Isolated Ground Outlets Hosp Grade vs Audiophile

You're going to get an earful for asking this probably. There are enough people who think that outlets don't make any difference. They are of course, wrong!

Contact Albert Porter, and get a couple of Porter Ports. I have PS Audio outlets and I'm very happy with them, but if I had it to do over again I would get them from Mr Porter.

If you decide to go with the Albert's Porter Ports, you need to be aware that they are not IG outlets. In my case, I used Porter Ports for all my listening room circuits. I terminated each of these circuits with a plastic receptacle box so that there is no ground necessary for any of the receptacle boxes. The Porter Port receptacles are all individually grounded back to the circuit panel with separate 10-gauge conductors.

Since you mentioned that your receptacle boxes are metal and are, apparently, already installed, I am inclined to think that you would do best to carry your true IG configuration through to fruition through the use of audiophile IG outlets. However, I defer to the experts.

Get the Hubbell 5362...not cryoed. That is the best and what i use for my isolated water ground circuit. It goes through ceramic fuses also.

PS Audio Power Ports are isolated ground. I haven't tried them so I can't say if they're better than the Hubbell I/G's that I installed in my former residence (my system was dead quiet). My opinion is that the isolated ground circuit will provide benefits on a greater scale than between the name brand of (quality) receptacles. The isolated ground circuit can cut down a lot of RF interference noise from getting into your system - something that no receptacle can do.

Right now I have moved to a house where I can build a 30 by 16 listening room. It's a down to the studs gut job with acoustical and structural redesign. I am redoing the entire house electrical system and running the audio circuits in metallic tubing to metal receptacle boxes in a twisted pair/concentric ground configuration. The circuits are definitely going to be isolated grounds and will purchase the best I/G receptacles I can find; that's my priority - I/G first, name brand second.

In my opinion the IsoClean duplex is clearly the best. It is expensive, however, $180.

I use PS Audio Power Ports and are very happy with them and as Gs5556 mentions I believe they are isolated ground. I have used Pass & Seymore Hospital Grade in the past and feel they are adequate as well.

Chuck

Since you have metal conduit which is bonded to the electrical system ground, and boxes that are also metal and bonded; you definitely need isolated ground receptacles. These are useless in plastic boxes. The only difference between a regular receptacle and iso. ground is that the device yoke in not continuous with the grounding terminal; meaning that your yoke and box cover are not bonded. I don't think much noise enters the system through device yokes, but a large metal outlet cover could possible transfer some noise. The NEC requires that all metal enclosures be grounded so this is unavoidable. Unfortunately grounding in itself is not a remedy for noise because the stray voltages see it as impedence causing current to flow.

Peter, Furutech FP-15A receptacles are isolated ground. I've found them to be better than the non-audiophile IG brands. Also, the contact material thickness in the Furutechs is 1.2mm versus 0.8mm in the other brands.