My engine( Mercedes) requires high octane, so says the manufacturer.
I will not switch to regular just to save a few bucks at the pump,it could be more costly in the long run with engine repairs.
Rower you can disagree with me ,but I will also not compromise the sound of my system with low octane cables or power cordsjust to save a couple of bucks.
In both cases performance suffers.
I've spent countless hours making DIY cables and power cords and in the end,I've always preferred the ones I bought(Shunyata in my case, but there are others as good or better)to what I've made or the ones that came in the box.
You may love the way the Belden works with your system, but it and Mogami and Canare just didn't work for me.
So far Furutech wire has shown merits in a DIY power cord.
And for me on my system, it's very easy to hear the differeces between power cords, even when used on the SME TT.
Each power cord that I used placed it's own sonic signature on the lps that I played.
Some cables gave more bass weight but less midrange purity,while another power cord did the opposite.
If there is one thing that I've found out, it's that you should never trust the power supply of any piece of audio gear.They've all been compromised to a price point.
Try a HiFI Supreme fuse(unfortunately you most likely dismiis them)on any of you components and notice what it does.
No matter how good or bad your power supply is, the sound can be compromised if you skimp on addressing the power going into that supply.
It's been said many times, garbage in, garbage out.
But you have to be able to recognize garbage, not just accept it as the status quo.
Saddly that's what most folks do.
They place their gear on an altar and worship it as if it came from the audio gods, thinking that nothing can improve upon it's perfection.
Some would argue that if a component sounds better with an expensive power cord, dedicated line, fuse etc, then it was flawed or not well designed.
I would say that those folks who refuse to address power issues have never heard how good their systems really can sound.
Getting back to cars and gasoline,I can't remember reading any of the racing pros back in my youth,using low octane gasoline.
In truth,I always felt they mixed up the equivalent of jet fuel.
But I don't have experience in that field, so it's just speculation.
But I do have experience and it's ongoing(new Furutech GTX D G receptacle on the way).
And what that experience has taught me is that nothing will change when you change nothing.
Something always changes when you change something.
Everything has an effect on your sound.It never sounds the same after you've played around with stands, wires, room conditioning, power conditioning.
The mission is to find what is an improvement.You need to move forward and not backwards.
You shouldn't sacrifice one area of your sound (clarity) for the sake of more bass.
The change has to be positive across the board.
But of course this is all moot to those who feel their system is as good as it gets and can't be improved.
Personally, I've never known of the existance of such a system.
I certainly know I've never heard one. |
I can speak from experience about the effects of the quality of the power on the performance of your gear.
Back in the late 1990's I moved into a brand new home, but in an older subdivision.
I had Quad 63 and Meitner mono block power amps.
During my first summer my amps shut down.
I sent them to Ed,he fixed them, sent them back, and in the next day or so, they shut down again.
He said there was nothing wrong with the amps, and that I should consult my power provider.
To make a long story short,a new transformer was attached to the pole and I never had another issue with the amps shutting down.
The sound also improved,things opened up, it was faster,more detail, all the good stuff.
It was around this time that I replaced my power cords going to the Quads with DIY made from 12 guage Romex.
How much of an improvement was that?
The fellow who bought my Quads asked if the DIY power cords were also for sale.
It was ten years later or more that a friend of mine got into balanced power and upgraded power cords and dedicated lines.
I heard what they did to improve his sound which was already much better than mine, and much more expensive.
His system did things that mine was incapable of doing.
It got out of the way of the music.
I've since implimented many of his power upgrades and added a few others like designer fuses to the mix.
The results are that eventhough I have a complete system that doesn't cost as much as his Scarlatti digital set up does, I have narrowed the performance gap .
For me I don't wonder why or how this should be, it is what it is. |
Bryon, it only seems absurd to the folks who are content with the kind of sound they get with stock fuses, no power conditioning,dime store multi plug outlets and everything plugged into a one buck wall receptacle.
They laugh at what we spend to improve the power, yet they aren't getting the sound from their gear that they paid good money for.
They would rather flip amps and gear on a continuing basis,never having really heard the gear they own running the way it should.
I was fortunate to hear the results of power upgrades in my friend's system, and then followed suit with the same results-improved sound with the gear I already have.
I didn't have to spend another 10 grand for a new power amp, I made my old one sound like the ten grand amp for a lot less money.
