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Perfect Path Tecnologies ‘The Gate’

Having been a music lover and audio enthusiast for more decades than I care to admit to I’ve had the privilege of owning some tremendous components over those years and thought I had attained a level of musical enjoyment that would be difficult to improve upon without spending more money than I could afford. Then along came The Gate to turn my audio conceptions on end. 

While I was quite skeptical of all of the positive proclamations regarding the Perfect Path mats, cards and contact enhancer ( how could they possibly bring about such sonic improvements?) I took the plunge and purchased a nano bundle to see what the hubbub was all about. Much to my surprise they not only brought about improvements to my systems’ ability to recreate a more musical sound but did so in spades. 

When Tim of Perfect Path Technologies asked if I wanted to try his new product, The Gate, I jumped at the chance thinking it would be a nice addition to what the other products provided. I wasn’t prepared for the quantum leap The Gate brought to my music listening pleasure. As much as the other products brought about a much lower noise floor, greater detail and delicacy, improved dynamics, richer tone and more realism The Gate does so in magnitudes difficult to describe. The best way I can describe its affect is unreal purity leading the most realistic musical sound I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing.....outside of a live performance obviously. It has me listening to all of my CD’s as if for the first time again.

I have no idea how The Gate actually works or what it does I just know it’s the most dramatic tweak to my system I’ve ever experienced and I wouldn’t think of being without it. As to how it’s implemented, it’s installed in the electrical panel with one lead connected to the common buss and the other to a breaker ( preferably 220). Hope I got the terminology correct.....I’m far from being an electrician!

At $4,999.00 it’s not cheap but worth every penny to me as I’ve spent more on components with less sonic improvement. 

Lastly, I realize some will scoff at something they can’t understand and I get not understanding it as I don’t, but I would hope people could keep their skepticism healthy and civil. I am not here to promote or sell, nor do I have any affiliation with PPT. I am only sharing something that I’ve found to be transforming in my system. Sorry for the lengthy introduction.
mac48025
folkfreak's avatar
folkfreak
1,349 posts
 
I cannot understand why you would remove other different and complementary products after adding a PPT product? As the basis of operation of each product is different why not see them as complementary?

Acoustic treatments such as HFTs, Atmosphere etc affect the room, which is not anything the PPT products touch. Grounding solutions provide a common ground for all elements in the system, again nothing anything from PPT will affect (although the Gate may affect the overall ground you still need all components to share that).

The only exception might be power conditioners and the Gate, but even there one acts only passively while isolation transformers and most conditioners act on all legs of the power and provide additional benefits.

All of this is to say that in my system which includes all of the above, the Gate provided an incremental, and clearly differentiated, benefit strongly suggesting that it is complementary rather than duplicative.
barbapapa
244 posts
 
I removed all my ECTs after installing only one Emat. When I removed them the sound was obviously  better.
I keep all my room treatments.
I agree with Folkfreak they don’t work on the same plane... well I hope so. Never tried to put them out.

gcdrum
63 posts
 
barbapapa...
Yes, that makes sense. I have the SR Panels and UEF Dots. Those would most likely stay. I have some ECTs on my Amp and CD player which would be easy to try both ways.
Actually, who am I kidding?...I’m a long way from being able to buy The Gate. Looking at starting with the E Mats for my CDP, Integrated amp, and curcuit breaker panel.
mac48025's avatar
mac48025 OP
672 posts
 
My findings were that there was a definite improvement upon installing the Gate in my system but I incurred even more sound improvement when removing my Equitech balanced power conditioner and SR Active Grounding Block. 

I surmise that in the case of the power condition that it wasnt needed any more once the Gate was installed as the Gate provides an even blacker background than a power conditioner without any of their limitations. With the Gate in and the power conditioner out there was an increase in dynamics and more life to the music. 

There was less less of a difference with and without the SR grounding block with the Gate. When used together there was a small increase in background blackness but upon removing the grounding block the music was more alive. Basically it didn’t make sense to me to keep the grounding block as I couldn’t warrant its cost when the Gate seems to be doing all it can.....and more. 

The Gate just may be the one tweak to rule them all. I consider it to be much more than a tweak but not sure there’s a sufficient product category for it......yet. 
gcdrum
63 posts
 
mac48025...
I have a Shunyata Hydra V-Ray2, which is a passive conditioning/distribution unit. 
I bet that The Gate would render that obsolete in my system. Maybe selling the V Ray could raise a few bucks for The Gate, but I’d be giving up the surge protection it offers.

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