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Acoustic Revive: RTP-4 Power Conditioner
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All internal connections are crimped
since Acoustic Revive feel that soldered
connections have a deleterious effect on the
sound. (Not unusual: a number of audio
manufacturers opt for crimped connections.)
Properly done crimps produce more certain
and consistent results than soldering. (Back
in the dark ages known as the '60s, when a
computer consisted of a hundred or more
printed circuit boards, socket pins were
connected to one another with tightly
wrapped, thin wire. Metallic surfaces joined
by pressure this way – and this applies to
crimps as well – can actually bond on a
molecular level and provide an electrically
superb joint.) The wire used in the RPT
series is manufactured by Furukawa
Electrical Industries: PCOCC-A, Pure Copper
by Ohno Continuous Casting – Annealed. This
wire was designed by Professor Ohno at Chiba
Institute of Technology. It is extremely
high purity, single-crystal copper, oval
shaped (2.2mm x 2.6mm) to eliminate
resonance, (The Acoustic Revive site says
little more about wire resonance, but if one
does a thought experiment comparing a round
chime to an oval chime, it seems intuitively
obvious that the round tube would sustain
longer, since a round tube would have a
single resonant frequency, while an oval
tube would multiple resonances which would
have lower amplitudes and would interfere
with and cancel one another.) The same solid
core, single crystal wire is used in the
matching Power Reference AC cord. Annealing,
heating to a specific temperature and
cooling at a specific rate in a specific
environment, results in (among other things)
removing stresses in the crystal lattice and
increasing ductility. As I understand it,
single crystal structure not only enhances
electrical performance (presumably reducing
thermal and quantum noise?), but during the
annealing process the absence of crystal
boundaries on the wire surface provides no
access for impurities. (The microphotograph
above compares single crystal copper – top –
with standard copper – bottom.)
For the companion, hand made Power Reference
cord, three such wires are used, each
individually wrapped in silk tubing
specially woven by Ebisawa Corporation from
extra grade silk (silk is available in three
grades, extra being the highest purity).
This tubing is designed to maintain air
space around the copper wire and to prevent
build up of static. The three individually
silk wrapped wires are then inserted into a
flexible pipe of OFC copper. This pipe is
constructed along the lines of flexible
electrical conduit, made of a formed,
continuous spiral of metal. It is treated by
immersion in a Teflon solution which seals
the surface of the metal preventing
corrosion. Copper pipe provides greater
shielding against EMI (especially strong
fields) than woven strands of fine wire, or
thin foil, both commonly used for shielding
purposes. The cord isn't very flexible, but
once shaped it will retain that shape.
Finally, the copper pipe is covered with a
woven mesh of very fine polyurethane fibers
that has been impregnated with carbon
particles. The carbon provides additional
shielding from EMI. The cable is terminated
with Oyaide plugs, polished to a mirror
finish, plated with silver and rhodium, and
cryogenically treated.
Materials function. Commercial
power, which virtually everyone uses,
arrives carrying a lot of noise, a whole
spectrum of frequencies, along with 50/60Hz
alternating current. Power supplies in audio
equipment do not filter out all of this
noise; linear power supplies certainly
don't, even switch-mode power supplies
don't. Nor are they designed to do so. An
accessory power filter with a low frequency
pass band can filter some of it, but the
necessary components of such a filter as
traditionally designed – capacitors and
inductors and such like – create problems of
their own and exact a toll on the sound,
often perceived as restricted dynamics. Even
if these components were electrically
perfect, which they're not, they'd have an
audible effect that many audiophiles would
find deleterious. Thus the impetus for
designing electrically passive power
filters.
The RTP series are designed with
state-of-the-art electrical connectors.
Among their characteristics are highly
polished metallic surfaces. This is
important. When a power cord with polished,
perfectly parallel pin surfaces is inserted
in the RTP, there is a large contact area
between male and female parts, with few if
any gaps that might introduce noise through
microscopic arcing. (Interestingly, there is
a theoretical limit to how closely the atoms
of one surface can be to the other; if they
get too close, they fuse.) Now, if these
surfaces move relative to each other, if
there is any vibration, opposing
capacitative and frictional effects occur
that can theoretically set up a kinematic
oscillation, resulting in variation in
conductivity: another potential noise
source. The RTP minimizes these phenomena
first of all by using connectors that have
unusually strong spring action which tightly
grips inserted pins, and by polishing them
flat. Secondly, selection of materials,
careful, high-mass design, accuracy of
manufacture, and use of specialized feet,
all limit as much as possible the
transmission of vibrations. I've already
commented on the use of PCOCC-A wire
internally, its ovalized shape designed to
quash vibrations that have small, but
perhaps audible, capacitative and inductive
(including self-inductive) effects.
