Poll Question: Power Conditioning

[greg788]

What power conditioner are you using?

 

I've never had much success with power conditioning. However, now that I'm using a computer frond end, the switching power supply noise (computer and external hard drive) has me wondering and willing to try some things out again.

 

[mwheelerk]

I use the PS Audio Quintet which I think provides excellent performance for a modest investment.

 

[barrows]

A refurbed/modified PS Audio P-300 (capacitor upgrades, opamp upgrades, removed fan, Oiyade R-1 outlets, and internal wiring upgrades, Critical Link fuse) to power my DAC (and preamp, if and when I use one). And, a DIY parallel conditioner based on high quality capacitive filtering with Oiyade R-1 outlets to feed the amp. The DIY unit also has a "isolated" zone with Bybee for the computer power.

I run the P-300 at 90 Hz to make the DAC power supply more efficient, and power the P-300 from the DIY conditioner-so the entire system is referencing a single ground at the input to the DIY conditioner.

 

[Richard Dale]

My Esopower mains block has six outlets, and two of them are for digital components with additional filtering I assume. It seems a good idea for my system which is relatively small and low powered. Maybe for some of the large high powered systems that some people on this forum have, it wouldn't provide enough power, or it would restrict the dynamics. But I find the lowering the noise floor that I get with the Esopower is a worthwhile improvement.

 

[BobH]

I have found the 'Hydralicious - Self-Targeted' conditioner to be particularly effective.

 

Seriously, I've never heard anything sound better than when the whole shebang is running from batteries. But it has to be said that the cost of implementing a full battery set-up and the hassle of running and maintaining it, was not worth the incremental increase in sound quality for me.

 

As for mains conditioners, I've yet to hear one that does anything at all. My listening room has its own dedicated ring main and maybe I'm lucky to have relatively clean mains electricity.

 

 

[AudioDoctor]

Power Plant Premier for my sources, a Shunyata Hydra 2 for the amp, and a UPS for my computer and HDDs.

 

[wgscott]

series surge protection + RF filter:

 

http://www.brickwall.com/conditioning-filtering.html

 

specifically, this:

 

http://www.brickwall.com/surge-protectors/video/products/view/5/5.html

 

 

 

[john dozier]

I cannot suggest this highly enough. Regards

 

[AudioDoctor]

what are the advantages to that versus the "audiophile" power conditioners?

 

[john dozier]

Also does leave a taste of "snake oil".

 

[kana813]

Audience adept Response aR12-T.

 

[wgscott]

I couldn't find it when I just looked, but when I bought this a couple of months ago, there was a statement on their website to the effect that they could not honestly claim their surge protector/rf filter would make the music sound any better unless there were quite significant noise problems on the power line.

 

So, I guess the advantage is it doesn't do anything to color the audio one way or another. It also seems to play nice with my amp, etc.

 

RF filtering I think is really important, and it does this well (I've tested it).

 

The surge protectors are series-mode non-consumable, not MOV. Where I live, having surge protection is not optional.

 

[freddie40]

+1 PS Audio Power Plant Premiere. Expensive, but I think it is worth it.

 

Dave

 

[wgscott]

I should also add that I have put conventional $10 Belkin MOV surge protectors with RF filters on all my wall-wart, computer, and other switching power supplies throughout the house. This seems to make a significant, measurable difference, even when they are on other branch circuits.

 

[Encore]

My EmmLabs DAC2 is very dependant on my ExactPower EP15A. Much larger sound stage and smoothness.

 

[AudioDoctor]

I may have to look into that, once I stop drooling over the new Porsche 911 that is...

 

;-)

 

[ggking7]

I live in an apartment with noisy power lines and the best thing I've found are Blue Circle 6X filters which work best plugged into an outlet on the same circuit as the audio/video gear. I have 7 of them because my lines are extremely noisy.

