[Armaegis]

Before you guys go dropping mucho moolah on power conditioners, determine what (if any) the power issue is, if you *really* need that type of device in your chain, or if it would be better to try and track down to eliminate/minimize the issue in the first place.
 
I've had good luck with Furman units. Granted I have one of the fairly large beefy units, but I also have the small AC215a which worked wonderfully at reducing audible hash in the power lines.
 
If you don't have any real issues with power, then just get yourself a really nice surge protector and call it a day. Brickwall has already been mentioned. Zerosurge is another one. SurgeX is probably the easiest one to find on the market.
 
If you have a lot of power sags (like brownouts) or overvoltage happening, then a voltage regulator like one of the Furman AR family will do you better.

 

[john777]

Shunyata Hydra 8. Thats for my HIFI system. I am not using it for the moon 430 as it is a fairly expensive conditioner. Not sure if it is worth just plugging 1 component in there. 

If your 430 is close enough, of course it is worth plugging it into your Hydra 8... I have a PS Audio P10 supplying all my equipment.

 

[kank]

If your 430 is close enough, of course it is worth plugging it into your Hydra 8... I have a PS Audio P10 supplying all my equipment.

Of course if you have the opportunity to use it via the conditioner, then you should always plug it in. Unfortunately, my head fi setup is in another room.  
 
The PS Audio P10 is sweet, too bad they dont sell them in Australia with US plugs. All my power cables are US plugs.

 

[john777]

Of course if you have the opportunity to use it via the conditioner, then you should always plug it in. Unfortunately, my head fi setup is in another room.  

The PS Audio P10 is sweet, too bad they dont sell them in Australia with US plugs. All my power cables are US plugs.

Maybe the Australian distributor doesn't think it worth importing the US outlet version. In the U.K., I could have bought UK, US or Euro versions from the same dealer.

 

[Sonic Guild]

  Before you guys go dropping mucho moolah on power conditioners, determine what (if any) the power issue is, if you *really* need that type of device in your chain, or if it would be better to try and track down to eliminate/minimize the issue in the first place.
 
I've had good luck with Furman units. Granted I have one of the fairly large beefy units, but I also have the small AC215a which worked wonderfully at reducing audible hash in the power lines.
 
If you don't have any real issues with power, then just get yourself a really nice surge protector and call it a day. Brickwall has already been mentioned. Zerosurge is another one. SurgeX is probably the easiest one to find on the market.
 
If you have a lot of power sags (like brownouts) or overvoltage happening, then a voltage regulator like one of the Furman AR family will do you better.

Here is my story and tell me if I need a conditioner:
In my city we get 2 drop outs every year and thats it, I already have a surge protector. So no worries, I assume!
 
My goal behind getting conditioner is sound improvement ONLY.
Before getting the Moon I used to have Burson's Amp/DAC (which I don't like at all, poor dynamics, poor shielding, hiss noise), with the Burson I used to hear radio signal in my headphones! Specially with sensitive headphones.
BUT this issue was solved with the Moon ! I have no idea how 

 
It is true that I don't hear the radio anymore with the Moon, but I just want to make sure that the noise is not carried at all to my Moon. Hopefully the quality will improve even more. I am chasing the last 5% of sonic quality 

 

 

[Mediahound]

You have to be careful with power conditioners. Some of them have too many filters and crap that can actually make your sound worse. Good power and protection with less in the way is best. 

 

[Armaegis]

@Sonic Guild
 
While there is some legitimate concerns about power conditioners affecting current and negatively impacting sound, this has more to do with speaker amps pushing heavy loads. In a headphone amp this is really not a concern unless you are doing something ridiculous. 
 
That all said, I would say for where you're at that going nuts on conditioning is not really going to offer much benefit. Maybe get a cheap SurgeX off ebay for peace of mind, but beyond that unless you go into silly territory with full out regenerators I don't think you'll find any benefit.
 
If the dropouts were happening more frequently, I'd suggest maybe something with a regulator... but if it's only happening twice a year, don't worry about it.

 

[theorist]

  @Sonic Guild
 
While there is some legitimate concerns about power conditioners affecting current and negatively impacting sound, this has more to do with speaker amps pushing heavy loads. In a headphone amp this is really not a concern unless you are doing something ridiculous. 
 
That all said, I would say for where you're at that going nuts on conditioning is not really going to offer much benefit. Maybe get a cheap SurgeX off ebay for peace of mind, but beyond that unless you go into silly territory with full out regenerators I don't think you'll find any benefit.
 
If the dropouts were happening more frequently, I'd suggest maybe something with a regulator... but if it's only happening twice a year, don't worry about it.

 
I agree, unless you need sufficient power to drive a LCD-4 or an old HE-6, etc  -- hence the need for a 430HA (8W at 50 ohm is roughly equivalent output to about 130w at 3 ohm)!
 
