Let's Talk About Power Conditioners

135

Comments

  • SCompRacer
    SCompRacer Posts: 8,342
    pitdogg2 wrote: »
    I use the Hydra8 and I think it made a difference. That is sweet Rich, the made some good gear from what I remember.

    The Hydra8 is a very nice unit. I had the original Shunyata Hydra. Aaron has it now.

    Not mine, snagged this from the web. It is a very handsome thing. erdt7qoo46ao.png


    Salk SoundScape 8's * Audio Research Reference 3 * Bottlehead Eros Phono * Park's Audio Budgie SUT * Krell KSA-250 * Harmonic Technology Pro 9+ * Signature Series Sonore Music Server w/Deux PS * Roon * Gustard R26 DAC / Singxer SU-6 DDC * Heavy Plinth Lenco L75 Idler Drive * AA MG-1 Linear Air Bearing Arm * AT33PTG/II & Denon 103R * Richard Gray 600S * NHT B-12d subs * GIK Acoustic Treatments * Sennheiser HD650 *
  • joecoulson
    joecoulson Posts: 4,943
    Love that logo Rich

    Drew, Ivan should be able to tell you the differences as it relates to the ps8
  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 24,420
    Yea mine don't look like that :) mine is the original (I believe) with the diamond on the front.
  • Clipdat
    Clipdat Posts: 12,526
    edited May 2019
    Seems to me like there's three main approaches to power.

    1.) Unrestricted power strips with nothing current limiting in the signal path, the design focus being on high quality materials like beryllium/copper outlets and thick gauge OFC wiring.

    2.) Conditioning. Every manufacturer seems to have an approach that they feel works best. Lots of different approaches here from tried and true filters, to isolation transformers. Because there's so many options, it's hard to discern if one has any "obvious" benefit over another.

    3.) Regernation. PS Audio seems to be the only player in this game, and again, they feel their approach is the best. I believe their older Power Plants had "filtering/conditioning" built in, whereas the newer ones are strictly regenerators.

    As I read more and more about the various approaches, I struggle to determine if one approach is "better" than another. A common and recurring trend that I notice is proponents of one method criticizing another by saying it "squashes or limits dynamics". I'm not sure I've ever experienced this phenomenon with my system and the $500 PS Audio Dectet that I'm using. But perhaps it's one of those things where you don't know it's happening, until it's not.

    I'm quickly reaching the conclusion that the only way to be certain of what approach works best in your system, is to try out each of them and see what sounds best to your ears.

    I'd love to do a 4 way shootout between the following:

    PS Audio Stellar Power Plant 3 (regenerator) ($2,200)

    Shunyata Venon PS8 power strip with their Delta NR cable (conditioning) and Venom Defender (in-line surge protection) ($1,600)

    Cardas Nautilus power strip (minimalist/direct) with their Clear Beyond cable ($2,100)

    Audioquest Niagara 1200 (conditioner) with their Thunder cable ($1,725)


    I feel that all of the above are in the same relative price bracket, with the PS Audio coming in at a slightly higher price, as it's doesn't include an aftermarket cable to plug it in with. Still, I feel like this would be an "equally matched" type of shootout, and would be extremely interesting to figure out which would come out on top.
  • BlueFox
    BlueFox Posts: 15,251
    You can’t make a good decision without understanding the underlying technology. This is a good starting point to learning/understanding what is involved.

    https://shunyata.com/technical-articles/
    Lumin X1 file player, Westminster Labs interconnect cable
    Sony XA-5400ES SACD; Pass XP-22 pre; X600.5 amps
    Magico S5 MKII Mcast Rose speakers; SPOD spikes

    Shunyata Triton v3/Typhon QR on source, Denali 2000 (2) on amps
    Shunyata Sigma XLR analog ICs, Sigma speaker cables
    Shunyata Sigma HC (2), Sigma Analog, Sigma Digital, Z Anaconda (3) power cables

