The Gate
This morning marks the eighth day with The Gate in the system. I'm in agreement with everything the OP said in his opening statements.
First, the price - $4,999.
On the surface, it may look like a lot of money (and it is), but measured on a performance basis, it's a bargain. If one is thinking about upgrading to a more expensive piece of equipment, a new amp, or pre-amp, for example, one would be far better off installing The Gate.
The size -
2" x 2.5" x 10." Weight 10 pounds.
The sound -
When The Gate had been in the system for only two days, I had a fellow A'goner over for a listening session. He was silent for the first two recordings. I asked him to describe what he was hearing. To that, he responded that the use of the usual audiophile terms wasn't adequate. It goes far beyond that.
The Gate removes grunge, hash, and distortions from the AC power, and leaves nothing but the music and the performers in the room. The clarity attained brings this hobby to an entirely different level. The Gate is a real game changer and it will transform the hobby. It is that good.
Listening -
Upon first turning on the system immediately after installing The Gate, there's not much improvement to be had. Maybe slight. After 15 minutes, things started to open up a bit. You can hear The Gate slowly improve over maybe an hour or so, then WHAM! The purity of the sound starts becoming very evident. By the time the first listening session was over, we were shaking our heads in disbelief. Nothing ... and I mean NOTHING I've done in this hobby has had this much of a profound effect on improving the sound quality. Forget terms like focus, transparency, dynamics, black background, noise floor, sound stage, speed, tonality, and such. Just replace all of the normal terms with one word ... reality.
Break-in -
The Gate continues to improve day by day. Tim Mrock, the designer, says that it will continue to improve over a four to six week period. If the first eight days are any indication, I can't imagine what things are going to sound like after several weeks of continual break-in.
What others have heard -
So far, I've had two fellow A'goners over to experience The Gate. The best testament I can give this product is that both of them returned home, called Tim, and ordered The Gate for themselves. When they heard it in my system, it had only been installed for two days. At eight days, it is much better than what they heard.
The results so far -
In terms of how large of an improvement one can expect from The Gate, I'm equating it to all of the tweaks I have in the system at this point. Even culmulative, I'll take The Gate over all of them combined. In total, they have created a true magic music machine. The Gate just brings things to a whole new level. Highly recommended.
Frank
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mac ...
I've been digging deep into the record and CD vault and coming up with recordings that I thought were just average. I have them because of the history of the music and the musicians.
Typical are the early BeBop recordings of Charlie Parker and his band, or early Stan Kenton and his orchestra. I have lots of jazz and vocals like that.
Surprise! With The Gate installed, the mediocre recordings are totally listenable now. My God, I have thousands of recordings to go through.
At this point, I seem to be having a problem prying myself out of the listening chair. Maybe I'll start having my food delivered.
Frank |
uberwaltzI’ve had the Sound Application power conditioner in the system for years and wouldn’t be without it. http://www.soundapplication.com/review3.html http://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/equipment/0600/cfx.htm http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue22/sound_application.htm A few years ago I totally upgraded the receptacles in the Sound Application power conditioner, so it is even better than those used in the above reviews. I’ve pasted it completely with PPT’s Total Contact, including the inside of the lid. It took a whole tube of TC to do the job. It is sitting on top of three Omega E-Mats. This was a very nice improvement in SQ, and was done months before I installed The Gate. The Gate is in another league altogether. Think of it as a super-power conditioner for the entire house. Even with the Sound Application power conditioner in the circuit, The Gate just blows everything away. I’ve had to adjust the color temperature of the TV twice again after installing The Gate, and the vegetables in the refrigerator’s vegetable drawer started freezing again, so that had to be adjusted as well. What The Gate does for the audio system’s sound quality is just unbelievably nutz. The purity has to be heard in order to be believed. So far, I’ve never heard anything like it before IN ANY SYSTEM. My audiophile friends, some of whom are A’gon members, concur. Frank |
mac48025
Get out the jazz albums with the drum solos. The difference in sound between the natural animal skins on the early jazz recordings and the acrylic used on the more modern drums on later recordings is clearly audible.