 Certainly
a unique feature of the RTP is the potting
mix lining the bottom of the chassis,
containing quartz, lithic tourmaline and
green carborundum. There is only the most
cursory information about these materials on
the Acoustic Revive site. And their
attributed behavior is not what I’d call
intuitively obvious, nor are some of the
claims of the effect of these behaviors on
the AC power. But when I mentioned these to
a friend who has a lot of experience working
with the energetic fields of minerals, she
thought the explanations made perfect sense.
With the assistance of Joe Cohen, Aki Monobe
(of Acoustic Revive), and the internet, I
proffer the following information.
Green carborundum, one of numerous forms of
silicon carbide, absorbs electromagnetic
radiation. Carborundum is a semiconductor
(in fact because it is stable under
high-temperature and has high-current
density, it is useful in applications where
silicon would fail). It also has “high
coupling” to microwave radiation (radar,
cell phones, repeaters, etc), so it will
tend to absorb higher frequency
electromagnetic radiation (read: noise). Mr
Monobe states, “Green carborundum acts like
an antenna and converts the EM energy to
heat.”
Heat from the green carborundum acts on
lithic tourmaline and causes it to generate
negative ions. (This principle is also used
in the Acoustic Revive RIO-5II negative ion
generator.) Negative ions lower or eliminate
the buildup of static electricity. One can
speculate that the buildup and discharge of
static could have physical (capacitative)
and electromagnetic effects. That is to say,
it could create minute physical movements of
the internal wiring (a theory also applied
to the audible effect of removing static
charge from a CD). The presence of static
charge/discharge could also create
electromagnetic disturbances that might have
an effect, however slight, on the EM field
around the wires inside the RTP. But how
does the static charge come about? There's
science behind the theory.
Static charge can be created through the
triboelectric effect. Materials are charged
negatively or positively, to greater or
lesser degrees, depending on the dissimilar
material with which they are in proximity.
The further apart materials are in the
triboelectric series (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triboelectric),
the more readily they create a static
charge. This occurs when the adhesion of
surfaces results in an exchange of charges,
one surface losing electrons, the other
gaining. Thus the choice of insulator for a
copper conductor can effect the degree of
static charge.
Finally there's quartz powder. According to
the US Patent Office, the hard science is
that if quartz is ground to particles not
exceeding 6ҵm
(miniscule), and then heated to 200 C or
above, it will generate far infrared
radiation at room temperatures. This much is
certain. Now, Acoustic Revive have told Joe
Cohen far infrared facilitates the flow of
electricity. How it does this I do not know
at this point.
Impressions. I have limited
experience with power filtering, yet I have
rapidly come to appreciate how big a
difference it can make to the quality of
sound reproduction. My review of the
LessLoss cord goes into some detail about
how a power cord can be designed so that
high frequency noise is attenuated before it
reaches the equipment. The effect of
switching from OEM cords to LessLoss cords
was very dramatic. Switching from a
commercial-grade power strip to the Acoustic
Revive RTP-4 (using the Power Reference
cord), did not – as I didn't expect it would
– have an equally dramatic effect.
Other reviewers did find the effect of the
RTP dramatic and there can be many reasons
for this disparity: perhaps in installing
the RTP they eliminated a dynamically
restrictive power filter, or perhaps their
power cords were to begin with not as
effective as the LessLoss cords I am using,
or perhaps they have an audio system capable
of greater resolution. Take your pick.
As I understand it, delivering clean power
is the primary goal of audiophile AC plugs,
sockets, cords and conditioners. While it
may be true, for example, that the
commercial power delivered in New York City
has more spurious noise than power delivered
in Seattle, noise riding piggyback on the AC
is finite. If a power conditioner
theoretically eliminates 90% of that noise,
the most that remains to be eliminated by,
say, power cords is 10%. Hence even a
superb, multi-thousand dollar cord may have
relatively little sonic effect. What is
consistently said about the RTP, in the
relatively sparse English reviews, is that
it does a much better job than any power
condition the reviewer has heard before.
The standard adjectives flag for me at this
point. I found the installation of the RTP-4
produced an immediate but rather subtle
improvement. Somewhat greater clarity,
instrumental body, richness of overtones.
But as time has gone by, I have found myself
more and more impressed with the sound.
Instruments seem more real. And the
qualifier that recurs to me is, there's
less. Less of something. It not exactly as
if a veil has been lifted. The tonality and
dynamics haven't changed exactly. The sound
stage and image haven't been appreciably
enhanced. There was a great sense of
presence before the RTP-4 was installed, so
it's not exactly about presence. Yet all of
these adjectives might be applied. No, it is
rather as if something, something I didn't
really notice because I was completely used
to hearing it along with the music, has been
eliminated. Something that must come riding
in on Pacific Gas & Electric's power lines.
