[marone]

I highly recommend getting a large UPS backup with surge protection.

Mine 650 VA 360 watts.

Surge Protection is just an isolation transformer plugged to the mains.

Backup is a Lithium battery that lasts a few hours for laptop etc.

The main improvement seems to be the isolation transformer.

Running the DAC & headfi amp off the battery alone doesn't add much but the surge protected outlets (running off transformer secondary) do.
Big increase in bass slam and clarity, drop in "electronic hash", and speaker amplifier runs much cooler.

This could be due to mains being cleaned of noise and the heavy lifting is done by the UPS leaving the amp ps with less work and thus less radiated heat.

An $80 80 EUR upgrade that makes your system sound more 'audiophile'.

Plugging speaker amplifier into mains the drop in SQ is immediate.

Playing DAC & headfi ampfi alone into headphones also sounds great when plugged into UPS with speaker amp off. Noticeable SQ improvement.

Current speaker amp is only 15 watts so this might not work with your 1000watt monoblocks.

Definitely will work with any DAC headfi amp combo.

It just sounds much better.

 

[msing539]

I have a UPS and it injects so much noise into my system that I have to put a power conditioner after it, both on the backup outlets and surge only.

Ideally, I would run the conditioner right into the wall but I have frequent brown/black outs, and I'd prefer not to have the gear turn off and on repeatedly.

 

[marone]

Just the opposite for me.
Cleans up the sound immensely.

Clearly the major benefit in SQ with big $$$$ amplifiers is the outstanding power supply and filter caps and transformer that block this mains sludge to the circuitry.

 

[dougms3]

Just the opposite for me.
Cleans up the sound immensely.

Clearly the major benefit in SQ with big $$$$ amplifiers is the outstanding power supply and filter caps and transformer that block this mains sludge to the circuitry.

It may depend on the UPC thats used. Some may have powerfiltering along with other functions.

You should try out a power line conditioner.

They're pricey but they make a huge difference.

 

[marone]

I have in the past. Adcom ACE 515 worked a treat with my Krell and Creek and Denon 3520.

A TICE iso transformer ca 1990 would be the best, hard to come by.
Actual 117v power signal regeneration the ideal.

UPS just has a transformer and DC to AC converter running off a battery.

Battery alone, unplugged from outlet,
doesn't sound good on the speaker amp (switching hum/buzz), sounds ever so slightly better on DAC and headfi amp.

Biggest benefit is mains isolation and isolation of speaker amps from cd>DAC.

I have 2.
Speaker amp plugged into 1 to separate outlet and cd & dac into another at another outlet.

Obvious SQ benefits.

$200 for 2 at hardware store in surge protector section.

Far cheaper than a $2k amp upgrade.

 

[marone]

Update:
CD transport into 1
DAC into another
Headfi amp into a 3rd

Huge increase in bg small detail

Music sounds "more like itself".
Intention of producer and engineer is clear. Amp bg noise and hum from guitar amp is clear and each mix channel distinct and obvious with various affects intended clearly audible.

Most recordings are pre-1997.

Cans still the same. Nothing new nor even mid-range. Presonus HD7 and HyperX Cloud ii

SQ improvement is obvious.

Likely improves power supply performance on cheaper units as AC is cleaned up and unit does less work to stabise the rails.

For 300€ the best bargain to step into low end audiophile sound.

UPS or iso transformers for each piece.

 

[tomb]

You'd do better with a nice DAC instead of a CD transport. It would allow higher-res files, too. JMHO ...