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I have another line conditioner question...

I have been trying to do some research on line conditioners. I have read many pros and cons on the subject. Some feel that they are necessary, even with dedicated lines.Others feel that no matter how good the line conditioner is, they still impose their own sonic personality on the sound and are simply a coloration tool. In 1991, IAR had issue 60 dedicated to talking about line conditioners and he basically summed it up by saying that the best line conditioner is no line conditionerat all. Maybe since 1991 line conditioners have come a long way where they help more than they hurt. I don't know. I did a little test last night. I put on one of my favorite CD's, ran it on repeat mode from midnight to 2:00 A.M. and somewhere around 1:15 to 1:30, the sound remarkably opened up and became more transparent,dynamic, and alive sounding.There was a huge difference and I don't believe it was psychological. Is there a possibility that during this time, the power was coming in cleaner, purer, and more consistent? Is there a line conditioner( either passive or active) that can give me this 1:30 A.M. power purity all the time without adding or subtracting from the signal?
sherod
5 responses Add your response
sugarbrie
3,854 posts
 
It is safe to say that since 1991, line conditioners have come a long way. The Monster ones that now sell at Best Buy for $70 to $100 are probably more advanced.

Dedicated lines get you most of the way there; but consider what happens if the power coming into your house is already less than ideal (ie: dirty, voltage is off, etc, etc). The dedicated line is not going to solve those problems.

A issolation transformer/power regenerator/balance power type of conditioner is probably most likely to give you that 1:30am experience during the day..

There is also a product that is a Audiophile UPS (see AudiophileUPS.com). You are running on clean battery power all the time with a perfect sine wave. Be careful of the APC UPS devices made for computers. Some are fine for audio, but some are not (produce a square wave).
zaikesman
3,017 posts
 
If you hadn't turned on your system well before midnight when you did your test, it was probably just the sound of the gear finally having fully warmed up...

I don't think there's much doubt that PLC's can be beneficial for source compenents without downsides (I like balanced AC), but for power amps there's still debate and experimentation is probably in order. Even for source components, you have your advocates of parallel filtering and your advocates of in-line filtering and/or isolation transformers. If you decide the late night improvement you heard was the result of a reduction in powerline voltage flucuations, than you might want to investigate a PLC that performs active waveform/power factor correction. What I would say is that, if you have heard benefits from upgraded power cords, then you will likely hear benefits from a decent PLC.
sugarbrie
3,854 posts
 
That UPS device is at AudiophileAPS.com

BTW, I have the amp in my main system plugged into the wall. Everything else is plugged into a power device..
sherod OP
1,690 posts
 
Thanks for the replies. I keep my system on 24/7 so circuits are always at full capacity. And yes, I have achieved wonderful improvements with upgraded power cords. Everything sounds fine all day, but at that magic 1:30 A.M. moment, it's like a thick veil is removed and the music becomes so much more palpable and transparent.This is not only on source,Cdp, but also tuner and T.V.
Sugarbrie, thanks for the recommendation. I will do some investigation. Also, has anyone had the opportunity to evaluate the Quantum Symphony Pro product. It seems to have some sonic merit without negatively affecting the sound.
elevick
2,636 posts
 
If you have such a power change at 1am, you might actually benefit from a PS Audio Power Plant or similar. They are pricey but if you notice that much of a difference.....
My conditioner has it easy just isolating my system from the a/c unit, dishwasher, etc...
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