[satfrat]

Modified my post as it was considered a waste of time.

[Mike B.]

 It is my belief that if you can remove nickel plating and magnetic parts from the hot and neutral you will get a more natural sonic presentation. The Hubbell plant in Puerto Rico, and the Pass and Seymour plant in Georgia don't care about the quality of the nickel plate. They just want the part to be shinny and not corrode. I had a plating company with a very sophisticated plating analyzer check various plating thickness and composition. The nickel AC parts tested show up closer to Stainless in composition. Probably for the particles of contamination as parts go through the plating process?
I made up the connectors for all the cords Bob Crump made from 2002 on. We replaced all nickel parts with bare 688 brass parts. Steel parts where tossed.

[brj]

This thread has been pruned once already, and we would prefer not to repeat the exercise.  Thanks to Bob, Paul and Mike for taking the time to write up useful contributions.  For those inclined to pot shots, please stop.  Those feeling compelled to defend against pot shots - it isn't worth the effort, so please just ignore them and don't add fuel to the fire.

Thank you!

Co-facilitator of the Critic's Circles.

[markC]

http://store.electricsurplusstore.com/product.php?xProd=1263&jssCart=9b99cff17cd11e4439a2e1c79b056b0c
This place claims to sell them for $5. At this price, I might just try them.

[BobM]

Not sure that these cheaper ones at electric surplus are the same outlet as the one at stayonline. Could be, but it doesn't say industrial grade in the description, so I'm not sure.

Bob

[Occam]

Bob,

Actually, the HBL5262 s from electronicsurplusstore are genuine. But the price is wrong; they are actually $4 each (the home page announces a 20% applied at checkout to all purchases). The only caveat is that these NOS Hubbells are not the current model. The current model has a pressure plate on the ground screw, has 2 white areas between the outlets for making a notation, and the internal contacts are slightly different. In listening evaluations between the current and prior model, I really cannot hear a difference. Because they are not the current model, I don't use them in my products, but they are genuine and I recommend them highly.

They also have 80 Pass and Seymour 5362A outlets (your fave with their interminable break in) for
$7.00 - 1.40 = $5.60 each.

Besides, they're located in a town named South Park, so it affords you an opportunity to make some smartass comment, which they'll never have heard before.....

Regards,
Paul

[WG]

I did order 7 of these from electronicsurplusstore.  They shipped the next day and were to me a few days later.  They were mailed and postage was only $.50 more than the discount.  I was looking up the paperwork and noticed that they had only billed me for the outlets via Paypal and not the shipping and asked for me to reimburse them on shipping.  I called to let them know I just caught it.  She didn't use an auto charge by zipcode because it might overcharge me.  I am happily stunned.  We hear so much about scam artists and here's someone going out of their way, and maybe to their detriment, to benefit the customer on shipping.  I recommend finding something to buy from her.

As an aside, this was my first venture into replacing receptacles.  Hopefully, I was correct that I should remove the screws and plate, and reinstall over the wire.  Considering all the equipment was in place, this was a pain.  Doing this, I found it useful to use a tap to redress some of the wholes--had trouble getting the screw to bite if I didn't do this on some.  If all this wasn't necessary, well they're in now!

Paul, I really enjoy your PC's I have on my amps.  Best to you.

Regards,
Will

[galyons]

I did order 7 of these from electronicsurplusstore. 
Regards,
Will

Hi Will,
Are they all brass? Have you checked the various metal parts with a magnet?  I  may need more. I bought 2, new stock(5262). All was brass with the exception of the neutral pressure plates and the mounting cinch quick thread plate. Curious minds want to know!!!

Cheers,
Geary

[WG]

Geary,

I had not, but did after reading your post.  I installed only 3 of the outlets this weekend.  I just ran a magnet over one of the boxed receptacles and the only area I detected that was magnetic was the screw for the mounting the receptacle on top and screw and metal piece where the bottom screw threads--is this the mounting cinch thread plate.  As Paul indicated, there is not a pressure plate on the Green ground screw.

Question--I just noticed instructions and schematic on the box not to break off connecting link for white terminals, but does say BREAK OFF CONNECTING LINK WITH SCREWDRIVER for the brass terminals.  I did not do this on the 3 I put in.  Should I be removing these 3 and do this? 

Thanks in advance,
Will

[galyons]

Thanks Will.
Sounds as if the they are pretty much the same as the HBL5262's that I got. Mine were cryo'd in Canada.  I pulled the ferrous quick thread cinch off.  The neutral screws were nickel plated brass. I just took them out and used one of the brass hot screws from the other side. 

I am not an electrician, but I think that the only reason to break off the connecting link is so that the two sockets are separate circuits.  Doing so would require that you run a hot pigtail to each of the brass hot terminals.

The Hubbell's replaced spec grade Leviton's and are very prominently better sounding, cleaner articulation and a fuller, smoother mid band.  They have about 100 hours on them, so it will be interesting to see how they "mature".

Thanks for the confirmation. I may get some more and send them out for cryo!

Cheers,
Geary