Why spend thousands when all you have to spend is a few hundred in the right places.
That's absurd to me. |
My experience with cd players is that the further away you isolate them from your other gear the better your sound will be.
I have found that plugging the CD player all by itself into a Furman 15 amp balanced power conditioner sounds better than plugging it into the Hydra 8 and then into the Furman.
I plug my turntable and phono/pre into the Hydra 8 and then into the Furman, which goes into one half of a Shunyata power receptacle on a dedicated 20 amp line.
The other half of the receptacle feeds a hydra 2 to the tube mono servo amps that power the Acoustats.
I use Annaconada's all around, and HiFi supreme fuses.
I also use copper foil at all cable connections and blue tack to add some resonant damping at all electrical connections.
I would really like to try the Audience gear, or for that matter the PS power plant 5.
The power in my area is awful, 110 most of the time, and I'm 10 minutes from Niagara Falls !.
IMOP all power lines are outdated and long overdue for a makeover.
Perhaps things are just fine out in the sticks and the power is still pure, like the air, but I wouldn't bet on it.
I don't think there is a system around that wouldn't benefit from doing something to improve the power, no matter how elaborate or costly the system is or how good you think it is.
It is only as good as the power going to it.
Your gear is the slave to the power which is the master.
It doesn't work the other way around,no matter how great you think your gear is made. |
Add a Furutech GTX D gold receptacle to the list of power products that provide better sound.
After reading about it's use in an upscale power conditioner review I thought I would give one a try.
It replaced a very good Shunyata RZ1, and bettered it in better resolution, smoothness and speed.There was also a reduction in graininess that I never knew was there.
Again, few people realize how much crud there is in the electrical path.
We just accept it as they way it is.
When some of it is eliminated,you realize how much it has been degrading the sound.
Now I am left wondering how much better my sound would be with the power conditioner that was reviewed. |
My chips came in!
I wasn't expecting them to do much, and to be honest I need to play a few lps before I pass judgement on the tonearm/cart chip, but the combination of the fuse and transformer chips has made me very happy.
On the cd -Is A Woman- by Lambchop, the instruments/vocals were less bunched up and a few times I got almost a surround sound expereience from my 2 channel rig that I haven't experienced before.
So for me the transformer and fuse chips and the Furutech GTX receptacle have been successful upgrades. |
Power cords finally are getting the respect they deserve.
I remember when anything more costly than the power cord that came in the box was snake oil, and only fools would part with their money to buy one.
It's interesting and educational to play around making your own power cords, or even just replacing the molded rubber ends with better ones.
When it comes to power cords, I've never experienced anything but differences in sound when you experiement with different construction and materials.
Why this is so, interests me, but I really am more concerned with the results and not the reasons.
There are a vast number of power cords in all types of configurations and cost points.
Lots of expensive ones and some at reasonable cost,especially the DIY efforts.
My advice for those who are sceptical or undecided about the merits of what a better(or different)power cord can do,need to try different power cords.
Borrow or have someone construct some for you and have a listen.
If you feel your stock power cords are just as good and can hear no differences,I won't tell you that you or your system has a problem.I can only say that I have heard the differences they can make, and some power products can bring out more details than others, which is a good or bad thing depending on where you sit on the fence.
You are you and I am me, we both listen for different reasons and perhaps analyze the sound in different ways.
I would speculate that the folks who are music lovers, first would be most content with the cords that come in the box, because they listen for different reasons than I do.
I was content for years to listen to a purist type system.
Stock cords,no power conditioning etc.
I was happy, I didn't think it could get any better.
It wasn't until I heard some of my music on a different system that I realized all was not right in paradise.
We tend to use our own system as a benchmark, and get very content with the sound it gives us, and we think of it as a "reference".
I've known some music lovers to prefer harmonically distorted systems over more accurate revealing ones.
Terms such as "warmth" come into play.
I don't feel that resolution is a bad thing.
I feel that you can have a highly resolving system and still be enthralled by how natural it sounds.
I think that there are enough natural distortions in the chain from recording to playback as there are,no need to add any more with bad power.
If you like your music wrapped up in a warm blanket because it's easier to listen to,that's fine.
But I know you can still get the warmth without the blanket effect.
Resolution doesn't have to equate with irritable, edgy sound.
For my money,what the extra resolution is revealling is the flaws elsewhere in the chain that need to be addressed but which seldom are,just because you feel certain things shouldn't make a difference.
