Everyone should pay attention to the new QSA Lanedri line of products being discussed here: https://www.whatsbestforum.com/threads/qsa-lanedri-series.36078/
QSA : My take on their expensive products
- Thread starter CKKeung
- Start date
I decided to check the fuse direction. Sure enough, it was pointing back to front in a screw-in holder, as it should. So I reversed it and voila! drums sounded right, just as before, and everything else opened up. Don't know if I can get it replaced -- it is a defect -- but it is a reminder that if things don't sound as expected, forget the arrow and reverse. Happened a few years back with an SR Orange too.
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In the past, I have been a fan of all of the SR fuses. I then went to the QSA yellow fuses. I did not try the SR purple. I had them in all of my components. However, since the end of last year, I have added the Lampizator Horizon, DAC, and Aries Cerat Essentia monoblocks. Curiously, I did not add any boutique fuses to my recent additions.
I had an SR Power One filter plugged into the end of my Inakuatic 3500P Power conditioner to the SR Orange wall outlet. My power cord is the Hijiri Takumi.
I debated whether I would add the boutique fuses to the AC amps and the Horizon. They take 6 and I was thinking about the QSA red or red black. Mike at Tweek Geeks suggested I try the QSA Conditioner plugs instead.
I removed the SR power one filter and installed a QSA Silver conditioner jitter plug. I turned my system on and listened to music with my head down reading articles on my computer. About one minute into the first song the change in SQ immediately struck me. I looked up and began to focus on the music and what
I was hearing. The music was crystal clear. Each instrument was very detailed. The vocals were succinct. The soundstage widened. Even the bass was better.
I now listen to more jazz and instrumental pieces because the orchestration is so good. I am even hearing tiny background instruments that I had never heard before.
I have no idea what QSA does to this cheap-looking plug but for me, it works. I probably am done buying fuses. But I do wonder what would happen if I replaced my SR Orange outlet with a QSA outlet.
I had an SR Power One filter plugged into the end of my Inakuatic 3500P Power conditioner to the SR Orange wall outlet. My power cord is the Hijiri Takumi.
I debated whether I would add the boutique fuses to the AC amps and the Horizon. They take 6 and I was thinking about the QSA red or red black. Mike at Tweek Geeks suggested I try the QSA Conditioner plugs instead.
I removed the SR power one filter and installed a QSA Silver conditioner jitter plug. I turned my system on and listened to music with my head down reading articles on my computer. About one minute into the first song the change in SQ immediately struck me. I looked up and began to focus on the music and what
I was hearing. The music was crystal clear. Each instrument was very detailed. The vocals were succinct. The soundstage widened. Even the bass was better.
I now listen to more jazz and instrumental pieces because the orchestration is so good. I am even hearing tiny background instruments that I had never heard before.
I have no idea what QSA does to this cheap-looking plug but for me, it works. I probably am done buying fuses. But I do wonder what would happen if I replaced my SR Orange outlet with a QSA outlet.
This "QSA Silver conditioner jitter plug" is essentially the wall plug portion of a power cord. Imagine what happens when the same QSA treatment is applied to the entire power cord.
This is exactly what I was thinking when considering the investment.
I ordered QSA Lanedri top powercord ( Ultimatum ) with Infinity treatment
and I plan to use it as a main cord for the sockect splitter ( Thinking Shunyata everest ? )
so every component in my system can benefit from this preformance.
will do for sure.
Just not sure what top performing solutions are recommended for the Socket splitter.
Need to plug all things like DAC , pre, server, 3 power supplys to one device that will be connected to the wall by Ultimatum Infinity.
My worry was that splitter can infuence the Ultimatum performance .
I hope I am wrong , and there is no infuence on the Ultimatum power cord performance .
Just not sure what top performing solutions are recommended for the Socket splitter.
Need to plug all things like DAC , pre, server, 3 power supplys to one device that will be connected to the wall by Ultimatum Infinity.
My worry was that splitter can infuence the Ultimatum performance .
I hope I am wrong , and there is no infuence on the Ultimatum power cord performance .
