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Audioquest Niagara 1000 and Thunder Power Cable Loaner Program
Oct 24, 2018 at 3:00 PM Post #31 of 45
Well, update here, if anyone is interested. The second Thunder cable just came in this morning for the integrated amp of mine. I instantly got it hooked up and just ran a few songs from my collection, and I can only repeat myself, another veil was removed, yet again. I'm ashamed to write this down as I always a major skeptic of these power conditioning cables/devices. Anyhow, consider me a convert now.

Now I'm thinking to get that Audioquest duplex to be ordered and installed for the next step.

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Oct 24, 2018 at 5:57 PM Post #33 of 45
If anyone else wants to sign up for this loaner program, this is last call. I have 1 more participant on the list. I will add a few more if they are interested. Email me with all of your info as prescribed in the loaner rules...

Todd
 
Oct 24, 2018 at 7:36 PM Post #34 of 45
Nov 15, 2018 at 10:12 AM Post #35 of 45
That is not what should be there I tried to write a review that is from before a few edits and before it was finished but when told to post that is what went up not the finished review I spent much more x on It says I’m not authorized to view or edit when I try to erase what’s there and now I guess retype the review
 
Nov 15, 2018 at 10:20 AM Post #36 of 45
donahewj said:
That is not what should be there I tried to write a review that is from before a few edits and before it was finished but when told to post that is what went up not the finished review I spent much more x on It says I’m not authorized to view or edit when I try to erase what’s there and now I guess retype the review
Click to expand...
Since I had the privilege of reading that review in an email notification, I would encourage you to read this before starting your rewrite: https://wts.indiana.edu/writing-guides/paragraphs-and-topic-sentences.html

I'll send you a PM with your initial version.

Edit: I can now see that you had paragraphs in your review, but that was not obvious because you only used one line break instead of two to separate them, which didn't do much since I was reading your review on my narrow phone screen.
 
