I use amazing Sound Application LineStage power conditioners by Jim Weil. New model 2/24 post #160!

Steve, do you know the sequence in which the gear is plugged into the Sound Application? I'm using the RLS-1 into the Oyaide receptacles.

 

Firm believer in clean power conditioning after quite a few listening sessions at RMAF many years ago. Additionally, a firm believer in dedicated amperage breakers for gear and highly recommend a whole house TVSS (transient voltage surge suppressor) on the 200 service line to help protect against transient voltages and surges. Nothing can guarantee 100% protection from mother nature (i.e., lightening strikes & subsequent damage & according to Wikipedia, an average bolt of negative lightning carries an electric current of 30,000 amperes (30 kA), and transfers 15 coulombs of electric charge and 500 megajoules of energy. Large bolts of lightning can carry up to 120 kA and 350 coulombs.). Hope I never have a close hit (I do unplug all gear during severe weather).

Back to topic, I have found an Isoclean PT-3030G II Isolation Transformer using Isoclean Super Focus In/Out cables feeding an Isoclean ICP-106 six position power bar to be my choice in the matter. A total of 7 Wireworld Platinum Eclipse power cords provide AC conduit to the amps, preamp, and DCS stack. (The amps bypass the Isoclean gear & feed direct to separate 20 amp dedicated breakers).

All wall outlets have been replaced with hospital grade PS Audio Power Port Classic AC receptacles.

I have used Shunyata and some Nordost power conditioning equipment in the past; but, like the Isoclean products.

Best Sir,

Bob

 

Hey Steve, thanks for the quick reply. The info is exactly what I needed to know. The analog and digital are opposite from each other on mine as well.

 

How much would one of these cost?

 

That must be why the price isn't listed on his page.

 

Would love to hear one of these.

 

An audiophile colleague based in Singapore who's ears I trust PM'd me recently about how he was bowled over by a Sound Application line conditioner he had just heard. It was a used model that he purchased for about $6k and he went on and on about how huge a difference it made in his setup (which is very similar to my own). I had never heard of Sound Application before and was quite content with my power setup that had taken me years to put together but because I live in California, he strongly suggested I give one a listen since he knew Sound Application is also based in California. I called the number on Sound Application's website and I had a chance to speak to both Connie and Jim Weil. By pure serendipitous coincidence, it turns out we are neighbors and live literally within a couple miles of each other and so this past weekend, we met at a local organic juice and coffee bar that the Weils frequent. What was meant to be a 30 minute conversation went on for hours. Just a fascinating couple. Those who have spoken with Jim know he is very opinionated and also very confident about his products, so much so that I was a bit skeptical.

Yesterday, Jim and Connie came by my house where he inspected my home wiring and picked up on some significant deficiencies that I will be addressing very soon. He also brought over one of his older SA-1 line conditioners to try. In fact, he has left it with me for the next few weeks. He said it is nearly a decade old but because he wasn't sure about my budget, he figured he'd start with this model that he had lying around that someone had used as a trade in for a newer model. If I am not mistaken, this model, when new cost $14k and when someone tells me a line conditioner costs this much, you can bet my expectations will be lofty.

To provide some background, I have 2 listening rooms in my house. I have a large listening room that houses a pair of new Martin Logan Renaissance 15A hybrid electrostats driven by Pass Labs class A amplification, a Chord Blu2 upsampling transport, a Chord DAVE DAC, as well a very high end computer server that I built myself. In this same cabinet, I also have an Oppo BDP-205 Blu ray player that I use for movie playback. Line conditioning is provided by a pair of Shunyata Denali conditioners along with a High Fidelity Cables power distributor and a complete loom of High Fidelity Cables power chords. The lines leading from my circuit breakers are not yet dedicated and use skinny 14-gauge wiring although dual 20-amp dedicated circuits using at least 10g wire is in the works. Despite comments from friends that this setup sounds "really good," I have been unsatisfied by the rather diffuse imaging that these Martin Logans project. Soundstage is huge but the image sounds too soft for my liking. Despite a lot of experimentation with different amps and cables, I've never been able to get these to image any better and so I had resigned myself to the idea that this is the compromise of line source speakers like electrostats.

