[Letmebefrank]

Very true.

At our school that had two recording studios, the orange plugs were actually tied to a different transformer and they utilized a star grounding scheme. The campus physical plant power was even worse than the city power, although it was regulated to a much tamer 117V. So the orange plugs actually did indicate something to us.

 
At Lowe's the orange plugs are on a gigantic battery backup / generator so that if the power goes out our server, computers, and registers have time to shut down properly without losing data.

 

[FrivolsListener]

Very true.

At our school that had two recording studios, the orange plugs were actually tied to a different transformer and they utilized a star grounding scheme. The campus physical plant power was even worse than the city power, although it was regulated to a much tamer 117V. So the orange plugs actually did indicate something to us.

 
Known as "technical power" in the US.
 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Split-phase_electric_power#Technical_power_.28balanced_power.29
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ground_and_neutral#Technical_equipment

 

[mikoss]

Just for clarification, green dot on receptacle = hospital grade. Green triangle on receptacle = isolated ground. Most/all receptacles in North America are grounded for safety purposes. Eg. If a wire touches the case, the ground creates a short circuit back, which allows the breaker to trip. Without a ground, nothing would trip and someone could be shocked if the case was conductive and they touched it.

The green triangle indicates that the ground to the receptacle is isolated (as opposed to simply using a bare ground wire and tying all the grounds together, wherever the ground wires meet up in the system. Eg this is how your house is wired). An isolated grounding scheme may reduce noise, however it is arguably in no means safer than the regular grounding scheme. The isolated ground wiring is also insulated, and sometimes has its own physical grounding scheme, or may even be tied to the regular ground rods/plate/etc. (Everything is common in the ground anyway, so an isolated ground is merely isolated from the devices, back into the physical ground).

I've yet to see the 60V tapped transformer mentioned... sounds like a unicorn used for very special recording/video purposes. Star grounding is how the phases and neutral would be tied to achieve 120V in a three phase, 4 wire Wye application. I would think most hospitals use a 120/208V 3 phase Wye scheme, as three phase is how we do things in the commercial world.

The hospital receptacles are most likely red if they are on UPS power... this is an industry standard. Red = critical = on an inverter with battery backup + generator.

I would say there is zero to gain using an orange receptacle at home, unless you think the physical connection may be tighter. Also, an isolation transformer may help to reduce spikes/noise. And of course a proper power conditioner.

Your house does not have isolated grounds, so any inherent advantage to using a green triangle plug is gone.

 

[rtaylor76]

I have not seen or heard of 60V transformer tap either, but it shure would be nice. Some small home studios use a balanced power box (like the oneI mentioned) that generates its own 60 V, 60 V opposing rails. And all your input transformers will go "ahhhhhhh".

My comment was why can't we do this for our homes and I guess you could do that with a transformer tap, but the power company already supplies opposing 120 V rails so we can run single phase 240 V, like our clothes dryers and AC units.

Good clean power can make a difference folks.

 

[FrivolsListener]

I have not seen or heard of 60V transformer tap either, but it shure would be nice. Some small home studios use a balanced power box (like the oneI mentioned) that generates its own 60 V, 60 V opposing rails. And all your input transformers will go "ahhhhhhh".

My comment was why can't we do this for our homes and I guess you could do that with a transformer tap, but the power company already supplies opposing 120 V rails so we can run single phase 240 V, like our clothes dryers and AC units.

Good clean power can make a difference folks.

 
It's worth noting that the NEC has very specific codes about Technical Power, and home equipment probably doesn't meet the standards.
 
I repectfully disagree with you, unless you have really noisy power, that an isolation transformer and balanced power can help with consumer-grade equipment.  The gymnasium described earlier is a bad environment.

 

[FrivolsListener]

I have not seen or heard of 60V transformer tap either, but it shure would be nice. Some small home studios use a balanced power box (like the oneI mentioned) that generates its own 60 V, 60 V opposing rails. And all your input transformers will go "ahhhhhhh".

My comment was why can't we do this for our homes and I guess you could do that with a transformer tap, but the power company already supplies opposing 120 V rails so we can run single phase 240 V, like our clothes dryers and AC units.

Good clean power can make a difference folks.

 
If you have your heart set on one, google "120 volt center tap isolation transformer" and you'll see some purpose-built items for small studios.