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Nov 16, 2018 at 5:58 AM Post #37 of 45
I received the loaners from TTVJ on consecutive days the Niagra arrived first the following day the Thunder. The Niagra had been shipped from the previous participant in the loaner program so it had some x on it and hopefully was broken in. The Thunder ac cord was new shipped from MT by Todd. I don’t have much experience using power conditioners. My experience w ac cords is that they will make a difference albeit a small one and the models that provide the most significant results unfortunately usually are very expensive. I would like to thank Todd for the opportunity to try these products in my home on my system and would recommend anyone else considering them or anything else to try their best to try them on their system or in a shop w the components you use or something of similar topology and quality.
I currently don’t own any headphones(as this is headfi web site) but I do have a few pairs of speakers a turntable, tuner and very rarely used digital source and DAC. due to the x constraints of the loane program being a week and that I work usually 7 long days and the fact that a/bing power cables involves shutting one or more components down to replace the cable and a power conditioner w multiple outlets providing even more options I tried to keep things relatively simple and impose a limit on my options.
I did try the Niagra w a stock cord between it and the wall and stock cords to the components. I also tried the Thunder in front of the Niagra to the amp and behind the Thunder to the wall w stock cords from the Niagra to each of the components. Additionally I tried plugging the amp into the wall and the preamp and sources into the Niagra in this set up the amp and Niagra were on the same outlet. Other than the Thunder only stock ac cords were used to narrow the variables and influence contributed by other ac cords. The electric lines are standard as opposed to dedicated and the outlets are of the ordinary type from an electrical supply house.
The system I used for the testing consisted of a VPI Prime tt w an ADS power supply(for the sake of everything being on the same outlet the ADS was plugged into the Niagra) the cartridge was a Soundsmith Zephyr mkiii the phono stage Rogue Ares Magnum using NOS Mullard 12at7s and Gold Lion 12ax7s this was feed to a PrimaLuna Dialogue preamp w all stock tubes except for two Radiotechnique 12au7s. For the connections I employed Canare copper professional I. C. s speaker cables again Canare 10ga. Stranded copper twisted pair. The power amp was a Pass Labs xa25 and the speakers Devore Fidelity O’93s.
The music I used was mostly rock and roll from the 60s through today (I’m including in that descriptor indie, alternative, and Americana) and jazz both big band and small groups some blues and folk too. A few piano players a lot a horns female and male vocals great rock and roll guitar drums and bass. Mostly good recordings a few not so great. The records themselves being audiophile reissues or first pressings.
Since the Niagra arrived first I checked it out first. I used a regular ac cord the kind that can be had from a hardware or box store for $15. So not the cheapest available but not at all Hi-Fi or esoteric. The other components stock cords were all of the similar black rubber variety and probably between 20 and 14ga.. even though I listen critically at least two hours a day I spent about an hour listening to my system w out the Niagra before adding it because my aural memory is far from perfect. In addition I am human and promises of better sound through a new component can be influenced by other opinions I may have heard a components visual appearance and definitely by expectations associated w it’s price.
I do have a grounding issue that’s been plaguing me lately. It oddly exists only during certain hours 6am-12am most days a little starts a few hours later on most weekends. I was unaware if the Niagra would have an effect on grounding problems. But the addition of the Pass xa25 greatly reduced the problem about a year ago. And the Devores acquired in the past few months reduced it even further which was a surprise as they are much more sensitive at 93dB than the speakers i have used in the past. The hum and buzz is still there but to pick it out one need put their ear up to the drivers. So even though I can no longer pick it out while music plays there is a feeling of pressure an extra artifact or the drone of a light that is not heard until the light extinguished. Almost all of my critical listening is done in the early morning hours before I leave for work at 6am so this isn’t usually much of an issue but I was curious to see if the Niagra had an influence on the problem.
When plugged into the Niagra all components were in the plugs I thought most closely resembled the suggestion by AudioQuest in the instructions. There is a dedicated high current outlet I used this any x my amp was plugged into the Niagra. There is also a recommendation where to plug in a turntable (but not a phono stage) as well as a computer, tv, cable box, and a streamer. It struck me as odd that there was not an outlet recommended for a preamp phono stage or DAC. Half of the available outlets recommended for tv. Was this being marketed to home theater enthusiasts or audiophiles?
Anyway w the Niagra in place and everything plugged into it the grounding problem was definitely diminished but not fully eradicated. One would need look pretty silly w their ear to the driver to pick it out but it’s ‘presence’ was still there from the listening seat. Time to play a cut. Before plugging in the Niagra I had listened to Count Basies “The Kid From Red Bank” a bombastic big band track w so mush of the bands energy captured on tape I can taste the brass of the horns. Usually. But that flavor was now missing. The dynamic transients that proclaim Basies band is on their job has lost their immediateness and the attention they had commanded just minutes before using power straight from the wall. The volume also seemed reduced although I had not moved the knob. Sadly I powered down the xa25 and plugged it into the remaining wall socket. This brought the magic back.
The Thunder arrived the following day. It was packaged conspicuously in much more serious packing than the shiny silver bodied Niagra. This was disconcerting. If the Thunder lived up to the promise of its manufacturer AudioQuest and many of the audiophile press why would it need to be dressed in such fancy packaging? It was encased in a very serious reusable (for what purpose) stiff shelled and zippered case. I would greatly prefer the cost of the packaging to be taken out of the retail price or that money used on the actual cable and to wrap it just well enough to keep it from damage during shipping. Which would not be much it is built extremely well. Solid and well built connections and a braid of thickjust barely pliable conductors lavishly wrapped in an attractive fabric. It was far classier than the solid but rather garish Mirrored silver tube and black plastic end caps of the Niagra.
I plugged the Thunder between the wall and the xa25 the rest of the components in their regular power strip. Dropping the cart to the vinyl to play “The Kid From Redbank”. The music was there in all it’s glory full of energy and dynamics a large sound stage and the saturated colors I’m used to. The buzz of the grounding problem definitely lessened. I now was curious if I plugged in the Niagra would the benefit of the Thunder increase?
