@rohlim -
you’ve asked a great question and identifying which conditioner works best, will greatly depend on your other complements . It’s really difficult to provide a solid recommendation but I’ll try. I have a Niagara 1200 and think it restricts the power coming from my Atoll IN300. My system sounded good but my amp lost its punch. So, I plugged my amp straight into the wall and the punch came back. Also, I cannot find any information on the wattage of the 1200, but I’m guessing it is rated at 1200 watts. So, I didn’t know if I was overloading it. Not having surge protection on my amp kept me up at night, so I started looking for a new conditioner. I came across a company called Core Power Technologies that specialize in conditioners (sold by Underwood HiFi). I worked directly with the owner of the company, Walter Liederman and after many conversations I bought an Equi=Core 1800 MKII (up to 1800 watts). I’ll let you read for yourself about the technical aspects of the conditioner so you can decide if this model is what you’re looking for in a condition. I just saw the 1800 MKII has been updated to the 1800 MKIII. I think the MKII is in your prince range.
When I plugged my equipment into the E=C 1800, my amp came back and the noise floor dropped considerably. I’m hearing my components not the conditioner like I did with the 1200. I’m not saying the 1200 is not a nice conditioner, but I felt I was listening to the conditioner and not my components. Below is a link to the website which has many reviews from reviewers and customers. I wish you the best of luck on your hunt.
https://www.underwoodhifi.com/products/equicore
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@rohlim in that price range the new AQ Niagara 1200 definitely fits the bill. On a used market a Puritan PSM156 which comes with a very decent and flexible power cable, or a used Shunyata Hydra Talos is another good option as well as Isotek.
I use Puritan and like it a lot. Audible improvement in reduction of noise floor. Previously owned Shunyata Hydra 4 and had the Richard Gray unit on trial. Preferred the Hydra.
One other item that is frequently overlooked is the outlet. I was extremely skeptical but curiosity got the better of me and I installed a Furutech GTX-D NCF outlet and it’s one of, if not the biggest sonic ROIs out there. Many choices when it comes to outlets. Point I’m trying to make is it makes a difference, add it to your list.
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@pedroeb I was using the mobile version of the site on my phone. That's why. Sorry about your precious eyes.
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a few guys took this as an opportunity to have a discussion among themselves completely ignoring the substance of this post. With a lot of blank space.
LOL. Welcome to forum discussions. You got a few good answers, right? Consider yourself unscathed.
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I have used a Running Springs Haley for several years and am very pleased with it. System posted here.
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I asked a simple question about recommending a power conditioner. Thank you to all who responded and actually recommended some units.
BUT, a few guys took this as an opportunity to have a discussion among themselves completely ignoring the substance of this post. With a lot of blank space.
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@audiotroy
You seem to be someone with a good deal of experience in this industry. Ignoring price, what technologies are truly useful when considering power cables, conditioners and power plant like products? Perhaps, this is an unfair question to ask, but I thought that I would ask.
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Plixir conditionners are the only one I heard that didn’t affect dynamic.
don’t know how much power you need so it might or might not be in your price range.
I use a plixir 400 to power my Router/Switch/Streamer/Dac and each components benefit in a non-subtle way from the Plixir. Especially the DAC ( Lampizator) sounds magical with the Plixir
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Also got mine from Sweetwater, but the PG-2 unit made by Black Lion Audio in Chicago. A very well regarded company in the world of studios. Great unit for about $300. Works well in my system, excellent connectivity, no less than 14 outlets, which I need, sadly.
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mastering92 did your enter button get stuck? All the blank space is extremely annoying. No one wants to be that annoying.
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@vonhelmholtz
Now that's kind of a strange recommendation. Not using a power conditioner with audio gear.
Check this page out: A power conditioner is a device used to...
The unit that I am using does all of these things and more. That's why why I use it every day. Had mine for a year now with no problems at all. And they've got a 10 year warranty. I'm actually being serious.
You can choose to believe what you want. Me making a suggestion to you or anyone else does not mean that I am asking you to trust me, and distrust the rest of the world. Why jump to conclusions before trying something in the first place? (in this case, a power conditioner).
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Furman with LiFT and SMP are my standards. They have actual noise reduction well down into the audible range, not just RFI/EMI. Also, if you search for "Furman voltage regulator" you can usually get their top of the line units super cheap with extra iron to keep voltages stable.
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we have sold most major brands of power conditioners the best you can get rof close to your price range is an isotek Aquarius thei so units isolate noisy digital components from analog ones while filtering broadband noise from components
Dave and troy
Audio intellect nj
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@mastering92
So, when others use the word “proprietary “, or ask us to believe their explanation of how their equipment works, we are suppose to doubt them and simply go to your system page…really? Can we distrust them and distrust you?
I think that the most challenging aspect of conditioner design is to allow high power amplifiers to use their isolated circuit without loss of dynamics. There is a reason that many companies, like McIntosh, recommend that their power amplifiers be plugged directly into the wall.
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I was surprised to hear this:
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@vonhelmholtz
Performance-specific claims about dramatic or even unbelievable improvements in YOUR audio system. The question then becomes...how do they know? Well they don’t know. It’s the imagination of their marketing departments. the manufacturer has no clue what your system sounds like!
If you want a no-nonsense power conditioner that does it all, check out my systems page. Promise it’ll be worth it. Best I’ve owned and I’m not upgrading it.
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The above proprietary claim is what seems to be used across the industry. What I want in a conditioner is the ability to provide stable voltage, isolation, noise suppression, surge protection and the ability to provide large amount of current for short periods of time. It would be helpful to have reference articles to help us to understand these requirements and what circuitry is needed to provide the above. I suspect that it takes a good bit of money to produce a product that meets all these demands. So, what do I get with a Shunyata Everest vs PS Audio power products vs Panamax (Furman) vs a $100 large power transformer in an enclosure? What power products are used with delicate hospital equipment and with other applications? As mentioned above, lots of snake oil, waving of arms and claims of proprietary circuits. Can someone provide some clarity on this subject?
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After a little reading, I chose this one (Sweetwater seems to always have the best price):
It to my separate circuit, everything that counts into it, small, easy to find a place for it.
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@rohlim
Check out my profile to see what I’m using.
Send me a message if interested.
Mega-buck power conditioners are rather large power transformers that may clean dirty power to some extent, but they use a significant amount of power to do that. This adds to the power demands of your audio system; a higher electricity bill. What I'm using only requires a watt of power to do its job!
What I’m using doesn’t depend upon MOVs that can die out. It’s a patended and proprietary unit. It may not cost thousands of dollars, but it certainly gets the job done.
Don’t be fooled by sky-high prices that you may believe equate to superior quality and/or performance. Audiophile-oriented brands can charge any amount they want to. Their marketing departments can spin technical-sounding jargon to make you believe things that aren’t even true.
Only purpose-driven products that are certified to do their job are worth it.
You will certainly hear a difference. I know I did.
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