The splitter/distributor/line conditioner will have an influence. Basically any untreated device that you put into your chain will somewhat mute the impact of any QSA-treated device that is upstream and yet the impact can still be very significant and worthwhile as evidenced by @Willgolf's experience with a QSA Jitter plug. In this situation, if you can replace the outlets in your "socket splitter" with QSA-treated outlets, as you might imagine, there will be significant gains to be had and these gains will be additive to any Jitter plugs or QSA-treated power cables you may already be using.
A new review on QSA Silver Fuse and QSA Silver Jitter AC Adapter :
For clarity
4A/250. for 120 v (US)
2A/250v for 240v (EU)
as Emile mentioned,
And this is exactly what I got with my extreme,
Here we go. Both red and red black on trial…
My review of QSA sockets:
My socket journey started when I upgraded my main power cord to a larger diameter Shunyata Sigma XC cable for my space-limited home office system, resulting in an awkward situation where the cord protrudes from the wall and makes an awkward bend as it is then forced back to hug the wall and go behind the rack. I was looking for solutions for my 90-degree angle needed when others recommend upgrading my house's contractor Leviton outlets to something more respectable.
Based on a forum member's advice, I replaced my existing $5 child-safe receptacle with a more respectable $30 Hubbell HBL5362W. It was fine, but did not blow me away, and on initial listen seemed a bit less dynamic and exciting than my el cheapo Leviton. So, looking for something more "audiophile", I considered Synergistic Research, Shunyata, Furutech, etc. Abstract reviews online seem mixed, and then QSA came along, with online rave reports sounding like it's the next sliced bread. So I thought I'd try out the QSA Red and Red-Black sockets as middle-tiered options.
Methodology & Appearance & Quality:
All configurations involved using a Sigma V2 XC with a Voodoo 90-degree adapter straight into the receptacle and a Denali 6000S/V2 with a single wall outlet which is part of a daisy chain in my home office, with other outlets dedicated to nearby computer equipment. I went from my Hubbell HBL5362 to the QSA Red for 4 days, and then to the QSA Red-Black for 8 days. Then I went back my original contractor Leviton 15A Decora duplex (SKU #T5325-205-00W, has "TR" printed on the front fascia) and wrote this review.
The appearance of an outlet receptacle is probably about as unimportant as it gets. After all, it's in the wall, and you won't ever look at it... but it is still the first impression. After all, if I'm paying for a receptacle equivalent of a Porsche 911 GT3, I can't help but /some/ expectations of its panel gaps, door closure thunk, and interior upholstery. The appearance and build quality of the $1550 outlet is probably the most disappointing aspect; obviously this is in the eye of the beholder, so I posted side-by-side photos compared to my $30 Hubbell above. The QSA is much lighter, smaller, and seemed overall to have much less metal than the Hubbell, and upon removing the neutral/hot bus screws, there was quite a bit of rattle. In fact, I had intended to first install the Red-Black, but after removing one of the hot screws to loop in the wire, there was misalignment between the metal parts (due to rattle) such that I could not put the screw back in, and instead installed the Red first. A brief google search shows this is based on the Legrand-Pass & Seymour 5362BL Hard Use Spec Grade Receptacle, Mexico market version, which is < $10 USD at the time of this review.
In full disclosure, I did not buy an off-the-shelf P&S 5362BL as a control for comparison. Nor can I do a blind A/B as my wife is likely to divorce me if she knew I was testing $1550 receptacles.
Sound:
As long as it doesn't short or burn down my walls, who cares how it looks right? How does it sound?
The Red socket sounded ok. I'll leave it at that, it did not make enough of an impression for me to remember its signature. I did not notice any remarkable difference from my Hubbell, but I attribute at least part of this to inadequate burn-in time... but still, I'd expect some improvement... I did notice the both frequency extremes seemed more rolled off.
Compared to the Red, the Red-Black socket sounded more like live music within 30 minutes of installation, or in my headphone case, more like I was in the same studio. There was more bass depth than the Red, but still a tad diminished compared to my baseline, making passages with bass drums or tympani less sonically impressive, and songs like U2's "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" a bit thin, and U2's "Ultra Violet" missing its undertone. Most evident, however, was that accompaniments / background vocals and some instruments are more pronounced. Treble energy is pronounced, with sibilance not previously noticed.
