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Sonic Frontiers Line 3 and Power Condtioners

I am wondering what people are using for power conditioners on their Line 3's?

I have a 5 year old Line 3 SE. I just had the third power supply failure in that time. Each time it appears the right channel power regulator has failed. Has anyone else had similar problems?

One suggestion from SFI is to look into added power line protection. I understand that SFI pre-amps have problems when ran with PS Audio equipment that has multiwave capability. I can see where that makes sense. But is the Power Director and UPC equipment without the multiwave a good choice? What about other brands?

I have been reading reviews on Monster, Richard Gray, Brick Wall, Tice, PS Audio and a dozen others. I think I have learned to look for isolation tranformers, stay away from surge protectors that use MOV's and be aware of current limiting But what products offer these without killing the pocketbook? (I know a $3K - $5k preamp deserves $$$ to be protected, but I can also buy a new amp for a few $K.) I think I am at the point of more confusion than conclusion.

Some folks swear by each of these, and others say they cause significant sound degradation. I am not after sonic improvement, though if I get it, great. I am after power line protection that won't degrade sonic performance.

Any recommendations?

Tnx,
Rick

System:
- SFI Line 3 SE
- Pass Labs X150 Amp
- Sony SCD-1 SACD/CD player
- Magnum Dynalabs FT101 tuner
- Martin Login Odyssey speakers
- Parasound phono Pre-amp
- Technics SL-23 turntable
rlmalm807f
terryakhan's avatar
terryakhan
109 posts
 
T3,P3 and L3 plugged into isolation outlets on Tice Powerblock for many years-flawless. Isolation transformer circuit 120/120 does remove noise in the line especially DC and the Tice runs cool.
lissnr
365 posts
 
I have a Line 3 SE and have plugged it and most of the rest of my system (but not amps) into an MIT "Z-Center" from day 1 (over 5 years) with very good results. Then I also acquired an MIT "Z-Isolator HC" which I now use exclusively for the Line 3 (while all else is still fed from the Z-Center) and it continues to be flawless and even better than before. There are many of these still floating around on the 'gon and are now good value/effective/well built products. I used to use the old API Power Wedge model 116 mk2, and its predecessor (mk1?) when I ran my Counterpoint SA 5000 and SA3000 before that... I was surprised how much I liked it (quieter, richer...) but again, never tried those with my Line 3. I also was intrigued by the Chang Lightspeed but never tried it either. Good luck and happy lissnin.
bcollins
39 posts
 
Hello,
Can anyone tell me why you shouldn't use a surge protector that uses MOV's? Can they harm my electronics? I use a cheap ($30.00) Power Sentry surge protector and have had problems using my NAD gear with it. Don't know if it has anything to do with the surge protector though. It does have some sort of noise filtration as well. Do these degrade the sound any? Thank you,
Bill
audphile1's avatar
audphile1
5,443 posts
 
as far as I know, MOVs act like fuses when the surge protection kicks in. They get damaged and if they are damaged, they are done. They need to be replaced. Also, I read somewhere that they slightly degrade over time(don't remember where I read it, if I find it, I'll post the link). In any case, a good powerline conditioner such as Shunyata Hydra or PS Audio Ultimate Outlet should improve sound of your system. The $30 power strip degrades the sound.
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