depth with greater separation between players/instruments. Midrange presence and palpability improved. A very nice effect. However this was at the expense of treble energy, which was diminished as well as some reduction in dynamics. Plugging the Triple AC Stick directly into the adjacent wall socket that the Audience power conditioner is plugged into resulted in a return of the dynamics and treble energy I'm used to hearing. The improved soundstaging that had been present when the unit was plugged into the power conditioner remained but the marked palpability making instruments much more life-like and full-bodied was now lost. I'm left with the opinion that this is a nice tweak worth the cost to get improved soundstaging but having tasted the improved palpability my system is apparently capable of providing has made me think of looking into something that may work in a similar way, along the lines of a Entreq Tellus or Olympos and/or Cleanus (the Tripoint Troy is too expensive for me to consider), all of which have been positively discussed on the Whats Best Forum.
bacardi's avatar
bacardi
663 posts
 
@Spar, I had exact results as you with the single stick in my system. Just wondering what receptacle are you using? I am using a Maestro now which I will be trying a Furutech GTX-D rhodium outlet in hope that the detail, seperation and grip will come back. I liked the grip(palpitation) it had on the midrange and bass. Soundstage was wide and deep and separation was there with loss of treble energy and crispness. As I took it out of the Audience and back to the Maestro the soundstage shrunk and the detail and crispness came back. Separation wasn't there as much either. Dynamics were there but not as palpable as in the Audience.
melbguy1
1,438 posts
 
Thanks for your feedback on the Triple AC stick in your system Spar. I agree with your view about variable results using component or outlet-specific grounding devices. I had a play around with Acoustic Revive RGC-24 devices which produced varying results depending on which component it was connected to. I ended up selling two pieces.

Likewise I believe in a system-wide approach to proper grounding. The Entreq Tellus is a good example of an effective solution at a reasonable price. I use a Gigawatt PC-3 SE Evo conditioner which performs 4 key functions; distribution, conditioning, grounding and also provides extremely robust surge protection. The Gigawatt provides true equipotential grounding – not virtual, and is based around a sound grounding topology incl: star wiring. It has a circuit which improves impulse response with non-linear loads and levels the difference between input and output power, as well as a precise digital voltmeter which measures input voltage in true RMS. It is the best single box solution i've found.
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