Power Conditioners

Hi OP,

I think that the difference is whether they use parallel only parts, like for surge protection, or whether they try to do noise as well.

The issue is that parallel surge protection and filtering simply can’t get down low enough in the frequency range, so you’ll often see them brag about EMI/RFI noise suppression, but that’s in the 100kHz range.

The true series mode surge supressors are ALSO noise suppressors that work down in the 3 kHz range. That’s well down into the audible range of noise.  Some believe that anything in line with the electric company is bad, so they will avoid them.

Personally, I don't want to be connected to the transformer directly.  It's noisy, and may cause surges.  I'm good with noise filtering and series mode protection.

Best,

E

Here is something, that amazed me. I use Tripplite 2400s. I use a few different brands of gear. ALL my Mac gear works perfect, no problem plugging into the conditioner. I have Parasound Zpre3, It doesn’t like the conditioner, It looses, a LOT of the dynamics, top and bottom. Plug the thing direct into the wall, sounds wonderful. I use just a surge protector on it, sounds perfect...

I think the better the Power Supply in the gear, the better they respond to a conditioner. Not uncommon at all to scrimp, there, even in high dollar equipment. I’ve just NEVER seen it in Mac, 25 or so pieces, no problems.
The Parasound, older Marantz, One pair of Carys (6 pacs) don’t sound as good. Cary V12R, it works perfect on a conditioner. Again different Power Supplies, even within the same or close to the same manufacture Cary/AES.
The two respond differently, to conditioners, ones fine ones not..

Regards

So if wall warts go into the dirty zone, does it also mean the DAC and the record player? Only amp and CD player have grounded power cables so they go into the clean zone?

For the sake of ground loop issues, all on he same plug, 2 plug outlets, one for the conditioner, one for the surge protector.

Regards

Sooo all devices go into the conditioner and the conditioner itself goes into the surge protector? 
I was thinking of doing this: having two plug outlets with each having a conditioner with built in surge protector. One will be the dirty zone, as per @erik_squires example, the other the clean zone. The clean zone will handle the amplifier, the dirty zone will handle the rest (DAC with wallwart, CD player with grounded cable, record player with wallwart, streamer without grounded cable).