The reason why so much good sounding gear is traded, is because it's never been given the chance to perform at it's optimum.It seems more reasonable to switch amps every three months than to try a better power cord.
How many times have we seen"spend your money where it will make the biggest difference"?
Hey spending money keeps the economy rolling and we need that,but wasteful spending is much better left for the politicians.
So which is wiser? Spending a few bucks on better power or spending large on new amps and speakers every few months?
How wise is it to use the same stock power cord you used for the last 20 years on every new amp you purchase?
My guess is that by doing so, you'll be looking for another power amp in the next month because the new one just doesn't sound any better than the last one, as all the hype led you to believe it would.Damn those reviewers,must have been bribed.
I've got some pretty old Acoustats with the tube servo amps.
How they sound today with good power cords and conditioning could be compared to more costly speaker/amp combinations and would still hold their own in light of modern "breakthroughs" in technology.At least that's how I hear it.
My previous speakers were quite a bit more money than the Acoustats, and they had some pretty expensive components inside them.
Leaving them and going back in time has not been a disappointment.
I can distinguish the merits of both speakers, they do not sound anything alike.Nor do any of my interconnects.
And good/bad recordings, vinyl or digital are represented as what they are.They are not sugar coated to all sound alike.
I find it odd that some would prefer their entire music collection to have the same "musical" sound.
Sorry, I'll take resolution over homoginized any day.
Better power will let you hear the differences,you have been warned! |
I am still waiting for the WA chips to arrive, 4 fuse, 2 transformer and one tonearm chip.
I'll post my impressions later.
What I can say is that anyone looking for a replacement receptacle,should try the Furutech GTX D - gold.
I have used several hospital Hubbels,an FIM, and Shunyata ZR1,and so far the Furutech is the one that tops them all.
I'm told it gets better with continued usuage.
I once owned a Sunfire true subwoofer, that despite it's dancing across the floor, did add extra bottom end slam to my CLS's when I had them.
What I didn't like was the edginess that I seemed to get thru my system when I used the Sunfire.
I have a few electrical engineer friends, and one brought over a quality Fluke and we measured the power on the line with the sub in and out of the system.
With the sub in, the chart was very ragged, clearly the sub was spewing all kinds of hash and noisey distortions back into the line, which the other components were being affected by.I am not saying the Sunfire was a flawed product it did what it was supoosed to do, but at a cost.It added more than just bass.
At that time I wasn't using dedicated lines,nor any power conditioning as I felt like others, that it was a waste of money.
The absence of distortions on the print out when the sub was unplugged and out of the system was a deal changer for me.
Further proof that bad power can equal bad sound, and that even some components are the culprits, never mind your neighbour with the basement full of electrical motor powered wood working tools. |
There's no peer pressure, and it's not an exclusive club.
Anyone can join in.
It need not be expensive,there's a lot you can do yourself ,when in doubt hire a professional.
Vibrations can ruin your sound but can be easily overcome, buy the stuff or make it.
The room can be a real problem,DIY or buy, your choice.
Upgrading power products and working from the panel to your electronics is just as important and very often either overlooked or not given the respect it deserves,see above post.
If some folks can't hear the differences in wires or power cords etc, then I would speculate that there could be something wrong somewhere in the their listening room and that is impairing one's ability to discerne differences.
Then again, you do have to train your ears and passive listening isn't the order of the day.
Also, most improvements to one's sound are incremental.
It's always been my experience that the more you address the above scenarios,the better the system sounds over time, not night and day.
Addressing only one of audios pitfalls and you may not notice a change(new power cord sounds no better).
But address all or several and then you can notice differences more easily.
One other thing I would like to address is audio expectations.
Are you looking for a day and night difference in your sound by using that one new tweak(power cord)in an untreated, vibration prone,straight into the wall system?
My take is that there's a 50/50 chance that you won't find much of a difference, and that's saying nothing about one's hearing abilities.
Day and night differences or great expectations of total system transformations is a real problem in my book.Over exagerated claims of such transformations by the mere insertion of a upgraded fuse or receptacle can do as much harm as good, dependant of course into what kind of system they are used in.
Here's the picture-Reviewer AZ has a fully tweaked system, room tuning and great care has been given to improving the quality of power to his gear.
He inserts an upgraded fuse and hears an imediate improvement,he claims night and day difference.
