[pctazhp]

So I'm thinking about ordering one of the new Emotive power conditioners. Price is right and little risk with their return privilege. Anyone think it's a waste of time?

 

[uncola]

Emotive or Emotiva? got a link? Furman Reference series power conditioners have a balanced ac isolation transformer built in but are pretty pricey

 

[pctazhp]

Emotive or Emotiva? got a link? Furman Reference series power conditioners have a balanced ac isolation transformer built in but are pretty pricey

Sorry. It's Emotiva https://emotiva.com/product-category/accessories/

 

[uncola]

that's just a power strip and a dc blocker, you won't notice any difference unless you have a vibrating toroid

 

[foreverzer0]

that's just a power strip and a dc blocker, you won't notice any difference unless you have a vibrating toroid

But it's stated "Precision Common Mode AC Line Filter & Power Distribution System":

• High-quality common mode and differential mode L-C noise filtering
• "free of high-frequency line noise"

 

[foreverzer0]

Even the SurgeX devices offer common mode and normal mode filtering: http://espei.com/catalog/pdfs/product-sheets/ESP-SurgeX-Product-Line-STANDALONE.pdf

 

[uncola]

That's the same thing $2 power strips offer, literally a 10 cent cap and resistor. There are high quality noise filters such as the pi audio group products but they cost more

 

[zilch0md]

But it's stated "Precision Common Mode AC Line Filter & Power Distribution System":

• High-quality common mode and differential mode L-C noise filtering
• "free of high-frequency line noise"

My Tripp-Lite is500 is a big, heavy isolation transformer that does common-mode noise reduction, but nowhere near as well as the Topaz 0.0005 pF transformer. In other words, the Emotiva blurb is most likely exaggerating when they say "free of high-frequency line noise."

I would nevertheless encourage you to order the CMX-2 and see (hear) for yourself if it makes any improvements for your system, in your home. Listen for any lowering of the noise floor, expansion of soundstage, improved separation and detail in the treble signals, etc.

Reading reviews I've found, the happiest customers are those who had an acoustically humming transformer in one of their components (when putting an ear next to the chassis.). This is evidence of DC offset and, apparently, the CMX-2 does a good job of fixing that, but it does have a small isolation transformer inside (for some amount of common-mode noise reduction, no doubt greater in the lower frequencies than the higher frequencies) and it has an L-C filter (y-caps at the input and x-caps at the output) for some amount of normal-mode noise reduction.

Here's the thing: When it comes to noise reduction, you often don't even know you had a problem until you fix it. Then, your're blown away when you realize what you've been suffering, all along. So, my advice is to just order the CMX-2 and give it a good listen. You may be pleasantly surprised or you may find that your AC power didn't need any noise reduction - at least not that your gear and your ears can detect. When it comes to power conditioning, no two people are likely to have the exact same results using a given solution, unless they have the same gear, plugged in the same way, in the same building.

 

[pctazhp]

I have the feeling I'm trying to fix a problem that doesn't exist for me, or at least that I'm not aware of. But I'll give the CMX-2 a shot.

 

[uncola]

a used surgex sx1115 on ebay might be good too.. they are $699 new but I see the used for $150 or less sometimes

 

[foreverzer0]

Thanks for the clarification guys! So you think surgeX might be done better? I recall Bob Katz uses it in his mastering studio.

On that note, are the monster power centers also just snake oil or actually help in this regard too?

 

[zilch0md]

I'm completely open-minded about "the monster power centers." I haven't tested any of them, but I wouldn't be surprised to discover that some of them do what they claim to do. If I don't have the time, money or inclination to test everything that's available, I experiment within my budget, but even then, I listen to people I trust - like John Swenson (of Uptone Audio). Nearly all of his recently released designs have been products that address some aspect of noise reduction, so if he's OK with a big Topaz isolation transformer in his home system, I feel I can safely assume there's not much to gain by replacing it with a "monster power center," but again, I wouldn't be surprised to find that one of those expensive solutions does a better job.

(In short: I don't know.)

 

[Leo-]

Thanks OP for all the very good information here. I'm thinking about an isolation transformer as a future upgrade. Just yesterday I found this transformer from Rowen. I *believe* it is an isolator transformer but I am not 100% sure of what is inside.

http://www.rowen.ch/en/data/rowen_pt2000.php

 

[foreverzer0]

These days I try to take all these things with a grain of salt; I actually didn't find the new IsoRegen to make a difference for me besides the usb drop-out every time I suspend my computer.

 

[Leo-]

These days I try to take all these things with a grain of salt; I actually didn't find the new IsoRegen to make a difference for me besides the usb drop-out every time I suspend my computer.

What's your setup? Depending on which clocks you have and how they sync, the IsoRegen won't do anything for you. Have you thought of it before buying one?