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Power Conditioning / Surge Protection

I am looking for some advice on power conditioning and surge protection.  I have a dedicated circuit for my two channel system with eight outlets. Years ago I was talked into buying a couple of Richard Gray Power Stations which I still have in the system. Because of the logistics of my system they have served as additional outlets when power cords weren’t long enough but honestly I don’t know a damn thing about power conditioning or surge protection and whether I’m doing harm or good to my system.  I have a turntable, phono stage, music server, streamer, CD player, integrated amp and dual powered subs so I have a lot of need for power. I’m interested in protecting my equipment but I don’t want to muddy things up either. I’m willing to scrap the Richard Grays and either replace them with something else if there are better options.

I would greatly appreciate any advice from those who know about these things. I’m very happy with my equipment but feel the power issue is lacking or, at best, not well thought out. 
puppyt
audio2design
1,351 posts
 
You are saying the voltage ripple gets larger. Prove it. That is a common misconception that is actually not true. The worst case voltage ripple will not get worse with added resistance.

Yes the voltage (average) on the capacitor may be lower. I never discounted that. A lower voltage (which wouldn't be any different from a lower mains voltage) will limit peak output power, but we are talking fractions of a db where clipping will kick in.

Do the actual work. Consider the transfer function. Consider the transfer function in the frequency domain. Voltage ripple will not increase with added input resistance.
don_c55
1,025 posts
 
https://www.changlightspeed.com

Best solution I have found for surge protection, and conditioning (power line noise reduction).

Better than AC regenerators or conditioners with coils.

No residual artifacts at all.

Power factor Correction included.    I use the CLS 709 $1300.
audio2design
1,351 posts
 
"highly filtered analog outlets" without inductors.  Well that leaves you with resistors and capacitors, or just capacitors. If you just have capacitors then you are not highly filtered, and if you have a resistor, you have time lag.


"Video images are less convincing and enveloping." ... they said this about using inductors in filters and you expect me to take them seriously?

I could write more but, I find statements like this show either willing deception or ignorance on the part of the company.
kijanki's avatar
kijanki
4,477 posts
 
Audio2design  I did not say that ripple current gets higher.  You argued that voltage on capacitor doesn't drop because charge time is higher.  I only stated that when charge time gets higher - ripple is higher (capacitor is charged from the bottom of the ripple to the next peak)

I only argue that at the moment when net capacitor current is zero (peak of the wave) voltage on capacitor depends on source voltage and source impedance.  That's the peak supply voltage for the output stage.  How much it will drop depends on total source impedance including house wiring, power cord, fuse, transformer windings resistance and added impedance of the filter in conditioner.   If this filter is poor then voltage drop, especially on inductive reactance, can be high.  Even if we assume only 10% it will result in 20% loss of max power - equivalent to about 6% of drop in perceived loudness.  I agree that in this case when amp is within 80% it should not be audible, but people claim it is.  Perhaps voltage drops even more.  Large linear supplies have a lot of filter capacitance reducing voltage ripple to very small resulting in even narrower and higher charging current pulses and much higher voltage drops on conditioner's filter impedance.  Many people report big loss of dynamics with some conditioners.
drpie's avatar
drpie
58 posts
 
I chose the following option: power amplifiers - Isotek Super Titan, then added SR PowerCell Two. (An early choice was - Isotek Titan.)
Sources-PS Audio P10 - > SR PowerCell SX (primarily-PS Audio).
PS. Regenerators always killed my power amplifiers (Classe).
I've heard a lot of good things about Niagara from audiophiles, but I haven't tested it in my system.
I strongly recommend testing High Fidelity Cables MC and Bybee iQSE. I didn't return it.
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