2. amps-preamps
  3. 1265225062

Power Conditioner or Distributor?

Hello,

I'm fairly new to the audio world, and I had a experience audiophile over to my house last week to listen to my system. He told me to plug my amplifier directly into the wall instead of a powerstrip, and it made it sound noticeably fuller.

So this got me thinking about power conditioners, and I see there's also listings for power distributors. Can someone provide a quick explanation as to what the differences are and what I should be looking for in a power supply? I'm looking to plug my amplifier and pre-amp only into this unit. I would also appreciate some recommendations on brands to look at, I'd like to spend somewhere in the $200-$300 range if possible.

Amp: Parasound HCA-1205A, 5 channels @ 140wpc @ 8ohms
Pre-Amp: Integra Research RDC-7

Thanks!
Chris
128x128cjwessing
tpreaves's avatar
tpreaves
2,686 posts
 
This might interest you.

http://www.psaudio.com/ps/products/detail/duet-power-center?cat=power
cjwessing's avatar
cjwessing OP
32 posts
 
Would a PS Audio PS300 be powerful for my amp and pre-amp?

Thanks,
Chris
cjwessing's avatar
cjwessing OP
32 posts
 
Sorry, I meant P300.
clio09
3,355 posts
 
The P300 is rated for 300 watts. That means the power consumption of whatever components that you plug into it cannot exceed 300 watts (otherwise it shuts down). So you'll have to look up the power consumption (not output) specs on your amp and preamp to see. My gut feeling is that it won't work since the Parasound puts a fair amount of power and even if it did, I think the P300 would limit the dynamics of your amp.

Personally, I have used a P300 and found it to run hot and the fan was always running causing distraction when listening. I think you could do much better using a passive device rather than a power regenerator, especially considering your price range.
stanwal's avatar
stanwal
3,147 posts
 
Check out the Balanced Power Technology web site, I use two of their passive boxes. By starting with a cheaper power cord to wall and moving up later they would fit into your budget.
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