How much of an improvement would he have heard if he ran stock ,no vibration control(cheap or no audio rack)no room treatment(room resonances and bounce obscure variations in tone and texture)and no power conditioning(huge amounts of leakage from all electrical devices in his home and on the grid or dirty power)?
I am thinking none or not enough to warrant the purchase of the tweak.Hense, it's all hype and snake oil.
One's expectations of gigantic improvement to the sound are dashed.
The reviewer must have been bribed or it's just more hype.
So in this instance I would have to say that yes the new power cord didn't make an improvement.
Only because too many issues weren't addressed and until they are, noticing differences in power cords ie will always be a bone of contention.
I can easily distinguish the differences in my system.
Not because I have golden ears and a goose that lays the golden eggs, but because I've addressed the issues that are an impediment to discerning subtle differences.
And believe me they are mostly subtle, not night and day differences.
If you are looking for new audio thrills, buy new speakers.
If you want to hear how good your system is and how it's sound can be improved, address the issues that need to be addresed.
I know I can offend some folks with opinions like this,but they come from close to 40 years of playing around with this hobby.
It has only been in the last 10 years that I addresed the issues, and have since reaped the rewards.
Not night and day, but subtle, incremental improvements that when combined have made more than a subtle improvement to my sound and my enjoyment of the music.
The first 30 years in this hobby I spent them as my mentor Matt once said as an "audio junkie looking for a new fix".
Jonesing for the big audio thrill is expensive.
All it requires is cash, and very little effort.
Spend the bucks, buy the big new speakers and two weeks later look for another pair after the honeymoon glow wears off.
Spend a little cash but make more of an effort to fix up the vibrations, room booms and electrical crud,and you begin to hear where the big lies are in this hobby.
I agree it's not price alone that determines the quality of our sound.
It's what we do to the systems we have that determines the quality of sound.
Do nothing and everything will sound the same.
I can agree to that,and I speak from personal experience. |
Rower, you seem to feel that noise being generated either from components(ie-Sunfire sub) or elsewhere has no effect on the sound coming from our system?
Maybe, I misinterpret what you are saying.
But the Fluke test was visible proof of distortions that I heard in my system when the sub was used.And it also provided visual proof of less distortions on the line when the sub was out of the system.My ears told me something was wrong.The Fluke provided proof.Before using the Fluke,I could only trust my ears.Were they lieing to me?
Was I imagining that the sound with the sub was more ragged and irritating?
Was I just looking for reasons to not use a sub?Actually except for the grit,I quite preffered the sound with the sub providing some extra kick in the regions that the CLS's didn't reach.
I had a couple of other epiphanies years previous(1987) when I upgraded the power cord to a pair Quad 63 with DIY, and when I bypassed speaker fuses with copper DIY plugs(Audio Critic) (1980?).
I could hear the improvement,so did the fellow who bought my Quads, as he requested the DIY power cords with the purchase.
I now feel much safer with HiFi Spreme /WA chipped fuses in my system.
Were my ears lieing to me all this time over the course of several decades?Are they lieing to me now when I say the WA chips have improved the Supremes?
I don't know, but they were younger ears back then,and the power was purer than it is today.There were less people and less electronic gadgets in those days.Maybe that helped me hear the differences in the power cord and the negative effect of a fuse in the system.
Would I be able to hear the effects of the fuses if I didn't do anything to the power to my gear?
I can't say,except that my old ears can hear the benefit of the chips.
To me, this is proof enough that if one does nothing to address the isuues of the power going into your gear, the problems won't just go away or improve and heal itself over time.IF anything, things will get worse.Does WiFi have an effect on our systems?
I don't know, but I do know we are being bombared with stuff that was never around back in the 1980's. And there's no relief from it, it will only intensify.
Most electronics are quite capable of letting you hear distortions,at least the ones that I have used.
That they don't mask the power line distortions isn't a flaw in my book.Noise cancelling with the addition of more noisy electronics in the chain isn't my recipe for great sound.
I want the elimination or lessening of the noise on the line.
My electronics are sensitive to noise, or maybe it's just that my ears are good at sorting out the noise from the music.
In any case, I can tell when something is right and something is wrong, and the Fluke test was the inspiration for me to take the power more seriously.That and a friend who got into power conditioning before I did.
