Power Conditioners.

Thanks everyone. Power is a major problem in FL.

I upgraded my power cables to Wireworld Aurora 5/2. Much improvement.
I had dedicated circuits but upgraded outlets to PS Audio Power Ports. WOW!!!!! Incredible difference.
Completed upgrade to PS Audio Dectec. More amazing!

My System will now knock your socks off.

I just bought a Torus avr 20 and it is one of the biggest upgrades I have made. I had many conditioners{Tice,monster,Hydras,Furutech]etc. which in my opinion did nothing. I live in Fla. where my voltage fluctuated from 114 to 124. Torus solved the problem and now the sound is more robust with a huge soundstage. Every component plugged into it is upgraded. It is pricey at about $4500 but in my system it is money well spent.

One's system is a series of proverbial 'links in a chain'.
I would venture to report that 10% of the overall system cost should be dedicated to line/power conditioning, especially if one resides in a major U.S city.

Do you need one? Is your environment noisy?

In my case, the improvement in sound was due to the better quality outlets on the conditioner gripping the plugs tighter.

I eventually got rid of mine and my system has never been happier :-)

What I did do is:
- Installed a dedicated line from the breaker
- installed quality outlets (Pass and Seymour)
- replaced all my power cables with Furutech shielded cables - where the shield is connected only at the mains plug end.
- added in a Power Distribution Centre - another name for "quality power bar" (no conditioning), like the PS Audio - Dectet and the unfiltered distributor boxes from Furutech.

Let me stress...
- this worked with MY SYSTEM in MY ENVIRONMENT
- no other devices on my dedicated line e.g. washing machine, dishwasher etc...
- you may actually need a power conditioner
- but sometimes they are not be required

BTW: The chaps at Nordost hate them - and they make a living at this stuff :-)

Power conditioning is a bit of a mystery to me and I think system dependent. I tried the LessLoss DFPC (dynamic filtering power cable) and was was stunned at the improvement to my system. So much so that I purchased three, all on Audiogon. As it turned out for me, one was great two were okay and three was too much of a good thing. That led me to try an Audience AR6 PDC, which is not technically a power conditioner but is power "distributor" designed for Naim components, which I have. It was even better, so I sold the LessLoss cables bought something more generic. My only takeaway is that power conditioning and related devices can make a difference but are system dependent. BTW, install a dedicated line if you can, preferably with 10 AWG and a good audio outlet like the Hubbell Porter Port or others. Mine cost $250 and was a major improvement!

The Blue Circle Thingee is a effective PC for around $225. They are kinda ugly but if you can hide it behind your equipment like I do its not an issue. Google for reviews.

A number of questions to ask:
1. How much am I willing to spend? (Something to re-evauluate several times over this process.)
2. Is my budget determined by X% of the total cost of my current system, or, X% of the total cost of my imagined system 10 years down the road? Some folks recommend this approach (i.e., taking a certain percentage of the total cost of your system. I prefer to listen to how much of a difference the product appears to make in the overall sound, and let that guide the purchase -- to each his own).
3. Does the power conditioner use caps or coils? (such power conditioning methods have a reputation for restricting dynamic performance).
4. Am I going to try/compare 2, or 3, different products? (I"d investigate several brands, first, to narrow it down to the ones you'd actually try: never hurts to look for the "why" or "how" in the product, rather than just the "it does 'this' to the sound..." sort of presentation.

Power conditioning in the form of power cords is seriously worth considering too (or instead). By using power cords designed to condition the power, as a means of power conditioning, you'll be less likely to want to replace the power cords in the future, or purchase a stand-alone power conditioning unit, and therefore save money in the long run. There's also the added benefit that by using power conditioning power cords to condition the power—depending on the power cord—the conditioning will take place at the most vital location: immediately before the power enters the powered equipment (instead of X number of feet prior to it when using a stand alone power conditioning unit).

I'm wondering how long it will take now for the "power cords make no difference" crowd to chime in :)

Best wishes,

Aaron Knock
AK