[el_matt0]

hey, sorry if there are other obvious threads on this, i tried searching but couldnt turn up exactly what i wanted. anyways, basically im getting to the point where im feeling like my audio rig is fairly "substantial". i have a 4 channel b22, i plan to pick up a CA azur 840c CDP, i run a couple of tube amps and dacs, etc. at this point, i dont believe ANY of my gear has inline power filters or anything. if im looking to get a decent footing on some good "power conditioning" for my equipment, so i need some suggestions, as ive never ventured into this territory before. kinda wanna see what the differences are etc etc.

price? I'm probably looking to spend somewhere between $200-500 depending - flexible. im not TOO picky, but if anyone knows of any good units that are black and can be put/displayed on a shelf along with the rest of my audio crud, that would be good to go with the rest of my equipment. im slightly less inclined towards a big bulky unit that sits behind like a power bar, although i can probably work around it if they are much better or cheaper.

 

[spacemanspliff]

PS Audio Quartet? Duet? oh and the Tripp-Lite LC-1200 and it's brethren has been recommended to me by Ori.

 

[el_matt0]

is something like the furman elite 15i only for home theatres as stated...or is a power conditioner a power conditioner for the most part...?
Furman - Elite 15 - i - Power Conditioner-Audio Advisor
im a bit confused as to what the switching mechanism on the front left does though, why would you ever not want it in linear mode...or is this elite 15 only intended for home theater and for audio gear the furman part i'd need would be the more expensive elite 15PFi which is stated to be for amps. anything a bit cheaper? the PS audio stuff ive looked into, but ive theres something thats a bit more aesthetic and could be placed on a shelf with my gear, id slightly prefer it. their top offering the power station or w/e looks nice but im SURE its way the heck out of my budget lol.
Furman - Elite 15PF - i - Power Conditioner-Audio Advisor

 

[Sovkiller]

The power conditioning only works if you need it, I mean if the line really needs it, but also there are lots of way of dealing with those problems in the PSUs, IMO if you detect that you need it, there is room for improvements in other areas as well, as better PSUs...you do not need a power conditioner, you want to have one that is different...

 

[el_matt0]

hmm yea..i realize that definitely. and ive thought about it too. to be totally honest with you, i dont think i have enough experience to know what exactly the symtoms of dirty or bad power in my lines WOULD be, so im kind of hoping to be able to give some power conditioning a try and see if theres any noticeable difference kind of thing. i just know some people reportedly try and notice huge differences in their setups, so...u never know right?

 

[Sovkiller]

Quote:

Originally Posted by el_matt0 /img/forum/go_quote.gif hmm yea..i realize that definitely. and ive thought about it too. to be totally honest with you, i dont think i have enough experience to know what exactly the symtoms of dirty or bad power in my lines WOULD be, so im kind of hoping to be able to give some power conditioning a try and see if theres any noticeable difference kind of thing. i just know some people reportedly try and notice huge differences in their setups, so...u never know right?

You can read all sorts of things on the net, and specially in audio, some may be true, some may be taken with a grain of salt, being an skeptic has its advantages, at least you do not spend too much money trying to find out the truth, as most fo the times you will wait for the evidence before going any further...and sometimes even with the evidence, that doesn't mean that for you, in your setup, and with your ears, you will notice the difference...

My suggestion is, keep on upgrading and specially buying music, and stop worring about problems that you may or not have, or wait at least till you are 100% sure that you have them, and that this will be the real solution to them...

 

[Uncle Erik]

You can make a line filter for $10-$20. Go to Mouser, run a search for "rf filter" and order one you like. You can get a hospital grade filter for $9. Put it in an enclosure with an IEC jack on either side and that's all you need. You could probably order hospital grade jacks and a foot of the wire of your choice and keep it under $50.

I'd put the rest into a new source. You could get a terrific CDP with the leftover cash, or maybe a turntable. That'd cover a used Rega Planar 3/P3 or a Technics 1200 or several other good decks. Or maybe you could get the HD-650s you want.

