Clean AC power

Dirty power = Distortion (noise) comes from 3 primary sources:

1) The utility company – coming into the house circuit breaker panel.

2) Appliances within the house – eg: TV’s, computers, fluorescent lighting, refrigerators, HVAC, hair-dryers, etc.

See: Jea48’s post above

3) The audio components themselves – especially, the digital ones.

Each digital component – modem, router, streamer, bridge, DAC, etc – regurgitates noise back into the audio circuit – as well as throughout the house – and visa versa. Eventually, this noise creates distortion in the audio signal.

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oregonpapa
The only measurement gauges I own are my ears. The differences can be clearly heard, and are quite striking.

^^^Exactly.

If ’something’ seems off when listening to music - such as a harsh vocal or a ringing piano note or a strident violin  - ask yourself:

Would that ’something’ be allowed on that recording:

- By the recording engineer?

- By the mastering engineer?

- By the record producer?

- By the record label?

- By the recording artist?

Probably not. There’s a good likelihood that dirty power is the culprit. Its causing distortions that shouldn’t be there.

I also use Chang Lightspeed gear, I think the model is 6400.  It works well for my system.  I have read some negative comments about Chang's components some time back, but it seems to work well in my experience.

Everything makes a difference. My electronics allow the user to turn off the displays while in operation. Things always sound better with the displays off. It is the same type of noise reduction being discussed here.

Frank

I know that there are a zillion causes of electrical noise within the home. I'd like to know --just out of curiosity--what effect on the mains power the following have:

Step-down transformer feeding my house. It is at the end of the line, no other house being supplied. Does the transformer by nature clean up the power?

All audio equipment on a dedicated circuit and single heavy duty outlet. I suspect that the outlet is only better than a standard one in safety specs.

I cleaned up and reseated the hot wire coming from the breaker in the panel. I also removed a fair amount of grunge on the breaker clip. Don't know if this had any audible effect.

I tried a 1-to-1 transformer to feed all the front-end electronics. It was a fairly cheap unit but rated sufficiently. Can't say I herd any difference.

Any insights on these measures?

I've posted they before but some time ago I spoke to an AT&T tech who doing an install in my neighbors apartment. He used to teach electrical engineering at the local community college but preferred to work out in the field. 

He told me that they were sending up to 5 TBs of data using the fields generated by the power in the lines across the city. That doesn't just stop at a transformer, and if anything, engulfs it. More than some of that will make it's way down the line to your place, to dirty up the AC.

That was years ago and it doesn't seem too much to think all carriers are doing something of the sort all over the place.

All the best,
Nonoise