Yes I leave the units on all the time except when there's an approaching thunderstrorm, in which case I turn off the EP and of course the SP goes off with it. |
Speedy, I told you about my using this setup well over a year ago -- better late than never;--)) Welcome. If your components could talk, they'd be saying "Oh Speedy! You're sooo good to us!!" |
Myraj, I shouldn't speak for Allan, but I understood he was telling Speedy the same thing I was -- in fewer words ;--)
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Hooper and others) basically, here's what sets the Exactpower apart from other regenerators:
The Exactpower looks at the incoming power and identifies only the parts of the 60 cycle wave that are noisy or out of spec and then fills in just those parts of the wave with clean power. It uses a Class D amp (used in other low freq. devices like self powered subwoofers) and works via a feedback servo that compares the incoming AC with the ideal. Other regenerators (like the PS Audio and others) take the whole incoming AC power and use it to regenerate a whole new AC wave, which isn't really necessary, since even the worst AC is only 20% out of spec or noisy. But doing it that way (throwing out the baby with the bathwater) is why those units run so hot and can't deliver the current capacity of the Exactpower.
As to plugging the EP into a "regular" conditioner (or vice versa) don't do it! The EP already eliminates noise in a way that regular conditioners cannot, and without degrading sonics. It also offers superior surge protection, again without degrading sonics.
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Speedy, I'm glad you found the EP a useful addition. I guess there's a limit to what one can expect from dedicated circuits alone, even with the best of power companies? I always shut off my power amp (and put the sub on "standby") before hitting the switch on the EP to turn things off (or on.) All my front end Levinson/Wadia stuff has no power switches anyway, so that's a moot point in my case.
Joey, as far as I can tell, the only substantial change in the PS audio unit is their use of a variable power supply to reduce the heat problem. I question the 85% efficiency figure simply because, if it were so, they'd have made the unit competitive with the 1800 watt capacity of the Exactpower, and apparently they couldn't quite get it there. It has some fun bells and whistles, and features with fancy names, but it still fixes the noise problems with filters, which in my ever so humble opinion, represents a previous technology.
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If I am indeed "Nonesuch", I should sue because I was here first!
Anyway, the brick wall unit is effective and doesn't require replacing fried MOV's (that's what's in PS's "replaceable module") and it's unfortunate they can't make one without the inductive/capacitive filters (which have nothing to do with surge protection function) because those devices (the L/C components) are what I gripe about with all power "conditioners."
When I had my own home here in Tucson, the lightening capitol of the world, I did two things, both at the panel:
1. Installed extra-fast tripping breakers on my ded. cts. (check with your elec. supply house -- ie NOT Home Depot ;--) and,
2. Installed an MOV (high speed diode, about 60 cents) from the "house" side of each breaker to ground (inside the panel).
What the MOV does, is it senses a surge/spike in nanoseconds, and closes a circuit to ground tripping the breaker immediately. Making the breaker into an ULTRA-fast tripping breaker. This fries the MOV which must be replaced. I still unplugged my stuff before a t-storm however, and interestingly after may lightening strikes, some quite close to my house, I never lost an MOV.
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Yeah, I should look for some online and here in Tucson (where we have some GREAT used vinyl stores).
All the Nonesuch records I have, I bought new in the 60's -- for some reason I can't remember what they cost.
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Zaikesman -- you raised an interesting point about biasing tube amps which is always a pain because of fluctuating 120V. I remember I'd bias my amps when the power was highest so the bias wouldn't go over without my knowing it.
About PC's: When I only had two great PC's (a couple of Dominus) I called Jim Aud at Purist to ask him where in my system he felt they'd be most effective (Jim is a real power maven) and he said use one from the wall to the EP and the other from the EP to the amp. I have a third one now which is for the DAC, the third place in a system that requires a great PC IMO.
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Ckorody, the EP is a power regenerator, the SP is a balanced power unit. All is made clear on their website:
www.exactpower.com
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Blazer, I have some excellent PC's but the best ones are my two Purist Dominus (Domini ?) anyway, I definitely use one on my amp (into my EP15) and I was going to use the other on my Wadia 27 DAC (a popular app for a big cord) but I called Jim Aud at Purist and asked him. He said if I only had two, to put one on the amp and the other on the EP. Of course I asked 'why?' and he said, "Energy transfer" (Jim's a man of few words ;--) But I pressed on and he explained that you want to have the biggest (AWG) and best PC's where you need the best energy transfer (ie where you are pulling the most power.) So (especially) if you have an amp plugged into you EP as I do, you need to feed the EP with a cord at least as big and high quality as the one on the amp.
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Tbg, I can totally understand your dissatisfaction w/ the PS audio power stuff, they just can't refrain from loading up their equipment with dynamics-squashing components like chokes and filters -- but that's no reason to throw the baby out w/ the bathwater. My Exactpower EP-15A regenerator has IMPROVED amplifier dynamics if anything, a conclusion BTW shared by many other people, not just me.
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