Percussion is to die for with The Gate.
Frank
PS: Charles1dad needs to hear some vibes. :-)
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^^^
I have a small secondary system in the bedroom that consists of a desktop PC, a pair of Audioengine A2+ speakers, a pair of Grado RS1 headphones, and an Audioengine DAC.
I listened to this system last night for the first time since installing The Gate. I just used Spotify for a source. Holy Cow! The Gate has transformed this little tyke into a full-fledged adult too.
Frank |
^^^
Now that The Gate is installed in the circuit breaker box, not only is the stereo system sounding incredible and beyond belief, but the bedroom system is better than ever, as is the TV. Now then, if only I can keep the vegetables from freezing in the refrigerator, I'll be all set. :-)
Frank |
^^^
When it comes to price, I look at it a bit differently.
First of all, The Gate isn't a "tweak." Once installed, it will be considered by the owner as an absolutely necessary component much like an amp, line stage or phono stage. The difference is, it allows all other components in the system to reveal their best attributes.
If you had the money to spend, would you spend 5k on the best amplifier you've ever heard? How about the best overall system you've ever heard? Most of us would gladly spend 5k to get those kinds of results.
There will be others chiming in as more "Gates" are installed and up and running. Upon hearing the results in my system, two of my friends have stepped forward and ordered one and they will be installed soon. Hopefully, they will post their results here.
I'm eleven days into The Gate now and it still continues to improve. Last night's listening session took a big jump in SQ. It was truly astounding.
Frank |
Mikeg & Mac ...
During last night's listening session, the sound was spectacular. I had the lights down low and was nursing two fingers of single malt while listening to Diana Krall's "Live in Paris" CD.
While listening, the clarity was such that it occurred to me just how good of a pianist Diana Krall is. Her touch and phrasing came through like never before. Very intimate, indeed.
It also occurred to me how brilliant the design of my ARC gear is. With the pure power afforded by "The Gate" flowing through the electronics, it sounded as though any remaining distortion had been eliminated. The ARC Ref-75se is an amazing amp. I knew it was good, but THIS good? I had no idea.
Bottom line ... The Gate allows one to hear into the music like never before. If anyone wants to hear what their gear is really capable of, install a "Gate." There's a 90-day return policy ... but once heard, I guarantee you won't be returning it.
Frank |
We're going to install a friend's Gate tomorrow. He's in for a real treat.
Frank |
^^^
Oh man, after reading some of these posts, I panicked. I started looking around at my equipment and wires for UL approval tags.
Do my SR power cords have UL stickers? Nope. How about my Von Gaylord speaker cables and IC's? Nope. I even checked my box of spare cables ... no UL stickers to be found.
Well surely, my Audio Research gear would have UL stickers attached, right? Nope, none there either. Not on the amp, the line stage or the phono stage.
Oh, then it occurred to me to check out my Legacy speakers. I even opened up access to the crossovers. Nope, no UL stickers there either.
My God!!! ~ Would someone come over and take these fire hazards off of my hands before my house blows up? Hurry, please!
Frank |
^^^ I'm "tapering" my comments also, Mac. If I could find the words to describe what the system is doing now, I'd be under attack here. All I can say is, I've never heard anything like it.
Last night, I was listening to a recording of unaccompanied cello music played on double bass. When the bassist hit the low notes, it resonated throughout the room. I could feel it in my chest. Only low organ notes have ever done that before ... and then only occasionally. Zowie!
The CD is Edgar Meyer, Bach Unaccompanied Cello Suites. Performed on Double Bass.
Frank
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^^^
barbapapa
I left the mats in the circuit breaker box. I didn't want to change anything so that I could gauge exactly what The Gate was doing. We installed The Gate at a friend's home this afternoon. Right off the bat, there was a nice improvement. By this evening, he's going to really be getting a brand new listening experience. It will continue improving over the next six weeks or so. Frank |
millercarbon ...