Going back to the Leviton was the biggest surprise. I predicted it would be hearing a bunch of trash and feeling shame knowing what I lived with, but on my first 15 minutes the original deep, defined bass and lower mids came back. Macrodynamics went up by 2 levels, making it sound much more live. Tympani membrane bounce was defined, drums had kick, as if I went from a 50W amp to a 600W amp. Voices felt more open and immediacy was turned up a notch. Low-level details were also better, and the frequencies seem more extended on both ends; maybe this is why before i felt there was some brightness? Most importantly, I find myself tapping my hands and playing air guitar much more, and I have a big smile on my face.
Verdict?
First, I consider myself a technical and curious but cautious skeptic, with formal training in the sciences, however I'm open to the fact that many things (esp when it comes to psychoacoustics and human perception) cannot be readily measured nor explained by common metrics. I absolutely embrace digital cables and power conditioners, but just can't fathom how this chintzy-looking outlet can have any electrical advantages to my meaty Hubbell, but of course we're also not privy to whatever alien voodoo QSA is doing to their stuff. I'm guessing it might be some PVD or coating process, but without an electron microscope I can't verify this.
I approached this whole exercise with high expectations based on others' review. I wanted to spend money for improvement. Yes, I did hear a sonic difference between the 4 receptacles. But for my system, this is what I heard, and I'm stunned that I preferred not only a "non-audiophile" outlet, but I preferred the cheaper contractor one instead of the beefy Hubbell with supposedly 'better' contact / materials. Within the time constraints of my trial period, this is what I heard; perhaps if I had a prolonged trial and burn-in period things might be different? Maybe it is some synergy thing w/ the Shunyata Denali?
If I were to be a skeptic about my own observations, I would say, "But Keith, perhaps you just prefer the sound you are /used/ to?" Well, to that, I would say I'm actually not used to any sound right now in my system. Over the past 4 months, I have upgraded my amp, then my DAC, interconnects, tubes, power cords, and then the entire power conditioner system, rack, then outlets; I have not had my system at one configuration for more than 2 weeks at any time, and so unfortunately can only observe sizeable changes from recent memory.
I wish others better luck in trying these receptacles. Naturally I ask, "What's wrong with me?", as others have raved about QSA products. Your mileage may vary.
My socket journey started when I upgraded my main power cord to a larger diameter Shunyata Sigma XC cable for my space-limited home office system, resulting in an awkward situation where the cord protrudes from the wall and makes an awkward bend as it is then forced back to hug the wall and go behind the rack. I was looking for solutions for my 90-degree angle needed when others recommend upgrading my house's contractor Leviton outlets to something more respectable.
Based on a forum member's advice, I replaced my existing $5 child-safe receptacle with a more respectable $30 Hubbell HBL5362W. It was fine, but did not blow me away, and on initial listen seemed a bit less dynamic and exciting than my el cheapo Leviton. So, looking for something more "audiophile", I considered Synergistic Research, Shunyata, Furutech, etc. Abstract reviews online seem mixed, and then QSA came along, with online rave reports sounding like it's the next sliced bread. So I thought I'd try out the QSA Red and Red-Black sockets as middle-tiered options.
Methodology & Appearance & Quality:
All configurations involved using a Sigma V2 XC with a Voodoo 90-degree adapter straight into the receptacle and a Denali 6000S/V2 with a single wall outlet which is part of a daisy chain in my home office, with other outlets dedicated to nearby computer equipment. I went from my Hubbell HBL5362 to the QSA Red for 4 days, and then to the QSA Red-Black for 8 days. Then I went back my original contractor Leviton 15A Decora duplex (SKU #T5325-205-00W, has "TR" printed on the front fascia) and wrote this review.
