APS Pure Power A/C Regenerators


Over the years I have tried a few power conditioners and always felt that they stripped the music of its "body," leaving me with a non-involving, non-musical, thin sound.

Because of this, I have only gone as far as a dedicated panel to dedicated circuits, with some above standard electrical hardware. ...and have been pleased with this results.

I recently had a conversation with a fellow audiophile, who also happens to be an engineer, who recommended that I look into the Pure Power line of A/C Regenerators.

He has tried quite a number of tweaks to his electrical supply over the years and could not say enough great things about Pure Power, to the point that he strongly felt that using this (specifically referring to the model 2000) in any standard outlet in the home, would outperform the improvments of dedicated circuits or any other electrical tweaking.

I am considering a project in my home that would move my listening room to a new space. Before I do this and before I bring in an electrician for all of the custom works, I am looking to hear from any folks that own or have owned a Pure Power regenerator.

Please share your experiences, both good or bad. Also, please comment on other A/C conditioners or custom/dedicated circuit topologies that you have compared this to.

Any experiences that you can share regarding APS Pure Power regenerators is appreciated.

Lastly, does anyone know if there is a performance difference between the different models, or do they only differ by their output capacities?

Thanks!
barrelchief
@bifwynne The reason most companies don't provide EMI filtering is cost plus the fact so many engineers and managers just don't get the fact it isn't "just 60 Hz" coming out of the wall.   If it was, there would be no need for any filtering or isolation.    Consumers vote with their pocket book, so adding cost requires selling that added cost.   One can prove it with graphs, data, independent testing labs, independent reviews, etc. but that doesn't mean the consumer will spring $$ for it.

Isolation is another animal.   Every component we buy is already isolated from the wall via its internal transformer.    However, that transformer is located inside the chassis so any leakage, stray magnetic fields, or EMI radiation will bleed into the unit.   Yes, it can be done correctly, but again, it adds cost.   The best solution is to put the isolation in an external chassis along with input EMI filtering.   Since a separate chassis puts distance between it and the audio gear, the bleed energy is automatically reduced by the square of the distance between the components.   That is hard to do when everything is in one chassis.   

I design and build some of my own gear but frankly even in my stuff, the EMI filtering and isolation is in a separate chassis along with an external power supply for the audio unit. 
They do show up on the used market but not very frequently. I suspect most people are pretty impressed with them and don't sell them unless they have a reason (upsizing or downsizing)
Compared to some other high-end filters that have NO isolation feature, I think the PP gear is incredibly well priced (remember, regeneration does away with the need for filtration and isolation). Plus are you aware that the retail prices of both the 1050 and 2000 have declined by $500 each recently?
Why doesn't the power supply circuit in a typical tube or SS pre-amp or power amp self-correct utility power "Gremlins"?

I run ARC all-tube gear. Although there's not a lot of other stuff on the same circuit (i.e., from the outlet to the circuit breaker box), the ARC tube gear draws quite a bit of power even at idle. For example, at idle, the amp alone draws about 400 watts. Probably double that when it's "crankin."

I guess my concern is that if the consensus is that the PP regenerator is the way to go, a word to the wary, big $$$. Anyone know if there's a used market for that gear??
Given that the Purepower products are regenerators, I don't think that is critical and I believe the PC supplied with the unit is more than adequate. At least this is what a dealer told me.
So which is best after market cable for the PP2000 that connect to teh wall socket?
Just replace the fans with sth better. I run mine with 2 (out of 3) fans disconected for a couple of days before I got better fans, and the temp reading never went past 40'C/105'F, which is perfectly safe.

You can bet better fans from a local computer shop. They are 80x80mm size. The fans that PurePower uses are rated 23dB, and the one I got are only 7dB.

Do not forget to instal silicone silencing grommets.
Does the 2000 do a better job at regenerating a waveform? I hear the fan in the 1050 is quieter.
I'm buying a 1050 next week. I am in a situation where no dedicated lines are possible and I see this as the best solution after examining combinations of filters and isolation transformers.
I was playing with the PurePower 2000 for the past three weeks, and ended up buying one. In fact I knew after the first 10s I switched the unit on it is a keeper - the change was THAT obvious.

I was never really a fan of power conditioning - from all the units I tried, none was really transparent to the signal. Some muted microdynamics, some made my system sound lean (PS Audio Power Plant P-300). For the last 5 years I run all my gear straight from my dedicated AC outlets.

The PP is the first one that seems to have no downside. At least sonic wise, 'cos the fan noise can be really annoying. However, I have replaced the stock fans with Noctua ultra quiet (7dB) ones, which solved the problem eventually.

Great stuff.
Thanks for keeping the comments coming, guys.

Does the 2000 get warm? If so, does it get hot enough to make a room noticably warmer, like some tube amps do?