    Mapleshade Samson V.3 four shelf solid maple rack, Micropoint brass footers
    Three 20 amp circuits.
  • motorstereo
    motorstereo Posts: 2,035
    Another tidbit I've recently discovered is that the type of wire coming out of the breaker panel to the gear's receptacles has a dramatic effect on noise reduction. Using 10 gauge multistrand spiral wound wiring as opposed to 12 gauge standard wiring reduces my emi from 450-500 emi to 80-100 emi. When that happens at the receptacle the conditioner has less work to do to begin with and is able to reduce what little noise there is left even further. Perhaps my new totl furman unit could similarly reduce those numbers that much but I have my doubts.
  • BlueFox
    BlueFox Posts: 15,251
    Good point. My three dedicated 20 amp lines are 10 gauge, although typical solid copper wiring.
    Lumin X1 file player, Westminster Labs interconnect cable
    Sony XA-5400ES SACD; Pass XP-22 pre; X600.5 amps
    Magico S5 MKII Mcast Rose speakers; SPOD spikes

    Shunyata Triton v3/Typhon QR on source, Denali 2000 (2) on amps
    Shunyata Sigma XLR analog ICs, Sigma speaker cables
    Shunyata Sigma HC (2), Sigma Analog, Sigma Digital, Z Anaconda (3) power cables

    Mapleshade Samson V.3 four shelf solid maple rack, Micropoint brass footers
    Three 20 amp circuits.
  • kharp1
    kharp1 Posts: 3,453
    Another tidbit I've recently discovered is that the type of wire coming out of the breaker panel to the gear's receptacles has a dramatic effect on noise reduction. Using 10 gauge multistrand spiral wound wiring as opposed to 12 gauge standard wiring reduces my emi from 450-500 emi to 80-100 emi. When that happens at the receptacle the conditioner has less work to do to begin with and is able to reduce what little noise there is left even further. Perhaps my new totl furman unit could similarly reduce those numbers that much but I have my doubts.

    And the price of my dedicated circuits keep going up! :)
  • motorstereo
    motorstereo Posts: 2,035
    kharp1 wrote: »
    Another tidbit I've recently discovered is that the type of wire coming out of the breaker panel to the gear's receptacles has a dramatic effect on noise reduction. Using 10 gauge multistrand spiral wound wiring as opposed to 12 gauge standard wiring reduces my emi from 450-500 emi to 80-100 emi. When that happens at the receptacle the conditioner has less work to do to begin with and is able to reduce what little noise there is left even further. Perhaps my new totl furman unit could similarly reduce those numbers that much but I have my doubts.

    And the price of my dedicated circuits keep going up! :)

    It's also easy to show the difference to someone that actually cares about such a thing and you could call it "audiophile grade wiring". Mine happened to be left over welder extension cable which doesn't sound as appealing :)
  • joecoulson
    joecoulson Posts: 4,943
    edited May 2019
    Forgot to post on here, I’m getting the dedicated 20 amp circuit installed next week!!
  • motorstereo
    motorstereo Posts: 2,035
    joecoulson wrote: »
    Forgot to post on here, I’m getting the dedicated 20 amp circuit installed next week!!

    Cool; I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts on the new line. Will it be new all the way to the breaker box?
  • joecoulson
    joecoulson Posts: 4,943
    Yes. Still have yet to decide on wire but will be a dedicated circuit straight to the panel.
  • WLDock
    WLDock Posts: 3,073
    edited May 2019
    Another tidbit I've recently discovered is that the type of wire coming out of the breaker panel to the gear's receptacles has a dramatic effect on noise reduction. Using 10 gauge multistrand spiral wound wiring as opposed to 12 gauge standard wiring reduces my emi from 450-500 emi to 80-100 emi. When that happens at the receptacle the conditioner has less work to do to begin with and is able to reduce what little noise there is left even further. Perhaps my new totl furman unit could similarly reduce those numbers that much but I have my doubts.