Sorry, no. A couple of things ... First, this home was damaged in our last bout of fires. During the repairs, it had a brand new circuit breaker box installed. Its a large custom home with a bazillion switches in the box. Plus, there were two sides to the box with no room in the side with all of the switchs. So ... we had to feed the wires through the side box containing the mains, into the side with the switches. No problem there as it all went smoothly. Just took extra time, is all. We were pressed for time, so we listened prior to installing The Gate, and then again for about a half hour after installation. Then, we ran out of time and had to leave. It was a very noticable improvement right from the start. My friend will post some of his thoughts in a few days or so, after giving The Gate a chance to fully saturate the home circuits. Frank |
^^^
Safety ...
This seems to be the same concern that was brought up in one of the SR fuse threads.
This morning, I went through all of the owner’s manuals for each piece of Audio Research Corporation electronics I own. While there were cautions printed on what to be aware of in terms of potential electrical shock, there wasn’t anything about "proof of safety testing and operating voltage."
I’ve kept all of the boxes and instructions that came along with the SR after-market fuses that have been installed in the system. In reading the instructions, there’s nothing about "proof of safety testing and operating voltage." of these fuses at the SR factory either.
Just out of curiosity, let’s all check the instructions that came with every tweak we have in our systems that are hooked up to either the equipment or the electrical circuit outside of the equipment and check for "proof of safety testing and operating voltage" claims made by the manufacturer.
Are any of us using any Bybee devices? How about after-market wall receptacles? Power Conditioners? What are the detrimental safety effects of all of Herbie’s tube dampeners I have throughout my system? Herbie certainly doesn’t say in the instructions that came with the dampeners. In fact, there aren’t any instructions at all that I can remember.
Come to think of it, my phono cartridge is in the circuit ... and these miscreants at the cartridge factory didn’t supply any "proof of safety testing and operating voltage" either.
While caution is encouraged in installing The Gate, it is a simple hookup consisting of two screws and two wires. If one doesn’t feel competent working in the breaker panel, then hiring an electrician would be the prudent thing to do.
Oh, and turning the power off while installing The Gate would be a wise thing to do also.
Most of us have after-market tweaks and devises that need to be checked out in the name of caution. Please read the owner’s manuals for "proof of safety testing and operating voltage" and report your findings here. Thanks.
The world is coming to an end...!!!
Frank |
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uberwaltz... Ah-Ha ... Another Red Coat in our midsts. :-) Congratulations on your escape and successful camouflage among us "Rebels." As a devout rebel myself, your secret is perfectly safe with me. *lol* jetter ... I agree completely with what you’ve said. This is a great site with really nice, enthusiastic people contributing. I’ve learned tons ... (that’s tonnes to folkfreak) from members here, including contributing engineers. I DO like to poke fun at the engineers though. They are quite (ahem) different in their perspectives. I truly appreciate their cautiousness. Without their "measure a hundred times cut once" demeanors, the entire planet would be in upheaval and chaos. Just a few examples ... traffic control, bridge construction, rockets, and airplanes. In the meantime, they drive the rest of us batty. Frank |
millercarbon ...
No need for folkfreak to apologize to me. I have a skin that is two feet thick, plus I've become accustomed to the outlandish arrogance exhibited by many (not all) of the EE's, and engineers in general, posting on this and other audiophile sites. I've learned to expect it, actually. Also, what is understandable, is the fact that folkfreak is a Brit; a man from a country whose subjects are accustomed to not doing anything that is not pre-approved by the state. Conversely, what we are used to here is to do anything we want unless the state expressly prohibits it. Its the difference between being confined by rules, regulations, edicts, red-tape and the whims of bureaucrats, vs an attitude of "leave us alone." American as apple pie. :-) To folkfreak's credit, he understands the importance of getting the hell out of the EU for a more enjoyable independent life ... including regaining his economic liberty. In the meantime, I'm listening to the lovely voice of June Christy on the mini-system while typing this. "The Gate" has made this little pipsqueak of a system very enjoyable, indeed. Frank |
^^^
Personally, I'm ready to give up on the usual terms we audiophiles use to describe what we are hearing from our systems. Why? Because with the installation of The Gate, all of the previous terms are passe'.