The appearance of an outlet receptacle is probably about as unimportant as it gets. After all, it's in the wall, and you won't ever look at it... but it is still the first impression. After all, if I'm paying for a receptacle equivalent of a Porsche 911 GT3, I can't help but /some/ expectations of its panel gaps, door closure thunk, and interior upholstery. The appearance and build quality of the $1550 outlet is probably the most disappointing aspect; obviously this is in the eye of the beholder, so I posted side-by-side photos compared to my $30 Hubbell above. The QSA is much lighter, smaller, and seemed overall to have much less metal than the Hubbell, and upon removing the neutral/hot bus screws, there was quite a bit of rattle. In fact, I had intended to first install the Red-Black, but after removing one of the hot screws to loop in the wire, there was misalignment between the metal parts (due to rattle) such that I could not put the screw back in, and instead installed the Red first. A brief google search shows this is based on the Legrand-Pass & Seymour 5362BL Hard Use Spec Grade Receptacle, Mexico market version, which is < $10 USD at the time of this review.
In full disclosure, I did not buy an off-the-shelf P&S 5362BL as a control for comparison. Nor can I do a blind A/B as my wife is likely to divorce me if she knew I was testing $1550 receptacles.
Sound:
As long as it doesn't short or burn down my walls, who cares how it looks right? How does it sound?
The Red socket sounded ok. I'll leave it at that, it did not make enough of an impression for me to remember its signature. I did not notice any remarkable difference from my Hubbell, but I attribute at least part of this to inadequate burn-in time... but still, I'd expect some improvement... I did notice the both frequency extremes seemed more rolled off.
Compared to the Red, the Red-Black socket sounded more like live music within 30 minutes of installation, or in my headphone case, more like I was in the same studio. There was more bass depth than the Red, but still a tad diminished compared to my baseline, making passages with bass drums or tympani less sonically impressive, and songs like U2's "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" a bit thin, and U2's "Ultra Violet" missing its undertone. Most evident, however, was that accompaniments / background vocals and some instruments are more pronounced. Treble energy is pronounced, with sibilance not previously noticed.
Going back to the Leviton was the biggest surprise. I predicted it would be hearing a bunch of trash and feeling shame knowing what I lived with, but on my first 15 minutes the original deep, defined bass and lower mids came back. Macrodynamics went up by 2 levels, making it sound much more live. Tympani membrane bounce was defined, drums had kick, as if I went from a 50W amp to a 600W amp. Voices felt more open and immediacy was turned up a notch. Low-level details were also better, and the frequencies seem more extended on both ends; maybe this is why before i felt there was some brightness? Most importantly, I find myself tapping my hands and playing air guitar much more, and I have a big smile on my face.
Verdict?
First, I consider myself a technical and curious but cautious skeptic, with formal training in the sciences, however I'm open to the fact that many things (esp when it comes to psychoacoustics and human perception) cannot be readily measured nor explained by common metrics. I absolutely embrace digital cables and power conditioners, but just can't fathom how this chintzy-looking outlet can have any electrical advantages to my meaty Hubbell, but of course we're also not privy to whatever alien voodoo QSA is doing to their stuff. I'm guessing it might be some PVD or coating process, but without an electron microscope I can't verify this.
I approached this whole exercise with high expectations based on others' review. I wanted to spend money for improvement. Yes, I did hear a sonic difference between the 4 receptacles. But for my system, this is what I heard, and I'm stunned that I preferred not only a "non-audiophile" outlet, but I preferred the cheaper contractor one instead of the beefy Hubbell with supposedly 'better' contact / materials. Within the time constraints of my trial period, this is what I heard; perhaps if I had a prolonged trial and burn-in period things might be different? Maybe it is some synergy thing w/ the Shunyata Denali?
If I were to be a skeptic about my own observations, I would say, "But Keith, perhaps you just prefer the sound you are /used/ to?" Well, to that, I would say I'm actually not used to any sound right now in my system. Over the past 4 months, I have upgraded my amp, then my DAC, interconnects, tubes, power cords, and then the entire power conditioner system, rack, then outlets; I have not had my system at one configuration for more than 2 weeks at any time, and so unfortunately can only observe sizeable changes from recent memory.
I wish others better luck in trying these receptacles. Naturally I ask, "What's wrong with me?", as others have raved about QSA products. Your mileage may vary.
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