Cheap power strips for best sound.

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Re: Cheap power strips for best sound.

Post by markiteight »

tokenbrit wrote: 2021-01-06 02:37 Cheap enough? https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/koppla-3-o ... -00086428/ - might need a few...
Perfect! Dirt cheap, short power cord, appears to be free of switches/breakers/fuses (although there might be a MOV or two lurking inside), and might actually be small enough to fit behind my equipment rack, unlike these mahoosive Cablepros that have to sit along side.
tokenbrit wrote: 2021-01-06 02:37 I find it easier to compare clips in pairs. Depending on how many you have to compare, maybe quarter finals, then semis; then the grand final to establish the winner like a 'world series'.

More power to you ;)
That's a good idea. Should we all fill out brackets? Start a Fantasy Outlet League? Take bets? Papa needs a new Entity. ;-)
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Re: Cheap power strips for best sound.

Post by tokenbrit »

markiteight wrote: 2021-01-06 02:56
tokenbrit wrote: 2021-01-06 02:37 Cheap enough? https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/koppla-3-o ... -00086428/ - might need a few...
Perfect! Dirt cheap, short power cord, appears to be free of switches/breakers/fuses (although there might be a MOV or two lurking inside), and might actually be small enough to fit behind my equipment rack, unlike these mahoosive Cablepros that have to sit along side.
tokenbrit wrote: 2021-01-06 02:37 I find it easier to compare clips in pairs. Depending on how many you have to compare, maybe quarter finals, then semis; then the grand final to establish the winner like a 'world series'.

More power to you ;)
That's a good idea. Should we all fill out brackets? Start a Fantasy Outlet League? Take bets? Papa needs a new Entity. ;-)
I have room for a "mahoosive Cablepro" if it's the right one... a 3-way just isn't enough for me, so to speak ;)

Brackets? You bet :D An Entity for 'papa', and another for the winner, by extension :)
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Re: Cheap power strips for best sound.

Post by ThomasOK »

markiteight wrote: 2021-01-06 02:56
tokenbrit wrote: 2021-01-06 02:37 Cheap enough? https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/koppla-3-o ... -00086428/ - might need a few...
Perfect! Dirt cheap, short power cord, appears to be free of switches/breakers/fuses (although there might be a MOV or two lurking inside), and might actually be small enough to fit behind my equipment rack, unlike these mahoosive Cablepros that have to sit along side.
tokenbrit wrote: 2021-01-06 02:37 I find it easier to compare clips in pairs. Depending on how many you have to compare, maybe quarter finals, then semis; then the grand final to establish the winner like a 'world series'.

More power to you ;)
That's a good idea. Should we all fill out brackets? Start a Fantasy Outlet League? Take bets? Papa needs a new Entity. ;-)
I've seen a couple of those 3 outlet types that do seem to be free of electrical impediments, the problem seems to be in finding a 6 or 8 outlet version. All the ones I see on the net seem to at least have a power switch, including the 6 outlet at Ikea. I'm starting to wonder if there are some newer electrical regulations in the US that don't allow larger numbers of outlets that don't have switches or breakers since they used to be available. But I will keep my eye out when I am at the hardware stores. Considering my system has 7 units that run at 230 Volts and another 3 at 115 Volts (add two more if I ever get my streaming back up and running) and you can see the limited usefulness of the 3 outlet units.

I also agree it is better to compare a couple of units at a time. The posts with a bunch of clips of different things just make me want to run away.
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Re: Cheap power strips for best sound.

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ThomasOK wrote: 2021-01-06 18:22 I'm starting to wonder if there are some newer electrical regulations in the US that don't allow larger numbers of outlets that don't have switches or breakers since they used to be available. But I will keep my eye out when I am at the hardware stores.
I've been wondering the same thing. Out of curiosity I searched Home Depot's and McMaster-Carr's websites for a simple 4 outlet grounded extension cord, something that used to be dime-a-dozen. Nothing. But we're spoilt for choice of 3 outlet cords.
ThomasOK wrote: 2021-01-06 18:22 Considering my system has 7 units that run at 230 Volts and another 3 at 115 Volts (add two more if I ever get my streaming back up and running) and you can see the limited usefulness of the 3 outlet units.
What about something like this: https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/koppla-6-w ... -70085345/? I only need 4 sockets (add one when I get my streaming back up and running) so I plan on getting two of those Ikea strips and daisy chaining them.