I once again removed the Niagra from it very sensible but very secure packaging of a double cardboard box and three pieces of custom cut foam core Two end caps and a ring in the middle. At first I tried just plugging the Niagra into the wall w a generic black power cable and left the Thunder in the Pass amp and plugged the amplifier only into the Niagra only so I wouldn’t need to wait for my preamp and phono stage to be turned off and powered back up. Long story short I heard a repeat of the previous days reduced dynamics. Frustrated I powered everything down put the Thunder from the wall to the Niagra and all other components into the Niagra. They were plugged in in the following order from left to right the high current outlet of the Niagra also on the left. My amplifier was plugged in far left to the high current outlet. Followed by my preamp immediately to its right. Next my phono stage and finally the ADS power supply wher the Niagra instructions suggest plugging in a turntable.
The results were great I was listening in the day x but it sounded so quiet as if it were in the early morning when my system is so close to silent. It was also full of energy and the proper dynamic range. The tonality was what I know and love from my system in other words it remained unchanged and accurate. To me this indicated the Niagra and Thunder were not effective as equalizers. If your looking for a way to color your system or fix something your unhappy w by altering the tonal balance w cables the Niagra and Thunder were not the way to do this. On the other hand if your happy w your systems sound but want to squeeze out some more performance in terms of noise dissipation then this combination is the ticket. As a reducer of extraneous noise I can think of no similarly priced ac cable I am familiar with that has such a marked effect. My experience w power conditioning is not great enough to comment on products similar to the Niagra but I will say it is effective. The Thunder by itself is also effective adding it to my amp was an apparent change for the better. The combination of the two make a formidable pair and while the outlay of cash for the pair is immediately noticeable it is far from night and day. It is subtle but obvious if you are actively listening. It does not color the music but does its job and removes noise brought along through the power lines. Even what I believe to be a grounding issue was significantly reduced. From my listening position I could only hear music and w my ear to the speaker and nothin playing but the volume opened up well past half way I only heard a little tube rush. Even in the early morning hour when my system is already very quiet there was a benefit. Things got even quieter and seemed to be more spacious. The music was more relaxed less likely to cause listening fatigue and I could hear deeper into the tracks. It was easier to hear the musicians jibe each other and laugh far in the background when an artist played a particularly smoking solo on Count Basie Kansas City 3 “For The Second Time” or the conversations and clink of glasses and silver heard from the audience on”Ella at Zardies”. The instruments came through clearer too more like the artists were there in front of me like on Bob Dylan’s “More Blood More Tracks” or I was sitting in the audience “Ella at Zardies” The brass had more bite and the pluck of the strings revealed better how taught the string was and how quickly the pick or finger was dragged across it. I was hearing more of the throat on a vocal more of the breath. On this equipment the Niagra and Thunder allowed more low level resolution through.
I heard the biggest differences on the best recordings primarily well recorded jazz the likes of Duke Ellington,Count Basie, Ben Webster, Ella, and Billie. But I also had great results from Bob Dylan,Leon Russel, and Ry Cooder. A first pressing of George Harrison’s “all Things Must Pass” made an impression w it’s large scale production and the space it created. Warren Zevons “Excitabe Boy” sounded fresh and exciting. There were benifits to newer recordings such as Low Cut Connie or Dr Dog but they wee not as great mostly a reduction of noise that allowed me to hear deeper into the track but they seemed not as spacious as better recordings. Bob Dylan’s “More Blood More Tracks” sounded stupendous placing him on a stool in my room the strings of his guitar so clean w a natural but beautiful decay. Hie voice brimming emotion,anger, bitterness, sarcasm and wry derision there was no noise to interfere w the illusion of his presence created by this system as such a resoundingly clear image. It was airy and unimpeeded by noise to allow for precise locations and special cues.
While I had great results w the combination the Thunder on its own was terrific. My components are between $3000-5000 so a $750 power cable is significant and I was initially worried it would be overkill that it would be wasted because it could be capable of greater resolution than my components. It’s possible l don’t know. What I do know is it sounded great w my Pass amp plugged to the wall and for this reason I bought it. In fact if I had the money right now I’d have bought two more one for my preamp and one for my phono stage. W the holidays around the corner money is a little tight it I plen to acquire the other two cables soon. Now that I have more x w the cable I may try it w my other components and post the results.
What I can say now though w a little more x on it,( I have been using the Thunder almost two weeks) is that it now conveys even more space and openness but the most marked change is the increase in bass performance. While the timbre has remained completely true the low end has become significantly extended and deeper. Not only that but it is fast. The PRAT has gotten better the speed of the attack truly amazing and if called upon to the notes stop on a dime. If there is a long slow decay this is there as well. Texture is plentiful and descriptive and the increased bass response contributes nicely to the warm round sound on Captain Beefheart “Safe as Milk”. The stock cable just doesn’t convey either the same power or the same delicacy of the Thunder. Through the Thunder the bass is certainly tighter and faster and the playing of The Magic Band is portrayed wthe gusto and energy they laid down on the tape to a greater degree than through the stock cable. Another thing I find interesting is the often seperate quality’s of the virtuosity of the musicianship and the raw or ragged energy that propels the music and the driving beat that leads the way through the album. I was shown w the Thunder in the mix more precise musicianship and at the same x drawn in more deeply w the raw energy that became even more enticing.
I am impressed w both the Thunder and the combination of the Thunder and the Niagra. One caveat I cannot recommend the Niagra w out the Thunder attached to it. W a lesser cord the dynamics distinctly suffered and this was I’m apparent. w the Thunder I looked for, yet could not hear this problem. The music may have been slightly more polite but I really had to look for this to notice. The combo did it’s job and cleaned the noise from the power lines w out doing damage to the music.
Again I want to thank Todd The Vinyl Junkie for setting up this loaner program and enabling me to have the opportunity to try this combination at home w my gear.
 
