optical
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Post by optical on Jun 28, 2023 10:07:01 GMT
So the progression of the system continues . . . hopefully, which brings me to ponder my policy of going completely unfiltered regarding mains power.
After trying various 'cheap' conditioners and filters, my mantra over the past few years has been to just have things connected to the mains with as few a breaks/filters etc as possible, between component and wall plug.
This is certainly true for amplifiers (as most will attest to) as their demand for current during dynamic swings is best dealt with directly from the mains connection (usually).
I've also experienced uplifts in SQ when removing any conditioner/filter from the rest of the system. Okay so they have usually been basic units and certainly don't offer any of the performance gain a mains regenerative device may offer, but considering their prices, I don't think that's viable.
My question is more based in the 'sensible' money realm as I basically want to get peoples experience and opinions on what devices may/will/should benefit from a certain level of filtering/mains design, and how much filtering should perhaps be applied and where.
For example in theory the 'analogue' devices (like the amplifier), so preamp, turntable, phono-stage etc, will also sound at their best with as close a connection as possible to the basic mains supply.
There are different schools of thought when it comes to digital devices such as streamers/DAC's etc which may (and in theory should) benefit from some filtering, for whatever reason.
I'm also very interested to get peoples take on my active speakers. The Vaders each sport a 500w Class D plate amp in them and I'm wondering if it's a good idea to separate these from the rest of the 'hifi circuit' by either using a conditioner for both of them or perhaps it would be best using an individual conditioner/filter for both.
I'm just wondering which components need to be filtered from mains noise and which components need to be stopped from leaking any noise back onto the mains (I'm thinking the Class D amps may well be putting some noise into the circuit).
As ever, comments and thoughts/experiences much appreciated.
Cheers
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Post by lurch on Jun 28, 2023 13:08:41 GMT
All I know is that I liked what a Power Inspired AG500 Regen unit did when one was introduced in my system a few years back. I then went out and bought a PI 1500S (1500w)to run everything. The only things I've plugged direct into the wall (via a 4 gang extension) is my Nords and any other smps based items.
All kit now has proper built in power supplies, LPSUs or 80s style heavy Tx wallwarts, so all now into the PI.
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Post by antonio on Jun 28, 2023 17:26:33 GMT
By a strange coincidence my brother mentioned where we are going to plug in his Arke speakers. We have everything plugged into a Puritan 156 except for the amplifier for the hifi. On the other side we have a Merlin power block to which TV, SkyBox, router are plugged into. My initial thought was the right hand side speaker would go in the Puritan and the left to the Merlin, now you've got me thinking.  I will add that previously in my system I had a cheaper filtered power block, replaced it with unfiltered and even to my ears there was an improvement. |
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Post by hifinutt on Jul 1, 2023 16:36:30 GMT
had 4 isotek syncro along with many other mains conditioning products . they really make quite a difference but not always good
had a beautiful valve puresound pre and the syncro increased its musicality a lot
have a nice arcam a85 and yes it increased the transients but it hardened the sound a bit so it got taken out. suck and see is my approach
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Post by hifinutt on Jan 26, 2024 17:55:48 GMT
Popped a puritan 156 into system today ,even using a sonos with qobuz its very very good .played eric bibb jericho before and after increase in clarity and realism
Cant wait to get it working in full hi res with my streamer
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Post by misterc on Jan 26, 2024 18:46:00 GMT
Yes the Puritain products are based on solid engineering principles and well made and really do work plus the actually measure well to!
