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What kind of outlet wall plate do yo use?

I was reading a post over on AA last week. The post was about outlet wall plates, non magnetic stainless steel wall plates.

I had seen these posts in the past on AA but always passed them over never really reading them. This time I took the time to read the post and reponses to it.

To cut to the chase I went out and found some non magnetic stainless steel outlet plates at a lumber yard. I must stop here and tell you I was a bit skeptical that I would hear any difference in sound from my system.

I pulled the plastic plates from my 3 dedicated duplex outlets and installed the ss plates. I plugged the equipment back in and turned on the system. I let it warm up for about a half hour and then sat down for a listen.

The first CD I listened to was Diana Krall, "The Girl in The Other Room." I could hear a difference right off, but not for the better. Sound stage was small, Krall's piano sounded like a blanket had been thrown over it. The air had been let out of the music.
I listened to a few other CDs with the same results.

I then carefully pulled the ss plates from the outlets for the preamp and the power amp. Just sliding them down on the cords out of the way. I sat back down for a listen. Every thing was back as it was before I had installed the ss plates.

I should mention here my preamp is a Sonic Frontiers line-1, and the power amp is an Audio Research VT50.
The three 20 amp branch circuits are installed in EMT conduit. The rough-in boxes are 4"x4" 2 1/8" deep with a single gang raised device cover for the sheetrock wall and electrical outlet mounting. Wire is #10 awg solid THHN copper. Recepts Leviton 20A Hosp Grade. Branch circuit breakers single pole Square D OQ. Branch circuits breakers installed on the same line in the panel. Distance from electrical panel less than 25ft.

I still was puzzled why there was any difference in sound at all. I then, just for the hell of it, installed two leviton stainless steel plates. One for the power amp outlet and the other for the preamp outlet. A magnet will stick to the leviton plates like gorilla glue...

I plugged the gear back in, turned on the system and let it warm up for about a half hour or so. I then sat down for a listen. The sound, not bad. Remember this is the electrical wall outlet plate. First impressions the sound is darker, vocals smoother, more body, fuller.

I will compare the leviton ss plate to the plastic plate later after my ears have had a chance to adjust to this new sound.

Have any of you guys experimented with the wall outlet cover plates?
Why is there a difference in sound? When I first read the post I thought maybe it was due to the rigidity effect the plate was placing on the electrical outlet. Was it working as a damper of sorts. I mean a non magnetic ss cover plate verses a plastic plate.
Why did the non magnetic ss plate degrade the sound of my system?
With the Leviton ss plates are they providing shielding, in effect a Faraday cage.

By the way I asked the person, who posted the thread, why the plate changed the sound on his system. Some of those tweakers can be quite defensive when you question them. Though he was not others were.
I also should mention the member is using solid state gear.

Jim

jea48
spiro
115 posts
 
Hi,
I was trying to instal a Furuteck outlet yesterday, and found that the plastic wall plate was cracked in the center on one side.
i placed a metal plate on and didn't put in the new outlet. We ate lunch and an hour later, the sound was different. I didn't a/b it.
But we all thought that the system (not awake before as it was just turned on) sounded nicer than with the matal plate. My point is not brak in, or warm up, but that at about the same warm up there was a diff.
Why do people resent the hearing, or systems or discussion of this?
I had an associate tell me if he did the dirty on my CD it would sound better, in response to my saying that "the chip" or "cryo" can change the sound of a CD. My AM listening hillbilly Dad with whom I wasn't raised can tell the diff in these... How can someone with such a closed mind as above actually enjoy the music? Aren't they too busy saying "a woman can't play that well" or "if that were an in country made piano it would sound better?" these prejudices get in the way of the whole life experiences as I'm sure they extend into the "organic" question, or the "water purification" question, or the "corn syrup vs sugar" awareness.
I have no macho restrictions to saying "I've never heard that" instead of "It Can't! happen!" as that set s one up for being embarrassed if excersized too often.
BTW the furuteck has changed the sound, and I personally like it and so does the guy who'd system it is powering.
Thanks
jea48 OP
4,425 posts
 
Spiro, thank you for your response. The whole thing about an outlet cover plate changing the sound of my system is still a mystery to me, but my ears tell me it is a fact.

So far experimenting with various cover plates, the plate that yields the best sound for me from my system is the Leviton magnetic stainless steel plate. Problem is to achieve the desired sound, the plate is not bonded, grounded, to the equipment ground via way of the 6/32 trim
screw......
jea48 OP
4,425 posts
 
Here is an answer to a question I posted on AA. I asked him if he would test the SS plates in the manner I am presently using them.
========

Posted by Al Sekela (A) on February 10, 2006 at 09:53:28

In Reply to: Al, my system is dead quite. posted by jea48 on February 8, 2006 at 14:49:09:

">>I just finished a five-way comparison of outlet cover plates (on 2-gang metal box):
1. no outlet plate (old standard);
2. magnetic SS outlet plate with Nylon screws (verified not grounded with ohmmeter);
3. same, but with one steel screw to ground it;
4. same as 3. with magnets stuck to outside of plate;
5. High-abuse Nylon plate with Nylon screws. Also tested with both 2-gang boxes covered with Nylon plates.

