No way,No how,Never will...


After a few decades of assembling systems around the world,I find myself in front of the computer researching balanced power conditioners as I am currently in an apartment in Mpls.I never put much stock in exotic wires,isolation/vibration theories and the other periphirals[SP] and thought I was set for awhile after the usual upgrades[amps,speakers,sources].WRONG!!But,I promise never to investgate the tube equipment possibilities,no way,no how,never......
usblues
Just back from a trip...thanks for that Robm,I have heard good things about them.Still waiting on some power cords and visits to my new friends cribs.Will close out this thread by saying thanks to all replys,looking forward to new frontiers,have a large weekend men[and women],Bob
USblues get some Black diamond racing cones (or another effective brand) and replace the feet to your amp. It won't take up anymore shelf space. Or to spend less get the audioquest (something?) feet. They are sorbothane (sp?) gel.

That should make an improvement.
Jafox - I think that I should have more strongly emphasized the word MOST, or maybe written 'many' or 'some' instead. If he is using equipment that has marginal internal voltage regulation or if his incoming ac line is very dirty, then a line conditioner can be a good thing. A 'know nada about specifics' blanket condemnation is just as wrong as a blanket reccomendation. Happy Listening!
Yes, he should stick to his eardrums so that he will be able to hear the differences and benefits of power line conditioners, power cables, etc. If he sticks to the "theory" that they can not possibly make a difference, then he has no reason to tax himself beyond a Bose table radio.
Stick to your eardrums! I figure that most of the 110v side gadgets (pc's, big cords, fancy receptacles) are often best thought of as a tax on people who don't understand electronics or the power of suggestion. You might like tubes though. Good Luck!
http://cgi.ebay.com/GE-9T51B0012-Type-QB-Dry-2-KVA-60-HZ-Transformer_W0QQitemZ7554498086QQcategoryZ42881QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

No connection to above. Used as example. Would recommend larger for amp.

Balanced: Derate by half. Connect 120V as 240V, according to label. Connect wires X2 to X3 and X1/X4 will be 60V to ground and 120V between each other.

Been there. Done that. Learned hard way.
Any improvement is inversely proportional to money spent.
1)More friends than money John after the PC's today...Yes,Jaybo,Mark at Audio Perf is a fine fellow,got going with him around 88 or so with the amps,[Counterpoint,Levinson,Threshold,Bryston].2)I hear those rock Dwhitt,I also hear one of my friends has Cat Sig's mono's which,apparently, have a tube in them somewhere that won't let you go to bed at night....3)I was afraid of that David Berry,good thing I have 2 alaisis[SP]...4)Are you saying Bombaywalla to change my bait and move upstate?5)Thanks E.,for the tip,I'll remember when another one of my runners gets thru...which hybrid pre did you have?6)Thanks for the pings people,nice to hear your voices,well,back to my coma,can't spend any money there...its either that or a second job...best to pace oneself,this road never ends,Bob
Bob, it sounds like you have lots of options for people to help you start spending some money.
LOL, Usblues!!
I remember the dialog from Star Wars where Darth Vader has brought Luke Skywalker in front of the Darth Vader's Master. From the port hole Luke sees his rebellion force being decimated & the Master senses this & says
"resistance is futile, my son. Let the Dark side of the Force prevail within you."

Only here, it (tubes, i.e.) is the 'bright' side of the Force.

Anyway, mix & match your ss & tubes OR stay all in one or the other domain. Whatever makes you happy.
BUT..............never neglect AC power, isolation, vibration damping, room acoustics. You could but at your own 'peril'.
Quiet!
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Do you hear that Bob?
It's a pair of Joule monoblocks calling out your name :)

David
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if you want to in a very inexpensive way buy the aes audio electronic supply pre and power amp the super amp...they rock but must have effecient speakers....sorry i just couldn't help myself...i apologize...i too was lost but now i am found In tubes......
Hi John,small world as I just talked to JD for the first time today!Going to get together very soon I feel.Yes,he is very deep on this stuff so isolationism etc., is looking up.Nice to hear from you and will reply as soon as I get my schedule together and find time and the sun-tanning lotion I packed away.Can you believe its January??Cheers,Bob
Usblues - I too have been waiting to finally get back to Artg's home and hear his latest round of changes since I was there last Fall. I am still waiting for an invite since the holidays. 8-(~

It was Artg who suggested I try the Audio Magic PLC and this is wonderful. It may not be the ULTIMATE PLC, but it was the biggest change I ever made to my system as it was like upgrading 5 components at once.

Since I am also in the twin cities (west metro), and have a ton of tubes as well, if you ever feel cold, come on over to warm up from the glow. And I can give you a with and w/o comparison of what the Audio Magic does. I understand the IsoClean that Artg uses is quite a step up but I'm a happy camper with the AM.

As for power cables, Artg, Jadem6 and I have tried so many of these in our three systems. So far for me, the power cable to beat is the Purist Dominus. So if you're interested, I could bring over a couple Dominus to give you an idea of their benefits.

As for isolation, Jadem6 is VERY knowledgeable on this subject. In fact he is downright a perfectionist here. He too lives in the west metro. I am sure he would have a ton of ideas for you.

John
Mark,knowing me,its just around the corner.My friend Artg has Nagra power that I havent seen yet,but will soon...cant get enough glow here in the North Country,Bob
Robm321,hi.I have wooden cabinets for amps and sources with not alot of breathing room between shelves.Just enough for the input tubes on the Counterpoints,but no more.However,I have some room to isolate sources which are modded DVD players.Any recommendations there??Thanks,Bob
Maineiac,thanks for the BPT tip,my post was tongue-in-cheek,but am serious about the things I thought I would live without.Bobby at Merlin turned me on to his favorites to go with my Merlins so I am going the Equitech route with those units when another ship comes in.Just ordered JPS power cord for amp and Cardas PC for the source.Almost 800$ for that part of the puzzle.Of course,its just a matter of time before the tubes are knockin on my door.Aint life great!Have a large day,Bob
Why are you depriving your self of such beauty in sight and sound? Some people really get stuck in silicon and heat sinks and have a heck of a time getting out. Maybe some day you will find the glow and bask in all it's glory.

Mark
A. Check out BPT for balanced power.
B. Keep telling yourself that you won't go tubes. The allure will eventually overcome your will power.
Tubes are a matter of preference, so if you no like then you should no get.

As far as vibration - it is a major factor in getting the most out of your system.