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The Great Cryo'd Outlet Test

Some have wondered about the Cryo'd outlet test that this skeptic has agreed to do, thanks to the generous loan of an outlet by another member. The situation is that the outlet, and its non-cryo'd twin have been breaking in for several weeks and I think we can agree they are ready for evaluation. Performing the tests will involve littering the room with various amps and speakers with the associated wires strung around, so, and I am sure you understand, I need to wait for a free day when my dear wife is elsewhere occupied.
A report will be made.
eldartford
eldartford OP
4,262 posts
 
It's over.

I have tried the Cryo'd outlet with every kind of audio equipment that I have (no tubes) and am unable to hear, or measure, any difference between the Cryo's outlet and the plain one. The best test (IMHO) was driving two identical monoblock amplifiers with the same (mono) signal, and listening to the output bridged across the two amps. Ideally there should be no differential signal, but gain and frequency response cannot be perfectly matched, so there is always some faint differential output. The sonic quality of this differential output, (many dB down from the amplifier output) is identical when one of the amps is powered first by Cryo'd and then by non-Cryo'd outlets.

I consider my experiment a success, not because it confirms what science would predict, but because I can no longer be accused of not using my ears. I gave it a good shot.

I have packed up the outlets to be mailed back to HDM. My thanks to him for the oportunity to evaluate this tweek.
hdm
971 posts
 
Ed: I thought you were going to mail them on to Stehno. If Stehno still wants to do it, that is OK by me.
stehno
1,453 posts
 
Yes, I'm still interested, Hdm. And Eldartford has my address.
eldartford OP
4,262 posts
 
Stehno...Sure I will redirect the outlets to you, but I don't have an address. E-Mail to me.
stehno
1,453 posts
 
Thanks, Eldartford. I received the outlets Friday evening and just installed one of them about 1 hour ago (Sat. 8pm pst).

I broke the middle contact bridges in order to allow connections for my two dedicated lines to that one outlet. (top is a 15amp line for preamp, bottom is 20amp line for amplifier). So two of my three components have the potential to reap benefits, degredations, or nothing from the outlets.

I listened for about 20 minutes. My current outlets are the FIM's (which are made by WoodenHead) and I will say I heard some differences in those 20 minutes. But I won't say for better or worse as I have not yet performed an A/B comparison between the two shipped to me. And thus far I've only listened to a couple of 20 and 30 year old recordings.

Somewhere in the next few days, I'll swap in the other outlet. In the meantime, my wife is trying to steam open the envelope that contains the answer.

I'll keep you posted.

-IMO
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