AC outlets

I chose Furutech FPX-Cu for an outlet that powered a headphone-based system. I have been quite happy with the sound quality and the affordable price of the outlet. It lists for $69, and I believe that I paid about $50 for mine. I did not use an aftermarket outlet cover. 

Heavy copper, Hubbell is as good as it gets... Everything else is window dressing. If you want to use a contact enhancer, that always helps.
Silver or clad outlets,  just a lot of money.

Faceplate? They look nice and offer fire protection. I like nonconductive covers that offer the 2 hour protection. Conductive covers really doesn't make sense to me.. Just me though..

Regards

The reason all these little things like outlets and faceplates matter is a combination of electrical continuity, electrical field control, and vibration control. Different outlets and covers target different aspects of all of these. The ones you are using now are really just a thicker more robust version of ordinary dime a dozen outlets. Hospital grade means zero in terms of sound quality. All it means is the plug doesn’t fall out as much.

This is all by the way stuff I know by having done. I know hospital grade is a joke because I bought it and tried it. I know Synergistic Research Blue and Orange are game changers, because I have those and know just how much improvement they make.

Haven’t tried the faceplates because I am quite frankly beyond all that. The cryogenically treated 4ga wire that brings AC is hard wired directly into my conditioner. The outlets are all direct mounted in MDF routered to fit perfectly without a faceplate. There is a mix of Synergistic, Oyaide and other outlets. All are vastly better than "hospital grade" but the outlets themselves are only one small part of the story.

Because, like I said: continuity, field, vibration. Faceplates differ, some are more vibration control than field, others more field than vibration. Once you understand what is going on you may realize you could get about the same improvement with fO.q tape applied to the outlet. Or cover.

Then again some of the carbon fiber covers look pretty cool. Bling matters. Audiophiles put on airs about it being all about the sound, but you would not believe the dings I get for not having the right bling. https://systems.audiogon.com/systems/8367

Personally, if it’s worth doing then do it right, SR Orange or Blue. They use a material that addresses the other point, fields. The gray goo they put on the screw terminals, do not remove it.

SR doesn’t even have the best field control. After you try Orange, or Blue, and appreciate it and want even better, let me know. But not here. PM. I hardly ever follow up on threads like this. They all degenerate to blather in like three, two, one....

I use all Shunyata power conditioning and also use their cryo treated in wall receptacles.  I’m very pleased 

I use a combo of Hubble and PS Audio power ports.  Happy with the upgrade and cost.

Could these outlet covers be a good middle ground?
https://www.wallplates.com/products/gray-do?variant=53430394695&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=google_shopping_stone
They're a mix of stone and resin and should quell vibrations better than plastic and they're non conductive. 

All the best,
Nonoise

See oldhvy we agree on some things. Even you have limits to how much snake oil you can stomach.

People go gaga over rhodium plated. Hard and a poor conductor. Literally the worst qualities in a contact plating. That says a lot about the market ... Bling and ignorance.

I fit an Oyaide in but it weren't EZ.

P.I Audio's UberPuerto's. $80. Modified Hubbel 5632's. Graphene at the connectors...I've got 7 in my incoming UberBuss. And 3 more for my dedicated lines to replace the hospital grade 20A outlets.

Look into them. Contact Dave at P.I. Audio.

I have Furutech. But ended up using PS Audio. 

There's a company I've bought power cords from called Ice Age Audio. Never tried their outlets, but they seem to be of good quality and are cryogenically treated, for whatever that is worth. Prices seem pretty reasonable too. 

Synergistic Research orange....you will be laughing all the way to your listening area.

See oldhvy we agree on some things. Even you have limits to how much snake oil you can stomach.

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The cost is always an issue for me.. 150.00 fuses and 10K cables are wonderful. at 15.00 for the fuse and 1K mostly for materials on the cables. :-0

To be honest if someone gave me a fancy outlet, I'd use it. I'd take an SR Blue or Orange, any time.  It may sound funny but that GOO really has an effect. A gallon bucket would be nice.. million dollar bucket..

Bling is good.. I like bling on a good lookin girl.. JUST BLING. 
A necklace and a hat will do. :-)

I also think the "settling effect" of just plugging in a couple of times and leave it alone. In a couple of weeks, it gets close to the instant GOO effect of SR.  My concoction works good enough it's just a contact enhancer.
That STUFF, GOO, has been used in the UK for 50 years. Here in harsh environments more so.. Few different types too. Wolfercoat is full of goodies. (german), just like certain Never-Seize products..
It dampens a product through contact alone... Cost 40.00 usd.

The REAL GOO, a million dollars an ounce.. NO THANKS..

Regards

i cast some outlet covers out of surplus 787 resin ( expired ), F-22 RAM coating, and shuggite.....a white hot stamper of an outlet cover....

I have an SR or three....., now if the telephone pole would stop vibrating....

just buy one w $ back....and hear for yourself.....or not.

PS Audio Power Ports, tried and true.

$285.00 for Synergistic Orange outlets? Ouch!
I appreciate the input from everyone and will try outlets that have a 30 day $ back warranty.
Good suggestion, also understand a lot of this hobby is like the emperors clothes.
Enjoy your music and be safe. 

Cruze First Maestro. Cheaper than the Synergistic Research and I think a better outlet. 

Audioquest Edison grips like a gorilla.

Another thing to consider is if you will like any kind of plating on your outlets (or cord ends for that matter). My preference is for the Maestro which has no plating. To my ear it is more natural sounding than any type of plated outlet that I have tried.

Also, cryo treatment has it's own effect that may or may not be to your liking. Since, I am hyper sensitive to the higher frequencies and any high frequency anomalies, cryo is too hard and harsh in the upper mids and highs to my ear, but that most likely applies to only a small group of us.

I preferred the musical sound of the ACME ac outlet over the Mastro outlet. Sounded more natural and in my opinion holds up better regarding plugging in and out repeatedly.
With that said I have many Furutech GTX-D NCR(R) that I like best.

@oldhvymec, 
"Bling is good.. I like bling on a good lookin girl.. JUST BLING."
Obviously a Randy Newman fan, "You Can Leave Your Hat On."

Bling is OK if you can afford it as long as you realize that is all it is.
From a performance standpoint any 20 amp outlet will do just fine. If you can not afford "bling" at least spend your money on something that might actually make an improvement although lately it is getting harder to tell what that actually is. If you don't want everyone to see how crude your excellent system is just hide everything. Ignorance is bliss.

New Quantum Science Audio Black/Red AC Outlets ?

I use 4 Hubbell locking receptacles in my audio rig. See link below.

Mike

 

More audiophile mumbo jumbo.

I have used the Maestro, and Synergistic Research red duplexes.  I switched to the Audioquest duplex because it has a tighter grip on on some heavier power cords and in my opinion is a better made duplex.  I also like the hubbell  hospital grade duplex that I use on my video system.