Has a Power Conditioner Improved Your Sound?

my PC serves more like guard dog and does EXCELLENT job... the good old Panamax MAX1500 having it since past century.

Any thoughts about how to test if there is much noise or interference to begin with? If you don't have a problem, a solution won't do much more than drain your wallet.

Yes power conditioners have always improved the sound of my system. This is true for the vast majority of people but not all. There is a very small minority that seem to live in exceptional locations with good power.

I have used a power conditioner for over 30 years in different locations. Isotech is an excellent choice as is Shunyata. You want to plug your amp directly into an outlet (preferably a direct line) and the rest of your equipment into a power conditioner in a different (preferably a direct line).

Just a comment on noise. Noise in audio is seldom heard directly… it is not a crackle or something you can focus on. It is the noise floor that unless you have a lot of experience is pretty invisible until it is lowered. The background becomes darker and you can hear deeper into the music. A power conditioner will also remove a layer of subtle distortion and also make the music more dynamic.

When power conditioner threads come up someone usually makes a statement that one of the functions of a well thought out transformer is to eliminate or at least significantly lessen the impact of noisy power on sound quality.

Then inevitably no one continues discussing this concept further.  Can someone expand on whether the elimination of noisy power’s impact on sound is, in fact, one of the functions of a good transformer.

This post was not written by AI.

We have tested many of the leading power conditioners regenerators are not the panacea they do truncate dynamics

we have found  isoteks and audio magic products  conditioners really improve a systems performance without limiting dynamics

Dave and Troy

Audio Intellect NJ

Isotek and Audio magic dealers

The PS Audio Regenerator 12 has a dial on its home screen that shows improvement on a scale from 1x to 100x. Typically they show around 10+x. Has anyone hooked up a PS Audio  12 to a PS Audio 12? I'd expect to see the improvement of 10x on the first unit & 1x on  the second. If the second shows 10x that would lead me to believe that the meter could be just pasted onto the unit.

As quiet as your system may seem without using a proper Power Conditioner, believe me, it can get even quieter.  Over the years, I've tried  several conditioners, and the one that ended up being a keeper for me was the Audioquest Niagara 3000.  The Audioquest Niagara 3000 is a non-power restricting device that has two special "High Current" plugs on board, which are designed especially for amplifiers.  I have everything plugged into my Niagara 3000, including my amplifier, with excellent results.  If the Niagara 3000 is beyond your budget, just go for the the Niagara 1200, which is just a downsized version of the Niagara 3000.  I'm pretty sure that my Niagara 3000 will be my last Power Conditioner.  Happy listening.     

I use a Niagara 5000 and 7000 in a couple of my rigs.

If you don’t feel like spending all that much, get the powerquest 707.

In addition to the filters and protection, these units maintain/supply a current reservoir on the high current outlets for your power amps. It is like an adrenalin shot for any poweramp and can make your amps slam like crazy on demanding tracks at high spls. After you get used to it, you won’t be going back.

P.S. Only the Niagara 3000, 5000, 7000 and the Powerquest 707 offer the above mentioned. Other AQ models don’t.

I had my doubts that adding a power conditioner would substantially improve my already highly resolving system. However, I recently decided to try a Shunyata Denali. It proved to be a major upgrade. It's not going back. Improved soundstage, imaging, detail, and separation. YMMV

I, too, had my doubts about power conditioning until I tried a Audioquest Niagara 1200. It did what ghdprentice mentioned, in revealing a lower noise floor allowing for more info to come forward, completing the picture, so to speak. 

Before that I tried Brickwall and some other brand that when compared, sounded better going straight into the wall outlet. 

All the best,
Nonoise

I primarily use them as surge protection. I have lighting/surge protection for the house, but add more for expensive equipment. Sound improvement? Haven’t noticed. YMMV. There are no a big RFI or EMI sources where I live and mains are clean. Nothing fancy, mostly in $200 range.

But effect may also depend on type of your equipment and how good are their power supplies. Some tube gear has pretty simply power supplies and may be more sensitive to the noise.

@jfrmusic

IsoTek is a good start to explore power conditioning. That’s all they do and they do it extremely well. There are so many approaches to cleaning incoming power, starting with dedicated power lines.