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Nov 27, 2018 at 4:19 PM Post #38 of 45
Very interesting thoughts here. I am thinking about getting an Acoustic Zen Gargantua II or the AQ Thunder. Quite a difference in new retail costs but at used pricing, it's much closer.
 
Dec 11, 2018 at 3:05 PM Post #39 of 45
Feb 8, 2019 at 9:39 AM Post #41 of 45
Feb 8, 2019 at 2:52 PM Post #42 of 45
Hi Alcophone,

Yes, the new Niagara 1200 has taken on a new look and form. I also like it and will be offering a loaner program for it once it hits the market - I have had it on order since they announced it. The Audioquest PowerQuest pieces are also very interesting and should work great in headphone rigs and A/V systems... but the Niagara series is for serious systems!

Keep an eye out in this forum for the announced loaner for the Niagara 1200 in a month or so!

Todd
 
May 13, 2019 at 9:57 AM Post #43 of 45
Alcophone said:
Audioquest Niagara 1000 & Thunder Review

Part I: Listening to Raw Power

Okay, the subtitle is still a metaphor, but also meant somewhat literally. In my limited experience, power conditioners are difficult to test by ear. How effective they are depends on the extent to which your system was limited by "dirty" power to begin with. It seems that usually you don't know you are re affected - until you are affected less than before.

So I decided to try an easier route first. I wanted to see how the Niagara 1000 and some related products fare in tackling certain power-related issues I have noticed before. No music involved at all. Raw power, you see?

Issue 1: Buzzing of the Tripp-Lite ISOBAR, produced by my dimmable torchiere with LED light bulb
Issue 2: Flicker of my torchiere when my vacuum gets stuck while also plugged into the ISOBAR
Issue 3: Audible noise when touching the Jotunheim's volume knob while set to a high volume

Devices used in this part of the review

I did not use the Audioquest Thunder power cable in this first part because it didn't fit into the most reachable "outlet" I currently have in my living room, an extension cord. This should not make a difference in this part I, though.
  • Tripp-Lite 6SP (~$25)
    Power strip in metal housing with six outlets. Has an LED lit power switch and a circuit breaker.
  • Tripp-Lite TLP608 (~$15)
    Surge protector in plastic housing with six outlets. Has an LED lit power switch, a protection status LED, a circuit breaker and surge suppression.
  • Tripp-Lite ISOBAR8ULTRA (~$50)
    Surge protector in metal housing with eight outlets. Has an LED lit power switch, a protection status LED, a line status LED, a circuit breaker, surge suppression and power filtration via four isolated filter banks.
  • VOLTCRAFT 18166
    A voltage transformer in metal housing that is rated at 1,000 VA. It allows setting both the input and output voltage to 120 V. I think this basically makes it an isolation transformer, but I don't know for sure.
  • Furman PST-8 (~$130)
    Power conditioner in metal housing with eight outlets. Has a power switch, a power LED, surge suppression for the AC outlets, for a cable/satellite connection and for a phone connection, overvoltage protection and power filtration.
  • Audioquest Niagara 1000 ($1,000)
    Power conditioner in metal housing with six outlets, one of them intended for high current devices. Has a power switch, a power LED, surge suppression, overvoltage protection and power filtration.
  • iFi AC iPurifier ($99)
    A plug-in power conditioner, used in part I only to check for polarity and grounding issues.
  • Klein Tools RT100 (~$10)
    To check outlets and other receptacles for issues with polarity, grounding, etc.
  • P3 Kill A Watt P4460.01 (~$30)
    To measure power consumption, voltage levels, etc.
  • FIRMERST Flat Plug Extension Cord (14 AWG), 6 ft (~$11)
    The most convenient "outlet" in my living room, and good enough for this first part.
  • Tripp-Lite Heavy Duty Power Extension Cord (14 AWG), 3 ft (~$9)
    More convenient way of plugging in the Kill A Watt, but also needed to plug the AC iPurifier into the Kill A Watt.
  • Tripp-Lite Heavy Duty Power Cord (14 AWG), 3 ft (~$6)
    Used with the Niagara 1000 instead of the Audioquest Thunder, which was too tight a fit for my extension cord. Also used for the VOLTCRAFT transformer.
  • Italian Bronze Torchiere Floor Lamp ($250)
    Has a dimmer for the top light, which, at least in combination with an LED light bulb makes it a useful diagnostic tool.
  • Kobi Electric K5L1 30-watt BR40 LED Light Bulb, Dimmable (~$40)
    I could not find a working link to this exact model, but it doesn't really matter.
  • Shark HV382
    A vacuum cleaner. I noticed that when it encounters resistance / gets stuck, it makes the torchiere light flicker, at least when plugged into the same ISOBAR.
  • Schiit Jotunheim ($399)
    A headphone amplifier that, under certain circumstances, produces audible noise when touching the volume knob. See below under issue 3 for more details.