 

http://www.bluecircle.com/index.php?page_id=10184

 

The cost/performance ratio is through the roof. They are awesome. Don't believe me? Check this out:

 

 

I had a single duplex outlet attached to my dedicated line and I found that audio sounded best when my monoblock amps were plugged directly into those outlets without first being plugged into an intermediary filter or power strip of any kind. What I ended up doing was wiring a second duplex to the first duplex so I could plug the amps directly into the second duplex and plug a quiet Wiremold power strip into one of the outlets on the first duplex into which the 7 Blue Circle 6X filters are plugged. This allowed me to apply a massive power filter upstream of the amps without changing the path between the amps and the source of power (besides switching the amps from the first duplex to the second duplex). I did not have to cut into the wall because I mounted a 2-gang outlet box against the surface of the wall over the hole for the original single duplex:

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000RO6OO0

 

I also use 11 Alan Maher Infinity Circuit Breaker Filters in the circuit breaker box and 3 Tripp Lite isolation transformers on absolutely everything in the apartment that is plugged into an outlet. I've found clean and direct power to be extremely important. In my experience, that's where the magic comes from.

 

[tranz]

Affordable and Effective

 

Instead of creating a new thread I thought I would post here. In my search, and having tried a ridiculous amount of power filters and conditioners, many which do not pass a simple noise sniffer test I was pleasantly surprised by two affordable, no-nonsense filters that actually work:

 

1. Furman AC-215a at $120 with 2 outlets

 

2. APC C-2 at $60 with 2 outlets

 

Both pass the noise sniffer test with flying colours, and the APC even quiets down the outlet that is next to where it is plugged into the wall. In addition they are flat and small, which helps with placement in e.g. the router cabinet. They function better than some multi-1000$ ones I have tried!

 

I am keeping these...

[Musicophile]

I may have to look into that, once I stop drooling over the new Porsche 911 that is...

 

;-)

I'd get a 911 over a power conditioner any day.

[Blake]

Blue Circle Audio FX2 X0e:

 

 

combined with Blue Circle Audio PLC Thingee FX-2:

 

 

 

...when nothing but the best will do, get yourself a pvc pipe filled with goo

[Allan F]

I use two API Power Wedges, piggy backed for a total of 12 outlets, i.e. second one plugged into the first to provide power to remaining units of my combined stereo-tv home system. Amp is plugged directly into the wall.

[gmgraves]

What power conditioner are you using?

 

A 75 pound 110v to 110v laboratory isolation transformer, with LRC filters on the input and the output.

 

I've never had much success with power conditioning. However, now that I'm using a computer front end, the switching power supply noise (computer and external hard drive) has me wondering and willing to try some things out again.

 

Most of them don't work very well. They try to filter-out the junk on the line using simple LRC filtering, and while (relatively) affordable, it's never going to be as effective as an isolation transformer, IMHO. I had much the same result as you ... very little success with power conditioning until I bought this transformer at a surplus sale. Now I wouldn't be without it.

[PewterTA]

Regeneration is where it's at.

 

PS Audio PerfectWave P10 Powerplant for me. Not saying PS Audio is the end all be all, there's others out there that are just as good or maybe even do it better... I'm just a proponent of regeneration.

 

I'd love to grab a second one when I get a chance, but as of yet don't have the money for another. When I get my monoblocks another one will be in the mix.

 

The biggest thing I noticed with going with something that regenerates the power vs condition... with the regeneration, my system sound very much consistent. What I mean is that before I had a couple different power conditioners and there were days where I loved my system and others where I felt like things were right and it would make me want to figure out how to upgrade. It's almost like that smell or sound in the house where you can't find it... you know it's there but you can't figure out where and it just annoys you.

 

Since the P10 has been in place, and this took a good 3 months before I even made the correlation, but now every time I sit down I get a consistent quality from my system. I know what to expect and when if I don't get it, i know there's an issue somewhere (reboot media pc comes to mind). It has taken a weight off me that I never really realized was somewhat driving my incisive need to upgrade.... all the days I thought my system should sound better... because there were days where I think it really did sound better then I didn't know why other days it just wasn't the same.

 

Now I will say I also gained a little bit better dynamics, detail, and 3D depth. These are all minor increases like adjusting the lens on the camera just a little more to get the image just a little sharper.

[DEA]

Now I will say I also gained a little bit better dynamics, detail, and 3D depth. These are all minor increases like adjusting the lens on the camera just a little more to get the image just a little sharper.

 

I'm running the P5 and concur with your observations... consistent sound day after day, pitch black backgrounds, and three dimensions in spades.

[EuroDriver]

Great thread revival ! Can we also have some European recommendations too ?

 

Also some commentary on dedicated spur, and separate external earth with metal spike in driven into the ground ?