Wattgate or Jena outlets?

Thanks Bob, you are correct! Sometimes I need all the help I can get. :-)

I like the sound of the Cryo’d Hubbell outlets from Audio Excellence (double cryo’d and burned in on the cable-cooker) and they cost less than the Jena but sound as good or better!

I think the Hubbell 381 outlet vs. the cryo’d Hubbell’s sound very close to each other, (I own them both and have tested many) in a blind test, I can’t tell the difference. In my mind price then becomes the issue.

For what ever it's worth; I own the Hubbell 8300 & 5362 non-cryo'd and cryo'd. Once the cryo'd burn in/break in there is no comparison, the cryo'd always win in my tube system and SS system. I've never had a problem with any part being brittle.

What does not survive cryo treatment well are:
1) mov's [they cracked]
2) silicone compounds for damping [they shrunk a bit and hardened].
3) neoprene rubber [shrank a bit and lost elasticity]. I also have been told that silver mica caps don't do well, and "some" adhesives".
Add the mov's and silicon (and other) damping compounds last, *after* the cryogenic treatment....that way everything will be perfect.

Metal Oxide Varistor

Sonic_genius,
I own over a dozen cryogenically treated outlets of various manufactures and have never had such a problem. Perhaps if the cryogenic process is not followed properly (slowly taking items to the proper temperature and then slowly returning them to room temperature it could cause harmful effects. I would return such an outlet to the business that I purchased it from for a replacement. The people I purchase my outlets from stand behind their products 100%.