My group of audio friends each heard an improvement to one fellow's sound but there was nothing new gear wise.
He told us all that he did was to run a couple of dedicated lines.
Needless to say we all did the same.
I would like to think that most manufacturer's address power regulation as best they can, and to a price point.One reason why the most expensive amps usually have the better power supplies.
I've never heard any of the power regenerators,but those who have say this can be a good way to address some issues, and some folks have other opinions about power regenerators, so I would agree that at this moment there is no one size fits all solution to curing the power problem.
There are many different approches to the problem, from many companies,the thing to not loose sight of is the fact that they are addressing the same thing.
Please spare me the rhetoric that these companies exist only because of the neurosis of folks like me.
I've done enogh experimenting with wires over the years to be able to hear the difference between solid core and stranded wire,copper, silver and combination and the importance of upgraded connectors. Yes, I do run one direct line straight from the panel to a Furman IT 1210. This powers my cd player.The furman's receptcle was cut off and the bare wires are attached directly(with those twist on connectors)to the dedicated line.Also a Shunyata RZ1 receptacle has replaced the shabby one in the Furman that my cd player's Shunyata power cord is plugged into.The fewer connections the better, so use the best ones you can afford.
Does this sound better than when the cd player was plugged straight into the wall with stock cord?
Yes it does.
Does that mean that my Esoteric E03 was a flawed design, ?
I don't think so,but it did benefit from power conditioning and tweaking the power going into it.
It was good enough to be able to let me hear the differnces.
Perhaps inferior gear would not benefit as much from the attention I paid to the power going into mine.
Or perhaps it would benefit even more?
Decent well set up system with decent gear should be able to let you hear differences between power cords, fuses, interconnects and speaker wire,and it should be as easy to hear these differences/improvements as it is to hear differences in one power amp to the next.
But then some folks still feel they all sound the same.
And if they've done nothing to improve the power to their systems,they are probably correct.
The thing about better power is that you won't hear it until you do something about it.
Everything sounds great, until you do something that makes the sound even better.
Getting better sound is all about the things you do, you have to actively participate.
You can watch from the sidelines or get into the game, your choice. |
I had a listen to one of my audio friend's sytem the other nite.
He was the fellow who got me started down the road of power cords and power conditioners and has always been a Shunyata fan boy.
He reported that replacing his top of the line Shunyata PC with top of the line Siltechs on his power amps into a Shunyata Talos was quite an improvement.
It did sound very good to me,but his system always sounds great.
After a couple of weeks with the new power receptacle from Furutech,the GTX D gold, I decided to try wallpluggin my Acoustat amps direct into this dedicated 20 amp line and omit the hydra 2 and it's 20 amp Annaconda power cord.
I will eat crow now, and say that this gives me better sound.
The reason for this I believe, is that the Acoustat tube servo amps also drive the panels and there are 5000 volts that need all the power they can get.
Whereas in the past, every conventional tube or solid state and D amp that I used needed the Hydra 2 combo to sound good in all previous systems.
In my case,the more direct power path to the amp/speaker the better the sound,( 20 amp dedicated line, to the Furutech receptacle to 2 Annaconda Helix power cords to 2 Acoustat tube servocharge amps).
I would have to add that the addition of the Furutech GTX on the dedicated 20 amp line was a revelation.
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I agree Whart, I would like Rower's input on what electronic gear he has measured or owns that doesn't benefit from a better power conditioner or power cord or fuse for that matter.It must be perfect and cost a lot more than what I have used over the years.
It's been my experience that wallplugging is fine.
Run a dedicated line and it's better,how come?
Why did the properly designed power stage react to the dedicated line,shouldn't there be no difference?My bad power supplies?
Going back to different kinds of wire and their sonic signature,way back when, I found out that bypassing the fuse in some speakers and amps with a chunk of wire was better than the fuse.Thanks to Peter Aczel and the "old" Audio Critic mag.
The music tightened up and was less diffuse sounding.
And different types of wire produced different audible results, which blindfolded or not, you could hear the differences between stranded and solid core.
It was differences in treble (more clear with solid core)and bass ( more full bodied with stranded),take your pick, vanilla or chocolate.
Both choices are right or wrong, but what is perfect?
If the power supplies were perfect, then there should have been no distinctions between a stock fuse, a solid core DIY fuse or a stranded wire fuse.I guess I've spent big bucks on junk, such as Martin Logan CLS, Maggies, Classe, VTL, Levinson, Quads, and more.