From left to right: VOLTCRAFT transformer, Audioquest Niagara 1000, Furman PST-8, Tripp-Lite ISOBAR8ULTRA, Tripp-Lite 6SP, Tripp-Lite TLP608

AC voltage and frequency

Kill A Watt directly in extension cord: 123.1V, 60.0 Hz
Kill A Watt in VOLTCRAFT transformer: 112.8V, 60.0 Hz

Receptacle tester LEDs

Extension cord: Correct
Kill A Watt: Correct
Tripp-Lite 6SP: Correct
Tripp-Lite TLP608: Correct
Tripp-Lite ISOBAR: Correct
VOLTCRAFT transformer: Correct (different from AC iPurifier, see below)
Furman PST-8: Correct
Audioquest Niagara 1000: Hot/Neutral reversed

iFi AC iPurifier status LEDs

Extension cord: Polarity green, Earth green
Kill A Watt: Polarity green, Earth green (AC iPurifier's ground pin does not fit, so I used an extension cord)
Tripp-Lite 6SP: Polarity green, Earth green
Tripp-Lite TLP608: Polarity green, Earth green
Tripp-Lite ISOBAR: Polarity green, Earth green
VOLTCRAFT transformer: Polarity red, Earth green (different from receptacle tester, see above)
Furman PST-8: Polarity green, Earth green
Audioquest Niagara 1000: Polarity red, Earth green

Power consumption

Tested without any devices plugged in, but the device itself turned on (where applicable).

Tripp-Lite 6SP: 0.0 W / 0.0 VA / 0.00 A
Tripp-Lite TLP608: 0.3-0.4 W / 0.5-0.7 VA / 0.00 A
Tripp-Lite ISOBAR: 0.8-0.9 W / 6.2 VA / 0.05 A
VOLTCRAFT transformer: 1.6-1.7 W / 3.5-4.1 VA / 0.02A-0.03 A
Furman PST-8: 2.1-2.3 W / 10.2-10.4 VA / 0.08 A
Audioquest Niagara 1000: 2.4-2.5 W / 34.3-34.4 VA / 0.27 A
iFi AC iPurifier: 1.0-1.1 W / 3.4-3.5 VA / 0.02 A


Issue 1: Buzz test

The torchiere was plugged into the respective device and turned on, with the dimmer set to ~90% and 100%. I held my ear close to the outlet that had the torchiere in it.

Tripp-Lite 6SP: No buzz.
Tripp-Lite TLP608: No buzz.
Tripp-Lite ISOBAR: Very faint buzz when the torchiere is plugged into the outlet column closest to the power cord, gets progressively louder moving away from the power cord, easily audible on the last outlet column, less loud when dimmer set to 100% instead of 90%.
VOLTCRAFT transformer: Hum without anything plugged in. Similar buzz with the torchiere plugged in as experienced with the ISOBAR, probably a bit louder.
Furman PST-8: Very faint buzz, not audible when dimmer set to 100%.
Audioquest Niagara 1000: Very faint buzz, pretty much gone when set to 100%, generally less loud in high current outlet.


Issue 2: Flicker test

The torchiere was plugged into the respective device and turned on, with the dimmer set to ~90% and 100%. Vacuum cleaner was plugged into the same device unless otherwise noted. For this test, I tried to get the vacuum almost stuck by vacuuming a small rug.

Tripp-Lite 6SP: No flicker.
Tripp-Lite TLP608: No flicker.
Tripp-Lite ISOBAR: No flicker with the dimmer at 100% & the vacuum almost getting stuck. A little flicker with the dimmer at 100% & the vacuum almost getting stuck. A lot of flicker with the dimmer at 90% & the vacuum almost getting stuck.
Tripp-Lite ISOBAR + VOLTCRAFT transformer: A lot of flicker with the dimmer at 90% & the vacuum almost getting stuck, regardless of whether the torchiere or the vacuum were plugged into the transformer. The vacuum sound had a slightly lower pitch when plugged into the transformer, probably due to getting a lower voltage.
Furman PST-8: No flicker with the dimmer at 100% & the vacuum almost getting stuck. A little flicker with the dimmer at 100% & the vacuum almost getting stuck. A lot of flicker with the dimmer at 90% & the vacuum almost getting stuck.
Audioquest Niagara 1000: With either the torchiere or the vacuum plugged into the high current outlet and the other device plugged into one of its regular outlets: no flicker. With both devices plugged into its regular outlets: a lot of flicker with the dimmer at 90% & the vacuum almost getting stuck.