 

[sublime9]

I bought an audiophile power strip. I could not believe the difference in sound stage and the clarity on highs. So I bit the bullet and replaced all the wiring in my house with oxygen free cryo treated silver. My Magni wall wart never had it so good! Refusing to give in, I rewired the power to my house (on Long Island) all the way to the upstate nuclear plant ( I wish it was Niagara) but what can you do?) with silver plated cryo treated oxygen free copper. I wish I could have used silver the whole way, but as it is, it cost me 3.7 billion dollars. I wired under Long Island sound because the bribes to wire through the city would have exceeded the costs of underwater wiring. That Magni is finally singing now. I can hear the moisture level of the saxophone reed. My Magni wall wart is finally at peace. Spend the 3.7 billion dollars. You will not regret it. 

 

[wink]

......or.....  go bluetooth......   

 

[Yethal]

  ......or.....  go bluetooth......   

 

[mysticstryk]

Bluetooth has a degradation in sound quality though doesn't it? That's why it's recommended to use wifi for wireless streaming between gear I thought.

 

[StanD]

  I bought an audiophile power strip. I could not believe the difference in sound stage and the clarity on highs. So I bit the bullet and replaced all the wiring in my house with oxygen free cryo treated silver. My Magni wall wart never had it so good! Refusing to give in, I rewired the power to my house (on Long Island) all the way to the upstate nuclear plant ( I wish it was Niagara) but what can you do?) with silver plated cryo treated oxygen free copper. I wish I could have used silver the whole way, but as it is, it cost me 3.7 billion dollars. I wired under Long Island sound because the bribes to wire through the city would have exceeded the costs of underwater wiring. That Magni is finally singing now. I can hear the moisture level of the saxophone reed. My Magni wall wart is finally at peace. Spend the 3.7 billion dollars. You will not regret it. 

Other than the last trip to the house from the powerlines, you have done a public service to all audiophiles in your neighborhood. All others along the path will have to chip in and pay for local  lines from the main feed that you have so graciously upgraded.

 

[FrivolsListener]

  I bought an audiophile power strip. I could not believe the difference in sound stage and the clarity on highs. So I bit the bullet and replaced all the wiring in my house with oxygen free cryo treated silver. My Magni wall wart never had it so good! Refusing to give in, I rewired the power to my house (on Long Island) all the way to the upstate nuclear plant ( I wish it was Niagara) but what can you do?) with silver plated cryo treated oxygen free copper. I wish I could have used silver the whole way, but as it is, it cost me 3.7 billion dollars. I wired under Long Island sound because the bribes to wire through the city would have exceeded the costs of underwater wiring. That Magni is finally singing now. I can hear the moisture level of the saxophone reed. My Magni wall wart is finally at peace. Spend the 3.7 billion dollars. You will not regret it. 

 
No pressurized dry nitrogen wiring?  You're missing everything!

 

[rtaylor76]

I still don't understand the mocking of the small things. Isn't this hobby about getting to the finer details? All the small details can add up.

And on power, if you will notice, most of the high end stuff, including Schiit stuff spend careful consideration in trying to provide the cleanest power possible as well as shielding. They have an understanding of how cleaner power can benefit audio electronics and amplifiers, especially that of sensitive semiconductors.

 

[madwolfa]

I still don't understand the mocking of the small things. Isn't this hobby about getting to the finer details? All the small details can add up.

And on power, if you will notice, most of the high end stuff, including Schiit stuff spend careful consideration in trying to provide the cleanest power possible as well as shielding. They have an understanding of how cleaner power can benefit audio electronics and amplifiers, especially that of sensitive semiconductors.

 
There's a big fat line between proper engineering and snake oil merchandise.

 

[FrivolsListener]

I still don't understand the mocking of the small things.

 
The law of diminishing returns, sir.
 
For example:  My system might set people on edge.  I became aware of Schiit and head-fi because nothing "modern" could drive my HD-600s.  One junk amp later, replaced by a Magni (significant improvement), followed by a Modi, followed by going for broke, in how I did it:
1. Improve the transducer (Sennheiser HD-800s)
2. Improve the DAC (Gumby)
3. Amplifier didn't change. (Original Magni)
4. Media had already been ripped to FLAC files
 
My hearing isn't what it used to be, so I can't hear into what most people would call "ultrasonic" range any more.  I could get an A2, or a Mjolnir, but I wonder if I'd notice it.
 
I do have the gear on a decent suppressor, and it does fail over to a sine-wave inverter which promises 2% THD max on its waveform into any power factor load.  I doubt I could do better.
 
My cables are boring.  The shielding works which is important.  Any hum is below my ambient noise level at home.
 
Could I notice a difference under ideal circumstances in an ideal listening environment?  Maybe.  But that isn't where I live or listen.
 
As always, your mileage may vary.