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Pwr. conditioner necessary w/dedicated AC lines?

OK guys, now I'm REALLY confused. I have been using a PS Audio P300 (all of the latest revisions) as a mainstay in my system for about four years now. It seemed to always work wonders in a previous set-up, in a different house/room, which DID NOT have dedicated AC lines.

Fast forward to the present were I now have the good fortune of having a dedicated room with independent AC runs throughout. I have been using the P300 for the last 3 yrs. or so in this room. Well, on a lark, I thought I would try to run my tube CD player (Droplet) direct to the AC instead of through my power plant (which was set BTW on "tube") and WHA-LA! It sounds a LOT better! ?? What's up with this???
The dynamics spang to life and there is better extension in the top end. Again..what gives here???

The possibly scary part of this whole scenario is - what if I have been "chasing my goofy audiophile tail", all this time, swapping, changing, selling and buying gear based on an erroneous negative sound effect that was possibly brought on by my Pwr. Plant on my front-end gear?!? Arrgh!

Just to be sure that this was not a fluke isolated to my Droplet, I also tried a different CD player that I have on loan and the same effects applied (sounded better "straight" into the wall AC).

Can anyone else relate a similar effect? Advice?? Comments??? Thanks.
denf
kgproperties
53 posts
 
The owner of a very high-end audio manufacturer (which shall remain nameless) recently asked me to evaluate their new single component power conditioning devise. My audio system is plugged into 4 dedicated 20 AMP lines, so power issues never crop up. When I placed this new product in front of the CD player, the result was awful! It literally sucked the life out of the music. As suggested in earlier posts, power conditioners are useful ONLY when needed.
Ken
albertporter's avatar
albertporter
4,949 posts
 
Denf, regarding:

I would like to reactivate this thread now that a little time has passed to perhaps get some new feedback. I am still using my P300, but ONLY for my BAT VK3i preamp (I am still running my CD player "direct" to the wall, which again is a isolated dedicated line).

My question still remains - those of you with dedicated AC lines - what is your experience with using power conditioners? Which application seems to bring the most improvement? Amps, preamps, CDP, etc? Also --- what are some of the "hot" brands of conditioners, that don't cost over $2k retail?

This has been answered on my behalf by Kgproperties when he said:
When I placed this new product in front of the CD player, the result was awful! It literally sucked the life out of the music. As suggested in earlier posts, power conditioners are useful ONLY when needed.

I've been posting similar responses to this question since I joined Audiogon in 1999. Only passive devices such as Quiet Lines do any good without harming the sound. Quiet lines are just caps that scrape off a tiny amount of noise. Not a big improvement but also not big cost :^).

Quiet lines represent the limit of what I'm willing to introduce into my electrical system. If you have a big problem, they are not going to "fix" it.
bigamp
219 posts
 
Good thread. I have a dedicated 20A line for my amp and another for my preamp+front end. Porter Ports on each line (thanks Albert-excellent product.)

Initially, I tried various combinations of plugging my amp, preamp, and front end into an ExactPower EP-15A voltage regulator/conditioner. The system sounded better than with no conditioner, yet constrained. So, I tried a Nordost Thor passive unit. With the passive unit, the system really opened up. There was more life.

I now plug the amp straight into the wall; use the Thor for the preamp and front end; and have relegated my Exactpower to another circuit for video components, where it noticeably improves the video quality of my plasma. Downside is the Thor's expensive. There are less expensive options.
albertporter's avatar
albertporter
4,949 posts
 
The Thor you mention sounds interesting.

The problems you previously had, loss of dynamics and micro detail is exactly my complaint with all power conditioners.

Perhaps the Thor is a better mousetrap, an improved version of Quiet Lines.
stehno
1,453 posts
 
Denf, I stand by my previous statement, one must do their homework regarding any component but particularly with line conditioners.

For some reason, as I and others seem to have indicated, on average there seems to be far more poorly designed line conditioners than perhaps any other component. That's why I always use the term 'proper' when discussing line conditioners.

Far too many times have I witnessed even the most popular brands (which often times are never the best) strip away the dynamics and/or induce their own sonic harm and/or do nothing.

Currently I'm using two 15 amp dedicated lines and one 20 amp dedicated line and three Foundation Research LC-100 dedicated and passive and bi-directional filtering line conditioners. These line conditioners are a bit costly at $3500 each and outweigh the cost of my Nuforce SE amps several times over, but a man's gotta' do what a man's gotta' do. :)

Personally, I've been using what I consider fabulous line conditioners for the last 5 years and I cannot imagine listening to any system without 'proper' line conditioning. It is that foundational when done right.

-IMO
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