wgscott Posted February 18, 2017 Share Posted February 18, 2017 We are getting a little bit of weather recently. We have to pick our way through this to get in and out of the house: I doubt PG&E (Power, Greed & Extortion, our electrical utility) will fix this any time soon. But the real tragedy is we have no internet connection. At least we can make our own electricity by burning fossils and cranking up the CO2. So I decided to try an experiment. Normally, I don't use sensitive electronics when the power is out, mainly because the generator doesn't exactly produce clean electrical power. The lights flicker, the voltage sags, there are spikes and all sorts of anomalies, pretty much constantly. But I decided to do it. The new DAC is still under warranty, and I am always on the lookout for an excuse to upgrade stuff, so why not? Guess what? The music sounds just as good as ever. The dirty power makes no obvious, audible difference at all. This is not to say that I think it is good for sensitive electronics, but simply to report that I cannot hear any degradation in sound quality. Zippo. Nada. So if you can't degrade sound quality in a readily audible manner by providing really dirty power, it really makes it hard to believe I could improve the sound quality audibly by incrementally further cleaning up reasonably clean power from the utility (should that one day be restored). Meanwhile, another "atmospheric river" is on the way. Link to comment
jhwalker Posted February 18, 2017 Share Posted February 18, 2017 Ouch. Take care of yourself and your family! And thanks for sharing your observation John Walker - IT Executive Headphone - SonicTransporter i9 running Roon Server > Netgear Orbi > Blue Jeans Cable Ethernet > mRendu Roon endpoint > Topping D90 > Topping A90d > Dan Clark Expanse / HiFiMan H6SE v2 / HiFiman Arya Stealth Home Theater / Music -SonicTransporter i9 running Roon Server > Netgear Orbi > Blue Jeans Cable HDMI > Denon X3700h > Anthem Amp for front channels > Revel F208-based 5.2.4 Atmos speaker system Link to comment
mansr Posted February 18, 2017 Share Posted February 18, 2017 But the real tragedy is we have no internet connection. I'd like to know how you are able to post here without an internet connection. Link to comment
austinpop Posted February 18, 2017 Share Posted February 18, 2017 I'd like to know how you are able to post here without an internet connection. Real Audiophiles have a direct connection to CA, bypassing any switches and routers for best PQ (post quality). My Audio Setup Link to comment
wgscott Posted February 18, 2017 Author Share Posted February 18, 2017 Ouch. Take care of yourself and your family! And thanks for sharing your observation Thanks. I was listening to this (which, fortunately, I bought and downloaded): Listening to this this morning: Johann Sebastian Bach | Johann Sebastian Bach par Rafal BlechaczÂ*– Télécharger et écouter l'album [ATTACH=CONFIG]33195[/ATTACH] Exciting and imaginative performance (on modern piano, which I prefer) and exemplary recording. Link to comment
Ralf11 Posted February 18, 2017 Share Posted February 18, 2017 I've suspected this result ever since the thread on buying a lot of equipment to remove line noise went past 20 pages without anyone bothering to measure line noise... But I thought everyone in California had solar cells now... Link to comment
wgscott Posted February 18, 2017 Author Share Posted February 18, 2017 I've suspected this result ever since the thread on buying a lot of equipment to remove line noise went past 20 pages without anyone bothering to measure line noise... But I thought everyone in California had solar cells now... I do. But they are tied to the grid, so unless I buy a Tesla battery or something, they won't do me any good. (I was thinking maybe that getting such a battery would be a good idea for running electronics on cleaner power, but now ... it would be good just to have a backup without having to haul in and burn a bunch of gasoline. I'll be hand-carrying gas cans over them wires in a couple of hours). Link to comment
rodrigaj Posted February 18, 2017 Share Posted February 18, 2017 Are you worried about the hard drives on your NAS, or are your sources independent of hard drives? "The function of music is to release us from the tyranny of conscious thought", Sir Thomas Beecham. Link to comment
Ralf11 Posted February 18, 2017 Share Posted February 18, 2017 you could buy a Samsung battery system and use that to enable purchase of a new stereo system (less the insurance deductible)... or maybe Ballard will make some smaller fuel cells soon... Link to comment
wgscott Posted February 19, 2017 Author Share Posted February 19, 2017 Are you worried about the hard drives on your NAS, or are your sources independent of hard drives? NAS is 15 miles away, at work, but the power there is pretty bad, too. We lost a $20K high voltage power supply for example. Link to comment