WARNING about daisy-chaining power strips.

Every strip has a power rating, which is printed on it. If the sum of the power consumed by all units connected to the strip exceeds the strip's power rating, metal parts will be heated enough to potentially cause a fire.

If a power strip has a second strip daisy-chained to it, it will be loaded with the power consumption of all units connected to both strips. Although most HiFi units don't consume much power, someone could for instance plug a high power vacuum cleaner or a radiator into one of the free outlets and then the total sum of power consumed might add up to more than what the first strip is rated for.

So don’t daisy-chain power strips!
ThomasOK wrote: 2021-01-06 18:22 I also agree it is better to compare a couple of units at a time. The posts with a bunch of clips of different things just make me want to run away.
That makes sense, especially as the number of contestants increases.
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Re: Cheap power strips for best sound.

Post by V.A.MKD »

tokenbrit wrote: 2021-01-06 02:37 I find it easier to compare clips in pairs. Depending on how many you have to compare, maybe quarter finals, then semis; then the grand final to establish the winner like a 'world series'.

More power to you ;)
+1 ...
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Re: Cheap power strips for best sound.

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ThomasOK wrote: 2021-01-06 18:22 I also agree it is better to compare a couple of units at a time. The posts with a bunch of clips of different things just make me want to run away.
+1 and as well Tune Method will be at it's best ...
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Re: Cheap power strips for best sound.

Post by tpetsch »

Are there others here that believe that music listening sessions are best is late at night on early in the morning? Many years years ago I came to the conclusion that the AC line is purest at these times and my system sounds best. I'm a powerplant operator/engineer and there is no doubt that different times during the day & month puts different strains on the AC network, in the summertime all the air conditioners -other industrial motors at various times- running demands more Vars on the system and motors create other strains even distortions in the AC grid, at 5 in the afternoon when everyone gets home from work and turns on lights and appliances all over the house is another big draw and the grid reflects this. ...Guess what I'm trying to say is if your going to try and compare all these outlet strips you have this to issue contend with also, your not comparing them in a vacuum.
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Re: Cheap power strips for best sound.

Post by Defender »

I agree with you for me after 9.00AM (edit: meant 9.00PM)gets better - but I even find some days in the week it sounds better - I am not joking.
I am worried about all the solar panels around have an influence too.
Last edited by Defender on 2021-01-11 16:02, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Cheap power strips for best sound.

Post by V.A.MKD »

For me (in my area ... living part of town) the the best time is after 22:00 ...

But, however, what ever you test use Tune Method and do it in 1-2 hours ... Do it in whatever part of the day, but do it in short period of time between component "A" and "B" (in this case power strip) ... Conditions for "A" and "B" to be the same, good or better AC, to be the same...
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Re: Cheap power strips for best sound.

Post by Tendaberry »

It's definitely noticeable here in Hamburg, after around 10 pm it gets better and on Sundays it's very good all day. During the Christmas and New Year's holidays it was also a pleasure to enjoy the better sound.
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Re: Cheap power strips for best sound.

Post by Defender »

the strange thing for me usually Tuesday evening is good for me but I am living out of town and industry is more far away so maybe just subjective
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Re: Cheap power strips for best sound.

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Defender wrote: 2021-01-11 10:56 I agree with you for me after 9.00AM (edit: meant 9.00PM)gets better - but I even find some days in the week it sounds better - I am not joking.
I am worried about all the solar panels around have an influence too.
IMO It's not what powers the grid that's the issue, it's what the grid powers. AC Motors -industrial & home- cause the biggest grid fluctuations.
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Re: Cheap power strips for best sound.

Post by markiteight »

V.A.MKD wrote: 2021-01-11 13:20 For me (in my area ... living part of town) the the best time is after 22:00 ...

But, however, what ever you test use Tune Method and do it in 1-2 hours ... Do it in whatever part of the day, but do it in short period of time between component "A" and "B" (in this case power strip) ... Conditions for "A" and "B" to be the same, good or better AC, to be the same...
That's the plan. As requested all clips will be posted in pairs with the two recordings taken back-to-back. Each pair of clips should be considered in isolation to the others. I'll probably use different music for each pair to discourage cross comparisons.