    I'm still in the learning stage but here's a few other tidbits I've learned today. I've found that the higher current outlets have less emi which surprised me. I've also found that coiling cords doesn't increase emi which again surprised me. Led dimmer switches are atrociously noisy. And dedicated lines with multi-strand wiring has moved way up my list of importance. Next is to start testing cords. If someone is into this hobby at all this is a must have and fun learning tool.

    It's also easy to show the difference to someone that actually cares about such a thing and you could call it "audiophile grade wiring". Mine happened to be left over welder extension cable which doesn't sound as appealing :)

    OMG, I joined the forum back in '12 and almost kicked out (Maybe it was an initiation ?) in '13 with my questions about this very thing in this thread, page 2, LOL :) : https://forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/149642/power-cord-burn-in-question/p1

    In the end BlueFox had already updated his wiring before diving into some pretty pricey cords, conditioner. It's really is all that one can do because It's hard to overcome the line issue that some have. OTOH, some have very little issues at all. One conditioner may work better for one but not the other. This is where it should start:
    450px-US_wiring_basement-panel.jpg

    My technical background includes: cable broadcast engineer apprentice, power tool repair, cellular repair, medical, pharmaceutical, and supply automated dispensing repair, gaming repair, UL Inspector, welding repair, and more recent solar inverter repair, tech support, and applications. I have a music background and much experience with the noisy car audio environment. I've installed many sound quality systems for myself and others where noise was ever present and required attention to say the least. Sometimes using the right wire and placement made all the difference in the world.

    My question then, as it is now how does one go about sorting through effective power cables and conditioners, suppressors if the house wires are not dealt with first? Especially if the home has more than average noise and voltage issues! It just did not make sense to me back then. We all know that simply cleaning audio contacts and using deoxidizer like Kontak or DeoxIT can made a different on the audio connections. Maybe, just adding in a hospital grade receptacle and making sure the connections at the panel are tight are enough for many systems. However, as the resolution, detail, and cost of the system goes up wire replacement of the wall wire for the stereo should be considered. Again, results will vary. IMO, if that's worth anything, a balanced power isolation transformer would be the route to try for the most noise challenged and critical systems out there.

    Post edited by WLDock on
    2.2 Office Setup | LG 29UB55 21:9 UltraWide | HP Probook 630 G8 | Dell Latitude | Cabasse Stream Amp 100 | Boston Acoustics VS 240 | AUDIORAX Desk Stands | Mirage Omni S8 sub1 | Mirage Omni S8 Sub2
  • delkal
    delkal Posts: 764
    Another tidbit I've recently discovered is that the type of wire coming out of the breaker panel to the gear's receptacles has a dramatic effect on noise reduction. Using 10 gauge multistrand spiral wound wiring as opposed to 12 gauge standard wiring reduces my emi from 450-500 emi to 80-100 emi. When that happens at the receptacle the conditioner has less work to do to begin with and is able to reduce what little noise there is left even further. Perhaps my new totl furman unit could similarly reduce those numbers that much but I have my doubts.

    Interesting. Do you think the EMI reduction is mostly due to the stranded construction or is it just because you are using a larger ga wire.

    I have been thinking about making some DIY power cords and read solid core Romex could make a decent cable to experiment with (and Cheap). I was leaning towards 10-12 ga THNN (or stripped Romex) solid core wire, braided. Do you think multistrand spiral wire would be a better choice?
  • motorstereo
    motorstereo Posts: 2,035
    edited May 2019
    delkal wrote: »
    Another tidbit I've recently discovered is that the type of wire coming out of the breaker panel to the gear's receptacles has a dramatic effect on noise reduction. Using 10 gauge multistrand spiral wound wiring as opposed to 12 gauge standard wiring reduces my emi from 450-500 emi to 80-100 emi. When that happens at the receptacle the conditioner has less work to do to begin with and is able to reduce what little noise there is left even further. Perhaps my new totl furman unit could similarly reduce those numbers that much but I have my doubts.

    Interesting. Do you think the EMI reduction is mostly due to the stranded construction or is it just because you are using a larger ga wire.