Perhaps my choice of gear isn't as perfect as Rower's and I don't have the equipment to spec out my choices.I just have my ears,but then that's what I use to listen with.I guess all the folks who like the sound of the above gear and also bought it was because the gear sounded good to their ears and most never measured the stuff.
I guess we were duped by all we read about that stuff,because if it lets us hear differences in cables and power cords then it must be inferior stuff.
If there can be no differences in using a better power cord on these products, according to Rower, and yet some hear differnces, then surely the quality of the gear is suspect,am I correct?
My ears tell me what I like and what I don't like and if there is an improvement or not they'll let me know if a purchase is warranted or not.But they maybe lieing to me, or so I've been told.
All of audio is a lie, or an illusion of reality,just as there is no neutral or musical benchmark, all is up to the individual's ability to discerne subtle shadings and all is open to interpretation and experience with live and recorded music, and playback systems of all sripes.
Your neutral is my coloured,my difference is your no difference.
The most "neutral",( insert component) has to be compared to what came before it and will be compared to what comes after it, so how can neutral ever be defined.It's always in flux.
If my power supply is inferior because it let's me hear the differences between wires,then I want more of that inferiority.If a solid core wire takes me from "neutral" to more "neutral" than a stranded wire did,then I guess that what my eyes percieve as physical differences in construction, jives with what my ears are telling me.
If twisting wires compared to untwisted looks different and sounds different due to noise cancellation in the twisted wires,is my power supply not up to par?
I've been a musician for over 45 years and I've had to learn how to pick the music apart and differentiate pitch and tone, so perhaps I have trained my ears to pick up sound differences in my hifi gear that may not be as discernable to others as they are to myself.
I wonder if Rower's sound is different late at night than it is during peak demand hours?
Now that would be something worthy of measuring.
And it would be interesting to know if the measurements synced with what he was hearing.
Hearing no difference but measuring differences can mean two things,that his power supplies are indeed immune to power conditions or that he is just unable to hear differences.
A blindman could never know if the emperor was clothed or not, and the deaf man will never hear the ring of the register.
I am glad that I can hear the register ring,and until I can't, I'll keep it ringing for all the right reasons.
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Why do some tubes sound better than others?
Possible answers are- design, build quality,materials used,
and others.
Similar answers for the following can apply.
Why do some tube circuits sound better than other ones?
Why do some solid state designs sound different?
Class A, A/B, D- do they sound different, or maybe no?
Why do some capacitors sound better than other ones?
Why spend the big bucks for something that's just another cog in the wheel?Why should they have a sonic signature?
Why do people tube roll or modify gear?
Why does one fuse sound different than another?
Why does vibration control or room resonances have any thing to do with how I enjoy my mega buck quality audio gear?It's the best there is, designed by a genius.
Impervious to the effects of the surroundings it placed in or the power it's fed.
Dedicated 20 amp line? Hogwash.My gear's doing just fine plugged into the sound bar on the same line as my furnace and fridge thank you very much.
I just turn out the lights and it sounds better.
It's not the light factor that was being referred to, so that gave me a chuckle and I'm not alone.
Late night listening, when the grid is used less( less demand in the wee hours of the morning 12 am 1, 2 am,has most oftern been the defining factor that systems sound better when there is less electricity being consummed in the homes of non audiophiles and less demand from industry and business.Hence bad power bad sound, so live with it or do something to improve it.
The music always sounded better to me later at nite.
Some folks would argue that a well designed product should sound good at anytime of the day.
Again, I state that I have never owned any gear so well designed.
Whether you turn out the lites or not, or whether you close your eyes or leave them open , late nite listening sounds better and it's not the absence of light that is the reason.It's the absence of grunge on the lines, and low voltage, two things that are present when listening at other times of the day.
There are some people who would never turn the lites off when listening.Depriving oneself the pleasure of gazing at the sheer beauty of those designer power amps would be a diservice to them and to the craftsman who made them so beautiful.
Fuses, who sees them?
People do seem to oogle big fat power cords though.
Is that why they sound better?
It's easy to ask for the measurable proof to back up the "improvemnts" some folks state.
Are dedicated lines just a figment of some folks imaginations?