ALRAINBOW Posted February 19, 2017 Share Posted February 19, 2017 The reason why it's good is the grid is not attached to your home while some noise comes from with in our homes but mostly it's the gride min nyc during the day it's horrible and a real power regen is needed or some kind of real noise canceling filter. Also interment and radio waves add to this our equipment like our EPA has many rules in making our devices but non that make it work better for us. On the battery remarks an inverter is horrible in noise unless made for us simaler to a power regen in general power Amps do best off the outlets more than power cond of many types. Down south I have. Huge gen set does the whole house dual hvac and all. I still use ups with spike protection on all except for Hifi stuff Link to comment
elcorso Posted February 19, 2017 Share Posted February 19, 2017 Of course, plus some telepathy... Over here use we use also transmigration to move from one place to the other. This way ISIS gang can't get us But this isn't easy to understand for Hi Tech guys. Roch Real Audiophiles have a direct connection to CA, bypassing any switches and routers for best PQ (post quality). Link to comment
wgscott Posted February 21, 2017 Author Share Posted February 21, 2017 The reason why it's good is the grid is not attached to your home But it sounds the same as when the grid is attached (as it was, briefly, on Monday). Link to comment
ALRAINBOW Posted February 21, 2017 Share Posted February 21, 2017 In audio if your happy stay with it. Link to comment
wgscott Posted February 21, 2017 Author Share Posted February 21, 2017 With generator power? No thanks. Link to comment
dean70 Posted February 21, 2017 Share Posted February 21, 2017 There could be a market for an audiophile generator Alchemy Desktop http://www.origen.net.au/Alchemy/ Link to comment
wgscott Posted February 21, 2017 Author Share Posted February 21, 2017 I want a small nuclear substation. Link to comment
Ralf11 Posted February 21, 2017 Share Posted February 21, 2017 why not ask to have the clearcuts relocated to the power line runs? Link to comment
davide256 Posted February 22, 2017 Share Posted February 22, 2017 Hard to assign any utility/value to data/opinion that provides no system point of reference. For example I could understand this completely if you were running your system off a PS Audio power re-generator. Or if we were talking about powered Advents using a 1980s Pioneer preamp ;<) Regards, Dave Audio system Link to comment
wgscott Posted February 22, 2017 Author Share Posted February 22, 2017 No. I just use a Brickwall series-mode surge protector. So it gets to enjoy the voltage sags, etc., without any "conditioning" or "regeneration." Dac/pre: Teac NT-503. Class D Audio amps. Link to comment
Jud Posted February 22, 2017 Share Posted February 22, 2017 You're running a generator? Sent from my iPhone using Computer Audiophile One never knows, do one? - Fats Waller The fairest thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true science. - Einstein Computer, Audirvana -> optical Ethernet to Fitlet3 -> Fibbr Alpha Optical USB -> iFi NEO iDSD DAC -> Apollon Audio 1ET400A Mini (Purifi based) -> Vandersteen 3A Signature. Link to comment
wgscott Posted February 22, 2017 Author Share Posted February 22, 2017 You're running a generator? Yeah, off and on since Friday morning. The novelty is wearing off. I suppose I just need to . Link to comment
Jud Posted February 22, 2017 Share Posted February 22, 2017 I certainly couldn't tell anything about sound quality with our generator running. But perhaps you have one or more of an extraordinarily quiet generator, an extraordinarily well insulated house, or an extraordinarily loud audio system. Anyway - when our house in New Mexico is finally built, I'm having it pre-wired for Tesla or other batteries, for any outages, and if I want to be off grid evenings. Sent from my iPhone using Computer Audiophile One never knows, do one? - Fats Waller The fairest thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true science. - Einstein Computer, Audirvana -> optical Ethernet to Fitlet3 -> Fibbr Alpha Optical USB -> iFi NEO iDSD DAC -> Apollon Audio 1ET400A Mini (Purifi based) -> Vandersteen 3A Signature. Link to comment
davide256 Posted February 22, 2017 Share Posted February 22, 2017 Yeah, off and on since Friday morning. The novelty is wearing off. I suppose I just need to . Not much fun in running and maintaining a gasoline powered generator. If I was doing it again, I'd go propane Regards, Dave Audio system Link to comment
wgscott Posted February 22, 2017 Author Share Posted February 22, 2017 It is a Honda (which is reasonably quiet) and in the garage. The neighbor's generators are much louder. It is like trying to get some sleep in a tent in a KOA campground RV section. Link to comment
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