[bearFNF]

Cool. Was just looking at that and their other stuff last night. But decided to keep my APC instead.

 

[DigitalFreak]

I put a down payment on it an ill be picking mine up in a months time.

 

[Armaegis]

Interesting... I was looking at one of these a while ago: http://tiptopelectronics.com/home.asp?ProdDetail=LC1200
 
But right now I've just got an APC surge bar from costco.

 

[bearFNF]

Mine is one of these:
http://www.apc.com/products/family/index.cfm?id=310
Either the H or J 15BLK. Have thought about getting the 'S' soon.

 

[Viper2005]

I use a Furman AC215A for my main Rag/Ygg stack.  System is isolated from other components.
 
http://www.furmansound.com/product.php?div=02&id=AC-215A
 

 

[DigitalFreak]

I was looking at Furman. They seem to have quite a reputation.. In your opinion, does a good power conditioner make a difference?

 

[Armaegis]

While Canada tends to have really stable power that doesn't suffer from brownouts or over/under voltages, homes are still subject to the usual dirty power from appliances leaking currents back into ground or even the main lines. A fridge or dryer or oven/stove can sometimes be heard. Dimmer switches are a really nasty culprit, as are fluorescent lights. LED lights are even worse.
 
I did an experiment one time with my headphones on and no music playing through my busted monoblocks, then sliding the living room dimmer up and down. I could actually hear the noise change with the slider. Granted, the noise was accentuated because the monoblock power section was borked and not doing its job, but still it served to illustrate the problem.
 
As for power conditioners... well, first I'd aim to eliminate the noises in the house first. Always better to minimize the problems rather than trying to mask it. Beyond that, I think just basic filters should be sufficient for most people. The big regenerators are overkill for us since we have stable power. If I were to spend bigger money on something, it'd be with a big honkin' transformer for proper isolation and natural attenuation of EMI. 

 

[DigitalFreak]

Yeah well, I've been having problems with hiss in my system the last few months. It's been slowly getting worse. The upgraded cables helped a lot to minimize it. I'm hoping the conditioner further fixes the problem.

 

[Viper2005]

Had to switch off the rig today. Crazy weather is making power go wonky..

 

[Armaegis]

Yeah well, I've been having problems with hiss in my system the last few months. It's been slowly getting worse. The upgraded cables helped a lot to minimize it. I'm hoping the conditioner further fixes the problem.

 
What kind of hiss? like a white noise, or a humming?

 

[DigitalFreak]

White noise. If I move my gear to other rooms it's not there. When I bring it back to my bedroom it's there. I'm guessing something in my laptop bookshelf is causing it but can't seem to peg down what it is. Once I started using better cables though the white noise was nearly gone though. Rather weird if u ask me.

 

[Armaegis]

What if you use a different plug in your bedroom? Are there any other electrical devices nearby? What kind of lightbulbs (or dimmers?) are in the room?

 

[DigitalFreak]

  What if you use a different plug in your bedroom? Are there any other electrical devices nearby? What kind of lightbulbs (or dimmers?) are in the room?

Tried the different plug idea as well as different power strips. It didn't help. The bulbs are standard 5 25 watt bulbs on a chandalier that have been here longer then my gear. My dimmer switch has been in my room ever since my family moved into the house over 30 years ago and I doubt its the culprit. I think is a piece of gear or maybe even a collection of gear on my laptop bookshelf that's causing the hiss. The problem is I can't seem to figure out exactly which one it is. I've unplugged and removed various stuff to no avail. I've even noticed my laptop will display a weird hiss sometimes. The craziest thing about all this is the hiss first started a few days after I reformatted my laptop. If its the laptop why would it suddenly cause all the hiss after a fresh reformat and why wasn't it a problem before the reformat? I've even tried reinstalling some sound drivers and still I'm getting hiss. The new cables have reduced the hiss by, I don't know, maybe 75% of what it was. I now have to stop and listen closely to hear it. 
 
EDIT
I forgot to mention, I ordered a pair of MAP2 power cables for my WA6 and my future Carbon a few weeks ago. They should be in my hands this Tuesday. When i had the Carbon amp in for review it was the only piece of gear that had no hiss. Pretty weird problem, isn't it? Here's hoping the MAP2 power cables completely fix the remaining hiss I'm hearing.

 

[Armaegis]

It could just be that the Carbon has a better filter in its power supply.
 
I still wouldn't dismiss the dimmer since they can wear out over time. Do you still get noise if the lights are simply turned off?
 
What if you use a source other than your laptop connected to your amps? (say one of your daps)

 

[DigitalFreak]

DAPs worked fine with no hiss. I listen to my music mostly in the evening after work. My dimmer is off and the only light I use is a lamp that's on the other side of the room. I've tried removing the lamp from the room and I still get the same problem.

Anyone one else in here depressed we have snow outside?