Imagine you’ve spent tens of thousands of dollars on your dream sound system, with state-of-the-art equipment to get the most out of any given audio recording. There’s just one catch: electricity. You have to share the same wiring with basically the entire city, without any control over the quality of this power.
Fortunately, you have options. A new report in the Wall Street Journal talks about Japanese audiophiles who literally install their own electricity poles, as a means to monitor the quality of the electricity for their sound system. Aside from the $10,000 investment in said utility pole, there is an entire array of audio power equipment for the concerned consumer.
While installing your own electrical grid just to enhance audio quality may seem far-fetched, there is a psychological component to the process. The WSJ article explains that the “power of imagination” comes into play, where those who are obsessed with audio want to assure themselves that nothing could interfere with the top possible sound quality.
Is there an observable difference between shared and personal electricity? It’s doubtful, but there’s nothing wrong with spending a little extra money to be sure.