Issue 3: Jotunheim noise

After one user reported noise issues with his Schiit Jotunheim and the LCD-X, another user reported that he heard noise at high volume when simply touching the volume knob. While I never noticed any noise issues in regular use, I got curious and was able to reproduce the issue with my Jotunheim at home.

I disconnected everything from the Jotunheim except for the power cord and the MrSpeakers Ether Flow connected to the balanced output. Then I selected the single ended inputs (again, with no interconnects connected), set the gain to high and increased the volume carefully to see whether I could hear any noise. At max volume I heard a little bit of noise when not touching the amp, and a lot of noise when touching the volume knob or the top of the case. Simultaneously touching the side of the case with my other hand reduced the noise almost completely and in proportion to the size of the contact area.

Tinkering with nearby devices, it turned out that a lot of the noise came from my laptop's power supply. Unplugging it reduced the noise substantially to more of a buzz, while the laptop charger added a more clicky type of noise. Another noise source was a USB charger. Touching it with my other hand, or touching the USB cable plugged into it (which was itself not plugged into any device) increased the noise some. Touching the metal plug of the USB cable increased the noise quite a bit.

So it seemed that I was pretty clearly hearing noise induced by other devices, precisely the kind of thing a power conditioner is supposed to treat. Therefore, this seemed like a useful test.

Well, to cut things short, none of the devices helped in any way, regardless of how I hooked things up. Towards the end of my test I noticed that even just hovering my hand above the Jotunheim induced noise through the headphones I was using. Using my other hand to touch anything metallic that was grounded, like the case of the Furman PST-8, and, even more quickly and completely, the case of the Niagara 1000, removed the noise completely.

I don't know if this makes any sense, but it seems more like my body acts as an antenna for electromagnetic fields induced by nearby devices, and touching the volume knob of the Jotunheim means I'm grounded by the Jotunheim via the amplifier's active parts, and so the Jotunheim is dutifully amplifying the noise I'm inducing. Using my other hand to touch the side of it, or other metallic devices that are grounded, provides a better path to ground, solving the noise issue. If there's anything to that theory, no power conditioner in the world can fix the issue.


Preliminary conclusion

The Niagara 1000 draws more power by itself than any of the other devices. But compared to, say, the Schiit Yggdrasil, a DAC that is recommended to be left powered on continuously, the power consumption is still insignificant.

The high current outlet seems to be as separate from the other outlets as in a regular power strip or surge protector, as shown by the flicker test. I wouldn't be surprised if internally the incoming power is simply split, followed by separate filtration circuits for the high current outlet and the other outlets. That is a promising result, although it would be interesting to see how the filtration really differs.

What I find concerning is that both the receptacle tester and the AC iPurifier indicated problems with the polarity of the outlets in the Niagara 1000. I don't know whether this is indeed a fault, a harmless artifact of Audioquest's approach, or possibly even a feature.

I was happy to not hear no substantial buzz even with a noisy dimmable torchiere. The Niagara 1000 is certainly bulky enough to allow for some dampening.

The shiny exterior of the Niagara 1000 looks nice when it's clean, but is difficult to keep that way and already had some darker stains on it that I was not able to remove with my limited cleaning efforts. The plastic covers on each end look a little bit cheaper than the unit as a whole. Sadly, the bottom of the unit isn't perfectly flat, causing it to wobble a little bit. It just feels wrong to have to fix a $1,000 power conditioner with some folded tissue underneath one of its feet.

Of course, none of this matters if the Niagara 1000 doesn't improve the sound of a system. For that, I refer you to part II of this review.



Part II: Listening to Music

After the somewhat unusual tests performed in part I, it is now time to simply listen to music, and see whether the provided products can make a difference here.

Devices used in this part of the review
System A



Components
Test results

First, I listened with the system powered as usual: using the Tripp-Lite 6SP power strip plugged into one outlet, and an iFi AC iPurifier plugged into the outlet next to it, as well as a second AC iPurifier in the power strip's first outlet (closest to its cable), then the headphone amp, then a third AC iPurifier, then the DAC. I am quite happy with the system as is, and am unsure how to improve its sound further.

Next, I switched to using the Audioquest Niagara 1000 with the Audioquest Thunder cable. I removed the first AC iPurifier from the outlet, plugged the headphone amplifier into the Niagara 1000's high current outlet, and the DAC into the last outlet on the Niagara 1000. This sounded great - just like before. Or was it better? It should be better, right? More bass, maybe? More body?

