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"Tripoint auditioned everything available and found that while some outlets worked extremely well in some areas, at the end of the day all did more harm than good by masking and bloating the music. Most altered or equalized the sound because of fancy plating and specific alloy mixtures. In addition we believe that mechanical resonance and tuning are also important in audio grade outlets where most other outlets fall short."
I noticed a difference as soon as I installed the outlets and fired up my system. I’m not sure I noticed any further improvement over time. They sounded different/better from the go. The benefit of having a DIY outlet box is to easily compare outlets. I flipped between Maestro, Wattgate 381 and commercial-grade Leviton which is used throughout our home. As in previous experiments I was surprised just how much an ordinary wall outlet can compromise a system’s sound.
The Leviton was thin, hashy and pinched. Everything sounded more distant and lacking in light and life. With the Maestro I noted a lower noise floor with more apparent micro detail, greater separation between instrumental and vocal images, higher dynamic range with gradations between loud and quiet more pronounced and a more open expansive top end. Bass went a bit deeper too and who doesn’t want that? I would not describe this as one of those jaw-dropping moments where the heavens parted and angels descended to dance on the needle. You should hear a more obvious difference changing preamps or phono cartridges but the difference between standard Leviton (your generic home outlet) and Maestro was clearly audible and all for the good without negatives. All this for well under $100.
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Years ago I picked the Wattgate 381 over a bevy of Oyaide outlets as I thought that best suited my system at the time. While I liked a lot of what the Oyaides did, they seemed to have a tad too much character. I thought the Wattgate more neutral. Until I dropped in the Maestros. Now the Wattgates sounded a little fat and overheated in the midrange where the Maestros seemed to lack any overt personality yet cleaned up some low-level noise and opened up the soundstage. How a bloody outlet can do that is beyond me.
While I noted all these traits with the Maestro to varying degrees regardless of what power cable I used, I observed a particularly nice match with Mark’s Robusto and Gran Corona. I attributed this to the specific connectors Sablon uses and the metals in the outlet. The cables with better connectors consistently sounded better with the Maestro. This leads me to believe that the connectors are a major if not prime determinate of a power cable’s performance. With Mark’s cables and Fernando’s outlets I enjoyed one of those rare audiophile situations where one plus one equalled three. I got more music. Period.
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You can spend a lot more on fancy outlets of course. Whether they are worth it or not I cannot say. I can think of few ways however to demonstrably improve your system’s playback for under $100. Better yet install a dedicated line, a Maestro or two and you’ll have improved your system for little money. Another alternative is MIT’s Z-Duplex Super which is really more a power conditioner than outlet. Since I have just the one wired into our TV room system, ripping it out for comparisons wasn’t an option. But I will say that if noise reduction and surge protection on a budget are what you’re primarily after, this is well worth considering too.
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So today we have three easy recommendations - a nice inexpensive wall outlet; an equally nice but considerably more expensive—yet not insanely so—interconnect; and a power cable. They each deliver what we all crave, that step closer to the music and its artistic intent rather than just better sound. Added together this was one sweet-tasting sonic stew.
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Manufacturer's reply
Dear Paul, thank you for your diligent work and perceptive insights into the performance of my Gran Corona power cord and Panatela interconnect. I am delighted you were able to appreciate their many fine qualities. The line about the libidinous nature of Gran Corona gave me a good giggle and I am pleased to see your remark upon its suitability for source equipment given the extremely low noise floor. Many people incorrectly assume otherwise on account of the huge conductor gauge however phono equipment can respond exceptionally well, though that's often the last place people think of upgrading their power cords.
Your assessment of Panatela raises some interesting thoughts. Like every component it has a character of its own. In voicing it I focused on getting timbre, tonal colour and overall balance right. Whilst extremely musical, it does have a lighter touch and softer transients than some more bombastic designs. One of my more florally spoken customers came up with a wonderful description - it plays Tinker Bell, sprinkling fairy dust over the proceedings.
As you sagely note, Panatela works most synergistically with my power cords and I suspect will continue to delight my customer base though I can understand it may not be the first choice of 'PRaT' listeners who prioritise dynamics and transients. Should prospective purchasers have any reservations, I have a few boxes of demo cords in circulation that they may audition before making any decision. Thanks once again for the time and expertise you have invested in this assignment. Hopefully my forthcoming speaker cables will be able to make both valve and solid-state camps happy!
Best wishes
Mark Coles
Owner - Sablon Audio
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Quality of packing: Maestro packed in cloth bag inside cardboard box. Cables packed in well-protected ordinary cardboard boxes.
Reusability of packing: Appears reusable several times.
Quality of owner's manual: Outlet comes with installation instructions. If you don’t feel comfortable installing an outlet—get an electrician.
Condition of components received: Flawless.
Completeness of delivery: Perfect.
Website comments: Covers everything you need to know
Human interactions: Professional and friendly.
Pricing: Maestro is excellent value. Panatela and Gran Corona are quite reasonable.
Final comments & suggestions: One suggestion to CruzeFIRST Audio - offer a good quality IEC equipped multi-outlet power strip.
Addendum: At time of publication Fernando informed me that outlet strips with surge protection and passive filtering plus wall plate covers are forthcoming.
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