opinons on power conditioners and regenerators ?
Jan 14, 2018 at 4:10 PM Post #76 of 208
My computer has an uninterrupted power supply, which also regulates the voltage.
Just a quick not that what UPS vendors call "voltage regulation" is not that. They use multiple taps (voltages) out of the transformer and switch between them. If for example the voltage rises up to 130 volts, they may switch to a lower tap that brings it to 120. But if it goes to 125, nothing happens. So you don't get true regulation (i.e. fixed voltage) but rather, keeping the voltage within a smaller range than it would be otherwise.
 
Jan 14, 2018 at 6:23 PM Post #77 of 208
There are plenty of ways to improve sound quality that actually make a difference. Focus on those.

What else can I try? Enlighten me please.
 
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Jan 15, 2018 at 3:30 AM Post #78 of 208
Equalization. DSPs. Multichannel. Better transducers. All of those things will make a big improvement.

Oh and the big one... better recorded and mixed music.
 
Jan 15, 2018 at 10:03 AM Post #79 of 208
What else can I try? Enlighten me please.
I never understand why this is not always obvious. Long before any problem can be solved, first the problem must be defined.

Start by learning the various sources / reasons for noise. So many different types. Many sources are defined by color. Learn of the many 'colors' of noise (ie wikipedia.com). Then that better says why it exists. One must know the whys long before any solution can even be considered.

This applies to everything in life - not just audio.
 
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Jan 16, 2018 at 9:14 AM Post #80 of 208
Exactly West Tom, the first step is to localize the problem. It's easier to fix it at the source than to filter it at the hi-fi system.
Questions like:
a] Is it 24 by 7 by 12 months?
b] Is it different rooms in the home?
c] Is at a friend's home?
d] Do other hi-fi components, impact it?
e] Do appliances, high-tech lighting systems or HVAC impact it?
 
Feb 22, 2018 at 9:27 PM Post #82 of 208
A few years ago I found a used Monster noise sniffer on Ebay. You plug it into an AC outlet and will reveal line noise (if present) of varying intensity over its small speaker.

When I would hear noise on an AC outlet, I would plug in an AudioPrism Quietline. Surprisingly, the line noise vanished. Its a relatively cheap way to condition your AC line, bringing AC noise to a better level. I would plug in some Quietlines throughout your listening area. I have one also plugged in where my refrigerator is plugged in because of the noise it can generate into the line.

If interested look here: https://www.musicdirect.com/power/audioprism-quietline-filter-mk3-ea
https://www.musicdirect.com/power/audioprism-quietline-filter-mk3-ea
I now have an advanced dedicated AC conditioner for my system... I found a decent and noticeable improvement when using the Quietlines. The little guys help.
 
Feb 23, 2018 at 1:36 AM Post #83 of 208
Why do you need an external box to hear noise? Who's to say the box isn't introducing the noise? I don't want a "noise sniffer" thankyouverymuch.

amplify music, not noise
 
Feb 23, 2018 at 2:34 AM Post #84 of 208
Why do you need an external box to hear noise? Who's to say the box isn't introducing the noise? I don't want a "noise sniffer" thankyouverymuch.

amplify music, not noise

The noise heard with the sniffer is made to indicate AC line noise at an outlet. Not all outlest will cause noise.Some outlets are very noisy... AC line noise is what makes audio sound harsh... Its like Geiger counter makes noise to reveal radio activity. Put a Quietline in that noisy outlet and the Sniffer stops making noise because the AC noise has been filtered out.

I am not telling anyone they need to get a noise sniffer. I am saying that the noise sniffer let me know that the Quietlines really work in cutting down AC line noise. Line noise is why people buy expensive AC conditioners, making their audio sound better. I was using the Quietlines for quite some time before I ever tried a noise sniffer. I just saw a used one on Ebay one day cheap... so I picked it up. It was interesting to see the filters work in such a dramatic way.
 
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Feb 23, 2018 at 3:24 AM Post #85 of 208
If you can't hear noise without the box, why do you need the box?
 
Feb 23, 2018 at 12:18 PM Post #86 of 208
Line noise is why people buy expensive AC conditioners, making their audio sound better.
Really? First learn what happens inside electronics. Noisy AC is filtered by a required line filter. Then converted to DC. Then filtered again. Then converted to well over 300 volt radio frequency spikes. Now electricity is 'dirtiest'. What does a line conditioner do? Clean electricity that is already cleaned better inside. In short, it is hyped to the naive who have no idea what routinely happens inside electronics.