Thanks.
I found the same thing and everything I used it on improved, even amplifiers mad a difference as the PP units use the battery backup to also handle peak demands so it can usually output a lot more than the actual line voltage/amperage. Amazingly when I had a Mark Levinson 433, and AV Preamp, sources etc AND my 70" Sony XBR RPTV on it even at high volumes my 700 unit read that I was only using low 80% of it's ability!!!

BTW They make a huge difference in video displays as well!!! I didn't believe how much good power improved the video!
I experienced a big difference in sound when I was listening to recorded music during daytime vs. listening at nights or weekend when it was raining. I was wondering if there was something wrong with me, but the difference in treble, like cymbal attacks, female voices and in particular syllables-sounds like S and T where clearly better when listening on late rainy nights. It was frustrating and annoying.

I later found out, that the AC came from two different sources, one from an ordinary power plant generating electricity from fuel-oil and one from a water-turbine, but the water storage was too small to provide water generated AC during daytime, so it was only in use during nights and weekends with rain.

When I installed a PowerPlant 1050 all these problems where gone and I do not experience any difference during the week. Try it out if you have the opportunity, but be aware that you might find out, that you can’t live without it. I can’t.
Hi, I use a PP2000 to feed my Vibex Rhodium Power Filter Block. You have to replace the stock fuses into highend grade fuses ( Furutechs rhodium fuses ). Then it sounds wonderfull. Sweet and full.
My 2000's sound smooth and sweet at the high frequencies, not zippy or anyway sharp. They respond very well to air isolation platforms and cone footers. Along with after market power cords.
As mentioned, some people have found the 2000 to be a bit sharp in the high frequencies and RomyTheCat (link given above) shows how the voltage output to have jagged peaks. Another guy said his was rusting from the inside.

Other than that, comments have been generally quite good. Certainly better than the reliability problems I've been reading about the PS Audio units.
I've been tearing out my hair with regards to selecting the right power conditioner.

I've read of the Pure Power 2000 adding some high frequency sharpness/edge especially if the internal battery is being charged. Supposedly this is because of its use of Class D power supplies. Read about it in one or two places and here too where a guy plugs an oscilloscope into the unit: http://www.romythecat.com/Forums/ShowPost.aspx?PageIndex=10&postID=9233

Meanwhile, I've been reading of qutie a few Power Plant Premiers having major reliability problems as well as some general consensus that they do restrict dynamics.

I'm hoping that Isotek's rumoured regenerator will be better. Supposedly uses Class AB power supplies.
Did you all see the Enjoy The Music review? The pure power 2000 is the best that they have ever tried!...
I have used a Pure Power 1500 for 2 years. I agree with other comments. A real clearly audible sound improvement with it in the system. As you expect, a darker background, increase in dynamics.
I have'nt auditioned many other units, but can recomend this one.
I am thinking of adding a Quantum Q4. I heard it in a show Dem and was very impressed. Anyone added one to the Pure Power? Your experience would be helpful
Barrelchief sent you a PM. I am running two 2000's one on each channel at only 28% power usage, my mono block amps and front end gear. Lots of power reserve for each channel.
Thanks guys...I appreciate the feedback.

Jebsmith, why are you using two of the 2000 units; is there not enough output capacity in a single 2000 for your system?

Keep the comments coming, please.
I purchased two APS Pure Power 2000's. Also I have two 20 amp dedicated AC power lines installed and used 10awg wire. The outlets are R1 Oyade's. The effect on the sound is quite spectacular. The quality of the incoming AC power is very bad and varies greatly during the day. The Pure power units eliminates this problem completely.
These units replaced the PS Audio Power Plant Premiers. There is no comparison, The Pure Power units are far superior in all respects.
In conclusion I highly recommend the Pure Power units.
This is all third hand off the internet so grain of salt, etc. From what I have read, the PurePower 2000 sounds markedly better than the lower end models despite the fact that the manufacturer says it shouldn't. Also, it allegedly is better sounding than dedicated circuits for some people. Anyway, note that there is electrical hum to some extent in every unit (my dealer admitted this when confronted) although apparently it is not typically loud enough to be heard above the music. The PurePower 2000 also has a fan. An even bigger concern is that a reviewer had a unit go bad, so the QC may be suspect although one case is not enough data to determine anything either way. There also do not appear to be separate isolated banks on the unit to isolate components from each other.

Given those concerns, I'm not ready to take a flyer on it although I think it would work very well in my system given that I am living in an apartment in a city.
I have the PurePower 700 and it is a key component in my system. Once you try it you will never want to let it go, I have even run pretty large amps (ML 433) and my TV and sources without overrunning it's output. Performance wise they are all similar I believe they just differ in output.