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Power Conditioner Advice please...

I would be grateful for advice from the forum with regard to the following:

My system sounds significantly better in the evening/night than during the day and given that I live in a busy commercial area it would seem likely that I need to clean up the power. 

Ultimately, I will buy an AC regenerator but do not currently have the budget for that. I am therefore looking at a power conditioner and which I hope to buy pre-owned for under $/£1,000.

Given my amps draw a large wattage (peak 400w into 4ohms) I am nervous about placing a conditioner between them and the mains.

The other components:

1.     Auralic Aries - has its own external linear power supply.

2.     DEQX  -  “Nine separate power-supply regulation stages  including four that provide the main analog rails deliver extremely low measured distortion....”

Where do you think I would be best to apply any power conditioning?

Any other suggestions welcomed.

Thanks very much

soma70
inna
7,296 posts
 
First you need to find out if the voltage fluctuates wildly. Where I live it does from 116V to 127V, American current, so I have to use the regenerator. If the voltage is stable you don't really need a regenerator, only very good passive conditioner and power cords, including the cord from the wall to the conditioner.
My PS Audio Premier spends too much energy for itself when it has to correct the voltage a lot and/or when the current is particularly dirty, and as a result the dynamics suffers. However, without it the system is unlistenable in the daytime and early evening. And I mean it, it becomes a big boombox. Newer P5 and P10 are said to be better.
willemj
1,036 posts
 
Of course your system sounds better at night: it is a lot quieter and a lower noise floor means more system resolution.
hifiman5's avatar
hifiman5
1,832 posts
 
@inna   I had the PS Audio Premier, actually 2 of them.  My first one suffered a complete regenerator failure as I was trying to run my entire system including power amp off of it and it just couldn't handle it.  PS sent me another new Premier which worked well without the power amp connected.  I had that running off a PS Duet.

A few months ago, I took PS up on their trade-in program to get a P5.  After a few good discussions with customer support, I was assured that I could run my entire system through a P5 with no sweat.  I'm happy to report that everything I was told is correct.  With my line stage, SACD player, phono stage, two outboard power supplies (one for phono stage, other for the modded SACD player plus a heavily modified McCormack DNA-1 amp plugged into it and I am using 38% of its power delivery capability.  

Listening to Keb Mo's "Slow Down" disc right now at live volume and it is dynamic as He**.
hifiman5's avatar
hifiman5
1,832 posts
 
@willemj   The happy listening at night is more likely the result, especially if you live in an urban area or near an industrial zone, of fewer devices being used on the same grid introducing all kinds of distortion into the AC.

Had a dramatic demonstration of this at a stereo shop years ago which was right next to a pizza shop.  When that pizza joint prepared to close and they shut down all the ovens and grills the sound was transformed.  Not sure I would have believed that could make such a difference had I not experienced it for myself.


soma70 OP
153 posts
 
Thanks to everyone for all your input, it’s great to get a range of opinion. The Dectet looks like an ideal solution so thanks hifiman for that spot on reccomendation.

Re background noise - whilst I do live close to an industrial area and town centre, my house is a way off the main road and the immediate area is very quiet, plus my listening room has double layered rockwool between brick and sound proofed plasterboard so it’s very quiet inside and means I can crank up the volume late at night without upsetting the neighbours! 
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