Power conditioners


Seems that engineers who work in industries that demand actual control or reduction in EMI/RFI and other things, use industrial power filters that actually do what they claim to do and they have the measurements to back it up. The Shunyatas and all the rest of the audiophile associated pieces that are basically a fancy power cable receptacle, rely on what they hear (and any objective, rational person knows that is 100% subjective and not valid). Read about it here

roadcykler

@devinplombier. That's a good point.  However, if they did publish their data, it would tell the potential consumer that they are an honest Company

Another thought I had this morning, if Brand A had 50 dB of attenuation and Brand B had 54 dB of attenuation, it might become a spec war, just like the THD wars back in the 1970's.  Consumers didn't really understand what THD was, they just knew they didn't want it.  The reality is the vast majority of noise problems are fixed with 35 to 45 dB of attenuation and more than 60 dB is typically a waste of money. 

@devinplombier 

Why not opt for a Monster conditioner or a pro AC line filter with

a... get ready for it... harmonic conditioner ? 

The ADD-Powr Sorcer X4 takes a different path to power enhancement. Instead of filtering or regenerating AC, it operates in parallel with your system, re-referencing the incoming signal through proprietary algorithms, laminated-core transformers, DSP circuitry, and a Class-A interface. Your components don’t plug into it—simply connect it to a nearby outlet and let it work without limiting current or restricting dynamics.

Reviewers consistently note expanded soundstage depth and width, richer harmonic color, and a newfound sense of ease. Horns gain polish and body, bass carries greater authority, and complex passages unfold with more natural flow. The result is a presentation that feels more dimensional, effortless, and musically engaging—an upgrade designed for serious systems seeking refinement without compromise."  

Mom, they’re at it again.  Show of hands.  Who actually has the items they talk about integrated into their systems?  Audiogon needs lane diversion activated.  Enjoy your Fourth celebration. 🥳. I know I will with new ATC 50 SE towers in walnut.  Tchau 

Revisiting power for my rigs after finally realizing that MOV based sacrificial surge suppressors are being continuously hit by surges less extreme then lighting strikes and degrading.  Wirecutter (NYT) of all places  tells me to replace them after 3 to at most 5 years.   Testing the MOV shunt is too pricey/difficult???.   So, I really don't want to junk my Adcom, Monster and Panamax surge suppressor + some amount of filters in each generation..  My thinking is that I can put  a strong MOV surge suppressor into the wall outlet (15amp circuit) and daisy chain my rigs Monster and Panamax..units .which are. now essentially filters with the MOVs having lived their useful life.  The electrical load will remain the same. My thought is that this is the same stategy as having a whole house surge device and then having a point of use surge device for the AV rigs.   The Audioquest sales rep at my local show convinced me that the sacrificial MOV solutions were history and that the latest generation furman like Audioquest non sacrificial surge suppressors were the only solution.   My next question addresses the filtration aspect..   How much improvement has been made over the last 20 years and can this improvement be measured?    Basically, ... will I hear a difference between Monster vs the latest Audioquest products.   The PR from their sales rep at the local show was demonstrating all of the microwave and cell phone towers in close proximity with an app on his phone and arguing that only Audioquest mitigated this problem.    How this was a problem electrically was not explained well.      

All of today's technology for EMI and Surge suppression has been around since the late 1970's.  What's improved since then is a reduction in size, cost, and a potential increase in power handling capacity.  Just like any other analog circuit design, the topology is as much art and philosophy of the designer as it is a science.  There are many ways to achieve a given result, and some are much better than others. I'm not saying one brand is better or worse than another, but I am saying there are differences between brands and the retail price doesn't guarantee a better product. This is especially true of companies who don't publish attenuation curves or power handling capacities.   In this case it's buyer beware, you just don't know for sure what you're getting.

BTW, do note that some sacrifical circuits, that is they self destruct in the case of a surge beyond their design limits, shorts the input to your equipment.  This causes the distribution panel circuit breaker to trip and input fuse to open, so your eqiupment is put in a safe state.  That's hard to beat. 

True story - years ago I was designing such a circuit for green energy company, so I decided to test it. I removed one back to back diode, so it would trip on the negative going voltage of the AC Mains. I wanted to see if the circuit would protect the downstream op amps and circuitry. That one 1.5 KW diode with nanoseconds response time blew but before it self destructed, it blew the 200 Amp breaker on our distribution panel and also blew the AC Mains breaker on the 3 phase input panel that powered our half of the industrial park.  That caused a sudden huge surge imbalance in the other two phases, which triped those breakers as well.  There were a lot of unhappy prople in the park, but our circuits were protected.  Bottom line is a well designed protection circuit will protect your expensive gear.