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Power Conditioner Pros/Cons?

post #1 of 27
1/20/04 at 11:43pm
Thread Starter 
What are the benefits of having a power conditioner with a headphone setup?

What are some reasons why it is bad to plug a headphone amplifier directly into the wall outlet?
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post #2 of 27
1/21/04 at 1:45am

Re: Power Conditioner Pros/Cons?

Quote:
Originally posted by seefeel
What are the benefits of having a power conditioner with a headphone setup?

What are some reasons why it is bad to plug a headphone amplifier directly into the wall outlet?
Non-varying voltage. The power supply of the amp should take care of this, but a power conditioner can help even more.
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post #3 of 27
1/21/04 at 2:05am
You don't want to plug anything straight into the wall as that will leave it at the mercy of any surges.

There are different kinds of power conditioners but they are usually surge protectors. They also try and filter out some EMI/RFI which can cloud the sound up.
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post #4 of 27
1/21/04 at 2:08am
Thread Starter 
So is a good surge protector good enough? What specifications should I look for when buying a surge protector? Or do I need to spend the big bucks and get an actual line conditioner?
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post #5 of 27
1/21/04 at 3:39am
Quote:
Originally posted by seefeel
So is a good surge protector good enough? What specifications should I look for when buying a surge protector? Or do I need to spend the big bucks and get an actual line conditioner?
This issue is only slightly less controversial than "do expensive cables really make a difference"?
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post #6 of 27
1/21/04 at 3:40am
Quote:
Originally posted by lan
There are different kinds of power conditioners but they are usually surge protectors. They also try and filter out some EMI/RFI which can cloud the sound up.
As you correctly imply: usually they include (or simply are) surge protectors, but not always.
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post #7 of 27
1/21/04 at 4:15am
Efficacy of power conditioner, in general, differs by where you live.

If you live in a rural area, power tends to be cleaner than say living in high=rise in NYC.

I think if you own a house, getting a dedicated line might more effective than most power conditioner.

The problems I've had with many power condioners with heavy filtering is that they take the dynamics and trnasient bites out. sort of like music on Prozac.

Surge protectors are really evil, but I see few do not have a choice but to have one if they live in tropical area with heavy thunder storms.
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post #8 of 27
1/21/04 at 4:18am
Quote:
Originally posted by lan
[B]You don't want to plug anything straight into the wall as that will leave it at the mercy of any surges.
yeah.. but you really donn't' want to plug power amps to a current limiting power conditioner. ( probably ok for headamp, tho )
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post #9 of 27
1/21/04 at 7:55am
Most power conditioners do something to your sound. I like to use my Ultimate Outlet with my headphone amp because I feel it softens the sound a bit and makes for a more enjoyable experience since I think by nature, headphones tend to be more in your face and thus more irritating. Just my taste.
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post #10 of 27
1/21/04 at 10:41am

Re: Re: Power Conditioner Pros/Cons?

Quote:
Originally posted by Music Fanatic
Non-varying voltage. The power supply of the amp should take care of this, but a power conditioner can help even more.
I've been using an APC Line-R for my computer for years. It is not a UPS, but is supposed to keep the voltage constant. Does anyone think this non-audio piece of equipment might improve the sound of the Perreaux headphone amp?

http://www.apcc.com/products/family/index.cfm?id=67
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post #11 of 27
1/21/04 at 12:32pm
Quote:
Originally posted by kuma
yeah.. but you really donn't' want to plug power amps to a current limiting power conditioner. ( probably ok for headamp, tho )
That has some truth to it. It depends what you want. Some people would rather have peace of mind of surge protection. Various products have various amounts of limitingl. How much you can deal with depends on the person. But doesn't the power filtering give you lower noise floor even on the amps?
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post #12 of 27
1/21/04 at 12:34pm
As for UPSes, some may keep voltages steady but there may still be a lot of noise on the line. Whether you like this effect depends on how it compares to your line.

Some people like the Cyber Power UPSes. I never liked any of the UPSes I've tried.
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post #13 of 27
1/21/04 at 1:18pm
Quote:
Originally posted by lan
But doesn't the power filtering give you lower noise floor even on the amps?
Yeah, it can. Depending on which one and which system it is.

But my personal experience is that with power amps, more harm than good.

For source electronics and preamps ( and head amps for that matter ) tho, some can work great.
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post #14 of 27
1/21/04 at 2:11pm
Quote:
Originally posted by lan
As for UPSes, some may keep voltages steady but there may still be a lot of noise on the line. Whether you like this effect depends on how it compares to your line.

Some people like the Cyber Power UPS's. I never liked any of the UPSes I've tried.
I have a CyberPower 585AVR. (500VA model). It puts outs quite a bit of noise. The square sine wave ain't helping things either. Most UPS's suck for high end audio and video use. (but can be necessary for devices that need power backup)

Basically, the worse your power is, the more conditioning and filtering it will need.

If your lights dim alot from other appliances running, that's a big indicator.

Beware of the Brickwall. It's a give and take device. It will do wonders for filtering noise and ground loop buzzing, but it will take away some dynamics and soundstage in amps, particulary higher powered ones. But it is one of the best surge suppressors money can buy.

-Ed
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post #15 of 27
1/21/04 at 2:15pm
not to hijack the thread, but do you think that power conditioning is necissary for someone living in say... a modern appartment building? I am running everything from the wall right now and I dont notice anything wierd, but maybe I just dont know what to look for...
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