power conditioner

lots of variation and difference of opinion, depending on system, electric supply, personal preference. I have amp and pre plugged into wall, sources into a balanced conditioner. Then there is the issue of dedicated lines...

I like to use Furman units with LiFT and SMS. I do find they add warmth and clean/quiet mid to treble. I miss them when disconnected.

More importantly is having consistent performance 24/7. I rely on the Furman’s to provide bullet-proof surge protection and (sometimes) voltage regulation. If you are worried about that then of course, invest.

Your mileage may vary, but I do think some units are ridiculously overpriced, as are power cables.

In terms of sound quality, invest in good room acoustics first. Then power conditioners.

Best,

Erik

I too am wondering about the validity of power conditioners to a good audio system. I have dedicated lines to my system and 6 years ago added a Furman Elite 15 with 3 Seperate banks of 4 each reciprocals and it seems, to my ears, not to add or subtract from the overall sound and it gave me peace of mind at a cost of $500.00 new, I thought I would move up the Furman line to their Reference series at 4 times the cost of the Elite and could not get it out of my system fast enough, it sucked the life out of my system. The dealer that sold me my Lamm preamp has sent me the specs to assemble a basic power strip with quality parts that I can put together my self or have it done and I believe that is the route I choose to follow next. I believe that any of these pieces do for the most part alter the sound in some way or other it just boils down to what you can live with.

are you in the US?

apparently some countries have really dirty power - the Australians seem obsessed with that issue for some reason

blind listening tests are critical to evaluation and I bet you find that better speakers and room treatments are much more important...

randy-11

... blind listening tests are critical to evaluation ...

Perhaps that's true for you, but most audiophiles have no use for blind listening tests. They're tricky to conduct properly and if they're not done properly, the results are of no value. They're also time-consuming, and that time takes away from listening just for fun.

Double-blind tests do have value for designers and manufacturers, no doubt. But for hobbyists ... not so much.