Sublime Sound

[PeterA]

As an interim step before my electrician comes back to install the four dedicated circuits, I created a hybrid between David's idea of that Hubbell Quad, and what will eventually be installed.

Following some advice from member PWRMAX, I made up my own boxes and installed the Hubbell industrial isolated ground duplex receptacles that David recommended and replaced the Furutech IEC connectors I had at the ends of the JPS Labs In-Wall cable coming through the floor from my main panel. The JPS wire is so thick that it necessitated the use of pigtails and wire nuts to connect to the receptacles.

Prior to this, I had simply plugged my five Ching Cheng power cords into extension cords going to regular outlets. That alone was an improvement over the JPS cable/Furutech in terms of natural resolution and timbre. See post #1349 above.

So far, using the Hubbell outlets with the JPS wire to dedicated circuits has done two things. 1) Dynamics have improved I suppose because each amp is now on its own dedicated circuit but I also no longer need the extension cords. 2) the bass quality is fuller, warmer, a bit looser.

Some feel the JPS Labs wiring is a bit colored and I don't know if the new Hubble receptacles will change over break in time, but I am surprised by how much the sound is dependent on the IEC connector, the power cords, the dedicated circuits and perhaps the in wall wires.

This is an interim step to determine if I will use stranded 10/2 wires encased in metal to the Hubbell receptacles, or if I will keep the JPS Labs wiring. I am leaning toward four separate dedicated circuits to the four Hubbell receptacles which will prevent the need for splices, particularly for the three front end outlets. I don't want to have to buy another 20' of the JPS wire, and it is quite difficult to work with.

Does anyone have any opinions about the JPS wire? With some more listening, I hope to identify how much it is contributing to the overall sound.

Thanks to ddk and MAXPWR for the continuing advice.

I should add that I am very impressed with the Ching Cheng power cords and their construction. The molded plastic is excellent, and their grip is superb. The Furutech IECs tended to loosen over time.

 

[ddk]

View attachment 67463

You should hear a marked improvement with the new commercial wiring after a couple of days burn-in, but don't hook them them this way, direct connection to the outlet is best. No splicing along the way either, one direct line from breaker to outlet.

david

 

[PeterA]

You should hear a marked improvement with the new commercial wiring after a couple of days burn-in, but don't hook them them this way, direct connection to the outlet is best. No splicing along the way either, one direct line from breaker to outlet.

david

Thank you David. Yes, that was a difficult hook up inside the metal boxes because the JPS wire is so thick with so many strands, I could not connect it well to the receptacle. The pigtails helped. I'm sure a pro could do a much better job.

I understand about not wanting splices. What kind of a sonic improvement do you think the commercial wiring will have over the JPS? I read that JPS wiring finds its way into recording studios and quite a few elaborate audiophile systems. How would you describe its sonic signature?

 

[ddk]

Thank you David. Yes, that was a difficult hook up inside the metal boxes because the JPS wire is so thick with so many strands, I could not connect it well to the receptacle. The pigtails helped. I'm sure a pro could do a much better job.

I understand about not wanting splices. What kind of a sonic improvement do you think the commercial wiring will have over the JPS? I read that JPS wiring finds its way into recording studios and quite a few elaborate audiophile systems. How would you describe its sonic signature?

I would describe it as less of a signature, just more natural !

david

 

[PeterA]

I would describe it as less of a signature, just more natural !

david

I walked right through the door into that one. At some point I will know for myself just what you mean.

 

[assessor43]

JPS Labs is fantastic cabling.

 

[PeterA]

JPS Labs is fantastic cabling.

I’ve never tried the cables. I’m only referring to the in wall wiring from the panel to the outlet, which I have been using for years.

 

[Lagonda]

As an interim step before my electrician comes back to install the four dedicated circuits, I created a hybrid between David's idea of that Hubbell Quad, and what will eventually be installed.

Following some advice from member PWRMAX, I made up my own boxes and installed the Hubbell industrial isolated ground duplex receptacles that David recommended and replaced the Furutech IEC connectors I had at the ends of the JPS Labs In-Wall cable coming through the floor from my main panel. The JPS wire is so thick that it necessitated the use of pigtails and wire nuts to connect to the receptacles.

