Opinions on Power Regenerators and Tube Amps

I'm good. The little hum (only with preamp set to phono and the volume cranked) is a not a problem. I will not be buying a big power regenerator in order to service my amp. That was the reason I asked my initial question. I will most likely find a way to try out a PS 300. Can't justify the price of a big one for just front end. Looked at your systems.....very impressive, especially those horns and that phono preamp. Wish I could hear a bunch of the systems I see on here. Thanks for your help......

So the buzz was a hum? That is what I had assumed. Sounds like it's due to high gain needed for phono. I would like to know if the regenerator reduces it. Otherwise, lower gain amps and/or lower sensitivity tweeters can reduce the noise to the point of making it inaudible. That is the trick since you will always have a noise floor to deal with.

Arthur

My experience has been to try a Audiophile APS with two Richard Gray power companys plugged into one each of the outlets on the rear of the Audiophile APS with components plugged into the Richard Gray power companys and this has made a tremendous impact on the noise floor and the musicality of the overall presentation.First, suggested by a friend and I haven't looked back since.

Chuckie

Arthur.....I just reread all of this. I wouldn't mind keeping this discussion going. What Nsgarch said at the beginning is probably what I now have. A low level hum/buzz with the volume cranked, and the preamp set to phono. I hear it in the mid and the woofer more so than in the tweeter. It's not much, but it is much if I plug in the active shielding on a Synergistic Looking Glass interconnect that runs from phono stage (Musical Fidelity LP3) to Levinson preamp. I wish I had known that active shields don't work in the analog area, since I purchased that IC recently. If things remain the same, I will eventually change those ICs. Always wanted Music Groove anyway :) And then back to regen power. I would invest in say, a P-300, if it did nothing more than improve the performance of my Wadia and my preamp 1 percent. If I could hear even a small improvement in vocals, or timbre, or soundstage, I would consider that a bargain. I would love to know if any or all of you use regulated power for your analog equipment.....turntable and phono stage. I have thought about the VPI SDS power supply also. I try to make good decisions mostly based on the input I get from right here on Agon. I don't have a local 2-channel high end store anywhere near, so I rarely try things out. Whoever in here said that your performance is only as good as the weakest link in your system, I think was right on. I recently took one of the mouse traps off my floor (I fine tune crossovers outside the box using some cheap hookup wire to run into the box), and installed it in my bass cabinet. Soldered it point to point with Kimber wire and Cardas copper binding posts. The improvement in bass response is quite something....deeper, tighter, and with snap....it's there and it's gone....quick. Probably an extreme example, but it was a lesson for me. No more testing with cheap hook up wire and what else in my system is weak. And so I talk too much?

Look, Racer, I'll go out on a limb and repeat myself:

1.) Forget a regenerator. You don't need one with good ded circuits and good utility service. Plug your amp into the (20A) wall.

2.) Forget power conditioners. Old technology. If you don't believe me, read PS Audio's blurb on their PS-300 webpage.

3.) If you want to do something more for your sources, get a balanced power unit from either Equi=tech, ExactPower, or Balanced Power Technologies. Do your homework and decide which one you like best. I won't make a recommendation, except to say you won't need a megawatt sized one for just the front end stuff (since your amp won't benefit from balanced power as much as just a good ded circuit.)

4.) Do get some tonearm cables made for that purpose. In order of performance (IMO and ones I'm familiar with of course) Siltech, Purist Venustas, Silver Breeze, Hovland Music Groove, Cardas Golden Reference.

5.) Get the same make/model ICs from phono preamp to preamp as the TA cables. Synergy is a good thing in this application (I didn't realize your ML 38 didn't have built-in phono.)
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