Tru Tone Duplex Covers test info and reviews

[Bigerik]

Set of 4 Tru Tone Duplex Covers (sufficient for one listening room).
Machina Dynamica's brand new product is the Tru-Tone Duplex Cover, a special audiophile-grade cover for all duplex wall outlets. Tru-Tone Duplex Covers are intended to replace steel, plastic, wood and other types of outlet covers in the listening room, including non-audio outlets - even unused outlets.
Machina Dynamica's non-magnetic Tru-Tone Duplex Cover avoids the magnetic influence of standard steel cover plates and provides outstanding resonance control for the electrical duplex receptacle and wall structure. Tru-Tone Duplex Covers are prepared using proprietary materials-processing techniques for superior performance. A perfect, snug fit on all standard duplex receptacles, including Oyaide and Acme receptacles. Tru-Tone Duplex Covers provide sound that is less distorted and better focused, with exceptionally taut bass/upper bass performance.

And for this one we have signed up:
1) Gary P
2) Holst
3) Sansui Louie
4) Dnewma04
5) Theodoric
6) Tonedeaf

I think thats everyone.

[geoffkait]

Note for Duplex Covers: Please do not overtighten the screw as overtightening can crack the duplex cover material. ~ Geoff at Machina Dynamica

[GaryP]

Geoff, does it matter if you have copper or aluminium wiring?

Do all the wall outlets in the room have to be covered with the Duplex Covers or will there be an effect by covering some of them? For example, if I cover 2 out of 4 - good or bad?

[geoffkait]

Gary, it should not matter whether the house wiring is copper or aluminum. I sent out 4 Duplex Covers for eval because I think 4 will provide a very audible improvement in most rooms. If the room has only 3 outlets, then 3 Duplex Covers will be fine. The Tru-Tone Duplex Covers do not have to be on ALL outlets in the room.

~ Geoff

[geoffkait]

Hello, All - Just checking in to make sure the 4 Tru-Tone Duplex Covers haven't disintegrated, been confiscated or sucked into another dimension :-) It's been quite a while, so I thought a status check might be in order.

Can someone let me know if the outlet covers are under evaluation; and let me know if they are missing in action...

Thanks, Geoff at machina dynamica

[GaryP]

Not missing - I still have them! Sorry.... :sigh:

I'd better just send them off to the next guy!

[geoffkait]

GaryP - Thanks very much for letting me know.

Geoff

[geoffkait]

To All - It has just come to my attention that the screw for the Duplex Cover should NOT be tight at all, i.e., it should be loosened one full turn (360 degrees) from the point where it just starts to become tight on the cover. Thanks,

~ Geoff at Machina Dynamica

[Holst]

I’ll start with a bit of back sell and the description from Bigeric’s original post

Machina Dynamica's brand new product is the Tru-Tone Duplex Cover, a special audiophile-grade cover for all duplex wall outlets. Tru-Tone Duplex Covers are intended to replace steel, plastic, wood and other types of outlet covers in the listening room, including non-audio outlets - even unused outlets.
Machina Dynamica's non-magnetic Tru-Tone Duplex Cover avoids the magnetic influence of standard steel cover plates and provides outstanding resonance control for the electrical duplex receptacle and wall structure. Tru-Tone Duplex Covers are prepared using proprietary materials-processing techniques for superior performance. A perfect, snug fit on all standard duplex receptacles, including Oyaide and Acme receptacles. Tru-Tone Duplex Covers provide sound that is less distorted and better focused, with exceptionally taut bass/upper bass performance.

Now, off to review the Tru-Tone Duplex Cover.

First off, they are attractive ceramic type electrical outlet covers. Made in China as stated on the back, thicker than plastic or metal covers and include a brass, or, more likely brass plated screw. As this is what would be described as a non-traditional addition to an audio system, I went about making up non-traditional tests. As the word’s “magnetic influence “ in several guises are used in the product description, one test, as you will read further down inadvertently found the screws could be sucked up by a magnet.

Also written on the back of the plates were “UL listed” and “AmerTac” and “6R80”.

A Googling of AmerTac found American Tack & Hardware Co. Inc. (AmerTac), of Saddle River, N.J. http://www.amertac.com/

I suppose the biggest challenge is to try to define a set of objective test to prove or disprove the Tru-Tone Duplex Covers claims. Though the word “claim” is rather strong. Saying they provide “ outstanding resonance control “, “ superior performance “, “ less distorted and better focused” and “exceptionally taut bass/upper bass performance “ are pretty subtle.