Prior to this, I had simply plugged my five Ching Cheng power cords into extension cords going to regular outlets. That alone was an improvement over the JPS cable/Furutech in terms of natural resolution and timbre. See post #1349 above.

So far, using the Hubbell outlets with the JPS wire to dedicated circuits has done two things. 1) Dynamics have improved I suppose because each amp is now on its own dedicated circuit but I also no longer need the extension cords. 2) the bass quality is fuller, warmer, a bit looser.

Some feel the JPS Labs wiring is a bit colored and I don't know if the new Hubble receptacles will change over break in time, but I am surprised by how much the sound is dependent on the IEC connector, the power cords, the dedicated circuits and perhaps the in wall wires.

This is an interim step to determine if I will use stranded 10/2 wires encased in metal to the Hubbell receptacles, or if I will keep the JPS Labs wiring. I am leaning toward four separate dedicated circuits to the four Hubbell receptacles which will prevent the need for splices, particularly for the three front end outlets. I don't want to have to buy another 20' of the JPS wire, and it is quite difficult to work with.

Does anyone have any opinions about the JPS wire? With some more listening, I hope to identify how much it is contributing to the overall sound.

Thanks to ddk and MAXPWR for the continuing advice.

I should add that I am very impressed with the Ching Cheng power cords and their construction. The molded plastic is excellent, and their grip is superb. The Furutech IECs tended to loosen over time.

View attachment 67463

View attachment 67464

View attachment 67465

I rigged something like that myself, two runs of high gouge wire directly to US receptacles in an European house, if bad wiring burns down my house, the insurance company will have no problem dismissing any claim Yes those Ching Cheng’s are great cables, wish they came shorter, my amps are right next to the outlet.

 

[PeterA]

Nice Lagonda. Looks like your house will stand with the brick walls. Yes, love the Ching Chengs.

 

[Lagonda]

Nice Lagonda. Looks like your house will stand with the brick walls. Yes, love the Ching Chengs.

I like the sound of bricks on the front wall for omnis or dipoles, i nice hard surface for bass and slightly uneven for natural diffusing of the rear wave And yes this little piggy is not getting his house blown down

 

[Al M.]

Yesterday I had again the opportunity to listen to Peter's system , with another comparison of the MSL and vDH Gran Cru cartridges. It turned out that the changes with power delivery, as well as with footers under the speakers' SPods (wooden instead of metal), altered the tonal balance considerably, making it weightier and less bright. Some changes in speaker positioning may also have contributed.

Now the vDH Gran Cru cartridge sounded much better, with a very good tonal balance, and the MSL sounded darker. This is very different from what I heard last time in Peter's system together with Ian, when the vDH Gran Cru sounded tipped up, and the MSL neutral and just right in tonal balance. Cartridge loadings had not changed.

I had already suggested to not take my impressions back then as a definitive statement on the vDH cartridge, and indeed, with the changes in the system both the sound and my assessment changed dramatically. I was very impressed with the dynamics on the Sheffield drum track; the drum wacks had a very fast, highly energetic punch as I had never heard them before in Peter's system, raising the dynamics to a very high standard indeed. The other music where dynamics impressed me the most was a choral piece by Holst (also the MSL cartridge sounded very dynamic on this) and some of the brutally energetic plucks on the cello in Dutilleu's cello concerto. The latter sounded very weighty with the vDH cartridge that we heard it with, and on Scheherazade (Zubin Mehta/LA Phil) the orchestra had tremendous weight and heft, heard with the vDH as well. There was real power in the orchestra's power range, I was mightily impressed. Peter suggested that now the speakers show what they are capable of. Resolution was excellent, with exquisite string tone.

The Holst choral piece was revealing of the differences between the two cartridges. On the vDH it sounded light and open, with more emphasis on the female voices over the male ones. There was some sibilance, but not beyond the edge of what would still be perceived as natural. On the MSL the music sounded darker and warmer, with more emphasis on the male voices over the female ones. There was less sibilance. Even though the presentations were very different, they both were within the range of timbre that might be heard live, depending on intonation and hall acoustics.

