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Is dirty power the culprit?

One of the most frustrating experiences I have with home audio is when one day the system sounds so wonderful you are convinced you do not need to change a thing in your system and are set for life. Then the following day or a couple of days later the system sounds like a collection of items purchased at toys are us.

All attempts at adjusting VTA or VTF or whatever you can think of is to no avail. I'm left with the only solution, shut the system down and wait for a better day.

It probably does not help that I live in a condominium near downtown Boston. I am certain there must be other audiophiles living in similar circumstances. How do you deal with this problem? Is it always a problem with electricity? I would appreciate your input.
montepilot
bpape's avatar
bpape
25 posts
 
I don't know if it's ALWAYS a power thing but my guess based on your situation is that it's very likely. There are some very good power conditioners out there. The only 2 I'd put in my system would be the BPT and the Running Springs.

If you have any equipment that's capable of running on battery power, you might want to investigate that also. My power is actually pretty good and switching over to battery is still a significant improvement.

Bryan Pape
GIK Acoustics
mlsstl
1,379 posts
 
Remember that the human component (you) of your system is the biggest variable you have. Both your physical and mental condition affect what you perceive and those factors are constantly changing.

That is not to say your power supply couldn't be an issue, but if it is, you should be able to measure noise on the line with the appropriate equipment. A related factor could also be EMI/RFI noise that your system is picking up through the air. I've got a shortwave radio fellow who lives half a block from me and I can always tell when he's busy with his hobby, particularly if I'm playing LPs.

However, over the years, I've found I'm more often the weak link in the system than any component.
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