My 2nd listening room is my favorite listening room but it is designed for a single person as it is a near field setup comprised of a pair of custom Voxativs that sit atop my desk. These high efficiency Voxativs are driven directly by my Chord DAVE DAC (no speaker amplifier is used because the Chord DAVE DAC can output 2 ultraclean watts at 8 0hms with an output impedance of only 0.055 ohms) and when fronted by my upsampling Chord Blu2 transport and an ultra high end music server that I built, I could not ask for a more resolving and more transparent setup. I attend lots of audio shows (CES, Munich, LA Audio Show, and RMAF just this year) and I get to hear lots of things and nothing I have heard comes close to the engagement to my music that this intimate setup provides. To say that I love love love this setup would be an understatement. This setup includes a dedicated 20A line using 10g Romex, Furutech GTX-D(R) NCF receptacles, Shunyata Triton V3 line conditioner, and a full loom of High Fidelity Cables power and signal cabling. All gear is grounded via Synergistic Research's Active Grounding Block SE and my digital gear sits atop Synergistic Research's Tranquility Bases. In my view, there was no way this setup could be improved, at least not by any significant margin.

Well, I tried this "decade old" SA-1 line conditioner that Jim left behind in each of my listening rooms and this is what I have observed just in the past 24 hours:

Listening room 1 with the Martin Logan Renaissance 15A hybrid electrostats -- As previously stated, these speakers cast a giant soundstage and is wonderful for large orchestral music but also large arena concerts and movies. Where it lacks is in imaging, it's just too soft. Details are soft around the edges and I feel like there isn't enough presence or physicality to the presentation. Also, at low to moderate levels, the integrity of the sound is excellent but once you crank it up, you start to feel it break apart. The High Current receptacles in my Shunyata Denalis connected to the wall by Shunyata Alpha HC 20A power chords did a good job of boosting dynamics and reducing compression but not enough and I assumed this would improve once I replaced the old 14g wiring that was in my walls with much beefier 10g or better wiring. When I replaced the Shunyata Denali with the SA-1, to be honest, I didn't expect much given the small gauge wiring in my wall but almost immediately, I was shocked at what I heard. The soft, diffuse image I was complaining about with my Martin Logans were now much more crisply focused and it was easier to hear notes start and stop. It was as if my line source speakers had been transformed into point source speakers and yet the giant soundstage that I loved with these electrostats was still every bit there. Even more, the transients now seemed faster and the leading edge had more bite and more slam. Bass definition, which was good beforehand, was incredibly better. Midrange clarity and treble detail also improved significantly. To my utter disbelief, as I cranked up the volume, instead of collapse, the integrity of the dynamics was maintained.

Listening room 2 with the nearfield Voxativ setup -- I didn't expect that the SA-1 would do much in this room. As I previously stated, I had paid so much attention to detail with this setup that I didn't feel it could be improved. Also, to date, I had yet to hear a line conditioner that was anywhere as good as the latest Shunyata Triton 3 and since this setup was already on a dedicated 20A line, I was expecting a much more marginal improvement, if any at all. Well, I was wrong. As good as the new Triton V3 is, this nearly decade old SA-1 is quite a bit better. Bass on my JL Audio Fathom V2 subwoofer is tighter, better defined, faster and consequently, more tuneful. When I first installed the Shunyata Triton V3, I literally had to turn down the sub a notch. With the SA-1, I had to turn it down again. My Voxativ AC-4X drivers, which are known to sound buttery smooth can sound a touch bright with certain recordings at high volume but with the SA-1, they were now sounding less fatiguing, more relaxed and also more effortless in its presentation. Because I am using my DAC to directly drive my speakers, this setup always excelled in speed. Transients were lightning quick but with spellbinding agility and this is one reason I found myself previously dissatisfied with my Martin Logans. In comparison, the Martin Logans sounded indistinct and slow and these are traits that electrostats generally excel in. With the SA-1 replacing the Triton V3, transients aren't necessarily faster but they have more substance and finesse and nuance. I found myself listening well into the night last night because it was impossible to stop.

What is scary is that I called Jim up last night to tell him what I thought of this older SA-1 and he told me this unit represents only about 5% of what his latest Teflon-based line conditioners are capable of. He also told me that if I went the extra mile and used his special 6-gauge "self power factor correcting" wire for the dedicated lines I was having installed, I would be in for a serious surprise. Pretty haughty statements but at this stage, I am done being skeptical about Jim's claims. I have asked Jim to bring by his latest creation once completed and he has agreed to but he is preferring to do so once my dedicated lines are ready in a few weeks. I now fear for my wallet.

 

Fantastic report. Thank you so much for posting.

 

I personally hate the word power conditioner -- it's a great couple words too broad in interpretation & which allude to an end all AC mains solution which actually IMO squashes and compresses the dynamic range & limits peak current of electronics; it by typically reconstructing the AC with poorly designed inductors or MOV's which impedes the power line. Thereby robbing the bass and blurring the sound.