What was lost from the last time was the special sense of "air" that I described. But that is a natural consequence of the shift in tonal balance, no real shortcoming. In terms of air and perceived HF extension, Peter's system now sounds more like mine, but the openness of sound has improved in my system as well with the latest changes in acoustics.

Overall, I could hardly find fault with the vDH cartridge this time around, except perhaps a remnant of the nasality of the sound that I heard last time, e.g., on the violins in string quartet. Yet on the choral piece and the orchestral music there was no hint of a nasal sound audible. The strengths of the cartridge were evident, and this time the uncomfortably "etched" sound made way to a presentation with natural flow.

Again great progress, Peter!

 

[MadFloyd]

Well that is fascinating. Is Peter’s system now masking the exaggerated treble of the vdh or is it now showing the cartridges’s tonal balance in a more true light?

 

[Tango]

@PeterA.

"What was lost from the last time was the special sense of "air" that I described. But that is a natural consequence of the shift in tonal balance, no real shortcoming. In terms of air and perceived HF extension, Peter's system now sounds more like mine, but the openness of sound has improved in my system as well with the latest changes in acoustics."

You have to find a way to get this back.

 

[Al M.]

@PeterA.

"What was lost from the last time was the special sense of "air" that I described. But that is a natural consequence of the shift in tonal balance, no real shortcoming. In terms of air and perceived HF extension, Peter's system now sounds more like mine, but the openness of sound has improved in my system as well with the latest changes in acoustics."

You have to find a way to get this back.

Not necessarily. With a fuller tonal balance you always have less "air". There's nothing wrong with that, it's natural.

It's similar in the concert hall, while hearing that big space in it's full extension does tend to make the experience somewhat different, even with a full-bodied tonal balance. But yes, also there you have more air with a lighter balance than with a fuller one.

 

[PeterA]

@PeterA.

"What was lost from the last time was the special sense of "air" that I described. But that is a natural consequence of the shift in tonal balance, no real shortcoming. In terms of air and perceived HF extension, Peter's system now sounds more like mine, but the openness of sound has improved in my system as well with the latest changes in acoustics."

You have to find a way to get this back.

Tang, That is Al’s opinion. It is not mine. In my view the system sounds more natural now that I no longer use the Furutech IEC connectors. They seemed to exaggerate the high frequencies and created more “ detail“. As ddk suggested to me, the Furutech IEC connectors are colored. I don’t hear a different portrayal in the sense of “air”. The spectral balance is now just more even.

 

[PeterA]

Well that is fascinating. Is Peter’s system now masking the exaggerated treble of the vdh or is it now showing the cartridges’s tonal balance in a more true light?

Ian, The VDH Grand Cru is a very well balanced cartridge and it is very natural sounding. It is extremely resolving and portrays the energy captured in the vinyl record. The problem was that the system lacked lower mid range to mid base energy because the Furutech connectors were colored and exaggerated the high frequencies. When I replaced them with the Ching Cheng power cords, the system's tonal balance became more even or neutral. Nothing to do with the cartridge.

The system is now simply able to convey more energy in a more natural way across a broader range of frequencies.

 

[Tango]

Tang, That is Al’s opinion. It is not mine. In my view the system sounds more natural now that I no longer use the Furutech IEC connectors. They seemed to exaggerate the high frequencies and created more “ detail“. I don’t hear a different portrayal in the sense of “air”. The spectral balance is now just more even.

I fully understand it is Al's opinion Peter. I forgot the smiley face at the end. I was teasing you.

 

[PeterA]

I have been playing around with making a few phone videos of my system. They are posted on the Tonearm Comparison thread of the SME V-12 and SME 3012R. I have been inspired by Tang's videos and simply want to share some music and perhaps learn something in the process. I do not take these very seriously, but I do see their value in some respects. Here is the first one on my system thread: Crumb Sonata for Solo Cello played by Frans Helmerson:

If that does not interest anyone, here is a diversion from all things audio. It is a photo I took with the same iPhone 11 I used for the video. If it is not suited for that purpose sublime sound, it certainly does capture a sublime sunset with a good friend's sailboat sailing home two nights ago.

 

[MadFloyd]

Loved the Crumb, Peter! Also the beautiful pic!

 

[Folsom]

Peter what is the albums catalog #?