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Learning the hard way about AC power solutions

A number of years ago, so a different system back then, I heard subtle but definite improvements when I inserted my new PS Audio Power Plant Premier regenerator. So, tighter and punchier bass and greater pinpoint focus applied to images. I was convinced that my regenerator improved my sound and helped to protect my gear. Back then, I had Thiel CS3.6 speakers, a CJ power amp and a BAT line stage. Today, my system is quite different and much more revealing of what you connect to it.

As I upgraded my gear over these years, I left my regenerator connected, because I could still hear improvements when I upgraded my phono stage, my speakers, and finally my power amplifiers. One of my dealers told me one day that my regenerator hurts my sound, but I knew better, and he was selling high-end power conditioners that made me think that a sales pitch may be on the way. This was probably the first time, that I would not follow his advice, because I knew better. Hey, hearing is believing, right?

We bought a new home and now I have a completely different room, that includes a lack of full corners to support my speakers' reflected sound. I was missing body, so missing some fill-in, and a loss in bass energy. My Horning speakers are rear-ported, so are somewhat dependent on those corners. My dealer recommended adding quality subs or going with different speakers. Yikes! So, I'm talking to a manufacturer's rep of British subwoofers and I had sent him pictures of my system and my room. The first thing that he noticed, was my regenerator on my rack and he asked me if I ever unplugged my gear from that and went straight into the wall instead? He told me that he heard that the regenerator sounds worse, but over time, and because of this I might not notice those changes. I was still a believer of my regenerator, because I could keep hearing improvements.

Recently, I've been working on my AC power in the new home. I've been wanting to add a whole house surge protector, and did not want go straight into the wall without some kind of surge protection in place. From a buddy, I borrowed a Juice Box One, that provides some conditioning and costs around $800. I was in awe by what the Juice Box did for the sound, or by what my regenerator was hiding. Imagine, getting one of the biggest upgrades in sound quality by removing a fairly pricey product that was designed to improve your sound. This switch out, added layers of dimension to the soundstage, opened up the sound, filled in more body, and made the entire presentation much more musical and alive. A/B testing between the two, the regenerator now sounded sterile and almost dull in comparison.

The regenerator still had a feature that I could use, and that was to monitor the AC power coming into it, as it displays this info on its front display. In my old house, my AC input varied by about 5 or 6 volts during the course of the day. However, my new house only varies by one volt, so I asked myself, do I even need conditioning? I had already added two dedicated circuits for my gear with isolated grounds, so maybe I only need surge protection. Plus, I now needed to return the Juice Box One back to my buddy.

With 16 inches of snow on the ground and my AC panel outside, I procrastinated, and pushed back the whole house surge protector project. So, instead, I wound up getting a Brick Wall surge protector with eight outlets, and I read some good things and a couple of so-so-things about the product. I needed to try something without the regenerator, so this was my test. The Brick Wall is about one tenth the cost of my regenerator. So, a worst case scenario, I move the Brick Wall over to my TV if it fails the test.

I removed the regenerator and plugged everything into the Brick Wall. I experienced the same upgrade in sound quality with the Brick wall that I experienced with the Juice Box One. The other day, I decided to take the chance and unplug only my power amps from the Brick Wall and go straight into my dedicated outlet without surge protection. I got this from one of the so-so reviews about the Brick Wall regarding power amps. This kicked up the dimensionality and musicality of my system yet another notch! In my case, this was yet another lesson that less can be more. I am now done procrastinating about adding the whole house surge protector, so let it snow!

I have also gotten back from this experiment much of the missing fill-in, so more body, even with my existing corner situation. Yes, I still have less bass energy with my room setup, but the improvements have become so great, that I can easily live with this setup as is. Will this work for everybody? Does it only work with certain types of gear? Do you have decent AC power? I don't know, but I encourage those who are willing, to at least give it a try, but think about using some kind of surge protection for safety if you do.

Oh yeah, I already got the "I told you so" from my dealer.

Kenny

kennythekey
kennythekey OP
571 posts
 
Thanks.
After, l finish my whole house surge protector job, plug directly into my AC, and spend some time listening, l will then tryout some conditioners. Hopefully, I won't want them!
ahendler
416 posts
 
I have in the past plugged into the wall, used several filters including the Uber filter and finally bought a PurePower 1500 Regenerator with UPS backup. The regenerator was a major improvement in sound. My whole system is plugged into the regenerator. Twice I have had power failures and my system kept playing. Did not even notice the power was out. If I get some time I will pull the regenerator out and give a listen.
Alan
kennythekey OP
571 posts
 
ahendler,
I did not decide to pull the plug on my regenerator until after I moved out of town and found stable AC. If you have crappy AC, I would add some surge protection, just in case.
lynott
87 posts
 
Alan:

I've experimented quite a bit with regenerators, and my current one is a PurePower too. (I've had it for about four years now.) Within its envelope, it does a great job. I have a very small, purist-type rig, so I'm not pushing it past 20-25% load on its readout, and that's with a moderately sized SS amp on it. It helped the source quite a bit, but I was really surprised when I plugged the amp into it. No loss of dynamics, no sense of constriction. Instead, the whole presentation became, for lack of a better word, ENERGIZED. The background became blacker, and images just sorta popped out of the soundfield without sounding overbearing or unnatural. By comparison, without the amp plugged in, the presentation "sagged" and was slow and dull. That's by comparison, not objectively speaking, of course. 

Every now and again, I take the PurePower out of the system and listen for a few days. And every time I breathe a sigh of relief when it's back in. But that's just me and my particular system and power situation.
kennythekey OP
571 posts
 
Even though, I'm now out of town and in a more rural area, my home is still in an older and settled community of about two to three hundred homes. The power lines are all underground. For whatever reason, the AC fluctuates no more than one volt during the course of the day. Another factor would be harmonic distortion. My regenerator measures my input THD at 4.5% and that also hardly fluctuates. The regenerator is measuring its output THD at 0.5%. Despite this difference, my system sounds signifantly better without the regenerator.

I can't help but think, that this has to do with my type of equipment and how it's been designed, or as williewonka speculated, my regenerator may be tired. For example, my mono blocks are 300b SETs, so how they manage power is different than lynott's SS amp.

I had reached out to the guy who designed, hand built, and fine tuned my amps for a recommendation. He told me to go straight into the wall. However, the AC power must be a consideration, so good. My dealer, who I trust and respect, swears by the conditioners that he sells. At the same time, his business is in the heart of NYC, and when he goes out to demo his gear, it's at shows in hotel rooms in other big cities.

So, after I finish tweaking or is that un-tweaking my AC for my best sound quality, I will ask to borrow a conditioner and then hear for myself. In the meantime, I may bring my regenerator to PS Audio to be checked out.
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