Can a wall socket dramatically improve sound? Yes


I finally got an Isoclean ICP-002 wall socket installed today. At the risk of restarting the usual drivel that ac cannot be so simply improved, I would simply say my sound is greatly improved.

I was already using many components of the Isoclean filtering system with great satisfaction not unlike the rave review in 6moons, although I have yet to get the transformers. The improvement with the wall socket is greater than other improvements I have gotten with these components. I am frankly shocked. The noise floor is lowered with resulting improved detail that lends more realism. The top end is very clean and extended and the leading edge is startling. The sound stage is totally encompassing.

I treated everything with AudioTop before installing it.
tbg
Did you ever remove your initial wall socket...clean it...then reinstall it to compare?
Here's my experience: cryoed special (whatever) outlets, does not = DRAMATIC improvement. However, I find that the the sum of all the little things like this, whether it be making sure your ICs run perpendicular to your power cords, putting caps on your input and outputs, spades rather than bananas, etc. that have a cumlative effect. I haven't ab'd cyoed Hubs with Home Depot outlets. It's tough putting them in back and forth. All these tweaks, together, make for a dramatic improvement. that's my take. peace, warren
Skeyebox, no, I did not try this nor did I install the IsoClean outlet and try it only to then remove it and use the AudioTop contact cleaner. There are limits to my patience, I guess.

Warrenh, my experiences before the IsoClean are like your own. For whatever reason, the IsoClean seems a different animal.
Irvrobinson, yes, I believe what I hear.

bct1960, I was using a cryoed Hubbell.
For the budget minded, try the hospital grade plugs (orange in color) at Lowes or Home Depot. Before installation clean all the contact points, including the bare wire you are about to connect with Tea Tree Oil. (Tea Tree Oil can be purchased at any Wal-Mart for about $ 3.00) Tea Tree Oil is an excellent contact cleaner no matter how dirty your connections are, or how clean you may think they are sonically.

This is a very cost-effective upgrade.
I should start a thread--"The stuff you bought and were to lazy to install"-- I got 2 of them $120 outlets; wattgate I think, I got 3 of Albert's outlets--never installed. Got some of those roller block (knock-off versions)--never installed. When I was looking for a wife I was hoping to find a woman/with child,already-- I'm soooo lazzzy.
Avguygeorge: Find an electrician or handyman to help if you can't seem to get around to doing it yourself. But it's not rocket science. Even if you're all thumbs installation takes all of a few minutes. You'll be very glad you did!
Thanks for the incouragement Ess--aud. I got one rule of thumb I learned from my dad: Never do today what you can put off till tomorrow. I try to emulate his great example.---Truth is I do need to get off my duff and do the install.
Tbg...Nice that your noise floor is lowered. My noise floor is already low enough to be completely inaudible, so I guess I don't need to "clean up" my AC power. The very high efficiency of your speakers may account for your noise problem.

By the way, terminology like "drivel" can be thrown around both ways.
Eldartford, you bring up a very interesting and astute point. The Legacy Focus speakers I run are so efficient (at least 96db/watt) that I can always hear hiss if I stand next to the speakers. (It's inaudible at my listening position - even to my 16 year-old daughter.)

Changing amps changes the noise, but nothing else has affected it since I took the ARC LS2B pre-amp out of my system. (The LS2B was clearly audible in the noise.) An isolation transformer on the source components (a PS Audio PowerSonic) has no discernable effect. (I was hoping it would, actually.) I recently hooked up a pair of cheap JBL mini-monitors I use for video (just for grins - I wanted to see what expensive amplifiation would make them sound like) and the hiss was inaudible unless you put your ear up to the speaker grille.
Eldartford, I strongly discourage your trying the IsoClean. It would be a waste. Each of us have no patience with the other's drivel, so we should stop reading each other's posts.