A regenerator on the other hand improves the source impedance of the AC & has a reserve in capacitor banks to resolve the missing energy of the peak of the sine wave. These can theoretically deliver peaks of 70A on a 15A circuit. A "good" regenerator is great especially in areas serviced by unstable AC.

Power isolation & isolation transformers are a form of power conditioner but their drawback is they are not designed for dynamic loads from amplifiers.

Along with what appears to be in your picture an SA-1 AC Filter distribution bar, which is designed to strip AC mains contamination from frequency variations, address EMF and RF interference. This is also my present frame of thinking. The unit pictured could also be a form of AC power purifier which addresses the AC contamination, stripping the EMI & RFI & improve the AC waveform -- fixing a common problem called 'flat topping' -- but, that's a guess on my part.

So, where do I fit into all this? Power is key to establishing a base foundation to a good system. So, I started looking and settled in first on Nordost QRT power products, especially the Qbase distributor had me intrigued but those weren't designed in-house. Michael Børresen of Raidho speaker fame (who has since left Raidho) actually designed those Nordost products (along with the Odin 1 cable line). During his time at Raidho, he began his own cable company named Ansuz Acoustics. There is where I ended up going & after a long term in-home loan from my dealer, I installed an Ansuz Acoustics Mainz D8 power distributor along with a Ansuz Acoustics Ceramic power cable feeding it from my 20A dedicated wall outlet. Since I had one open outlet on the D8, it was necessary to purchase a Sparkz Tesla Coil Line Harmonizer. All my gear is plugged into the D8 -- I use no other AC receptacle to power anything in the rack. My near term goal is to replace the AA Ceramic power cable feeding the D8 with the best I can afford -- IMO, it is the most important cable in power distribution. (FYI -- if you compare the Qbase with the D8 - they are basically identical -- the Qbase though has the AC receptacle vertical whereas the D8 has them horizontal -- something Michael learned from the Qbase design -- ever try to put 8 heavy power cords vertical -- the distributor will tip).

What amazed me more so than anything was how crisp, clear, fast and dynamic the instruments were. Piano had more weight, someone in the background hitting a wooden block was much sharper (and clearer), drums were not only clearer but stronger sounding. Voices, like Eva Cassidy's wooing in song as like in Fields of Gold was wavy lifelike & Ella Fitzgerald's quick "skat singing" was spacious and in-the-room-like. Background instruments had much more detail but didn't interfere with the vocals & the soundstage opened up more and had a much deeper presentation.

As you asked Steve -- there you have it. The Ansuz Acoustics power distributor addresses AC contamination and problems of conflicting signal and ground paths which create noise. I'm a very happy camper as like you after many efforts to address AC mains.

Best Sir,

Bob

 

I'm sold! His website lists neither models, nor prices, alas...

 

Shoot it out against Shunyata Denali D6000T. Two other passive solutions which garner praise are Audioquest Niagara 5000 and Audience Adept Response line. Some here can get demo gear no doubt. Let's see if any stand out!

It is impossible to imagine how much of what we hear is the sound of mains. And then it's gone. Wow!!! Must hear to begin to comprehend.

 

A year or two back when I would watch some children of my guests who were single parent household's, I would let the girls hold sleepover's on the weekends. They would camp out in the office. One would sleep on the green sofa and one would sleep on a twin mattress that I would put on the floor. The children would play together and have fun right up until bed time.



Children always enjoy camping out. Even if it is only in the living room. She is taking pictures of a story she wrote. Note the Stereophile mag on the sofa.

So, how does it happen that you have a downstairs room that has nothing in it with the exception of pup tents?

 

WOW, I somehow previously missed your post/thread.

The number one maintenance issue I have in running a motel on the beach area that is over sixty years old is water.

There is a major construction project across the street from us, that we have had to deal with for some 21-months now. There has been so much heavy equipment banging and causing excess vibration that pipes are coming loose in the part of the building that is closest to the street.

The rooms on the first floor all have boxes running along the inside of the ceilings on the north side for pipes that belong with the plumbing for the rooms on the second floor above them.

At first the leak in the false ceiling of the bathroom in room #1, next to the office started so slowly the by the time we noticed water coming out of the wall, all the wall board had disintegrated.

That is the ceiling at the top, which consists of poured concrete slabs. You can see the hot water heater in the utility room which is on the other side of the bathroom.