The music has become more pure, more honest,
a more accurate facsimile of a live
performance. A small change (or perhaps a
number of small changes) wrought by the
RTP-4 have, over time, made a big difference
in the joy of music listening. I've
frequently felt uncertainty judging
electronics – does amplifier A really sound
better than amplifier B? In what ways
better? Is the bass in amplifier B more
accurate? Does amplifier A do a better job
reproducing the female voice? Does amplifier
B have a more convincing soundstage? Does
amplifier A project a deeper, more realistic
image?
None of these considerations apply with the
RTP-4. Top to bottom, one CD after another,
vocals, jazz, symphonies, piano sonatas,
everything sounds better. After some weeks
listening with the RTP-4, my mind open to
the possibility of additional descriptive
words, one suddenly occurred to me. It's a
word I've seen frequently in audiophile
literature, one I've looked at somewhat
askance, but in this case it seems to apply:
microdynamics. It is one of the
elusive factors contributing to the uncanny
realism of the sound. Fact is, the nature of
the change with the RTP-4 is both subtle and
pervasive, elusive and obvious at the same
time.
 I
have been delving once again into
Beethoven's piano sonatas. Lately it's been
Anton Kuerti's impeccable, somewhat
restrained performance on Fleurs de Lis
(Analekta FL 2 4010). Now, I've yet to be
fooled into thinking there's an actual piano
in the living room, but often from another
room the illusion is uncanny. Go into the
living room and the illusion disappears,
definitely a recorded piano: acoustics,
awkward room dimensions, bass peaks and
reverberations (limitations of my
loudspeakers) break the spell. But for the
first time ever – with the RTP-4 and its
umbilical in circuit – the illusion seems to
remain in tact even under the far less than
ideal acoustics of my living room.
Something's changed. There is a palpable
piano in the room. (At least with certain
CDs.) The experience is, not to put too fine
a point on it, wonderful. Well, it's not
real enough to make me question my sanity,
but it's a damn sight more real than
anything I've heard before. The piano
strings ring like clarions, the bass seems
to reach deeper into my body, and to
resonate in my chest, full of power and
emotion. Profound. (Now, if only I had a
pair of JMLabs Grande Utopia Be's...)
 As
those of you who have read my recent reviews
may remember, I actually do own other jazz
recordings besides Clifford Jordan's Live
at Ethell's (Mapleshade 56292). Not too
many, it's true. But none that I love more,
and none that are more perfectly recorded.
As close to being in a club as you can get
from your living room. I put on my favorite
cut, Lush Life, the one with Maestro
Jordan's only known vocal. I must have heard
this CD a hundred times, and I am prepared
to testify that never has Clifford Jordan
sounded so real. The venue acoustic is so
detailed, so finely wrought, you can see him
standing there. Really. The finest nuances
of sound, fully and accurately retrieved,
that I have heard on my stereo.
Orchestral music is difficult to reproduce
well in this venue. So I was curious how my
stereo would fare with the RTP-4 on complex
music. I chose the slow movement from
Bruckner's Seventh Symphony (Gunter
Wand conducting the Berlin Philharmonic, RCA
74321 68716 2), partly because it is music
of unusually lush and rich texture, and
partly because it is a stupendous
performance. It is the only performance of
the Seventh I've heard to equal (or exceed)
the old Eduard van Beinum / Concertgebouw
recording. Bruckner is never in a hurry to
get somewhere, and the Adagio is nearly
twenty-two minutes long. The effect of its
ponderous evolution is intense and
emotional, but deeply spiritual; it opens a
vast door to a glorious other world. I'd
swear the hair on my arms stood on end. More
than once I had to remind myself to breathe,
so mesmerizing was the experience. The
textural detail is lusciously delineated,
the architectural structure raised
miraculously before me, glorious order from
inchoate creation.
Ultimately, none of this is about the
unending (and expensive) trudge to audio
perfection. It is about the pleasure and joy
of music. Music can be enjoyed on a cheap
car radio, but the love of audiophiles for
realistic sound seems to be a part of their
skin. The RTP-4 retails for $2250, the Power
Reference cord $600 for 1.5 meters. That
comes to $2850 (before taxes): a fair
wallop. Is it worth it? Yes. In my
experience there are plenty of ways of
spending nearly $3000 that would prove far
less compelling and endearing. No CD player,
amplifier, DAC or preamp that has passed
these portals has done anything quite like
it. It is a unique device. I find I can well
believe those other reviewers who said it's
the best power conditioner they've ever
heard.
Acoustic Revive
RTP-4
Outlets: 4
Type: Passive
Price: $2,250.00 US
Manufacturer:
Sekiguchi Machine
Sales Co., LTD
3016-1 Tsunatori-machi
Isesaki-shi
Gunma Pref. 372-0812
Japan
Tel. +81-270-24-0878
U.S. Distributor:
Joe Cohen
Lotus Group USA
Tel. (415) 897-8884
www.lotusgroupusa.com
Email:
info@lotusgroupusa.com
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