Powerline Accessory Reviews

Editor: We thank you for giving us the opportunity of making this pre-publication response and for giving us lengthy coverage of the Richard Gray's Power Company (RGPC). We are disappointed that Jonathan Scull was unable to achieve the results that others and we have enjoyed with the over 2000 units sold by over 75 dealers in the 13 months the RGPC has been on the market. These dealers encourage no-risk, in-place demonstrations to high-end audio and home-theater enthusiasts, professional recording studios, and musicians.

In a few rare exceptions where one's very-high-end system has already been tweaked and the sound balanced with different cables, interconnects, AC power cords, and power-line conditioning devices, the addition of the RGPC may introduce an incompatibility. In this case, it might not seem to perform well. However, once the incompatibility is discovered (which may be as simple as a cable change), the effects are generally dramatic and welcome. Many people have reported that, when used with some video projectors, the projector itself needs re-calibration to take full advantage of the RGPC, and then with dramatic and welcome results.

The essence of our proprietary choke technology (patent pending) is straightforward: The RGPC, wired in parallel with the line, electrically and mechanically simple, reacts to the specific needs of the equipment on the system (the load) to reduce the colorations found in most audio and video equipment. It should not (and has not, according to our experience and that of users everywhere) add coloration as JS described.

Ohm's law says that I=E/Z: current (I) equals voltage (E) divided by impedance (Z). Our literature clearly states that a series-type line conditioner can add resistance to the line, thereby decreasing available current and energy.

You have inferred that we claim all other products to be obsolete. This is not true. We do recommend, however, removing all line conditioners from your system when evaluating the performance of our product or any other new component. When you're satisfied, we suggest you reintroduce them incrementally to determine their effect on the system. As you know, every system and A/C line feed is different. We have received favorable comments resulting from adding certain power-line enhancers, line conditioners, and sinewave-"regenerating" amplifiers in addition to the RGPC.

We appreciate you publishing our descriptions from "The Gray Paper," the name of which was our tongue-in-cheek approach to the conventional white paper because, as JS says, "nothing is black-and-white." We do, however, want to distance RGPC "from those others now on the market who attempt to 'fill-in' and smooth out the hashy distortion, etc."—ie, those that filter higher frequencies. Additionally, since Jonathan brings up public utilities' use of large capacitors, which resonate the AC line, we invite your readers to review these relevant websites: pactechnologies, savemoney, calypso, aimeurope.

How Jonathan writes his articles is your business, but one bit of criticism: We wonder what end is achieved by using descriptions such as " 'leaner-than-dog's-breath' amplifier." To us, Stereophile's objectivity is not enhanced by this use of sarcasm.

The components JS used for his test have been used successfully with the RGPC in similar systems throughout the country. Reading his description brings us to conclude that, for some reason unknown to him or to us, his system and the RGPC are incompatible. Notwithstanding, we are thankful that the seasoned audiophiles whose purchases Stereophile influences, as you have ours over the years, can readily discover for themselves the favorable results gained in their own systems by arranging a no-risk in-home demonstration by one of our professional dealers listed on our website.

Finally, in the Y2K CES report in the April 2000 Stereophile, you point out and list exhibits where the RGPC was seen in use by manufacturers and retailers all over the CES. We believe that so many high-end amplifier manufacturers touting the use of Richard Gray's Power Company speaks very loudly for itself.—Richard Gray, Dick McCarthy, Partners, Audio Line Source LLP