Power conditioning as audio tweak

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by sharedon, Aug 28, 2005.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. sharedon

    sharedon Forum Zonophone Thread Starter

    Location:
    Boomer OK
    As the title of the thread says, I'm curious to know what people think about power conditioning as audio tweak - since some of the devices I see in places like the Music Direct catalog are pricey... how far does one go? I don't mean Shakti stones, but power conditioners and outlet upgrades. Thanx!
     
  2. Danny Kaey

    Danny Kaey New Member

    Location:
    Long Beach, CA
    lots of silly stuff out there... the good ones aren't necessarily the ones splattered over 7 page ad's in audio mag's... ;)

    I am currently reviewing a stunning product which truly elevates my playback to a whole new level, from a small company in Phoenix, Arizona...
     
  3. Carmantom

    Carmantom Primo Audioholic

    Location:
    Central Florida
    Sharedon,

    I can tell you I bought a Sound Applications some years back. It was model CF-X It was latest and greatest. It sold new for $4200 I bought it uses for about a thousand dollars. It made a huge difference in dynamics,transparency,soundstage,depth and the noisefloor dropped dramatically.

    I must have forgot about how good it was,since someone recently offered me about a $1000 for it. I pulled it out of the system and the soundstage just seemed to collapse. . I told the buyer I couldn't sell it,and why. I have put it back in and am happy :edthumbs: again.

    They work. How they do it technically,I don't know. Just my 2 cents.

    Tom
     
  4. macready

    macready New Member

    Location:
    Oregon, USA
  5. cunningham

    cunningham Forum Resident

    Location:
    dallas, tx
    Sloppy power is a real problem. Some like Tom Port plays his system on battery power just to avoid the noisy problems current can cause. I am a strong believer in dedicated circuits and careful filtering of the current.
     
  6. thegage

    thegage Forum Currency Nerd

    I've gone through a few conditioners--Adcom ACE-515, PS Audio Power Plants, Richard Gray devices, Monster power products, to my current BPT balanced power conditioners--plus dedicated circuits and fancy outlets. All conditioners have had noticeable effects, some positive, some negative, and always system-dependent, so it's difficult to be categorical. Dedicated circuits are a must; after that, experiment!

    John K.
     
  7. Randy W

    Randy W Original Member

    In my experience, dedicated circuits always help. Upgraded power cords usually help. Power conditioners sometimes help pre-amps, but usually do not help when it comes to large amplifiers and CD players.

    IMO, the best power conditioner is no power conditioner, as long as you power is clean enough.
     
  8. Tullman

    Tullman Senior Member

    Location:
    Boston MA
    I have dedicated lines, which do the job. I also have a Granite Audio Ground Zero device, which eliminates ground loops/noise. Ken Stevens of CAT told me not use power conditioners on his products. My components all have expensive state of the art power supplies which do not require conditioners.
     
  9. RicP

    RicP All Digital. All The Time.

    I have a dedicated circuit for the audio system, but I do use a Belkin Pure A/V PF60 power conditioner and I like it. I previously had a Monster 3500 and I like the Belkin better.
     
  10. Plinko

    Plinko Senior Member

    I honestly have no idea and the cost can vary I'm sure but what does it generally cost to get a dedicated line?
     
  11. Jamie Tate

    Jamie Tate New Member

    Location:
    Nashville
  12. Jeffrey

    Jeffrey Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    South Texas
  13. Jamie Tate

    Jamie Tate New Member

    Location:
    Nashville
  14. McLover

    McLover Senior Member

    Hi all,

    I recommend Furman power conditioners or Tripp-Lite Isobars with the audio equipment on it's own circuit. Helps sound quality a little and adds to the longevity of your equipment also.
     
  15. Tony Plachy

    Tony Plachy Senior Member

    Location:
    Pleasantville, NY
    I swear by PS Audio. IMHO , it is the leader in power conditioning (actually power regeneration). Has to be heard to be believed.
     
  16. Joe Nino-Hernes

    Joe Nino-Hernes Active Member

    Location:
    Chicago, IL
    I highly recommend Shunyata products. They really improve the sound if you have bad current. I had tried tripp lite and Furman products, but they always made it sound like all of my equipment was going through a compressor.
     
  17. audio

    audio New Member

    Location:
    guyana
    I do not believe in power conditioners. I think gear always sounds best when plugged straight into the wall.

    Otherwise, the ultimate would be batteries...but how practical is that?
     
  18. Barry Wom

    Barry Wom New Member

    Location:
    Pepperland
    I've tried Music Works, Chord, and Cawsey mains/power conditioners, and I've heard no difference whatsover.

    Electrical engineers tell me the only way to improve the mains is to live near the power station, yet HIFI friends rave about their Nordost power cables and Thor conditioner.

    SO the conclusion is that there is no answer, just trust your ears and home dem before you buy.

    I'd still recommend to spend the money on normal equipment if you want to easily improve your sound.

    Tim
     
  19. Tony Plachy

    Tony Plachy Senior Member

    Location:
    Pleasantville, NY
    Tim, This is exactly why PS Audio is so good, it actually regenerates the power (as opposed to trying to condition it) in your listening room. It is like having the power station right there in your room. :thumbsup:
     
  20. Tony Plachy

    Tony Plachy Senior Member

    Location:
    Pleasantville, NY
    Audio, I am sure you know that there are several battery powered pre-amps and phono-amps in the market.
     
  21. Barry Wom

    Barry Wom New Member

    Location:
    Pepperland
    very interesting. After I've had my Quad II's fixed, that might be my next purchase. I've heard the Thor with complete Valhalla cabling and it is awesome, but totally out of this world prices, for that money I could get a brand new Grasshopper and some Avantgarde Unos!
     
  22. SamS

    SamS Forum Legend

    Location:
    Texas
    I am of the strongest mindset that (assuming you live in a house) you should spend your money first to have a TVSS put in at the breaker box AND run dedicated lines to your gear.

    This is a cheap method to give the filtration/protection right at the breaker box and make sure your gear has enough power.

    If you are running any type of 'line conditioner' and your gear is not on it's own dedicated line, you're wasting $ IMO.

    See my exploits with power stuff here.
     
  23. Drew

    Drew Senior Member

    Location:
    Grand Junction, CO
    I've been powering a 25 watt solid state amp I built a few months ago directly from 4, 12 Volt Sealed Lead Acid batteries. I've built several power supplies for this amp using toroidal transformers using designs from Nelson Pass' DIY page including one very similar to whats inside of an Aleph 3. Keep coming back to the batteries though. Haven't had the time to mess with it much lately because Summer's the busy season with my day job. I also feel guilty if the weather's nice and I'm working on indoor projects.
     
  24. Tony Plachy

    Tony Plachy Senior Member

    Location:
    Pleasantville, NY
    Folks, Sam is certainly right that a surge protector at the breaker box is the way to go since it protects the entire house. And dedicated lines for you A/V system is always a good idea, but that alone will not give you clean power. Check out the link below to get more detail as to what a power plant does versus a power conditioner. I use the PS Audio Power Plant P300 for all of my front-end gear. I can set the line voltage, line frequency and power signal shape! The audible difference that the power signal shape makes is so obvious that I would venture to say that anyone (including non-audiophiles) can hear it.

    http://www.psaudio.com/power.asp
     
  25. AJH

    AJH Senior Member

    Location:
    PA Northern Tier
    I own a PS Audio P500 Power Plant and I couldn't agree with you more. I believe that the difference regenerated (clean) power makes is huge. Bass, soundstage, and imaging are all greatly improved.

    AJH
     
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.

Share This Page

molar-endocrine