Basic test equipment included, one each....

Radio Shack 33-2050 db meter

A wooden homemade meter stand to replicated the position of the meter to my exact ear level in my favorite listening spot.

Black and Decker D1000 7153 type 1 3.0 amp drill.

Olson TA-147 Bulk Tape Eraser

Coronado refrigerator stock number 044-4108 (no kidding)

Fortunately, I had all those items available.

The test process involved removing the pretty metal wall plates and replacing them with Machina Dynamica's non-magnetic Tru-Tone Duplex Cover carefully following the directions of Geoff Katt to loosen (the screw) one full turn (360 degrees) from the point where it just starts to become tight on the cover. I received four so I followed the directions and added them to other room outlets, not just the ones my stereo was plugged into, the TV/DVR-Sat.box/DVD outlet got a Tru-Tone Duplex Cover, and yes even the socket that provided juice to my McIntosh light and a hidden behind a speaker emergency light. Though, the Tru-Tone Duplex Cover proved to be too thick to hold the emergency light and it remained unplugged during the test period. It’s there to serve as an emergency flashlight during storm related power outages and has remained forgotten through two virtually storm less summers. Though, ironically, we had a nasty November thunderstorm during this time when normally we would have snow and below freezing temperatures.

The Tru-Tone Duplex Cover test began with listening to the system, a full 80 percent of which involved classical music, long listening periods interspersed with my daughter and I watching seasons one through five of the British TV series “Red Dwarf” on DVD.

I had intended as I set out on these test that the radio would play a big part in these tests. Modern audio gear seems less susceptible to wall socket born noises than older gear and as stated later, my oldest component in my main stereo, is my tuner.

During the test period I was able to pick out all sorts of noise via the radio. Please note, Machina Dynamica's doesn’t say the Tru-Tone Duplex Covers stop electrical noise, they just “avoid{s} the magnetic influence of standard steel cover plates and provides outstanding resonance control”, but as they did indicate the improvement would be audible and they would stop or lessen things that would degrade the sound. I added noise or lack there of to the list of things I hoped they effect.

The noise I was picking up hindered the test’s, as the source was airborne, not via the power company or my choice of plate covers. November thunderstorm’s and odd weather means something is going to interfere with radio.

The suspect, Thermal Inversions or as some old timers would say,”when the channels open up”. Thermal inversion occurs when a layer of warm air settles over a layer of cooler air that lies near the ground. The warm air holds down the cool air, the first time I had heard about it was when I did mornings at KFMH 99Plus, in Davenport, Iowa and got a call from someone who had just heard me give out the phone number. That person was in Pittsburgh, I had the engineer explain to me what happened.

The noises on the radio were not limited to my old Sony, but also my Luxman RV-371 which is on a different floor of the house, on a different circuit, and a different antenna and is digital not a variable capacitor. My car radio seemed to favor 90.1 in St Cloud over 90.7 in Pillager even though the Pillager signal is about 45 miles closer. To add to the fun, I live within a mile of two FM transmitters, one with six bays and 100,000 watts and one three bay 27,000 watter, with the antenna bays facing my house. The problems lasted for days but usually cleared up after sunset.

Since the noises, caused by distant signals over lapping closer ones, the Tru-Tone Duplex Covers could not be expected to be of any help or blame.

After ten day’s of listening I turned my attention to the effects of the electricity coming from my wall outlets and the effect they have on my stereo. The equipment used is in my signature below, not listed is a Samsung DVD player and Toshiba 35” TV which were also included in the test.

Two area’s of concern with the electrical supply come to light.

1)Variations in actual voltage.
2)Noise which may or may not be introduced by some sort of magnetism, electromagnetic interference, the electricity, the outlet or outlet cover or lack there of. (diagram that sentence)


Voltage variations should not be effected by the non-magnetic Tru-Tone Duplex Cover and in fact they were not. I do have a pair of Automatic Voltage Regulator's (22 bucks each, slightly less than the plate covers) which do a fine job of that. Their role in life is mainly keeping my turntable from slowing down when the voltage lags.

The actual quote from Machina Dynamica's website is “avoids the magnetic influence of standard steel cover plates and provides outstanding resonance control for the electrical duplex receptacle and wall structure”.

