The closest AC treatment comparator in price and functionality I had on hand was Audience’s aR1p. Switching back and forth every few days during the course of several weeks, I was confident that I had the measure of both devices. To my ears, they were equal in reducing the low-level noise that obscures minute details and overlays excessive sibilance on hard transients. I really couldn’t pick one over the other in this regard. However, the aR1p differed by offering a more open dimensional soundstage with a heightened sense of dynamic acuity and transient fidelity. Music simply sounded a bit more vital and exciting whereas the MIT offered a warmish more laid-back vibe. I’m not sure I’d say one was necessarily better than the other but rather, that perhaps they were voiced differently. Having said that, I preferred the aR1p, which I thought better served the music. It should considering it retails for over twice the price of the Duplex Super.
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| What really impressed me was that the MIT outlet performed as well as the now discontinued GutWire MaxCon, which retailed for $859 in its time. Frankly I had difficulty telling the two apart. Furthermore, the MaxCon did not provide any surge/spike protection. While the Z Duplex Super performed better than anticipated, it is not the end all be all of power conditioning and protection. If you happen to reside in a locale with particularly filthy hydro or nasty EMI/RFI issues, the Duplex will help but you will probably want something more effective. MIT offers a wide variety of more effective line conditioning products including power cables with their own built-in conditioning. In addition, there are many other effective products on the market worth considering too. |
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After a spell, I tried my homebrew box with the Z Duplex Super in our TV room. Holy Technicolor Batman! Not only were images sharper but more importantly the colors on our LCD set were terrific. They were deeper, richer and more vibrant. The same was true for DVDs. I switched back and forth convinced I was hallucinating. Finally, I replaced the duplex outlet feeding our family room AV system and plugged everything into the Wireworld power strip, which was connected to the MIT via a standard no-name 14/3 cable. |
I didn’t tell a soul. As the bright red outlet was hidden by one of the AV123 Strata Mini speakers, I hoped no one would notice. Sure enough, later that evening while watching the Chicago Blackhawks play the Detroit Red Wings during round
three of the Stanley Cup playoffs, my wife asked if I changed anything in her system. My eldest son also piped up. I simply smiled and asked them to elaborate on what they had observed. |
