| Richard Gray's Power Company SubStation & HighTensionWire |
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| Home Theater AC Power AC Power | |||||||||||||||||||
| Written by Ben Shyman | |||||||||||||||||||
| Wednesday, 01 September 2004 | |||||||||||||||||||
Page 3 of 3 The Downside After evaluating the RGPC SubStation and HighTensionWire, I can think of a few negatives. Richard Gray’s Power Company repeatedly and confidentially claims that the IsoGray surge ression system will protect your equipment from lethal power spikes that can wipe out an entire system. I am certain anyone who purchases a RGPC 1200S and SubStation is drawn in by this claim, as well as the anticipated improvement in power quality and system performance the IsoGray System affords. Considering the sizable investment of a SubStation and RGPC 1200S, it would be nice if RGPC offered greater piece of mind through some form of meaningful monetary guarantee against surges and spikes, which can damage your system should the IsoGray fail to do its job. Secondly, while the SubStation is not large, it would have had greater appeal to me as a rack mount component vs. the floor-standing version I reviewed. If the SubStation were available in a horizontal, rack-mountable unit, I think most people would prefer it. (Note: Richard Gray's Power Company will be offering a rack mount unit by the end of the year.) As for HighTensionWire, the downside there is more obvious. If you have ever used or seen eight-gauge wire, you know that it can be slightly unforgiving in terms of flexibility and weight and you will need more room behind your equipment rack or furniture to make room for the greater volume of wires and cables. Admittedly, this is a small negative, as HighTensionWire is far easier to accommodate then some of the video cables I use, but it is a downside worth considering. Compared to their competition, RGPC’s products look somewhat dated. For audiophiles, this may be cool, but who ever said audiophiles are cool? In direct comparison to other considerable AC power products marketed to the AV consumer, such as PS Audio, Exact Power, Equi=Tech and even the new player Pure Power, the RGPC just doesn’t have the sex appeal to win the audio beauty contest, especially when displayed in the open or a well-crafted rack. If the only thing you care about is audio or picture quality, then this knock is a non-issue. Conclusion With the RGPC SubStation, 1200S and HighTensionWire, my system has reached a new level of performance. In my view and after months of testing in my system, the RGPC SubStation and HighTensionWire will perform beyond the highest expectations of the most discerning consumer. They are manufactured to the highest build quality anyone could expect and while you will pay big bucks for them, the benefits are clearly worth it. The investment you make in IsoGray components is one you will likely never need to upgrade or replace. As an insurance policy against voltage irregularities and power spikes to your entire home theater, an investment in RGPC gear can quickly pay for itself. Throw in the performance improvements you will clearly see and hear and it is fair to say a RGPC SubStation and HighTensionWire are easily worth factoring into your budget. Having enjoyed the virtues of RGPC’s power improvements, I can no longer live without it.
3.26 Copyright (C) 2008 Compojoom.com / Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved."
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