OK, here goes.....

As I noted earlier, the word “magnetic” comes up a lot in the description, so I attempted my test’s to see if there was a sonic/magnetic connection.

The easiest test was to remove the non-magnetic Tru-Tone Duplex Covers and listen for a difference. Plus, my “normal” covers are metal, I replaced them and gave them a good listen.

This was complimented by used of my sound pressure meter placed on my stand and measurements taken using the Delos “ultimate” test CD.

Further test involved attempts to determine what electro magnetic interference could and would effect my stereo, including a worst case scenario.

This was a lot of fun, but would I be able to prove anything.

The best example I could think of for magnetic interference was comes from my childhood. Watching “Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea” or “Lost in Space” while my Mom was in the kitchen with her blender whipping up Malt’s for use kids or a batch Margarita's for her and Aunt Doris. The motor in the blenders would cause massive electrical noise that would seriously screw up TV reception, usually at a good point in the show, often involving Veronica Cartwight.

Mom’s blender and that TV are long gone but I tried to introduce electro-magnetic noise using the oldest piece of gear I have, my nearly 36 year old Sony ST-5100 tuner and my Black and Decker D1000 variable speed drill.

I waited until a point were the airwaves we clear and Minnesota public KBPR was coming in clearly at 90.7 without it’s sister station at 90.1 pushing it’s way in.

With the drill in the same outlet as the tuner and the non-magnetic Tru-Tone Duplex Covers in place I ran the drill.

No noise.

I removed the non-magnetic Tru-Tone Duplex Covers and tried the drill again with an exposed outlet.

No noise.

So, trouble shooting, or lack of trouble shooting says, either the drill didn’t create as much electrical noise as my Mom’s blender, the Sony is less effected by an electric motor on the same circuit that a late 1950’s TV, or it was caused by my Mom. Something non-hereditary.

I had been waiting for my worst case scenario, and I finally got it, my 30 year old refrigerator to hit it’s defrost cycle. It was the break I was waiting for.

We moved into this house in 2000 and removal of the fridge has always been high on the list. I thing “the fridge has to go” was my wifes second sentence when when toured the house. The first was, “Oh, they have a dog”.

But, alas, we replaced the roof, fascia, carpets, repainted, bought metal wall plate covers, and yet the Coronado refrigerator remains. In the kitchen. On the other side of the wall from my stereo. On the same circuit breaker as my stereo.

Lurking.

The wife says once the new TV is paid off, out it goes, this time she means it.

Day 14 of the test period it finally hit the defrost cycle while I had the stereo on. The usually painful groaning from the fridge wafted through the kitchen. The usual puddle formed below the veggie drawers. With the grunting, something like a drunk passed out face down in hot pizza, came the usual electrical buzz came from the tuner.

The old Sony is able to pick up the Coronado’s death battle with frost, where my digital Luxman that previously held it’s spot was blissfully ignorant of it’s compressors acts of Scott of the Antarctic like futility just a few feet away.

The wife says by February the fridge is history, to be replaced with an audiophile refrigerator. (sorry, I couldn’t resist)

With or without the non-magnetic Tru-Tone Duplex Covers, ther was no differnce.

Next was to try to test a non-magnetic Tru-Tone Duplex Cover for non-magnetic property’s.

Yes, it is not magnetic.

A further test involved seeing if it would block magnetism. I placed it on my tape bulk eraser and placed it’s included screw on top of it. I switched the Olson TA-147 on, the screw did a somersault and landed vibrating loudly in the plates opening on the surface of the eraser.

Yes, the screw is attracted to the magnet.

So in the end my verdict on the non-magnetic Tru-Tone Duplex Cover is inconclusive.

Listening and measuring test tones showed no change over metal wall plates and no plates at all. No one in my family could hear any difference, the sound meter and sweeps of test tones backed that up.

As far as magnetic resonances, my crude tests on Machina Dynamica's mission statement were totally inconclusive.

I could not determine if they did or didn’t do what they claimed, or if I even needed them too.

[GaryP]

Day 14 of the test period it finally hit the defrost cycle while I had the stereo on. The usually painful groaning from the fridge wafted through the kitchen. The usual puddle formed below the veggie drawers. With the grunting, something like a drunk passed out face down in hot pizza, came the usual electrical buzz came from the tuner.

I must say that I love your outlook on life! :)