Anyone else done any comparisons of a different power cord to their ultimate cord on the PSM156 ?
It is the only C19 cord I have, so hard to compare with others.
Puritan vs Nordost Power Cable
I have connected a Kubala Sosna Elation, and an Emotion to the Puritan 156 with good results. I have also used a BMI Whale Elite, an Elrod EPS2 and 3, an NRG Godzilla 5 is on there now, and some Harmonix and Hijiri's to the front of the Puritan. The Harmonix and Hijiri's slightly restricted the sound. The Whales were very good and I still have 2 on the rack. I did not try the Sablon or Masterbuilt on the very front end. The standard Puritan cable is not bad at all. But when you're upgrading all around the downstream components, letting the electrons flow at the wall is a good idea. Overall, I only experienced slight downgrades, very slight, so the majority of PC's did very well in front of the Puritan. Not sure what might be going on with the Shunyatas. Don't have any and don't plan to any time soon. The NRG works darned nice btw. My 2 cents. |
@craig my experience mirrors yours in regards to the PSM156 and the Ultimate cord. I actually preferred the Classic cord on the 156. In the end, after running two dedicated lines, I liked the sound with all of my components direct from the Furutech GTX-D NCF outlets using very good power cords. Low noise and no side effects, however minimal they were, such as compressed dynamics and pinched top end. The system just breathes easier without the 156 in the chain. Now it all depends on your power and power supplies, but in my system that’s what I heard. |
I did a comparison between the Puritan and Shunyata, both the power conditioners and power cables. For the Puritan it was the 156 conditioner and their top of the line ultra power cord. For Shunyata, I tried both the Denali and the Everest and the Sigma and Omega power cord. Of course, price wise, this is not a fair comparison. But, I wanted the best or close to the best for each brand. The Puritan 156+ultra cord is good, very good, better than the Nordost QB8 (version I) that it replaced. Cleaner, more articulate, more sound stage, etc. BUT, the Shunyata is simply exponentially better. The Denali is superb, the Everest is appropriately named being subjectively about 20% better than the Denali. In terms of power cords, the Sigma (compared to the Puritan and a Nordost Valhalla) was more articulate, cleaner, provided a tighter, more controlled and substantial bass. Tonal qualities were nearly perfect (classical and jazz ). The Nordost was veiled, misty, clouded in comparison, the music not as present or engaging. The Puritan was not veiled, but "flat" compared to the Shuynata (this does not imply that the Shunyata is colored, it just seems to let more of the music through). The Omega again was about 15 - 20% better than the Denali. Note: If you are using either the Denali or Everest, you want the XC power cord. If you want to connect just one or two devices so you really don't need a distributor, try the Shunyata Omega QR or QS which provide in the cord the equivalent of the Denali or Everest. I did this comparison on two systems: Dealers: boulder pre and amp with Wilson Alexia speakers, Rossini Dac Mine: ARC Ref6SE preamp, Rogue Audio Apollo Dark monos, Rossini Dac and AMG Viella turntable with SoundSmith strain gauge.
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@mikedaniels HI Mike, do you mean a different brand in to the PSM156 or 136? |
I have the Puritan PSM156 which came with the Classic 20A cord. I upgraded to the Ultimate 20A cord. Big improvement! Better more realistic bass, more relaxed sound, good treble and midrange, higher rez. It’s a big change though -- if you like the Classic cord on your PSM156 you may want to audition before purchasing -- may be too thick sounding for some systems. |
craig
Thanks for your response. I am checking with Pro Audio, the distributor in Chicago. Best Regards, Jim Perry |
Jerry: I am in the US (Virginia). I purchased from a local dealer. He let me take the 156 and the cables home for a week and do comparisons. I imagine most of their dealers and distributors would do the same. There is a list of distributors on their website. Their web site list the US distributor as: Pro Audio Ltd. Tel: 847-526-1660 |
craig
Thanks for the interesting post. Also using Nordost V2 as my power cable. I would appreciate some help with a couple of questions: 1. Did you buy direst from Puritan, or from a distributor, and if so are you in the U.S? 2. Does Puritan have a trial period? |
Last year I had electrical upgrades to the tune of 10k done to my home , using a power line noise analyzer the Ac noise was horrendous everywhere through out my home. Just prior to the work done I had bought a Puritan 136 on a 30 day home trial money refunded to replace a Ac regenerator that did nothing . Using a line analyzer plugged into the 136 the numbers dropped significantly which translated into a lower noise floor of course with my front end components plugged into the conditioner. Finally something that actually works . Anyway I kept putting off the electrical work then finally having it done my family noticed better picture clarity on their TVs and I noticed a much more coherent and far more enjoyable improvement in playback sound quality across the board . Finally speaking of sources of noise Craig you should seriously consider dumping your Mac for a dedicated server / streamer the upgrade in sound quality will really make you wonder why you used your computer for such a use , the leap in sound quality will amaze you ... |
From their website: Entry into our elite Studio Master range starts with the PSM136. 39 filtration elements progressively coax noise out from the power cycle. DC offset correction is standard and each of the 6 x 15 Amp outputs incorporates its own dedicated filter section guaranteeing not only pristine power but avoiding connected components cross-contaminating each other. When only the very best will do. The crowning achievement of all of our research: the PSM156 Studio Master. 58 filter elements incrementally remove harmful noise from the mains supply but leaving the full force and power intact. The filter sections individual to each 15 Amp output station seen on the PSM136 are doubled in efficiency further improving the sound from each connected component and providing twice the prevention of cross contamination. Also available in a 12 outlet version PSM1512. Their site has a retail price list: http://www.puritanaudiolabs.com/buying/retail-price-list/ |
I also just replaced a shunyata denali and shunyata power cord with a puritan 156. The cord that came with the 156 is a small little cloth covered cord, which is their standard Puritan power cord. Well, the Puritan stuff was clearly more detailed and musical sounding than my shunyata. I also switched up the power cords putting the Shunyata on the Puritan, but again the little Puritan cord was better. The music was clearer sounding, not just detail, but everything was clearer. The bass line sustains were more perceptible with better rhythm, and I could hear the micro dynamics were improved as well. I just called to order the Puritan Ultimate cord to replace the stock cord. I can't believe that this little cord is supplying all the power in my system, and I am paranoid that it is too little, so I am ordering the Ultimate cord. But yes, the Puritan is better in my system. |
The Puritan Ultimate power cord is about 1/10 of the price of the Nordost Valhalla power cord. ( I have verified from a Puritan dealer ) It seemed at first sight they are not in the same league. What is the ´´ upgraded ´´ feature all about? I am a bit septical about your take on them vs the Nordost. I would be glad if you were right though . |