Surely it's the same panel, same breaker and same electrical current going to the gear, which some folks say just can't be improved upon or altered . It's just electrical current afterall, look at all the miles it's travelled and thru all the wires it's travelled ,how can a dedicated line make an audible improvemnt?Why bother?
Yet I don't think I've seen one negative remark about dedicated lines.
I'll leave it to the myth busters to tell me why it can't make an audible difference.
I hear it, but I can't prove it.
Now on to the fuse.
Again how can it make difference?
Well I can't explain why and I don't have the gear to measure if it does or doesn't.
But I heard how a stock fuse can cripple the sound of most amps and fuse protected speakers that I owned.
So did Peter Aczel.
Magnepans and solid state and tube amps benefitted sonically when I used diy fuse substitutes.
Not advised,but the sound was better.
I did not have any bad luck, no meltdowns or failures gear wise, but I never left my gear on 24/7 either.
When the designer fuses came out they offered the sonics of no fuse but with the protection of a fuse.
I switched to the upgraded fuses, the best of both worlds.
I guess I am one of those folks who has to see it, or I should say, hear it for myself before I accept anyone's opinions one way or the other.
If I never tried dedicated lines and fuse alternatives,how would I have been able to give my impression of what they do?
Spouting a lot of techno babble is very impressive,but until one does the experiment for themselves, it's just speculation and conjecture based on scientific jargon.
That's as much a belief system as those who believe things do work but don't know why.
Or care less for that matter. |
After reading the last few posts I am pleased that for the most part,there is an agreement that the qulaity of your sound can be improved if you do something to improve your power.
I see there are still a few satisfied with the way it sounds audiophiles,but the thing is most of us were perfectly satisfied with our sound also.
We only found out how much better it could get after we did some power tweeking.
That's the point to remember.
All systems will sound just fine, straight out of the box and into the wall.
They work and work well.
But just as some cave man discovered fire, he discovered cooked meat can be even better than raw, which was up to that point "good enough".
I think you get the drift.
We all know how good our systems are,what we don't know is how good our systems can get.
Unlocking the full potential of what I own has been more fullfilling than swapping out one component for the next hoping to find the last perfect piece and get off the merry go round, if that is what you want to do.
Some folks enjoy the ride and for them it's not always about the destination.
I was like that, some of my friends were like that.
After awhile you get to a point where everything starts to sound good enough, and the magic wears off.
So I have to ask,is this the point to end the search or to move in another direction?
I was fortunate to have a friend who was into power tweeking before me.
I heard the improvements, and followed suit.I moved in another direction, and focused my attention and money to power tweeks.
It didn't stop me from making further audio purchases,just more informed ones.I could more easily discerene that the new cd player was much better than the last for example.
Before power tweeking most cd players had started to sound the same.
When your system is getting decent power you can judge whether some components are worthy of purchase or they aren't.
Degraded power really does mirky up the waters and render most things good enough, that's great news for the fellow with the Thrift Shop power amp that sounds as good as any Pass amp ever did.
Ever wonder what kind of power systems these folks are using when they make such statements?
Then again, have they ever heard a Pass amp?
Most likely the answers are no power conditioning, and no expereince with a quality power amp or system.
Moving your system from good enough to great doesn't need to break the bank.
But you need to know how to recognize it when you hear it.
Something I'll save for another time and place ,perhaps. |
I recently replaced the IEC inputs on my amps and the RCA inputs with the best of each from Furutech.
I purchased the Rhodium plating, only because there are a lot of tubes in my system and it doesn't need any more "warmth".
What I am now enjoying is more transparency than before.
The more robust Furutech components must be better at passing the electronic signal than the more modest older units.
Nothingelse was changed in the system.
People who know my system's sound were impressed by the improvement in clarity,and it wasn't in a dark room late at nite.
My non technical brain tells me that the better parts passed the elctrical signal better than the old parts, and that when the electrical signal is more clear so is the sound.
Hence, for me, whatever you do to better the power to your system, the better it will sound.
The other thing that my non tech brain tells me is that so far I've nothing to fault with Furutech replacement parts.
They provide the reasons why their products are supposed to sound better,for those who need the re-assuremnt.
I have no affiliation with Furutech and I don't work in the industry and have nothing to gain.
Nor do I have any other parts to compare them to other than the older, more modest receptacles that they replaced.
The older parts were not defective in any way, the system had no noise or hum issues.Life was good.
It's just better now. |