Now, its more about an increase in perceived reality, or less perception in reality. With The Gate in the system purifying the AC, it is all about realism in spades.
I'm just about two weeks in with The Gate installed, and still can't believe what I'm hearing (or not hearing). How is this possible??
Frank |
I will don the name of "The Gater" and wear it with pride.
What's that? .... What's that? ... Is that the sound of Dark Matter looking askance from the swamp??
Who's John Galt??
Frank |
"The Gators." Has a wonderful ring to it. A crystal clear ring with no distortion evident at all.
Mac ...
Who knew Redbook CD's could sound like this? LP's too.
Tim is breaking new ground in the hobby with his products. I know for some this sounds like over the top enthusiasm, but the truth is the truth. The Gate is the best yet.
I can hardly wait to see what's next.
Frank |
^^^ Funny stuff.
One thing about "Gaters," they have a good sense of humor. :-)
Frank |
uberwaltz ... Like the wise man once said ... "You ain't heard nuttin' yet." The Gate just keeps getting better over time. Can you believe how real vocals sound? And, you mentioned the improvement in the bass. Nice. Do you have any recordings that have lots of percussions, say like bongos, congas, wood blocks, and cowbells? If you have anything by Arthur Lyman, try that for a big surprise. Frank |
tuffy72561 ...
You will want to paste the glass on the signal tubes only. Then, paste the outside edges of the tube sockets for the power tubes. Nice improvement there also.
Frank |
In my experience, these PPT products all work together to improve the sound. Each one individually works, but together ... wow.
Still thinking about more things to paste ... and the mats are staying in the circuit breaker box right next to The Gate.
Frank |
Bob ...
Very nice review. These PPT products have an uncanny ability to remove glare, grunge and other impurities from the AC that nothing else can match that I know of. The results are stunning.
A fellow A'Goner just left after a seven-hour listening session today. One of his comments was that the noise floor has become so low that the naturalness of the music is allowed to flow, while at the same time, the instrument's tonal quality has improved to such a degree that the sound is just more real.
Talking about "real," a couple of friends (both audiophiles) and I went to a live concert Friday night and sat in the front row between the string section and the piano. It was a professional symphony orchestra with the soloists being gifted Junior High and High School students. Fantastic talents. My first thought was of my audio system ... and as good as it is at this point, it is not even close to what we heard there. If only ...
Frank |
uberwaltz ... Your positioning for The Gate is fine. Same as mine. Bob’s installation was different. He has a brand new panel due to damage from the recent fires. There was no room at all in the panel that contained the switches. There was a side panel that contained the mains that fed the meter and that’s where we placed The Gate. We fed the wires from The Gate through to the panel with the switches using a convenient hole. I sent Tim a picture of the installation and Tim’s suggestion was to lean The Gate against the other side of the panel with the logo facing up toward the meter. That’s it in a nutshell. No big deal. By the way, Bob has a first-rate system and it sounds great. Anyone familiar with Venture speakers knows how good they are. With The Gate installed, the bass was so much improved that we suggested that he disconnect the subwoofer. Not sure if he left it that way or not, but it sure sounded good by the time we left. Frank |
roberjerman ...
So, what happened when you installed "The Gate" in your system? No improvement in SQ? Nothing at all? Please enlighten us. Thanks... Frank |
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lak ...
When I installed The Gate, there were already tons of tweaks in the system. Even with all of the tweaks previously installed, The Gate has opened up the SQ to a point way beyond where it was before. I know this isn't the question you asked, but it does establish a baseline.
What would a "Gate" do on a completely stock system containing no upgrades? I think it would be a revelation to the listener just as it was in a heavily tweaked system.
The Gate cleans up dirty AC throughout the entire home, so it stands to reason that all appliances, i.e., TV, computer screens and stereo systems would benefit from it.