I’ve tried many popular and big brands power conditioners costing upto $20K. While they effectively lowers the noise floor, each of them added some sort of coloration. If you own a high resolution system, you can easily discern changes to overall transparency, tonality, dynamics, etc. each time you introduce a new element. While I appreciated the next level of reduced noise floor, I did not care for coloration being added to the sound.

Next, I decided to try transformer based power conditioning. To my surprise, it did some things better and more importantly added zero coloration. I have two dedicated lines in my audio room so that helps but plugging my electronics directly vs power conditioner netted in more transparency and increased dynamics. The longer I listened the more I was drawn into music. Music simply sounded more alive.. I was over the moon with what I was hearing for a fraction of price but more importantly, no coloration. Each note rendering effortlessly without accentuating any element around a central note. It’s more explosive on loud passages and quieter on quiet passages. The scale of the music is also more diverse, some recordings sound bigger, others smaller.

A good power conditioner reduces or completely eliminates unwanted RF and crud that comes in from the power grid. You need to find one that does it with least bit of coloration to the music.

@lalitk,

Which power transformer conditioner are you using? I don’t think you mentioned it in your response. 

If there was noise that a PC could lower, couldn't that be detected just by listening without any source material playing? 

Not saying that is the only reason for these various boxes.  The convenience of timed on/off between amp preamp and source can be useful, as can be surge protection. 

@latik

That's my concern. My system is very resolving and I notice every change. The When I tried the Regenerator I could her the difference in the first 5 minutes and I didn’t like it. I returned it the same day I received it. That was with just my DAC and Streamer and Network Switch plugged in. And yes I would never plug my amp into it. So since my system is dead silent I’m not yet connected any power conditioner will add enough to justify the cost or worse degrade the sound. 
 

@jji666

Yes my system is dead quiet with no music playing. So what noise would the conditioner remove?

@ditusa

Where is the link to page 38?

Is the audioquest powerquest 707 an updated version of the niagra1200?

Where is the link to page 38?

Click the word "here."  

This is likely to start the same old tweaker vs. logic/science debate! 

“So since my system is dead silent I’m not yet connected any power conditioner will add enough to justify the cost or worse degrade the sound.”
@jfrmusic, 

Just like anything else in audio, no two products are created equal or have similar outcome. I suggest you to try few conditioners and decide if you need one or not needing at all. My system is dead quiet to began with, even then I found power conditioner to further lower the noise. It ties everything together nicely and you stop thinking about it and get down to enjoying music. 

All of my components, including Class A, Accuphase Integrated plugged into power conditioner. I can understand your skepticism, you can always start off with a passive power distributor like Furutech e-TP60 or iFi power station with active noise cancellation before spending more money. 

@audioquest4life, 

I am using a pair of Shindo Mr. T in my system. I started off with one and added 2nd one to run digital and analog components separately. One Mr. T easily powered my entire system but 2nd one affords more outlets and easy placement options. 

Sounds like some folks are plugging their amp(s) into their power conditioner while others are making a point of plugging them directly into the wall. What would be the point of bypassing the power conditioner, assuming it is able to supply enough current to the amps?

FWIW, I just replaced my Furman with a Tripp Lite LSM606M voltage regulator, noise filter, and surge protector. 6 outlets and 600 watt capacity. Enough for everything I have without power amp but they have larger versions. First impression very positive. On sale at Amazon for $114. 

Maintains 120v and definitely improved clarity and definition. It's brand new so time will tell. 

I have everything plugged into the conditioner. It makes sense to me to provide clean power to all the component, especially the amp(s).

No.

@devinplombier - some manufacturers do not recommend any devices between their unit and AC mains. Simply because they never tested their product with all possible "conditioners". Similarly, Pass and Accuphase recommend using supplied power cables since this is what they tested their amps with.

I ordered an Audioquest PowerQuest 707 from Amazon. Easy return if it doesn’t work to my satisfaction. Should have it by tomorrow. 

I have a whole house conditioner in the breaker box because a lightening strike took out a Vandersteen power module that has been repaired...., my whole system is differentially balanced and the results are excellent

I upgraded to a ZeroSurge 8R20W and a hospital grade outlet.  Made no difference whatsoever.  At least I have surge protection.