We have been totally rebuilding this room over the past six months. A complete nightmare!

This thing is, that on these old buildings, the original plans never showed how the electricity was run or the pluming either. They only show the incoming connection to the hot water hearer and to the electrical junction box.

Original materials that were used in the construction are no longer available, so you have to figure out other ways to do the job. Everything takes ten times longer than building it in the first place would.



Here is the dropped ceiling in the office bathroom opened up to repair the leaks there. That has now been put all back together.



This was taken today of the inside ceiling of my office and listening room. That is where two pieces of the concrete slab come together. There is about an inch of some material on top of the sundeck slab. that had to be cut out and removed.



At the bottom there used to be jalousie windows, that were removed when the investors remodeled the interior's back in 2008. They removed the glass and put T-111 plywood in it's place and wallboard on the inside. The office is at ground level all the other rooms are 6" or so higher, like the door in the background. All the front windows have been permanently boarded up with plywood. You can see the dust we get every day from the construction across the street.



The old plywood has been removed here. there was a low spot in the concrete where water used to stand and we seeping into the wall. There are now two pieces of durock cement board in each of the three "windows" and the concrete is being built up. After the new plywood has been replaced on the outside and painted more concrete will be added and angled toward the parking lot.



All part of the fun of running an old motel.

So, I can definitely identify with ya and certainly feel for you.

 

Holy ****! Your system sounds better?!

 

Sorry for the thread crap. I meant to post the to your flood thread. Could someone please move or delete it please?

 

OK, I would like to add MY experience and opinions to this thread regarding power conditioners.

I am NOT an authority AT ALL regarding them, and do not sell them. I have just started to borrow and buy various models, both old and new, to discover which I can recommend with Audio Note equipment. The manufacturer claims that the sound of all Audio Note equipment depends heavily on power supply designs, and therefore they recommend NEVER using a power conditioner. ONLY use a simple power strip, preferably with no switch, no circuit breaker, no MOVs, no NOTHING... just outlets.

1) Everybody has a strong opinion about power conditioners, everyone "LOVES" the one THEY own, but few have ever compared to different types and brands. So actually, you cannot trust anyone's opinion. Everyone only knows that they like their's.

2) I have been using exclusively old API Power Wedges in all of my systems for decades. They are cheap on Ebay, and they work. As far as I am concerned, I always hear a subtle improvement, compared to going straight into wall outlets or power strips, and the Power Wedges really only do one thing: they isolate the grounds of each component with transformers. The transformers are not in the power signal path, they only isolate the grounds. This allows each component to develop its own internal ground level, so that mismatches will not be transferred through the interconnects, thus causing noise.

3) Then finally, for my latest attendance at an audio show, I thought I had better use some currently made power conditioner, so that I look "cool" and "hip" instead of using old API Power Wedges in public. PS Audio loaned me their latest AC-to-DC-and-back-to-AC regenerator, the P15. Audience loaned me their top-of-the-line AR6, with all the extra features. When I tried these at home, I just plugged all my low level components into each one, but not the amplifiers. I happen to have had a CAT preamp in the system, and WOW, both units made big improvements. Then, I removed the CAT, substituted an Audio Note near-top-of-the-line M6-Phono into the system, and tried again. Zilch. I really could not hear any difference between Power Wedge, Audience, and PS Audio. If there were differences, they were so subtle (compared to with the CAT) that they just didn't matter to me.

4) At the audio show, I decided that, well, maybe the show's power is much more compromised by the industrial vicinity of the hotel, and the many other rooms with audio equipment playing ALL at the same time on the hotel's power grid. This time, in my full Audio Note system, I did notice an improvement using either the PS Audio or the Audience, compared to directly into a basic power strip, but not much.

5) My temporary conclusion is that ANYTHING that can be done in a power conditioner could be done in a component's power supply, if the manufacturer determined that each of the possible concepts were important to the sound of his product, AND if he determined that it would not raise the cost of the product to above what his customers will pay. Well, since when did Audio Note ever compromise a product design to keep the price down? The answer is: They are quite famous for NOT doing this. Therefore, in my opinion, which power conditioner will serve YOU best is 100% dependant on what equipment you own, and how that equipment reacts to the power you are feeding it. Results for "which power conditioner is best" will vary tremendously for every individual.

In my case, using Audio Note equipment, so far, power conditioners don't make much difference... NONE of them that I have tried so far are worth the money they cost, compared to spending that money to upgrade your weakest-link component itself. But I will give Steve's favorite a chance, just to find out why he seems to like it so much.