I've got a few line filters, etc. I like having them, but the benefits aren't in the same league as owning a turntable or even the HD-650. I could get along without the filters. If you stick your nose into a book on power supply design, you'll see that they're engineered to remove line noise and rectify imperfect power. The people who design the equipment know that power isn't perfect and design equipment to handle that. Power doesn't just come out of the wall and directly into the circuit. It passes through a transformer, diodes, sometimes tubes, sometimes chokes, capacitors, a resistor or two, and then it gets turned into DC.

You might want to call the manufacturer of your equipment and ask if external power filtration is necessary with their power supply design. No one knows your gear better than the people who designed it, and it would be wise to call or e-mail them before you spend a lot of money on power conditioning, cables, etc.

 

[el_matt0]

@ uncle erik. thanks for the tips, maybe ill shoot AMB a PM or something to see what he thinks about the need for external line filters with the beta 22 and sigma 22s. in terms of source, im kind of in an inbetween phase of swapping sources, im looking to pickup a good quality cd player, not quite sure which one yet though. i had the 840c in my system for awhile and liked it so i think i might go back to that if no better ideas come up.

 

[vcoheda]

if you're mainly interested in protection try this. it's what i use.

Item # PW8R15AUD, 15 Amp, 8 Isolated Receptacle Point of Use Unit for Audio Use on Brick Wall

 

[johnsonad]

I agree with the guys here but I didn't know I needed a good filter until I tried it

I currently use one built by Matt at SACDmods which would fit into your budget and has a 30 day return policy. Here is a link : SACDmods.com--SAPC-2 Super Audio Power Center. This thing is amazing and made a huge improvement that was noticable from the first time I pluged my equipment into it. I'm adding a little something extra this week with a PS Audio Premier Power Plant in addition to the filter from SACDmods. There are better things to spend money on but after the change in my system with the filter I became a believer in power filters.

 

[el_matt0]

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnsonad /img/forum/go_quote.gif I agree with the guys here but I didn't know I needed a good filter until I tried it I currently use one built by Matt at SACDmods which would fit into your budget and has a 30 day return policy. Here is a link : SACDmods.com--SAPC-2 Super Audio Power Center. This thing is amazing and made a huge improvement that was noticable from the first time I pluged my equipment into it. I'm adding a little something extra this week with a PS Audio Premier Power Plant in addition to the filter from SACDmods. There are better things to spend money on but after the change in my system with the filter I became a believer in power filters.

hehehe not the most aesthetic piece of equipment ever, but hey if it works it works right! now one can ONLY assume that the beautiful aesthetics of the power plant premier from PS audio is at least a MINOR factor in your purchase...

 

[Sovkiller]

Quote:

Originally Posted by el_matt0 /img/forum/go_quote.gif hehehe not the most aesthetic piece of equipment ever, but hey if it works it works right! now one can ONLY assume that the beautiful aesthetics of the power plant premier from PS audio is at least a MINOR factor in your purchase...

There is no excuse at all to offer to the customers a product is such primitive DIY hand made case, even less for that price, $249.00 yeak!!!!...Simply insane, everybody spend money the way they feel is right but this is the kind of products that will never cross my way...simply horrible!!!!

I would like to see what they really offer new inside after all the research they claim???

 

[2deadeyes]

There's a sale on B-stock Audience arp1 units over @ Tweekgeek:

Audience AR1P

 

[el_matt0]

yea i hate to say it but i really have to agree with sovkiller. why are they putting out that piece of crap looking thing- i dont care if its a technological miracle inside, could they not have spent the extra 4 dollars for at least a REMOTELY OK looking hammond case or something? I mean, that kind of enclosure is the stuff u use for heavy duty outdoor electronics, id use it as a power filter for like, my outdoor fountain in the backyard maybe lol, not for on my audio flexy rack with the rest of my thousands of equipment.

 

[UseName]

Instead of going out to buy and expensive power conditioner, take a bit of time to learn about how AC to DC converters work. Unless you live in an area with truly attrocious AC power, you will most likely save money by not buying one.