Anyone went back to standard sockets or something else than Furutech? I for a few days back changed my standard socket to Furutech Rhodium NCF which I used a couple of years ago but I’m not convinced.. Maybe it’s a mismatch between the metals in my Puritan Ultimate power cable and the Rhodium plating. Might have to go back if it doesn’t sound better next week.
I’ve had my eyes on GigaWatt SCHUKO G-044 too which use solid brass connectors so I just placed an order on it.
The solid connectors of the socket are made from brass, and their surface is protected against oxidation. Powerful contact and large connection surface of the connectors with a width of 10mm guarantee perfect connection with the plug pins. Additionally the connectors were de-magnetized. As a standard, the sockets are equipped with bolted connectors allowing the usage of large diameter cables. Mounting depth is less than 30mm. Wall mount is possible using strong expansion feet or bolts.
The internal chassis is made from hard to break, high quality, matte plastic and has a grey finish. The faceplate is made from solid, anodized aluminum, 6mm thickness. On demand we can also supply a dual version of the socket (G-044 SCHUKO Duplex), consisting of two separate inlays and a double frame, that can be mounted horizontally or vertically.
From HIFI-Advice www.
The sound became more involving by being more deliberate and better-textured. There was more “life” in the musical presentation but with a tonally full delivery.
The resolution of detail had also improved but without making the delivery analytical or introducing a feeling of artificiality.
There was definitely no edge or hardness but neither was the sound overly polished and certainly not dynamically compacted or less exciting, as can happen with certain high-end connectors and outlets. For instance, the Rhodium-plated and Gold-plated Furutech outlets that I used in the past provided a highly refined and polished sound but at the cost of a measure of propulsion, expression and dynamic impact.
Actually, the bass with the GigaWatt socket had become more incisive and impactful and the pacing more upbeat than with the standard outlet while retaining a very neutral “earthy” and sonorous quality, contrasting strongly with most Japanese specialist high-end brands.
The G-044 Schuko is a high-quality in-wall power socket with an internal chassis made for GigaWatt by German company Merten. The installation wire inlets are silver-plated. The internal contact materials are made from brass and their surface is protected against oxidation (with what seems like a Nickel-plating). A powerful contact and large connection surface with a width of 10mm guarantee a perfect connection with the schuko plug pins. Additionally, the connectors are cryogenically treated and de-magnetized. The faceplate is made from solid, anodized aluminum with a 6mm thickness.
