[Fairbanks]

Hey guys everything starts at the wall.I bought the Furutech FP15a(cu)N1 outlet and WOW it's like a major component upgrade.More bass presence with a much lager sound stage.I have my power conditioners standrd power cord plug into it.It has around 200 hours on it and it sounds awsome and I'm told it needs 400 hours of break in to fully mature.The difference is quite obvious so there's no mistaking this kind of upgrade.

 

[vcoheda]

not bad for $50 or so.

 

[chesebert]

sweet. I will see if I have sometime to upgrade the plug. I do have a hospital grade outlet. but I guess it never hurts to upgrade

 

[vcoheda]

there's a bunch of good power conditioner reviews at this site. some units reviewed are made by BPT, Equitech, ExactPower, PS Audio, and others.

http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/maste...ditioners.html

 

[Dan Millheim]

Quote:

It's not that it doesn't have a lot of bells and whistles, it's that on face value it looks like your average line filter with their trademark cables, which they're asking an enormous price for, and we know where those discussions tend to head (Grado RA1 hello!). I'm still trying to figure out exactly what that box is. It doesn't look like a custom job since the cables coming from it just stick out like a sore thumb amongst all the nordst custom cables.

Chu, the "Box" in the lower left of the Thor looks to be a Quantum Filter. The size is around a Symphony Pro. I have one and it looks just like this. Several high end power conditioning companies are licensing their technology. The unit can be bought on Audiogon for around $375 and is a wonderful tweak. Perhaps one could get by with a lesser conditioner and simply add the Quantum Pro?

http://quantumqrt.com/symphpro.htm

 

[reorx]

Hope you guys dont view this as a thread crap. I have no idea what this Nordost Thor is, much less does, but I was sucked in by this thread. Ive always been impressed and awed by the high-end potion of this "hobby", pieces of equpiment I will probably never experience, much less own. The Orpheuses and the R10s and the Valhallas and the Meridians and now this, the Thor.

Ill admit I have no idea what it does, but dang do I want to try it hehe. Im also just glad that the good name of my favorite god of thunder is not being used in vain

 

[infinitesymphony]

Quote:

Originally Posted by reorx /img/forum/go_quote.gif Ill admit I have no idea what it does, but dang do I want to try it hehe.

It's a power conditioner and an isolation transformer, and there are plenty of less expensive ones to get you started.

Basically, it cleans up and buffers the power while isolating components from each other and from the rest of your house/community/etc.

 

[chesebert]

Quote:

Originally Posted by infinitesymphony /img/forum/go_quote.gif It's a power conditioner and an isolation transformer, and there are plenty of less expensive ones to get you started. Basically, it cleans up and buffers the power while isolating components from each other and from the rest of your house/community/etc.

I would personally go dedicated (AC line) before spending any money on power conditioners; You should see the AC graph when there are common house hold electronics on that same line....yeah..pretty nasty

 

[infinitesymphony]

Quote:

Originally Posted by chesebert /img/forum/go_quote.gif I would personally go dedicated (AC line) before spending any money on power conditioners; You should see the AC graph when there are common house hold electronics on that same line....yeah..pretty nasty

I believe it... There's hardly anything plugged in on my audio circuit and my lamp still dims when I turn on the receiver. I know a guy whose whole house is on the same circuit, though. Whenever the air conditioner kicks in, there's a huge power sag.

Still, if you live in an area where you can't change the power configuration (apartment, condominium, rental), or a country where the power is especially unreliable, even cheap power conditioners can sound better than the wall.

 

[tourmaline]

Quote:

Originally Posted by chesebert /img/forum/go_quote.gif I would personally go dedicated (AC line) before spending any money on power conditioners; You should see the AC graph when there are common house hold electronics on that same line....yeah..pretty nasty

I would do it as follows;

powersection of the amp first, dedicated line. I don't think after you've done this you need any powerfilter anymore. Biggest improvement gives modding the powersections of your amp for clean and stable power, then a dedicated clean line.

 

[jp11801]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tourmaline /img/forum/go_quote.gif I would do it as follows; powersection of the amp first, dedicated line. I don't think after you've done this you need any powerfilter anymore. Biggest improvement gives modding the powersections of your amp for clean and stable power, then a dedicated clean line.

X2 better amp power supplies less need for power conditioning crutch that can sap dynamics

I am in no position to speak about the thor as I have not heard it but most power conditioners I have heard are not as good as a well designed amp power section plugged into the wall

 

[Tommy B]

Any decent amp will clean up the power signal way better than this crap. On the inside its little more than some plain jane parts, and a design that is very little different than what is seen in a host of sub $500 pc's and other cheap electronic components. That is reality! Anyone who claims this thing is making some radical improvement in their sound is either paid by Nordost or is simply a goofball living a delusional fantasy with buyer placebo effect. Heck, looking at the inside the sockets are ALL connected through the SAME cheap PCB, so explain how this thing isolates each component from each other with that design????? The switch mode power supply in this thing is about a $7 item. Once again nordost has marketed some wildly overpriced product that based upon its ACTUAL internals and design will do nothing to improve sound, but will conversely likely degrade it by adding additional unneeded connections and the accompanying additional noise to ones system. Snake oil is alive and well in the modern day.

 

[tool462]

Quote:

Any decent amp will clean up the power signal way better than this crap. On the inside its little more than some plain jane parts, and a design that is very little different than what is seen in a host of sub $500 pc's and other cheap electronic components. That is reality! Anyone who claims this thing is making some radical improvement in their sound is either paid by Nordost or is simply a goofball living a delusional fantasy with buyer placebo effect. Heck, looking at the inside the sockets are ALL connected through the SAME cheap PCB, so explain how this thing isolates each component from each other with that design????? The switch mode power supply in this thing is about a $7 item. Once again nordost has marketed some wildly overpriced product that based upon its ACTUAL internals and design will do nothing to improve sound, but will conversely likely degrade it by adding additional unneeded connections and the accompanying additional noise to ones system. Snake oil is alive and well in the modern day.

 
 
This particular snake oil was aged at least 5 years and 4 days 

 
Thread necromancy is strong today.