I apologize...

[Carl Bill]

...up front if I am going to offend anyone here, but I have a question.

Years ago I read in some high-end audio magazine that there were some discernable listeners that could distinguish between a solid state amplifier that had a bare aluminum housing versus one with flat black paint. They cited something like how the flat black paint absorbed some sort of the transients of the transistors that the bare aluminum reflected...etc. I couldn?t quite keep up with the logic and could not understand why this could not be measurable if it did actually exist.

Now I see that some company is selling AC receptacles that are ?cryogenically treated? and have some sort of beneficial qualities that will be noticed in the audio signal.

Here is one of the product ads:

"When deep cryogenically treated, this receptacle has it all. Loads of undiscovered detail will show itself once you have installed one of these. While it is the most detailed receptacle on the market, it never sounds harsh or spitty, like some of the other high end receptacles are wont to do. Limited availability, we don't know when we will be able to source more. Ivory only. $39.95/ea."

Am I a looser for not being able to see the benefit of spending $40 on an AC receptacle? Can anyone here actually hear any difference? I thought that the AC power was usually filtered buy the power supply of any modern equipment so that something like this should not have any effect on the audio output.

What are your thoughts on this and similar devices? Is this just a gimmick or do we all need to run out in a buying frenzy and load up on cryogenically treated power cords too?!?

Don?t get me wrong. I do hear the ringing in the 811 & 511 horns and can appreciate dampening the horns for truer reproduction. I can hear some differences in other things that directly impact the audio signal, but the AC receptacle?

[Adhoc]

Sounds like snake oil to me. Can't understand how dipping something in liquid nitrogen should alter its sound when that something returns to normal room temperature. OK, if it was kept at extremly low temperature there might be a difference, but I don't want to handle my gear with thick gloves and tongs in a deep frozen home.

[bfish]

Snake oil AND horse hockey!!!

All a receptacle (or any connector for that matter) does is facilitate connection; a poor connection can cause problems, but a good connection is just that, period. The next logical step for the marketers of magical audio devices would be cryogenically-treated wirenuts to replace those evil, noisy ones in your house wiring. You'll never see them though, because logical thought is not an attribute of those cons. If you really believe a normal AC outlet is a problem, it would be much cheaper to hardwire your line cord directly to your breaker panel, an operation that requires no magical skills.

As to bare chassis versus painted, there is some logic to the added sheilding properties that lead-based paint might offer, but if you can't hear any noise, why bother?

For anyone that disputes my philosophy, I have a large supply of NOS bugleboy turkey bands, I mean, tube dampers, to sell!

[RonSSS]

No need to apologize........

This kind of **** is the norm in the high end audiophile world. I think these manufacturers just sit around and dream up new ways to relieve uninformed audiophiles of their hard earnded money! And why not, some schmuck will buy these! Ha!
So, cryo treated AC receptacles. The real question is did they start with hospital grade outlets, or the standard 59 cent cheapies? And note they are not merely cryo treated, they are DEEP cryo treated. What does that mean? They put them at the bottom of the tank?
go read about cryo treating, and you will see that the final step (after freezing)is to slowly heat the parts to 300 degrees F. And my guess is that the plastic would melt into a blob.
The sad thing is, the person who buys these will never hear a difference, but he'll be able to call his buddies up and say, "Got the cryo treated AC receptacles and man what a difference!"
I can hardly wait for the audiophile magazine reviews.

BTW, cryo treating is a very viable process.....in the automotive and racing parts world. And in fact you could have your own stuff treated, there are cry shops all over the country. A guy could cryo treat his whole system......

Ron

[Carl Bill]

I wonder what a cryo treatment would do to a pair of 511B's and the drivers (diaphrams removed obviously)?

Would you re magnitize the Alnico's before or after the cryo?

[RonSSS]

I have no idea what cryo treating would do to a HF driver. I can't see any benefits anyway.
As for the horn, well it would make the alum less gummy for machining. Again, I don't think it would add any benefit at all.

Great for brake rotors though? And machine tools. And aluminum cylinder heads, cranks and connecting rods etc etc.

Ron

[Cal Weldon]

That's fine and dandy to have a cryo receptacle, I won't even deny or snicker at it's validity. I will ask what they intend to do to the power source before it gets to the receptacle though. What's the point in having gold plated wheels on a jalopy?

Now, let's talk about the directionality of speaker cables. Nah, on second thought, I'd rather go clean the toilet.

Cal

[Altec19]

I call this "The Audiophile's Credo":

I spent money on it therefore it sounds better.

[just me now]

I try not to spend to much on questionable technology....

seems to me there are way more things than a frozen recepticle I would like to spend my $$$ on.... like some more Altec gear...

the laws of diminishing returns has to come into play big time with all the esoteric stuff you can buy for your sound system...

[armandh]

along with ocean front property in AZ this sort of snake oil cabinet polish is just what the expert would specify for those with more $ than skepticism.