I went back and forth multiple times, unsure whether there really was a difference. Finally, I plugged both the DAC and the headphone amp directly into the wall outlet (no power conditioning at all) and... it still sounded great. I am not convinced there is any difference between these three approaches at all.

Finally, I tried the Audioquest Thunder cable directly into the headphone amp and... still did not hear a difference.

Summary

Neither the Niagara 1000 nor the AC iPurifier seemed to have a significant impact on this system. Using the Audioquest Thunder to power the headphone amplifier directly from an outlet also made no apparent difference.


System B



This was a temporary setup focusing solely on the power cords. The reason I have so many of Tripp-Lite's 14 AWG power cords is because I heard an improvement going from the Jotunheim's stock cable (18 AWG) to a Tripp-Lite cable (14 AWG) of similar length. I determined that by directly comparing two Jotunheims with the same source and the same headphones. However, I later realized a flaw in my approach: both amps were plugged into the same power strip, with the thicker Tripp-Lite cord in an outlet closer to the power strip's cable. While I swapped the cables on the amp's end to rule out one amp sounding better than the other, I did not swap them on the outlet end. Maybe both amps needing the same amount of power at the same time (due to amplifying the same signal) meant that the first amp was somewhat depriving the second amp, regardless of the cord used? Also, I only matched the volume by ear.

This time, I tried a little harder. I plugged both amps into the same pair of outlets, directly from the wall. Unfortunately, I did not have two identical pairs of RCA cables handy, so I couldn't use the battery powered iFi micro iDSD as a DAC. But I did have my XLR Y cables lying around, allowing me to use the Topping DX7s as a DAC for both Jotunheims. Of course, that one doesn't have a battery, so I used an extension cord to supply it from a different outlet in the room. Using a monitor raiser, I spaced the three devices as far apart as I could, and tried to keep all the cables apart to the extent possible.



Components
Test results



I started out with the stock 18 AWG power cords for both amps, and level matched them by playing a 1 kHz sine wave via an Online Tone Generator and adjusting the volume for each until my decibel meter, squeezed between the earpads, read 90 dBA on both. I then went back and forth between the amps while listening to music. Both amps sounded identical, as far as I could tell.

I then switched to the Tripp-Lite power cord on one of the amps and level matched again. What I heard sounded slightly richer - maybe. Whatever difference there may have been was definitely subtle. I also wanted to hear an improvement, given my commitment to these power cords. Together that means my impression here is not reliable. Whatever difference I heard could easily be wishful thinking.

Next, I swapped out the 14 AWG Tripp-Lite cable with the (maybe) 11 AWG Audioquest one. Whatever difference there may be should be more pronounced by comparing it to the thinner 18 AWG stock cable. But the results were the same as when comparing the 14 AWG and the 18 AWG cables. I believe the Audioquest cable sounded slightly richer than the 18 AWG one, but it was subtle enough to be the result of expectation bias.

Lastly, I compared the 14 AWG Tripp-Lite cable with the Audioquest one, and they sounded identical to me. Given how massive the Audioquest cable is, with its fancy dielectric bias system, I saw the potential for a substantial difference, but I simply didn't hear it.

Summary

Investing in Tripp-Lite's 14 AWG power cord may provide a slight benefit with negligible downsides due to the slightly thicker and less flexible cable. But going to an Audioquest Thunder cable seems to provide no additional benefit, while being much more expensive and a lot more difficult to handle due to its size, stiffness and weight.


System C
Test results

I thought I would have all day to test Audioquest's magic in this system, but that turned out not to be the case. Luckily, I found out in the morning, but it still meant that I needed to prioritize. Without any changes to my regular setup, I turned on the DAC, amp and subwoofer to give them some warmup time, and did some morning chores.

Then, I hooked up the DAC, amp and subwoofer to the Tripp-Lite 6SP and started listening to establish a base line. I was not happy with the sound. It sounded flat, unengaging, with an incoherent sound stage, although as usual, my subwoofer didn't fail to please with the right, bass heavy music. I then realized I had left one iFi AC iPurifier in the outlet next to the one the power strip was plugged in. If it helped at all, it certainly didn't help enough. I wasn't sure I would have time to start over without it, so I moved on.

Next, I added a second AC iPurifier in the power strip's first outlet, followed by the subwoofer, followed by a third AC iPurifier, followed by the power amp and the DAC. That would be the approach recommended by iFi, assuming the subwoofer's power supply is a switch mode power supply, which I don't know for certain, and assuming the DAC's power supply is a linear one, which at least one source claimed. Using all three AC iPurifiers noticeably improved the sound stage, in the sense that I could more easily locate the origin of instruments and voices. Cymbals and trumpets sounded more bearable. Still, not a sound I'm satisfied with, or proud of.

