Power Cable or Power Conditioner?

I also used a good quality Tripp-Lite surge protector/noise filter and Transparent PowerLink Plus from the Tripp-Lite to the Creek 5350SE Integrated amp. Compared to a stock power cord, the Transparent with the filter networks took out some of the hardness in the sound, brought out more of the harmonics and increased the transparency - worth every $120 of the price.

I bought a Monster Cable HTS-2500 2 months ago to replace the Tripp-Lite and that made a even more worthwile improvement. Now the harmonic structure is even better, the transparency is greatly increased, the images are better focused, the upper and midbass are fuller with more impact and the sound is more naturally sweet. The improvement in musicality is easily perceived.

The Monster Power Center HTS-2500 brought a more worthwhile performance improvement than the powercord. You can find a good used HTS-2500 on Audiogon for about $150.00. Hope my experience helps you.

In my previous post, I meant the Monster Cable HTS 1000. Anyway, happy listening.

Hi Squiddy. Here is another thought. I have tried the Virtual dynamics PC's. They are to be used without power conditioners direct into the wall. Now I do both. I use the VD audition on the amp directly into the wall. I have a panamax surge protector plugged into a monster hts1000. The monster is plugged into a VD cryoed power 2 extension cord into the wall. Friends were in on the weekend. They haden't heard the system before the cords and we played dire straits "loud". "Iron Hand" from "On Every Street". The sound was clear, deep, powerful. We listened in awe. We had heard them perform this live when they had toured. The point of this is you have a choice. You could pick up a used or discontinued monster hts1000[highly recomended] and get a vd power cord and use it on the amp. Later you could put a vd extension cord on the monster and lift its performance again. Do lift your power conditioner off the floor or carpet. Bricks work nicely.

Nrchy is right. Most of the power conditioners I've heard mess up the sound -- either just a little or a whole lot. And I'll bet he's right about the cords, too.