Furthermore, for a lot less cost than 'silly territory' you can use well designed audio powercords (hopefully attached to a good low resistant ground), which themselves  should help to filter your electrical  supply to your components so as to remove much of the EMF and RFI noise and wave form distortion being conducted on the electrical supply from outside your home, especially from inside it (particurly generated by  switching power supplies in wall-warts, florescent light ballasts, electronic motors (fridge) and the like) and importantly being generated by the power supply rectifiers in each of your audio components (which can cross-contaminate each of your other audio components).

 

[Sonic Guild]

   
I agree, unless you need sufficient power to drive a LCD-4 or an old HE-6, etc  -- hence the need for a 430HA (8W at 50 ohm is roughly equivalent output to about 130w at 3 ohm)!
 
Furthermore, for a lot less cost than 'silly territory' you can use well designed audio powercords (hopefully attached to a good low resistant ground), which themselves  should help to filter your electrical  supply to your components so as to remove much of the EMF and RFI noise and wave form distortion being conducted on the electrical supply from outside your home, especially from inside it (particurly generated by  switching power supplies in wall-warts, florescent light ballasts, electronic motors (fridge) and the like) and importantly being generated by the power supply rectifiers in each of your audio components (which can cross-contaminate each of your other audio components).

Would you recommend coming like the following instead of power conditioner:
Wall ===>Cheap Monster surge protector $50===>audiophile power cord (***please recommend a cable***)===>Moon Neo

 

[Armaegis]

I don't want to get into the cable debate, but you can't knock on power conditioners being silly territory and mention audiophile power cords in the same sentence.
 
Wire geometry will never filter, it will only aid in rejecting external noise assuming the receiving end has a differential input.
Passive filters will only ever reduce noise by division. This may come at the cost of altered impedance and current flow.
Active filters may reduce noise by decimating the old and creating a new supply (among other methods), but carry many more complex caveats.
 
Before you go spending money on power conditioners or cords, spend it on music and wine instead. Both of those will offer far greater enjoyment for your dollar.

 

[Sonic Guild]

  I don't want to get into the cable debate, but you can't knock on power conditioners being silly territory and mention audiophile power cords in the same sentence.
 
Wire geometry will never filter, it will only aid in rejecting external noise assuming the receiving end has a differential input.
Passive filters will only ever reduce noise by division. This may come at the cost of altered impedance and current flow.
Active filters may reduce noise by decimating the old and creating a new supply (among other methods), but carry many more complex caveats.
 
Before you go spending money on power conditioners or cords, spend it on music and wine instead. Both of those will offer far greater enjoyment for your dollar.

What about USB cables? What is your take on them?

 

[theorist]

 
Would you recommend coming like the following instead of power conditioner:
Wall ===>Cheap Monster surge protector $50===>audiophile power cord (***please recommend a cable***)===>Moon Neo

I had a Monster surge protector distributor in my system prior to going to a Nordost DB4 distributor, but living in New Zealand with 230 volts and different plugs it would likely be a different model. Anyhow, a year or so ago the grid went out in an adjoining neighbourhood to mine with a resulting surge in my power supply sufficient to turn by DAC and music server completely off (luckily without damage, just needing a turn-back-on), but the Monster protector did not trip. Conversely, several years ago my house had a lightning strike and all the electroncs were fried and I doubt that any surge protection would have helped. So not that sure about its actual worth, apart from being a power strip with pretty good sockets.
 
In regards to power cord, I would suggest a Nordost Heidall 2, but if not silly money, not cheap. I have not tried any of their less expensive Lief power cords, but they have the same design principles in them. Some years ago I found MIT power cords worked well and someone said on this tread a week or so ago that they found an inexpensive MIT cord doing a good job for their 430HA.

 

[Armaegis]

 
What about USB cables? What is your take on them?

 
Keep them short, keep them flexible, get something from a reliable name that's to spec. I really dislike the fancy ones with all the shielding and sleeving because they become so stiff and wind up putting a lot of stress on the usb jacks themselves.

 

[JohnnyCakes]

   
You just want something without MOV's (look up what they are, they can affect sound negatively). I have what @Jude has, a Brickwall audio unit. Sounds great, not super expensive: http://www.brickwall.com/collections/surge-protectors-home-theater-hdtv/products/eight-outlet-audio-surge-protector

went ahead and got the Brickwall 2-outlet power surge protector for a great price, $204.  
 
this makes a lot more sense than the Panamax bc that thing was 11 outlets huge and i only have two things to plug in, my Moon and my MacBook.  
 
thanks again Mediahound.  

 

[Armaegis]

A nice compact unit if you only need two plugs is the Furman AC215a.