what does a power conditioner really do?

Power conditioner is a vague term to describe most any device that might affect power.  Most power conditioners do not even address half of the anomalies that others have described.  Most who recommend these expensive devices ignore spec numbers.  And do not know that many power conditioners would sell at well less than half the price - and still have an obscene profit margin.

We presented a fancy conditioner to some to try.  They could hear greater clarity.  Then we opened it up.  It was a knot tied in a wire.  Yes, even a wire knot is a power conditioner.  Amazing how a knot created greater clarity - because it was in a fancy box.

Does not matter how 'clean' AC power is.  Because that power is converted even into well over 300 volt radio frequency spikes. Then superior and robust regulators and filters convert that 'now dirtiest' power into rock stable low DC voltages to power electronics.  Any conditioning done on the power cord is routinely undone inside electronics.  Then superior power conditioners clean that power.

So a wire knot does equivalent to an expensive Furman - and its fictional advantages of balanced power.  Even a wire knot conditions power.  Which means nothing when numbers are ignored.  And when one does not first learn how incoming power is intentionally made 'dirty' again.  Best power conditioner must already be inside your equipment.

Westrom have you heard the Furhman? You mentioned it’s "fictional advantages ."

While i have not heard it, in my above rant I mentioned recently acquiring (and being a dealer for ) The designers latest venture for Audioquest based on the things he developed at Furhman. however that company’s focus wasn’t high end audio so i can’t speak for its level of improvement.

The electronics I am running have excellent power supplies designed by veteran audio engineers. So the notion that properly designed equipment can’t benefit significantly from external power conditioning (even power amps) simply doesn’t hold up, at least in my system.

I also think environment plays an issue. Someone like myself in NYC faces different issues than someone in the suburbs or a rural area .

Here’s another crazy thing.

on the youtube link from my previous post - actually the next part of the 4 part video, you can hear the improvement in the amps from conditioned vs. Dedicated lines alone.... On the video.... Over my iPhone’s speaker! It’s actually crazy . I had to have a friend verify that he could hear it too. It’s seems impossible but the bass clarity was audible over a freakin’ phone. I would not have believed it if I hadn’t heard it myself.

I started ac conditioning with a monster government military surplus 300 pound transformer. It helped but was noisy. Since then I have had over twenty devices, some worked a little, some did nothing, some had liabilities, some were beautiful, some were regenerators, and the High Fidelity Waveguide power center which uses magnets to get the junk off the line.

It looks like a toaster oven, but it really works. 

I would still say the Elgar 3006B 200lbs Power Conditioner will outclass each and every single one mentioned on this thread. You really need to see these unit in person and how they can make your audio system elevate a few notch. Atma-Sphere music Systems www.atma-sphere.com is selling them and 1 is available for sale approx. 4000-4500 dollars I cant remember the price. I can tell you no other power conditioner in the high end audio market will come close to this one!!

Have you tried the High Fidelity Waveguide ten outlet prototype that has been upgraded to present standards. It is the magnets that result in its performance. 

I have never heard the Elgar but the HFC outperforms the other 28 power conditioners I've used.

I must say that the HFC benefits from pcs to ics to speaker wires all come at great expense but are also unrivaled.