Isolation for power line conditioner?

Warren's point about microphonics is certainly part of the theory and explanation, according to extensive discussion in the past at cable asylum and to a number of good cable designers. This view says that vibration influences cables only if there are strands or parts that can micro-move relative to each other, setting up microphonics in the process. It would be difficult to build any plc that has totally rigid parts. I can understand this explanation most easily in signal carrying components, Still thinking about it for a/c cords.

Interesting comments by all, although I take with a grain of salt the comments by Warren and Tbg about the "substantial" and "significant" levels of improvement offered. It's been my experience that in a well put together system that a substantial or significant improvement in sound reproduction quality is not so easily achieved. Regardless of the level of improvement, even if you mechanically ground the audio component and mechanically ground the power conditioner, then isn't the power cord between the two just flapping in the breeze of those deleterious airborne vibrations (also know as music)? Clearly if you truly believe in mechanical grounding then you'll have to address this issue.

Can anybody comment on the experiences with using isolation or grounding techniques on the main electrical junction boxes.

onhwy61, it's been my experience that in a well-assembled system, nearly every positive system improvement is significant and substantial and rather easily acheived.

I believe that would seem logical and I'll demonstrate by using the following analogy:

If I were racing an old jalopy that had an out-of-round wheel, I might not even know that the wheel is inferior even at top speed. But if I were racing a finely tuned Indy car and I had an out-of-round wheel, I'd probably recognize a problem before I reached 10 mph.

And if I'm racing that Indy car at 220 mph but corrected the deformed wheel, that car's performance improvement should be rather significant and substantial in comparison.

In other words, a well-assembled system as you put it, should have fewer and smaller bottlenecks/governors.

But properly addressing just one of those fewer and smaller bottlenecks can be akin to completely removing a govenor.

Whereas a poorly assembled system with so many governors, properly addressing just one usually makes little or no difference.

That is why I believe so many people try a new product or tweak, don't notice any improvements, and then make sport of those that do notice a difference as if they've bought into a snake oil (of course snake oil products can and do exist).

As for your issue with dangling cables being susceptable to air-borne vibrations? I'm not that familiar with the issue but I realize that it is a potential area of concern.

Nevertheless, by it's constructive nature and shape, a cable should be less susceptible to air-borne vibrations than a larger square boxed component that may have minimal internal bracing, as well as a cable not having a motor, spindle, transistors, capacitors, power supplies, etc..

Though a cable's reaction to vibration is still potentially valid, I don't think it's quite to the same degree.

And again, on that truly well-assembled system, properly addressing vibrations within the cables could make a rather significan and substantial difference.

-IMO

I did not imply that I was unconcerned about power cords, "flapping in the breeze." Every cord and interconnect in my system has a Rightway Audio Suspender at its center. This helps both for the vibrations but also for the bleeding to ground. The topic, however, was whether there was benefit for isolating ac filters.

OK, maybe substantial and significant, as far as the power conditioner go, are a bit strong. It's worth the $$, to me, for the upgrade in sound. Cdp and amp? there I'll go with substantial or significant. peace, warren