Frank |
Its been awfully quiet in this thread recently. Must be due to the fact that all of the "Gaters" are enjoying their systems more than posting on the Internet.
Simply an amazing device.
Frank |
Night or day ... it sounds good to me. |
Two of my audiophile friends who heard the results in my system have their Gates installed at this point.
Frank |
Mac ...
I'm doing the same as you ... discovering recordings all over again. Those late 50s and early 60s LPs that were recorded during the Golden Age of Stereo are super fantastic now. I have a lot of early pre-stereo jazz albums. With The Gate installed, Coleman Hawkins and Chu Berry are in the room.
I know ... I know ... who's Coleman Hawkins and Chu Berry? :-)
Frank |
fleschler
Steve ... you have to come over and hear what The Gate is doing in my system. Bring some of your favorite recordings. Frank |
What would two gates in the circuit panel sound like? Or three?
Frank |
Hey ... we can dream, can't we? :-) |
^^^
Who would have ever thought that Redbook CDs could sound like this? I can't say at this point which format sounds the best. CD's are quiet, dynamic, convenient and involving. Vinyl has that something extra that suggests more organic realism. With vinyl, one has to put up with some surface noise and less convenience. I like both.
I have to say, with The Gate installed, new life has been brought to my early mono jazz albums. Vocals are super intimate. June Christy, Jo Stafford, Ella, and Sarah Vaughn are to die for.
Frank |
You guys crack me up. LMAO!
In the meantime, my vinyl rig is sounding better than ever. The amount of information we are getting out of these record grooves with The Gate installed and broken in is astounding.
Frank |
fsonicsmith ...
Thank you for your positive post. Non-judgmental comments regarding what I do with my time are always welcome. I don't live in Oregon, I live in Southern California, so if you're ever in the neighborhood give me a heads up. I would be delighted to demonstrate my system for you. By the way, The Gate is way too large to fit inside of a Cracker Jack box. I should know, I've eaten a lot of Cracker Jacks in my time. Finally, if you "have no interest in the $5,000 white box," then why are you getting your panties in such a knot over it?? Frank |
fsonicsmithAgain, thank you for your non-judgemental comments. Kind words are always appreciated around these neck of the woods. You may not have an EE, but what you do have is an inordinate ability to judge the cost of manufacturing a product before knowing what’s in it, or how labor intensive it is to build. That takes a genius. So there you go, genius. One thing is left in order for you to skyrocket yourself into Super Genius status as a few others have on these threads ... just tell us what it sounds like before you hear it. Please add this post to my large volume of "constant repetitions of banalities." Thanks ... Frank |
fsonicsmith sez ...- "I don’t mean to show you any animosity."
You "don't mean to?" Then why do you?? - "No, I will not accept your comments as true or valid because I don’t trust the nature of the product."
Yes, fsonicsmith ... God forbid that anyone should take advantage of you. If you've read through this thread, which was not started by me, you would have found a number of members who have bought and installed The Gate, and they are happier than Bill Clinton in a Russian brothel full of underage teenie-boppers. I know its hard, if not impossible for you, but try to have a little more trust (and respect) in your fellow A'goners. There is nothing nefarious going on here at all. And by the way fsonicsmigth, my invitation is still valid. If you're ever in Southern California, Ventura County specifically, give me a heads up and I'll demonstrate my highly modified and tweaked system for you. After you've picked your jaw off of the floor, I'll pour you a beer. :-) Take care ... Frank |
- "Fortunately, my AC power is clean enough ..."
That's what I thought before The Gate was installed. Prior to installing The Gate, the system was pasted with Total Contact and the Omega E-Mats were under each piece of equipment, along with two placed into the circuit breaker box. At that point, I didn't think there was any more line noise to eliminate. Enter The Gate ... It's very hard to describe what The Gate does, or better said, what it allows the listener to hear. The usual terms like transparency, dynamics, speed, etc., just don't complete the picture. The Gate affords a huge helping of realism, way beyond what I've heard before in over 40 years in the hobby. It really has to be heard to be believed. Once tried, how can one not be enthusiastic about the product? If gushing with enthusiasm is a sin, count me in as guilty. Frank |
Slaw sez ... - "Regarding The Gate, in terms of value, if it performs as others have said, IMO, it’s a great value in that it will provide sonic benefits over and above what most have experienced with their components."