    I have been thinking about making some DIY power cords and read solid core Romex could make a decent cable to experiment with (and Cheap). I was leaning towards 10-12 ga THNN (or stripped Romex) solid core wire, braided. Do you think multistrand spiral wire would be a better choice?

    I believe it's the multistrand wire. When I recently upgraded to my 3rd 20 amp circuit that was the only change made other than the receptacle and the breaker. I now have 3 20 amp multistrand wired circuits and all 3 consistently read the lowest of any circuits I have. Even with a couple of noise harvestors on other solid wire 15 amp circuits and everything switched off I cannot get less than 400 on the meter ever.
    I would think Romex would be a better choice than standard 12-14 wire and possibly better than the wire I'm using. Sounds like a great reason for someone else to get a tester and see if there's gains to be made with the Romex.
  • gp4jesus
    gp4jesus Posts: 1,969
    joecoulson wrote: »
    Will are you close to GA?
    I’m VERY close to Athens. Where are you?

    Tony

    Samsung 60" UN60ES6100 LED Outlaw Audio 976 Pre/Pro Samsung BDP, Amazon Firestick, Phillips CD Changer Canare 14 ga - LCR tweeters inside*; Ctr Ch outside BJC 10 ga - LCR mids, inside* & out 8 ga Powerline: LR woofers, inside* & out *soldered LR: Tri-amped RTi A7 w/Rotels. Woofers - 980BX; Tweets & “Plugged*” Mids - 981, connected w/MP Premiere ICs Ctr Ch: Rotel RB981 -> Bi-amped CSi A6 Surrounds: Premiere ICs ->Rotel 981 -> AR 12 ga -> RTi A3. 5 Subs: Sunfire True SW Signature -> LFE & Ctr Ch; 4 Audio Pro Evidence @ the “Corners”. Power Conditioning & Distribution: 4 dedicated 20A feeds; APC H15; 5 Furman Miniport 20s *Xschop's handy work
  • joecoulson
    joecoulson Posts: 4,943
    I'm in Buford - close to you
  • kharp1
    kharp1 Posts: 3,453
    delkal wrote: »
    Another tidbit I've recently discovered is that the type of wire coming out of the breaker panel to the gear's receptacles has a dramatic effect on noise reduction. Using 10 gauge multistrand spiral wound wiring as opposed to 12 gauge standard wiring reduces my emi from 450-500 emi to 80-100 emi. When that happens at the receptacle the conditioner has less work to do to begin with and is able to reduce what little noise there is left even further. Perhaps my new totl furman unit could similarly reduce those numbers that much but I have my doubts.

    Interesting. Do you think the EMI reduction is mostly due to the stranded construction or is it just because you are using a larger ga wire.

    I have been thinking about making some DIY power cords and read solid core Romex could make a decent cable to experiment with (and Cheap). I was leaning towards 10-12 ga THNN (or stripped Romex) solid core wire, braided. Do you think multistrand spiral wire would be a better choice?

    I believe it's the multistrand wire. When I recently upgraded to my 3rd 20 amp circuit that was the only change made other than the receptacle and the breaker. I now have 3 20 amp multistrand wired circuits and all 3 consistently read the lowest of any circuits I have. Even with a couple of noise harvestors on other solid wire 15 amp circuits and everything switched off I cannot get less than 400 on the meter ever.
    I would think Romex would be a better choice than standard 12-14 wire and possibly better than the wire I'm using. Sounds like a great reason for someone else to get a tester and see if there's gains to be made with the Romex.

    I would say probably not. Romex is designed for ease of use and cost efficiency. I'm guessing stranded is the better way to go on a dedicated audio circuit. Just raises the cost.
  • mrbiron
    mrbiron Posts: 5,711
    DSkip wrote: »

    After reading that, I almost want to move off the grid and burn my system for warmth. I read all 6 pages...
    Where’s the KABOOM?!?! There’s supposed to be an Earth shattering KABOOM!!!
  • Hermitism
    Hermitism Posts: 4,190
    Post of the day!
  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 27,937
    I think when you are at that level, you stopped listening to music a long time ago 😜
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
  • kevhed72
    kevhed72 Posts: 4,942
    VR3 wrote: »
    I think when you are at that level, you stopped listening to music a long time ago 😜
    Great point....at what point does it all become about the gear?!?