No problem. Superior filters, galvanic isolation, and regulators convert that 'dirtiest' power into rock stable, absolutely 'clean' DC voltages that must not vary by even 0.2 volts. But that means first learning how things work long before making any recommendation.

Anything that magic box might do is first completely undone. Then superior filters, et al turn that 'dirtiest' power into 'clean' power that electronics require.

Anything useful would clean those DC voltages - not waste time, money, and energy doing magic to AC voltages.

Unfortunately most do not know about that 'dirtiest' power or how all elecctronics work. So many are so easily scammed by half truths and myths. First indication of a lie - a recommendation without numbers. That (not science, experience, or quantitative reasoning) is why so many recommend expensive magic box solutions. Advertising (without numbers) easily convinces the naive it must be better because is it so expensive.

The informed measure cleanliness on DC voltages - clearly not AC voltages. The naive would not know how to do that.
 
Feb 23, 2018 at 12:40 PM Post #87 of 208
If you can't hear noise without the box, why do you need the box?

The noise you hear through a speaker is simply there as an indicator. It is not creating noise. Its like having VU meters on an amplifier. The VU meters do not cause the power level. They only indicate it.

The Sniffer produces noise only as an indicator so you can have a reference point to work with. You ever hold a radio too close to something causing interference with the signal? You hear noise. The radio is not producing noise. Its only revealing interference. Likewise.. the Noise Sniffer simply lets you know when noise on the line is high. Its not producing a set level of noise. It gets louder as more line noise is present, and will drop when a noise filter is introduced.

Some depend solely on their power supplies to provide the filtering. They assume its a one shot deal. But, I have heard the sound improve just the same. The more noise filtered out the better for the audio sound. An AC regenerator removes you from the grid to give you noiseless AC, but are very expensive and bulky.
 
Feb 23, 2018 at 12:42 PM Post #88 of 208
Really? First learn what happens inside electronics. Noisy AC is filtered by a required line filter. Then converted to DC. Then filtered again. Then converted to well over 300 volt radio frequency spikes. Now electricity is 'dirtiest'. What does a line conditioner do? Clean electricity that is already cleaned better inside. In short, it is hyped to the naive who have no idea what routinely happens inside electronics.

Please...... If you do not want to buy one. Fine.

I have first hand experience in fooling myself into learning the truth. I had been trying two different preamps. One power cord was running direct from the AC outlet. The other was running from my AC conditioner. In the process of flipping the cords back and forth I heard a sound improvement when I thought the preamp I was listening to was running direct from the outlet. Guess what? I had switched and it was really running from the AC conditioner. It was a round-about blind test that I fooled myself into learning the truth. For, I was getting ready to dump the AC conditioner thinking the direct AC outlet connection sounded better. But, it was really running from the AC conditioner.

For what its worth.
 
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Feb 23, 2018 at 12:49 PM Post #89 of 208
Please...... If you do not want to buy one. Fine.
Blatant and intentional misinformation has been exposed. If a recommendations had any credibility, then those recommendations were defined by numbers - especially specification numbers. Outright lies, myths, speculation and fables are promoted subjectively.

The challenge is quite simple. Post the specification numbers that justifies each recommendation. Or expect engineers. who have probably been doing this stuff before you were born, to blow the whistle.

Where are those always required numbers? Still not posted. A first indication that those recommendation only come from emotions; does not come from where honesty exists - specification numbers. Show me the numbers - with text that says why that number is relevant.
 
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Feb 23, 2018 at 12:58 PM Post #90 of 208
Blatant and intentional misinformation has been exposed. If the recommendations had any credibility, then those recommendations were defined by numbers - especially specification numbers. Outright lies, myths, speculation and fables are promoted subjectively.

The challenge is quite simple. Post the specification numbers that justify that recommendation. Or expect engineers. who have probably been doing this stuff before you were born, to blow the whistle.

Where are those always required numbers? Still not posted. A first indication that those recommendation only come from emotions; does not come from where honesty exists - specification numbers. Show me the numbers - will text that says why that number is relevant.

I remember having a phone conversation with the "audio engineer" Dick Sequerra. He told me how he regretted making a statement that turned out to be wrong which influenced Marantz... because it was a commonly held notion amongst engineers based upon not their ears, but the data they were working with.

Enjoy what you have. And, don't bother with external AC conditioning. I am not here to convince you. :)
 
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