Amps direct to wall vs. power conditioner?

Brauser - I use Rowland 102 with Furman Elite 20PFi and find cleaner midrange and better controlled bass. I understand that certain conditioners might drop voltage during very high peaks making it sound less dynamic but both Rowland amps, yours and mine, have SMPS built in. SMPS is line and load regulated with very fast response and voltage drops on supply should not affect anything.

I tried this experiment:
No contest,much better sound going a through Power conditioner.

I get better sound out of my VAC 300.1 amps running them through my Powercell 10-SE. Cleans up any residual "grunge" in the lines.

May I present a simple analogy.
When you drive by small cities and towns you usually see a water tower. The reason for these is to address peak water usage demands; usually in the morning before work and after work and evenings when the bulk of the population shower, bathe, do laundry and dishes etc. Without the huge tank of stored water under the pressure of gravity the population would experience a low flow, low pressure situation.
Now think of a power conditioner as a water tower and peak usage times as dynamic peaks in your music source. I think most people will 'get' this concept.
A good power conditioner enables an amplifier to perform better by allowing it to draw more current during dynamic peaks than it could ever draw directly from the wall outlet. A great power conditioner will scrub the A.C. clean and give an amplifier virtually unlimited headroom, thus increasing dynamics, lowering the noise floor, improving resolution which in turn expands the sound-stage and produces better imaging.
I get all this and more from my power conditioner from Silver Circle Audio. In fact, I liked it so much; I upgraded from a 3.0 to a 5.0. Every component I use just sounds better when powered by this conditioner and I can't imagine ever running my system without it.

Anyone been able to here the SR Power Cell 10SE and compare it to the Torus or the Silver Circle?

I'm currently using the Jeff Rowland 501 Monos, and they do sound better (more dynamic) plugged directly into the wall versus using my Audio Magic Stealth XXX amplifier outlets. Of course, we're dealing with lots of variables here, but I think it's worth experimenting some with each system to see what works best. I'm also using a direct AC connection back to the breaker box.

Hello Husk01,

I have always subcribed to plugging amps directly into the wall. I currently have mono block SS amps that are each plugged into their own dedicated 12 gauge 20 amp circuits. I had been experiencing excellent results using this method.

Just recently I had the opportunity to experience the Silver Circle Pure Power One 5.0 line conditioner. This is a 100# beast of an active line conditioner. Well, I am here to tell you that the improvement made by using this product was nothing short of miraculous. I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't heard it with my own ears and in my own system.

Bass impact was significantly improved, soundstaging was deeper and wider, attack and decay of intstrumentation was improved as well. Amazing detail came out of a black black background. Many times we associate detail with brightness but there is none of that with this product. Overall presentation is very pleasing to the ear and believe me, I am very sensitive to a harsh bright sound.

The end result by adding this particular line conditioner was a significant improvement in sonics to my system.

Just my two cents!

Scifi

it's all variable -- the power quality from your wall, the type of conditioner, the type of power cords, the type of amp. My nuforce's sounded better out of the conditioner. My current tube amp goes straight into the wall. try and see is the answer.

I have 2 dedicated lines(balanced) and run all components
and 28s thru 2 Torus PIUs.
One thing I'll mention is a Torus will give you way more amperage than the wall can give(15a or 20a)
a Torus can give up to 400a,short term on dynamic peaks.
They really give your amps the extra amperage when needed.

I heard it from a fellow music hound that he put in new wall outlets big difference he claims also i don't use the ground also the cords could react differently with each piece(14 for low power verses 12g or 10g for hi current)were his speakers on spikes on the floor lots of tweaks for next to nothing Good luck

Yes, we both do have dedicated lines and are both using high current monoblocks ( MBL 9008's and Bryston 28B)

Results will vary. Do you and your friend have dedicated lines? I have used PCs and like direct but there are too many variables to make blanket judgments.