The Gate outperforms anything I’ve tried in my system no matter the cost. Prior to installing The Gate, I was seriously thinking about upgrading my line stage from the ARC Ref-3 to the Ref-6 ($14 000). At this point, barring a failure, I don’t feel any need what-so-ever to upgrade the electronics in my system or my speakers ... ever. The combination of liberally applying Total Contact to every place I can think of, and installing the Omega E Mats in various places, and then placing The Gate in the circuit breaker box, has brought my system to the level that was totally unimaginable two-plus years ago. I still can’t believe what the PPT products have done for my sound. I’m still in awe. I know some members think that I’m over the top, or exaggerating what these products do, but it is just the enthusiasm of a hard-core audiophile in disbelief of what is attainable once dirty AC line noise is reduced to almost nothing ... and a willingness to share the information with other like-minded folks. That’s it in a nutshell. Frank. |
stfoth
I was the first beta tester for PPT's "Total Contact." When Tim first approached me with the offer, based upon my experience with other contact enhancers, I was really reluctant to try it. Well, long story short, I did try it and loved the results. The rest is history. Did I pay for the product that I tested? Yes, but not with money. Here's a portion of a post I made answering a similar question to yours: - If you think something is "free" when you spend a year evaluating a product in three different versions, taking each one off before the other one is applied, then taking copious notes as the product "breaks in," continually being in contact with the person you are doing the testing for, and finally writing about your conclusions, I have a bridge to sell you.
Testing a product "for free" doesn't require a positive evaluation. It just requires honesty. If Total Contact was bunk, I would have said so. Frank |
jetter ...
Yep, that's exactly what I'm saying. Don't get me wrong, I know the Ref-6 is a better sounding line stage than the Ref-3. I just don't have the desire to upgrade anything at this point because its totally unnecessary. The PPT products have gotten me off of the equipment merry-go-round. And besides, the Ref-3 coupled with the Ref-75se is a remarkably fine sounding combination. Frank |
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littlecx ...
Tim was going to come up with a YouTube video. He's been busy making Gates, mats, etc, and developing new products, so I suspect the video has been put on the back burner. Maybe Tim or Krissy will chime in here. It is a very simple installation and comes with directions. The improvement in SQ is astounding. No joke. Frank |
fsonicsmith ... Good grief man. PM me and I’ll happily give you Tim’s phone number. You can talk to him until you’re blue in the face. Ask him any questions you want. I’ve always found him to be as open as can be. Will he tell you exactly how he builds his products, or what is in them to make them work. Hell no he won’t. Why should he ... and why would you be entitled to the information? Dude, it is primarily a startup company. What do you expect, glossy publications and lots of bells and whistles? Ask anyone who has bought any PPT products about the great service, the fast shipping and the fairness of Tim and Krissy. In the case of doing business with this small company, you usually get more than what you’ve paid for. Perhaps others will comment on this aspect as well. Quite honestly, with all due respect, you know nothing of what you speak. Frank PS: You don't really trust Stereophile do you? Really? |
^^^
It kinda makes me wonder which competitor fsonicsmith is working for. Either that or he has some really good Scotch or Bourbon.
And speaking of that, if you like tequila and are a Costco member, Costco has some really nice silver tequila for sale under the Kirkland label. Eighteen bucks for a 1.75-liter bottle.
Frank |
Is that the sound of crickets?
fsonicsmith, where did you go?
Frank |
drpie ...
I just took a look at your system. It is awesome. It deserves The Gate for sure. With a Gate, E-Mats and Total Contact, as good as your system is now, it will be transformed into something beyond what you ever imagined possible. No joke. Frank |
