Tripp Lite IEC Sleeves…

Fortunately, Stirling Trayle (of Audio Systems Optimised) recently introduced me to a simple, cost-effective solution to the mechanical vagaries of the IEC socket. The Tripp Lite PLC14YW is a simple, ribbed plastic sleeve that fits over the nose of any IEC C13 plug. On insertion into a loose socket, the ribs are compressed between the plug’s nose and the socket’s walls et voilà – a secure and stable fit. The only minor glitch is that the sleeve is moulded with locating tabs that sit above and below the body of a standard, slim-line C13 IEC plug – presumably to recover the sleeve in the unlikely event that it gets left in a socket. The effort required to remove a Tripp Lite sleeve once it has been fitted to a C13 plug-nose indicates just how unlikely that is, but the existence of the tabs means that the popular, barrel shaped bodies used on most audiophile power cords will mandate their removal. A craft-knife will quickly dispose of the problem.

Clearly, not every C13 power lead/socket interface is going to require the Tripp Lite treatment, but for those leads, especially heavy, audiophile grade power cords, that find themselves confronted with a socket that delivers a less than secure contact this is a cheap and utterly reliable solution to the problems of poor connection quality and inadvertent AC interruption. One other thing to note from the Audioquest example: the groove in the flat side of some C13 connectors is designed to mate with a corresponding ridge in the socket. If your equipment has those ridges in its AC sockets, the TrippLite sleeve becomes difficult although not impossible to use. It becomes a case oif more trimming required and some careful insertion. The biggest challenge facing audiophiles seeking the Tripp Lite sleeve is finding them in small quantities. Currently, online shopping is the way to go, although even a reviewer is going to struggle to get through a minimum order of 100 pieces. But at a total price of around €60 for those 100 pieces, how long before dealers and installers start to invest in and offer this incredibly useful product? Other examples exist that do an identical job and these may also be more readily available in smaller numbers. Meanwhile, this neat IEC sleeve has definitely become another audio set up essential…