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Post by macca on Jan 28, 2024 12:01:13 GMT
worth reading this test of the Puritan before spending any money: www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/puritan-audio-psm156-review-ac-filter.26136/As you can see although it does filter mains noise above 5Khz this has no effect on the output of the device it is connected to since conversion from AC to DC already filters all this noise out. Possible there will be a placebo effect especially if you go into it believing, or with 'an open mind' but six months down the line when for some reason you take it out you'll realise it was doing nothing. If you have interference noise when someone puts on a hairdryer, washing machine, hoover, or something similar it might cure that. If not, then there's no problem to solve. |
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Post by hifinutt on Jan 28, 2024 14:23:21 GMT
yes i read all the asr stuff on niagara 1200 and didnt buy one . however when one came up at a decent price i popped it in and immediately heard an improvement . i dont believe some of the stuff on ASR , many of the things that measured badly i have enjoyed
interesting to read this
"I was pleased to see substantial filtering of input, down some 57 dB at 20 kHz. Compare this to Audioquest Niagara 1200 which only filtered less than 6 dB. Filtering is not flat though. It starts to make a difference around 500 Hz and has a resonance around 4.7 kHz which causes its attenuation to drop fair bit."
One of the reasons i use this stuff is to protect equipment in case of lightning
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Post by sq225917 on Jan 28, 2024 14:25:50 GMT
I'm a big ASR fan, but he really has to use susceptible devices in the tests. No point trying it on a class d amp with no traffo and huge PSRR. Needs to be tried on an amp with a huge traffo and unregulated rails, a la Naim.
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Jan 28, 2024 14:41:06 GMT
I'm a big ASR fan, but he really has to use susceptible devices in the tests. No point trying it on a class d amp with no traffo and huge PSRR. Needs to be tried on an amp with a huge traffo and unregulated rails, a la Naim. Yup, excellent point that. |
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Post by macca on Jan 29, 2024 6:59:47 GMT
The test is on a pre-amp not a power amp.
Plugging a power amp into one of these things isn't recommended as it will limit current draw and possibly sound worse. That's been my experience.
It will not offer any protection against a lightening strike but then nothing will - I unplug at the wall if there's a nearby thunderstorm.
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Post by jandl100 on Jan 29, 2024 10:45:37 GMT
Possible there will be a placebo effect especially if you go into it believing, or with 'an open mind' but six months down the line when for some reason you take it out you'll realise it was doing nothing. Haha, yes. Been there done that. One of those fancy (ie. expensive) grounding boxes did that for me. But my AG1500 mains regenerator has proven robust to the TIOT (take it out test). Definitely prefer it in circuit and strutting its stuff. |
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Post by hifinutt on Jan 29, 2024 11:46:32 GMT
The test is on a pre-amp not a power amp. Plugging a power amp into one of these things isn't recommended as it will limit current draw and possibly sound worse. That's been my experience. It will not offer any protection against a lightening strike but then nothing will - I unplug at the wall if there's a nearby thunderstorm. opinions vary on plugging in power amps to these things . certainly puritan stuff well designed for that |
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Post by hifinutt on Jan 29, 2024 11:48:41 GMT
they dont always work to benefit though . one chap has posted this on the 156 vs hs isotek regen unit
"'ve had my system plugged into the Puritan PSM-156 Special Edition for the last 5 days and it's an impressive bit of kit. I definitely hear less noise and increased dynamics compared to plugging the same source equipment and pre amplifier directly into the wall. Not sure it's really suited to power amps however as my Nagra Classic Amp sounded softer (in a less engaging way) with less bite and less sparkle compared to being plugged directly into the wall - and considerably less engaging compared to being plugged into the IsoTek V5 Titan high current power conditioner.
Much as I like the PSM-156 though and hoped it would have a permanent home in my system, I prefer the more tangible, less grainy and sweeter sound the IsoTek Genesis One power re-generator provides and so the Puritan will probably be going back. I only wish the Genesis One wasn't limited to 100 watts output as even when using a power strip, there's only so many components it can power. It was so nice being able to plug the entire hi-fi system into the Puritan with sockets to spare for home cinema gear too.
In conclusion, really good kit, especially for the money. It didn't sound quite as good as the IsoTek gear, at least with my system, but it came pretty close for a fraction of the price."
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