I'm awaiting a couple late arrivals and then I'll start comparisons.
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Re: Cheap power strips for best sound.

Post by Lego »

For me,ever since I got my LK amps they have sounded best in the morning.
Ivor T once referring to his amps ,said have you tried listening to them in the morning?
I know that tune
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Re: Cheap power strips for best sound.

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Re: Cheap power strips for best sound.

Post by beck »

B has a kind of impressive sound but I connect better with the music listening to A.
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Re: Cheap power strips for best sound.

Post by Defender »

A flows better - B gives me the impression of more details
A is more musical to me
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Re: Cheap power strips for best sound.

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My first impression is that A is better.
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Re: Cheap power strips for best sound.

Post by OscarH »

A for me.

I think beck got it right.

(as a side note it is off course somewhat peculiar that "impressive" has come to have a negative connotation on the forum)
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Re: Cheap power strips for best sound.

Post by beck »

OscarH wrote: 2021-01-19 12:39 A for me.

I think beck got it right.

(as a side note it is off course somewhat peculiar that "impressive" has come to have a negative connotation on the forum)
I would love if impressive sound and musical connection always came together. That is just not a given!
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Re: Cheap power strips for best sound.

Post by OscarH »

beck wrote: 2021-01-19 13:10
OscarH wrote: 2021-01-19 12:39 A for me.

I think beck got it right.

(as a side note it is off course somewhat peculiar that "impressive" has come to have a negative connotation on the forum)
I would love if impressive sound and musical connection came together. That is just not a given!
I know...

and I did say it was a side note, just that it might have been simpler to have fundamentally positive words mean postive things. But such is the forum nomenclature :)
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Re: Cheap power strips for best sound.

Post by tokenbrit »

A for me too
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Re: Cheap power strips for best sound.

Post by ThomasOK »

A is definitely better. I don't know about B being more "impressive", I suppose it depends on what impresses you. But B is definitely more "Hi-Fi". (Although that could be construed as another positive term used as a negative here.)
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Re: Cheap power strips for best sound.

Post by markiteight »

Well folks, it looks like we have the first upset of the season.

A: (2x) Ikea Koppla 3 outlet power strip (as suggested by Tokenbrit), daisy chained. $5.00

B: Cablepro Revelation. No Longer Available. Retailed for $580.00

This came as quite a surprise to me, as I have been thoroughly enjoying the Revelation for the past couple weeks. It's really quite musical but it definitely has a more impressive, hi-fi sound to it too. Whenever I listened to the system with the Revelation in situ I got this nagging suspicion that I was once again falling into the hi-fi trap (seduced by the dark side, as it were), even though my system was at its most musical.

The Kopplas, on the other hand, sounded terrible! Hollow, flat, grey. I let them play for an hour before making the recordings, at which point they were sounding much better but still unpleasant. Then I listened to the recordings.

Hang on a sec...that can't be! Via the recordings the Ikeas are definitely better! At that point I was running out of time so I posted the clips and went to bed, leaving the the system powered on via the Ikeas. Today I had the opportunity to spend a few hours playing music and the sonic unpleasantness seemed to be gone and the music shone through even more. While typing this post I've been switching between the two just to confirm and yeah...the Ikeas are simply better.

I'm willing to entertain the possibility I'm not hearing the Revelation at its full potential. I went with the same preamp first plug order I found worked best with the Integrity, assuming it wouldn't change. I did do a quick check on the Ikeas as they were an unknown quantity and found source first to be best, so the recordings were made with two changes: power strip and plug order. I felt it was better to show each contestant in its best light even if that meant changing more than one thing between samples. My best intentions may have backfired. Also, the Revelation has an IEC input, relying on the user to supply the mains cable from wall to strip. I used the same 24" long 14 gauge no-name cable I was using on the Integrity. Could it be cramping the Revelations style? Could be...

Whatever the outcome, if this first comparison is any indication of things to come, this is going to be a fun exploration!
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Re: Cheap power strips for best sound.

Post by V.A.MKD »

ThomasOK wrote: 2021-01-19 18:16 A is definitely better. I don't know about B being more "impressive", I suppose it depends on what impresses you. But B is definitely more "Hi-Fi". (Although that could be construed as another positive term used as a negative here.)
+1, Definitely A.
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