Line Conditioners or Power Filters?????

It's called Zen, high priest! In power delivery/noise control there are NO correct predigested answers. This subject is extremely application specific and--as usually--budget constrained. More so, usually the most cost effective aproach is related to what one can find in the used/surplus market. For a direction in which to head, a 220V/110V Topaz isolation transformer wired for balanced power will blow away just about everything commercially pre packaged, dollar for dollar. I went a different route, being able to get a hold of three Clear Image T4 quad isolation transformers/filters for less than $800 (shipping incl, $4,800 retail), a 2.6KW Xentech extreme 220V/110V isolation transformer for $80 (w/ shipping) and a 3.0 KW ONEAC CB 2338 220V/110V transformer/filter for $100 and an Audio Power parallel filter for $29.95.

Read a lot, think and be patient, is all I have to add.

Psychicanimal, it sounds like you have some experience in industrial power systems, or something similar. As you mention, there are a ton of ways to address providing low noise power to an audio system, and some of the ones that are marketed specifically for audio applications either do nothing, or do more harm than good.

However, there are also some that are excellent. As Warrenh says above, some type of power conditioner/noise filter/isolation device is almost mandatory. A good option that has not yet been mentioned would be a PS Audio Ultimate Outlet. The UO is non-current limiting, and provides noise suppression, isolation, and surge protection.

A step up from any power "conditioner" is an AC re-generator, such as the PS Audio Power Plants. These devices take AC line power, convert it to DC, then re-generate AC, free of harmonics and noise. No passive device can do all of the things that a re-generator can do, at any price. The down side is that this solution is best suited for low power devices, such as pre-amps and sources, because regenerators large enough to power big amps are as expensive as the amps themselves!

Whatever you decide to try, give it a good listen and make an honest judgement. I can honestly say that every change I have made to the power delivery to my system, including changing out stock power cords with home-made cords, has made an immediately audible difference. If you add a new cord or conditioner, and after a couple hours of listening you don't think that you can hear any difference, then there probably is no difference. Yank it out, sell it, and try something different.

As a final thought, I doubt there are very many of the 90 IQ crowd reading the forum on A'gon, and anyone who plans to take the DIY route for building a power delivery system for their Hi-Fi rig better be closer to the 120 range or above. Electricity can do wonderful things, but it can also destroy your gear, kill you, or burn your house down(not necessarily in that order)if you screw up. If you don't have the background to roll your own, buy something pre-packaged and follow the directions. Good luck,

Mike

Mike, I forgot to mention I also have an Elgar 6006 medical grade 10 ampere AC regenerator. It is currently plugged to the 220V ONEAC and it feeds a PS Audio Juice Bar Which in turn feeds my monoblocks and a T4 filter. I have NO electrical knowledge, but have taken an industrial approach to power delivery/noise control. Running an A/V system on a 30 amp, 220V dedicated line feeding isolation transformers is the ticket to a very beefy system.

Power delivery and room acoustics are the two top items in achieving outstanding performance. The trick is to adapt to one's particular needs and budget. There's plenty of info in the archives. Anyone can do it with some patience and determination. The only currently available commercial filter that I've also liked in my system is the DeZorel. It outperformed my regenerator by no small margin.

Has anyone tried the Blue Circle Audio BC86 MKIII Noisehound. I'v heard these were really good filters.

Psychicanimal, what are these Elgar 6006 regenerators that you mentioned? Where can a person find out about them, and how do they compare to the PS Audio regenerators?