While I couldn't test all candidates of part I due to the time available, I decided to give the Furman PST-8 a shot. I had tried the more advanced PST-8D some time ago, and wasn't very impressed, and the PST-8 was unsurprisingly no different. The system basically went back to sounding like it did with just a power strip (and an AC iPurifier in the outlet next to it). The PST-8/PST-8D may be an excellent surge protector, which is why I got it, but an amazing power conditioner it is not.

I was excited and nervous to try the Audioquest Niagara 1000. Would I finally hear an improvement with it, or are my ears just not golden enough? I first tried it with the Audioquest Thunder cable, obviously with the power amp in the high current outlet, and the DAC and subwoofer in the regular outlets. I turned everything on, restarted the music and... was floored. Not only was the sound stage even better defined than with the AC iPurifier, everything suddenly sounded full, rich, engaging, musical - truly pleasant! Sia's voice in "Numb" and "Rewrite" made me go "Mmmh" - which was a déjà vu for me.

I had heard these speakers sound like that before, with the same songs - in the audio store that I auditioned them in, with the same amp, but a nano iDSD as the DAC and a Schiit SYS as the preamp. It's hard to judge based on memory, but I liked them even better at home with the Audioquest Niagara 1000. Put simply, my speakers finally sounded like the $2,000 speakers they are! Of course I don't know how that change translates to other speakers and components, but for the first time ever, I really loved how my system sounded as a whole - not just the subwoofer.

Curious to see how much of that was thanks to the power cord vs the power conditioner, I removed the Audioquest Thunder and used a Tripp-Lite 14 AWG 3 ft power cord instead. And I'm happy to say that it sounded every bit as good this way. It's possible that I would have gotten different results with more power hungry amplifiers, or possibly with another Thunder cable to connect the power amp to the Niagara 1000's high current outlet, or generally with a more resolving system, but I was unable to test any of that.

I continued listening, curious how other songs would sound now. It all sounded wonderful, and I had a lot of fun - so much fun that my neighbor suddenly started banging on the wall. Oops! It did get a little loud towards the end, when I didn't have to maintain volume levels between the setup changes anymore. But I was satisfied. Of course I would have loved to tinker more - plug the amplifier into one of the Niagara 1000's regular outlet, plug the Niagara 1000 into the PST-8, try different speakers, and more... but I had to wrap it up.

Summary

The Audioquest Niagara 1000 made my speaker system sing, for the first time ever - at least in my home. While some of the improvements can be had on the cheap with one iFi AC iPurifier between the subwoofer and the other components, the Niagara's contribution was a lot more profound than going from an iFi nano iDSD + Schiit SYS to a Schiit Jotunheim with DAC module to a Topping DX7s. Worth $1,000 in this system? Yes, absolutely.

The Audioquest Thunder, however, did not improve the sound compared to a Tripp-Lite 14 AWG power cord in its place. My wallet is happy to hear it.


Conclusion

I cannot recommend the Audioquest Thunder power cord. In none of my tests did it perform any better than a $10 Tripp-Lite 14 AWG power cord. For several hundred times the price you get a power cord that is much thicker, stiffer and heavier, making it difficult to handle and integrate. The sleeve was also fraying quite a bit, somewhat impairing the otherwise solid appearance of the cable. While not a problem in serious applications, I want to point out that the Audioquest cable was too tight a fit for my extension cord.

In contrast, the Audioquest Niagara 1000 comes highly recommended. Recommended to try, at least, because it simply did not make a difference in my headphone systems, while transforming my speaker system into something very enjoyable. Sadly, it is too bulky to hide from my wife, otherwise I would have placed an order with Todd right away. I'm also still mildly concerned about the polarity result tests, and would like to clarify them with Audioquest. Still, I keep wondering how I might be able to make it fit after all. I want that sound back, for good.

Many thanks to @Todd for this opportunity! I hesitated at first, expecting not being able to contribute much of value, but I'm very glad I signed up anyway.


Update

I contacted Krista Haughey, Audioquest's Regional Sales Manager for California, Nevada and Arizona, and got this response:
Click to expand...

Great review... newbie here! I’ll get to try the Niagara 1000 in the near future so look forward to sharing my impressions. I am curious, for those who own the Niagara, how warm does it get? Thanks.
 
May 21, 2019 at 2:07 PM Post #44 of 45
benpitt said:
I am curious, for those who own the Niagara, how warm does it get?
Click to expand...
It's a bit crammed in right now, but despite being on 24/7 and powering my DAC all the time as well, it actually felt cool to the touch where I could reach it. That metal surface appears to be an effective heat sink.
 
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