Isolation transformers sure do.

@ghdprentice says, 

Noise in audio is seldom heard directly… it is not a crackle or something you can focus on.

Well said. My experience exactly.

Most of the power conditioners I've tried have produced a positive result. The one exception was Richard Gray's Power Company products. I pretty much went all in with this product line and could never get the results I was looking for.  There was a negative review of this in either Stereophile or Absolute Sound (I can't remember now) and the problems sighted were exactly what I was experiencing. I know there were those who voiced their support, so perhaps it is/was system dependent.

Has anyone had a negative experience with a Furman 15i power conditioner? When installed in my system it seem to roll off the top end. It took the ‘ sparkle ‘ out of the sound . However I did like the Active voltage readout where I could see the fluctuations in incoming voltage. 

Years ago my Paps used to go to the same phone repair guy for all his needs.  He sent my Paps home with what he thought was a broken UPS.  So Dad said I could have it if I wanted to try and fix it.  I opened it up later and saw the huge transformer and cars, etc  and realized this was a line conditioner.  More specifically an Ametek PowerVar.  It was the medical version.  I took it home and put it behind my listening rig, and it did in fact make my silence blacker, and felt clearer overall.

But my entire apartment is on a single 20A circuit so my place was a true candidate for a unit like this.

@thelonious527 currently using the same PC on my system with great results. I had the opposite with more openness and soundstage. 

Maybe plug one component into another outlet, then listen and repeat until you find the component that is causing issues? Or plug in your amp directly into the outlet. 

On my system there is also a 20a audiophile outlet installed in the wall. 

I like the Transparent power isolator which apparently gets rid of all the magnetic interference without restraining power.  And it has what appears to be a very good hydraulic designed surge protector.

It weighs like a lead block which to me indicates something good.  And it's visually appealing which is kind of helpful.

Cost around $6000 and comes with a really nice power cord.  

Very important to spend a lot of money so you feel better. 

I have owned the Plixar BAC 3000 for 5 years and recently added a second so I can have one for two power amps, two subs and another for my preamp, phono stage, DAC, transport & streamer. These are balanced 3000 watt toroidal transformers. You should check them out. Not sure if they are available in the US. They are designed and manufactured by James Soh at Soundaffairs in Singapore. Great addition in my opinion. Each unit weighs 40 kgs. so a very large transformer. 

Puritan Labs 156 works well.  Cheers

Another vote for the Puritan Labs 156.  I used the Furman reference 15i before that and I could hear a slight transformer buzz if you put your ear almost on the case.  The Puritan is quieter and using the Entech rf noise sniffer it is more effective than the Furman.  I use it for spike protection and everything is plugged into it including my amps. 

Received my Audioquest PowerQuest 707 Power Conditioner yesterday.

Bottom line: I'm keeping it. It significantly improved the overall presentation.

Before installing the 707 my system sounded wonderful and I had no complaints. As to noise: None I could hear even with my ear against the speaker. However I read many reviews where others had a similar situation and yet found an improvement with a PC. I think the more resolving the system the more potential benefit there is with a PC. Especially with Digital components. Noise is Kryptonite to Digital. Maybe analog components such as Turntables and Phone preamps may not benefit as much. But if you have any type of decent setup you should notice an improvement especially if your power is dirty or there is a lot of Wifi, EMF, etc.  And remember nearby Solar panels,WiFi and mobile phones and towers can introduce noise not present on the line.

As background my system consists of:

Accuphase P4600 Power Amp

Aurender N20 Streamer

MSB Discrete DAC

Harbeth C7ES-XD Speakers

I chose the 707 because It looks like the sweet spot in the AudioQuest range. It's the top of the PowerQuest line before the Niagra line. Its specs are very similar to the Niagra 1200 plus it includes a heavy duty AudioQuest Power Cable. It reduces both Common mode and Differential noise. It has non-sacrificial surge protection, extreme voltage monitoring and shutdown and Transient Power Correction that offers 45 Amps of transient reserve power for the High Current outlets designed for power amps and sub woofers. That last feature is not included in the 1200 which is $300 more and doesn't include a cable. The unit has 12 outlets:8 for line components and 4 high current for amps. So for $1295 it was a reasonable price and why I decided to try it. So how did it perform?