Test CD was Shirley Horn, _You Won't Forget Me_, Verve 847 482-2.

Numbers 1 and 5 were so close I decided to leave the Nylon plates in place.

Number 2 gave an added sense of air and resonance, which led me to test the SS plate for acoustic ringing. It rings like a bell with a pure, sweet, high sustained tone, and a lot of atonal immediate crash like a cymbal. With this thing vibrating near the outlet and not grounded, it is acting like a dynamo and converting acoustic vibration into electrical noise within the power circuit and/or safety earth.

Numbers 3 and 4 dulled the sound compared to number 1: not in the sense of lost treble, but in a lack of midrange presence. With my system tuned up, I can hear Shirley smile as she sings, "...should there be eyes like [:)]yours..." near the beginning of track 12, "You Stepped Out of a Dream." This sense of a smile was diminished with treatments 3 and 4. The piano tone was also less appealing in general. Her voice seemed less cohesive over her range.

Thus, my results are similar to yours with respect to grounded versus floating plates, but I believe the apparent improvement with the ungrounded plate is due to euphonic coloration rather than increased detail retrieval. You can confirm this by listening carefully with the ungrounded plate in place, and then with it removed. Other inmates have observed improved performance with no plate at all on the outlet, but clearly this is not safe for most people and violates code. In my case, anyone who approached the uncovered outlets would probably have died from tripping over the equipment and cables before reaching the outlets, so I was not concerned about the safety aspect. The Nylon plates' appearance matches the other outlets in the room, so I will leave them on."<<
[Al Sekela]
http://www.audioasylum.com/audio/tweaks/messages/127995.html
>>>>>>>>
..
wehamilton
65 posts
 
I saw the thread on AA a long time ago and decided to give a SS wall plate a try. For $1 investment I didn't feel it was much of a risk since I'd already spent $100 on a Jena Labs cryo treated socket.

I thought the non-magnetic SS plate varied between no change and very slightly better (I never tried with and without screw). At someone's suggestion, I then applied two small strips (each no bigger than a postage stamp cut in half) of ERS adhesive backed cloth to the inside of the SS plate. To my surprise that difference was easier to hear and it was an improvement. I left it in the sytem that way.

Since my system has been in storage since October and I did this test a year ago, I won't try to use any superlatives to describe the change because my memory isn't that good. Plus, once I determined it was better I just moved on to the next challenge and didn't think about it any more.

So my recommendation would be to try a little ERS cltoh and see if it helps your system. I also found careful applications of it helped in other places as well. But go easy with this stuff and do lots of experimenting. A little goes a long way and it IS possible to make things sound worse or better depending on how good you are at placing it. I'm convinced the people that said it made their system sound worse were both sincere and correct, but based on my experience that also means they either used too much or put it in the wrong places. For example, I found it sucked the life out of the music if placed near the power supplies on my components, but definitely made it sound better when place elsewhere.

FYI, I was using PS Audio Statement xSteam power cords going to and from a UPC200. My CDP is a highly modified Wadia 301, my amp is a highly modified PSA HCA-2 and I was using Soliloquy 6.5 speakers at the time.
jea48 OP
4,425 posts
 
Update:
I have found that using different receptacle outlets changes the sound effect obtained by the outlet cover plates.

I moved from the Leviton 8300 hosp Grade outlets to the Hubbell 5362IG outlets. Then onto the Cryoed Hubbell 8300H Hosp Grade duplex outlets. I am presently using the Pass & Seymour nylon plates. At the present time I prefer the sound from the combo.

In each case when I changed the outlets I would install the Leviton SS ferromagnetic cover plates using a nylon supporting screw. I wanted to keep the cover plate the constant and hear the difference in sound the receptacle might make.

The Hubbell 5362IG receptacle/Leviton SS plate/nylon screw.
For the Amp and Preamp I preferred this combo best over all other cover plate combo. The Hubbell 5362 beat the Leviton 8300 outlet hands down.

The CDP was a different story with the Hubbell 5362IG outlet. For the cover plate I found the Cooper non ferromagnetic plate/nylon support screw sounded the best for me.

The HBL8300H/Leviton/nylon screw (amp and Preamp outlets only). I listened to this combo for a total of about 10 hours off and on. Imho the sound from my system was not as good with the HBL8300H as it was with the same plate combo, hubbell 5362IG outlets.
I pulled the Leviton SS plate from the HBL8300H outlets and installed the P&S nylon plate. Imho the P&S nylon plate is best suited for the cryoed HBL8300H over the Leviton SS plate/nylon screw.

I have yet to change out the CDP outlet to the HBL8300H outlet, not sure I will. I like the sound of the Hubbell 5362IG outlet. Just a note, my dedicated branch circuits are installed in metallic EMT conduit and metallic rough-in boxes.
Jim

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