What is the best AC receptacle on the market?

Hey Tom - I checked the furutech website and couldn't find an fp-3g. Where did you get your's from? How is it different from the 2g & 2r?

Thesaint519,

The Furutech FP-2G and Wattgate 381 are both excellent gold plated outlets with good contact pressure points. If you want the smooth rich sound on certain components.

The Porter Port is a Hubbell 8300, I believe it’s sound has something to do with the fact that the contacts are not nickel plated and the outlet is treated by a long computer-controlled cryo immersion as opposed to a long computer-controlled cryo vapor. The sound it produces is very similar to a Gold plated outlet with detail in the lows, mids and highs, a sweete timbre and background accompaniment detail. The sound is not as smooth but still very desirable.

Personally, I don’t think one is better than the other, just different applications. You have to mix and match cryo’d outlets with your different components to see what produces the best sound you prefer to hear, it’s a personal choice.

Another outlet to consider is the Hubbell 5362, no nickel plating however it is usually cryo’d with long computer-controlled cryo vapor, 24 – 48 hours depending whom you purchase it from. It’s good also; I use some in my Equi-Tech Q2, just sounds a little different than the Porter Port.

I hope this helps, just my opinion, lot’s of brands out there to choose from.

Thanks Larry. With 8 dedicated outlets I've had the opportunity to try all of the outlets I listed side by side over the last two years. I'm currently using the Furutech on my cdp, the Hubbell 8300 on my amp, the FIM on my sub, the Hubbell 5263s on my HT gear, and the ACME on my projector. At one point I had all ACMEs.

Thesaint519, Vh Audio is selling the 15 amp Furutech for 39.95. According to the literature on Chris's website the FP-3G is virtually identical to the FP-2G (20 amp version?)other than having the horizontal slot for a dedicated 20 amp plug. I'm not familiar with the 2r.

I have 2 Wattgate's , 2 PS audio's . PS audio is a good buy for the money. The Wattgate's I bought for the Power Amp section , but found through trial and error and a Bob Bundus comment, that it really excels on the digital Side.
Joe's comment above is interesting about Furutech, having a better grip in his experience, because thats key. A tight grip is 90 percent of what its all about. But Im very happy with Wattgate . Try it on your CDP, DAC or Pre if it is digital based.

My opinion is that a tight grip is important, but not necessarily the major factor in a receptacle's performance. In my experience, for example, the Pass & Seymours have a very strong grip, stronger in fact than the Hubbell 5262's and 5362's that I currently use and stronger than the Hubbell 8300 (which I have also used) that the PS Audio is based on.

The tighter grip of the P&S (which I think is sonically inferior to the Hubbells), however, is a result of the design and configuration of the power contacts. This design gives it a better grip, but at the expense of the surface contact area that the power contacts make with the prongs of a male plug when inserted. While the Hubbells have less grip (which is still quite good in any relative terms), they will, by design, have a vastly larger contact area with the male plug. My thoughts are that this may be much more important than straight "grip", per se.

I have no experience with the Furetech, so cannot comment on its design or sonic characteristics.