PS Audio PowerPlant 12 Review (AC Regenerator)


PS Audio PowerPlant 12 Review

This is interesting. The testing concludes that the filtering inside of the actual electronics device is what matters and that this PS Audio product actually adds its own noise. Some irony.  

seanheis1

I don’t mind educating you guys 😊.

**** I’m sure it has good PRAT ****

No, IT would not have good PRAT. Instead, it might improve, or perhaps make worse some components’ PRAT.

**** What would his impression tell you? ****

It would tell me that his “review” is, in fact, thorough and complete (it is not); and that his comments are, in fact, worth considering. Worth considering, because he understands, like all audiophiles should, the old truism that measurements alone tell only part of the story.

Btw, I don’t own this regenerator and my experience with others has been as described above.

Listening to anything connected to a power regenerator would tell you as much about  sound like drinking orange juice from a refrigerator connected to one would tell you about  taste.  Why would anyone think this thing can change the sound of an amplifier? The AC is converted to DC in the amp and the amps capacitors keep the voltage constant. 

PS Audio wasn’t given an opportunity to respond.

I agree with this point. I have reached out to Paul McGowan so if he wasn't aware of PowerPlant 12 being measured and the resulting discussions on audio forums, he is now. 

Here is part 2 of the testing.  

PS Audio P12 Review Part 2: Power Testing

And here is copy and paste of Amir's conclusion. 

Conclusions
It is clear from the above tests that using the P12 degrades available power to an amplifier, not increase it. Both continues and dynamic power are limited, as they should. You are inserting another cable and box (power regenerator) which has its own losses. Burst capability in power amps is provided by its internal power supply capacitors that have a very low impedance path to the amp being inside it. Trying to do that with AC is like pulling the end of a wet noodle and expecting the other side to move with it.

The data here is the reason a number of power amp manufacturers recommend to power their units directly from the wall and not through a AC regenerator. You want the least impedance path to the AC outlet and that is a simple power cord.

While with low current devices we could hardly find a harm caused by the PS Audio P12 (other than to your bank account), with power amps we are seeing a distinct degradation of power. In this regard, I think any marketing material without proper objective back up to the contrary is irresponsible here. Please heed the advice from me and many amp designers that you don't want to use these regenerators for power amplifiers.
 

djones, silly analogy; not applicable at all.  With respect, you seem to always be so hell bent on sticking to the objectivist mantra that you miss the bigger point.  The audiophile pursuit, and obviously music, is first and foremost about listening; measurements always take a back seat.  That is the reason that the review is incomplete.  Important to remember that there is as much vested interest for the naysayer to NOT hear a difference in sound as there is for the delusional to hear it; whether there is actually a difference or not.  Of course, if the listener can’t hear then all bets are off.