Replacing/Upgrading AC Outlets

sleepwalker 55...
Appropriate name for the guy resurrecting a thread from 2002.Is your name Rip Van Winkle by any chance??              
Just to goose the thread I used to use Pass & Seymour duplex. Recently I decided to 'upgrade' to Furutech duplex. And bought 15 GTX-D, 10 gold, 5 Rhodium.   (they were on sale... LOL) 12 installed. three to go.
They were cheaper than buying a Audio Quest Niagara. LOL(I already own both a PS Audio P-600 and a Furman REF20i So most of the new duplex went into those devices.)

The Hubbell 8300 has a different face material and its contacts are nickel plated; apparently the nickel plating will give the receptacle a slightly more forward presentation. Some will say that the nickel contributes a "brightness".

The old stock Hubbell 8300H Hospital Grade with the compact slim body is the best neutral sounding of the Hubbell outlets in my opinion. It has non plated brass contacts with a non plated brass supporting back strap. Hubbell stopped making this receptacle many years ago.

The Hubbell 8300 Hospital Grade 20 amp outlet that is described in the quote above sounds like, maybe, the deep body outlet. It has nickel plated brass contacts and a nickel plated brass supporting back strap. Only a guess though this the outlet I described.
Here is the 15 amp 8200 Hospital Grade outlet. Note the deeper body. Also note the heavy duty square center hub for supporting the duplex cover plate. Typical of the deep body heavy duty outlet. The compact slim body will have a heavy duty round hub.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/HUBBELL-HBL8200I-Receptacle-15A-125V-5-15R-2P-3W-1PH-HOSPITAL-GRADE-/332565...


The newer Hubbell Hospital Grade 8300H and 8300 outlets have nickel plated brass contacts for corrosion with a galvanized steel supporting back strap. These are garbage IMO to feed audio with. Avoid steel supporting back straps. Same for the nickel plating used on the contacts for corrosion protection.

This is not an old stock Hubbell 8300H Hospital Grade outlet.
https://www.amazon.com/Hubbell-HBL8300HW-Receptacle-Compact-Hospital/dp/B000LEHL52

Note the galvanized supporting back strap.

Jim

jea48. Yes it is sad that the Hubbell is not the same anymore. And it is hard to tell exactly what is being sold. Part of the problem is the word of mouth sort of folks passing on info. Then others taking advantage of it selling stuff (maybe even unaware) that what they are selling is junk, but folks buy it due to that old word mouth praise. Then think they have been lied to (by the folks who recommended the outlet) since what they bought is, after all, just not very good.

I’m sure that manufacturers of receptacles employ metallurgists to ensure the widest comparability in plating alloys with the various metals commonly used in equipment plug blades. That said, the el-cheapo 79 cent receptacle designs probably benefit less from the metalurgists’ attention than the better spec-grade and hospital grade product.
p.s. Thanks Elizabeth for the Rip Vanwinkel reference.... gave me a chuckle. :-)