My system was extremely quiet with no perceived noise but with the PC it added another level of blackness to the background. That allowed minor details in the recordings that I never noticed before to be heard. 

The soundstage width and depth were unchanged however the instruments and instrument groupings in the image became more defined. They are more in focus with no smearing between images so imaging was noticeably improved.

The upper frequencies especially strings are more silken and refined. I thought they were that way before adding the PC but after they became even more relaxed and natural.

The overall presentation is more calm, relaxed. Large orchestral climaxes are reproduced without strain, harshness or over brightness in strings and brass.

As a result I found in my many reference tracks I could increase volume 2-3db with no sign of effort.

And of course there is surge and extreme voltage protection.

In my setup I connected my digital sources: Streamer, Network Switch and the Digital power supply of my DAC to the first line bank. Each bank is isolated from each other. I connected the Analog power supply from the DAC to the second line bank. I left the High Current bank empty. At some point I'll try my amp plugged into the PC. For now it remains into the wall. And Accuphase strongly recommends using the wall only.

So overall it's a worthwhile improvement and one that is a bargain considering the impact it has made to my system. I'm sure I could get some additional improvement by moving up to the Niagra 3000 but that is $3900. If I was definitely going to connect the amp to a PC I would consider that as the reserve power is even higher.

As to the noise issue. I appears there is noise that is not readily noticeable until you remove it. Even with good power coming from the wall there are improvements that can be found and I suspect non-line generated noise is present all around us and has subtle effects on the sound.

I will post this review on a new thread as a 707 review for those looking for a PC.

“So since my system is dead silent I’m not yet connected any power conditioner will add enough to justify the cost or worse degrade the sound.”

@jfrmusic

I guess, you have an answer to your earlier query. For now, enjoy 707 until you’re ready to step up or try something else. Great outcome! 

@jfmusic,

Glad you are getting good results with the 707. I will be using a 707 as part of my home theater build. The only thing I wish it had was remote power on, as all of my AV equipment will be plugged into it. That’s not a big hindrance to getting my AV system put together. 
 

It seems as if the 707 is a decent conditioner/surge protector. Is the included power cord pretty good? Would you use other Audioquest power cords or other brands for your equipment plugged into the 707? I was leaning towards either Audio Art, Shunyata, or Neotech.

Update:

The user guide suggested trying components into different bansk to find the best connection compatibility and combination. So even though everything sounded great I decided to try it. 

First I tried the Amp into the High Current Bank. Didn't like that. Sound was not as dynamic or clear so the amp went bank into the wall.

Then I tried all line level components into the High Current bank. There was actually some improvement to the calmness of the presentation but a loss of impact and imaging.

After trying various combinations I found the best was:

The Analog Power supply for my DAC plugged into the third Filtered Bank.

The Digital Power supply for my DAC and the Network Switch plugged into the second Filtered Bank.

The Streamer plugged into the High Current Bank.

This slightly improved the overall presentation from my initial set of connections listed in my review. It provided an even more laid back, calm presentation without impacting the imaging that was so compelling when I first tested the PC.

So now each of my components are now entirely discrete from each other and it appears that the Streamer plays better with the higher current and not as much noise filtering. The High Current bank is not as heavily filtered.

So if you get a PC experiment with the various banks until you find the best combination. It sounded good in all permutations but the final one was clearly the best.

@audioquest4life

The supplied cable is very heavy duty. It's one of AudioQuest's specifically designed for their PCs. I saw a YouTube review where the person tried an expensive AudioQuest power cable with the 707and while there was some additional measured noise reduction he wasn't sure he could hear any sound difference. So at this point I'm not planning on a cable upgrade but maybe. Actually I'd like a locking power cable. If you are moving the unit around to swap connections it's easy for the power cable to come out. As to other brands of cable AudioQuest recommends a directional cable from their line. Not sure the implications. I would check with them before using another brand

@jfrmusic 

Thank you for the response. The fact that Audioquest invested in a heavy duty power cord specifically made for the 707 is a testament to their commitment on building synergy for their products. I had the same experience with Bryston 4BSSTs amps. The power cable that came with those amps were quite heavy duty. 