  • kharp1
    kharp1 Posts: 3,453
    kevhed72 wrote: »
    VR3 wrote: »
    I think when you are at that level, you stopped listening to music a long time ago 😜
    Great point....at what point does it all become about the gear?!?

    As with any "thing" in life, there will be those that want to push to the very outer limits, or, dissect down to the smallest molecule because that's how they're wired. You're right, at what point as anal-retentive obsession slid past enjoying a hobby?
  • joecoulson
    joecoulson Posts: 4,943
    If I’m being honest, although it started with the love and passion of music in its purest form, it has at times become a chase of gear as a priority. I have now come to a point where I have to slow down and start enjoying more tunes as my system does sound really good to me and I need to be grateful for that.
  • kevhed72
    kevhed72 Posts: 4,942
    edited May 2019
    verb wrote: »
    I have a Furman Elite 15PFI, bought right here on this forum. Used marked can be had under 4 hundie easily.

    However, used ones have risk. Unless you trust the seller, which is implicit here on CP, you may be getting one with issues, or worse. So be cautious.
    I am currently using an APC H15 and looking at that Furman. I wonder how they compare....I think the only difference in the Furman 20 is the 2 high current outlets for amps or subs, which I would probably never use.
  • JayCee
    JayCee Posts: 1,474
    Clipdat wrote: »

    I chuckled when I stumbled on this thread 2 days ago....so perfectly timed since I've been eying power solutions over the past month. I ordered the Equicore 1800 w/"upgraded" cable last Friday, from Walter @ Underwood (purchased my PSA BHK pre and amp from him last Nov). Just received the 1800 approx. 2 hrs ago and am listening to my system as I type.

    The 1800 was sent separate from the premium cable but they arrived within an hour of each other. Used the stock cable, nothing fancy at all, for the first hour. First impression was hmmm, bass is sloppy, but seemed to somewhat settle down after a bit. I've been listening to my system all day, so had a fresh listening session to compare.

    Swapped out the stock cable and have been listening via the better cable for the past hour. Won't go into too much detail at the moment but have to say, so far, I'm not disappointed. Will explain more of my rational and a prior experience that led me to this type of product when I have a bit more time and more hours on the 1800.

    Unboxing pics and I cracked open the hood for a guts shot. Pics are out of order 'cause Vanilla did what it did:

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    Speakers: Polk1.2tl's (Uber Mods) Pre/Amp/DAC: PS Audio BHK Signature & 250, DirectStream Cables/IC's: MIT S1Bi-Wire/S1 Balanced +Avel Lindberg 1000VA "Dreadnought" Power Conditioner: PS Audio P15 Power Plant Power Cords: Core Power Technologies Gold, DH Labs Power Plus DIY w/Neotech NC-P301 & P311ends Streaming: Roon ROCK on wifi'd NUC, TP-Link WAP, & Uptone EtherREGEN, AfterDark, Emperor Double Crown Clock, Black Modernize LPS, PS Audio AirLens⟿Ω☯☥☮⟿🔊♩♪♫♬♩♪♫♬♩♪♫♬
  • kharp1
    kharp1 Posts: 3,453
    Interested in hearing your review. Also notice you have the BHK gear, PM coming to pick your brain as I'm really interested.
  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 27,937
    edited May 2019
    When I was knee deep last time, the super tower rig... I had built an incredibly accurate and fantastic sounding system. This system also happened to be incredibly non-musical.but could dissect the crap out of a recording.

    One of the best choices I made in this hobby was to sell all of that and walk away for a few years.

    My current setup is incredibly musical in comparison
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.