Help diagnose the kind of power treatment needed

I agree with Terry9. You can assume that there is noise coming from the outside, as well as noise generated by your components. If you use products like those made by, for example, Shunyata, you will be combating both. An isolation transformer connected to the wall outlet may not prevent your components from interacting in this way.

Thanks all for the input.

Needless to say I was hoping Al would chime in. Very thoughtful and knowledgeable input, as usual from you.

So it seems unlikely I will get much value out of the analysis/measurement I have in mind. Will check out the cost and see if it's still worth pursuing.

Was wondering if the AC conditioning equipment manufacturers might be able to help. Of course they would give me a biased point of view, and it will be tough getting to the right people, but wouldn't PS Audio / Equi=Tech, Furman, etc know in what situations their products tend to work best? Maybe this reasoning is right, but implementing it might not be feasible.
Which companies do you suggest I contact for this?

From reading the exchange between Al and Mapman that Al linked to, maybe a different approach is asking around here which regeneration/conditioning devices have worked best for others using my pre and amp, and hope the results are repeatable at my place. A very un-professional approach. :-) but maybe that's the best I can hope for now?

Psag, I know Shunyata makes good products, but if my AC had "incomplete" sine waves (like those observed on a clipping amp) then a passive filter would not be able to correct that. In that case a regenerator would make more sense, I think. Too bad I don't know people in my area with power treatment equipment I could try at home.

Good point. In my case, I felt that the supply to the house was more than adequate: Suburb, newer construction, no noticeable fluctuations with other high current appliances in the house. If on the other hand I was living in a more urban setting with older wiring and a history of electrical issues, I might have been more inclined to try an active product.

Thanks very much for the nice words, Lewinski.

Yes, I would think that researching and/or asking about what power conditioning approaches are used by others having similar equipment could very well help shift the odds of success in your favor. I'm less confident about how constructive talking to manufacturers may be, but I suppose it can't hurt. I have no specific recommendations to offer about which ones to talk to.

FWIW, based on the many threads I've seen over the years about this subject my perception has been that more often than not (though not by a big margin) people tend to settle on plugging their power amps straight into the wall. At least in the case of amps such as yours which operate in Class AB, and consequently have AC current draws that vary significantly with the dynamics of the music.

Also, my perception has been that reported experiences with regenerators seem to be about evenly divided, with some reporting positively and others reporting compromised dynamics or other issues.

FWIW, I've chosen a "less is more" approach, using this BrickWall surge suppressor/line filter, with everything plugged into it (for purposes of protection as well as conditioning). A number of other members use it also. In addition to incorporating an excellent approach to surge protection (which you can read about at their website) and some degree of line filtering, it also provides filtering between each of its four duplex outlets. That can help keep digital noise out of analog components, and noise generated by power amplifiers out of upstream components.

I should add, though, that I live in an area that I suspect has relatively good power quality, the town having no industry, almost no commercial development, and low residential density. Also, my amp operates in Class A, so its AC draw is essentially constant regardless of the dynamics of the music.

Best regards,
-- Al