2. misc-audio
  3. 1021589391

Condition this baby

When I first got my gear, I was advised to protect my investment with a surge protector. Being the smart, savvy guy, I knew that investing in a power conditioner was like wasting money on good cables. They were not going to trick me from my money! So I bought a Trip Lite unit for $100.

Of course, now there are Coincident speaker cables, I/C's and power cords all around. And when I put in a couple of FIM outlet's the difference was huge!. MY amp seems to clip at a fairly low level and I'm thinking that upgrading the line is the best way to go. I have Marsh gear, so I like the ides of the Monster 5000, which is designed by Richard Marsh or there are a couple Panamax units inn my price range. I would like to spend in the $200-$400 range.

My gear is a Thule CD and Rega 25 front end, with a marsh P2000T and 400S. I also use a CJ PV-11 for the phono stage, driving Audio physic Virgo’s.
luc
rwwear
2,883 posts
 
Your amp clips because it doesn't have enough power for the volume level you are playing it at. Or something is broken.
sean
6,231 posts
 
What wattage is the Tripplite surge suppressor / power line conditioner rated for ? It is possible that you are drawing too much power through it, which causes audible distortion. I would check this aspect of the situation first before jumping into anything else. You might also want to try plugging your amp in directly to the wall socket and see if that does anything for you. Sean
>
bishopwill
369 posts
 
I do not believe that insufficient line power will cause your amp to clip. Beyond that, I defer to the EEs among us.

As regular readers know, I'm fairly skeptical about add-ons and tweaks. One I do agree with, however, is the importance of clean and adequate power. You can pay a lot for power conditioning but I've found the Monster 5000 to work just fine for me. Your own ears will be your best guide.

I'm not of the school that thinks you need to rewire all the way back to the generating station but I do believe that a dedicated circuit for your amps is a sound idea, preferably one not shared with digital devices.

Good luck!

will
sean
6,231 posts
 
Will, since your amplifiers output is based on the rail voltages present, reducing available power to the amp will reduce its' potential for output. As such, LARGE voltage sags can become audibly noticeable if standing on the throttle due to reduced output and add to the potential for clipping. Sean
>
cadet1
50 posts
 
I messed around with conditioners but finally got what I needed by running 2 separate circuits(I'm about to run a third) for my stereo only. The ground for these circuits is connected to a separate ground rod instead of connected to the breaker box with all the other grounds and neutrals. I have much better sound than any conditioner i've had in the past. And lets face it ,if lightning hits big time on my house electric, Unpluging is probably the only thing that will save your equipment.

Dave
More to discover