Even with my Everest I ended up plugging my two amp plugs into two each dedicated circuits/wall sockets. When the 30 amp version of the Shunyata Typhon 2 came out I tried first one then two Typhon 2s with the 30 amp umbilical cord to each amp cord, and my other components plugged into the other sockets provided on each back panel of the Thyphon 2. These two Typhon 2s feeding my Gryphon EVO has opened up the amp sound and removed any sibilence in tone. I didn't believe a 195 pound Class A dual mono amp could sound that much better with any form of power conditioning. Running two Typhon 2s, two AQ Dragons and two Swiss Digital Fuses with Graphene sluggos is not a thrifty approach, but once heard I can't be without. It's so much money I wondered if if would have made more sense to put that money in an amp upgrade, but I truely love the Gryphon EVO musical sound.

I would love to be able to try all these different products mentioned here, but I haven't so I can't compare them to my system. That said, I am sure many of them would work in different systems. My advice if you are on the power conditioner sidelines is to get a trial on the most expensive unit you can afford. If it works in your system you are going to want more of the good stuff it provides. I came to power conditioning very reluctantly. I had a hard time hearing much value in entry level cords($500)  and power conditioning products($3000). I then started moving up the product lines which was expensive and time consuming, but I love the way my system sounds now.

Hello, I have been + / - on power conditioners for years.  I now have three systems; two in my home and one in a vacation home, of decreasing cost and resolution.  My mountain home has big power outages and storms, and I had a very old Panamax unit that I was keen on upgrading.  So after reading a lot and seeing the Denali V2 at 20% off new at Music Direct (about the same price as used units, and most were selling their original Denalis to purchase the new V2) I bought one.  Since I had it delivered to my home, I decided to try it in each of my systems.  I had read all about the noise reduction, and like others, having dedicated lines at my home and fairly nice equipment, I was a 'plug into the wall guy'.

So first system #2 with MM Makua , onboard Tambaqui DAC, Audionet Max amps, Grimm MU1 streamer and Revel Salon 2 speakers:  I kept the amps into the wall and everything else into the Denali V2.  Wow.  Things sounded clearer top to bottom, more defined, more air and space. More dynamic, more resolution.  Brighter but not etched.  My wife perked right up hearing the difference.

So then downstairs to system #1 with Audionet Stern and Heisenbergs, MM Tambaqui, and YG Hailey 2 speakers.  This system is extremely resolving and I sit closer.  The Denali was again easily noticeable, but not to my liking.  This system did not need anything more clear or defined.  It was a bit much.  I went back to my dedicated lines and it relaxed into what I better liked. Maybe the dedicated lines here are 'cleaner', but I think it shows it is very system and resolution dependent.

Comparing, the Revel Salon 2's are much more laid back than the YG Haileys.  The Mola Mola preamp, is not quite as neutral as the Audionet Stern.

Finally I took it to the Lake house and I loved its effect immediately on this system. Here I plugged my Soulnote Integrated A2, and Auralic Altair streamer / DAC  into the Denali.  It sounds better and I appreciate the safety of the high end non sacrificial breaker.

I am using a Shunyata Sigma V2 HC with the Denali V2 here, and now have gotten a second Denali V2 for system #2 at home, using a Kubala Sosna Elation 20a power cord.   Both sound fantastic.

Good posts by @wokeuptobose and @fastfreight and thank you for sharing your experiences. I can’t help wondering @jfrmusic decision to go with a entry level power conditioner given rest of his system.

IMHO, a component such as power conditioner which serves as a foundation of your system, should be uncompromising in every conceivable way.

@lalitk 

I understand your comment about not going all in on a PC. However the audio quest 707 has been a great improvement to my sound at a reasonable price. Spending 4 or 5 times more may offer additional performance but the law of diminishing returns had me skeptical on how much. I believe I have clean power into my newer home and while I don't have a true direct line there is nothing else connected to the line other than my system. So right now I'm good and enjoying the music.

Power conditioner helps, but you have to wait until it’s burn in and acclimate with your system. Find the right power cable to match your system.