are all power conditioners noisy?

First, all transformers make acoustic noise. That is their nature. But the manufacturer should know how to limit or dampen these vibrations to keep them pretty much inaudible.

The transformer in a power conditioner or power amplifier will make audible noise for primarily one reason: improper AC input. All transformers require a constant specified voltage and frequency just like all other electronics. The AC input requirements are specified on the rear of the unit.

If one feeds the unit improper voltage or frequency, the magnetized plates in the core of the transformer do not operate properly and rattle…hence the noise. And this information comes from the chief engineer at Powervar.

Powervar and many other power conditioners do not regenerate the AC sine wave or regulate voltage or frequency. The AC that goes in comes out less AC TRANSIENTS and AC NOISE.

With that being said, there are many AC line sources that can cause transformer noise. If you are interested in understanding what they are and becoming educated on the subject, I suggested highly that you read the following article and focus on section 3. “Adverse Mains Conditions”. Go to: http://www.plitron.com/PDF/AES.PDF The article is excellent.

So if you are going to use a Powervar, you should feed it proper AC sign wave. The AC can be full of transients and noise but it has to be the correct voltage and frequency. The Powervar will clean the transients and noise but it is not going to change the sine wave. One can only do that with a regenerator and that comes with a price of course.

And I should state that the transformer in a conditioner can itself be damaged to the point it vibrates too much (audibly) regardless of whether the AC fed into it is proper or not.

I use a PS Audio P500. No sound at all even after being on for hours running between 35% and 65% of capability. There is a fan in this unit but I don't hear it. Also, NO hum. Would there be sound eminating from this unit if I ran it even harder? I don't know.

I have a BPT and as was mentioned it is dead quiet. I've had 2 Powervar's and they both hummed so much I had to sell them. The Powervar's also killed dynamics on my system although at the time I was only using it for my preamp and CD player...

anyone have an Audio Magic Mini Digital for sale? OK, I said it. I feel better already. My doctor said it's good to get these things out. Ooops, got to take one of my meds... :)

Warren- Quick- check your temperature! I believe delerium has set in :)

Hard to believe. I'm down sizing to the Mini digital for my front end and I have a Hydra 2 for my analog. That ain't chopped liver, but it's no Eclipse. I had professional counseling and I'm told I will be all right..lol.. Saving for the APL Denon 3910 or the Exemplar 3910. Can't decide. Nice to have these high class problems...peace, warren :)

Warrenh,

Say it isn't so, your parting with........

No way.

Regards,

24phun, nothing should hold you back now except, perhaps, your wallet. There's oodles of drop dead quiet power conditioners out there. I should know; I own one of them. But not for long....

BPT units are DEAD quiet and offer balanced power in all kinds of doses. Best unit I've ever used was the BPT 3.5 Signature.

If you don't need electrical storm protection, the Mapleshade Records (home of guru Pierre Sprey) top model power strip actually acts as well, often better, than many traditional power conditioners. It just looks so homebrew despite helping a system very much.
Aside from that, my own [never-opened to tighten] Powervar is dead silent in another location where it is used.

Perhaps you have DC voltage from the outside transformer that is comming into your lines. This will make a transformer HUM in a power conditioner and or a transformer in a amp.

You can check this with a Digital Volt meter yourself or have the power company check this.

I have an API Power Wedge 116 - hums.
I complained to the mfr and they replced two of the three isolation transformers. It helped tremendously but guess what? It still hums - just not as bad.
I also have the Monster HTS 5100 - hums too.
If it has a transformer it is susceptible to humming!
Variations in the inpregnation of the windings will allow this to happen. Mfrs. pull a vacuum during impregnation but, to cut corners, they don't pull a vacuum as long as is really necessary to get all the air out and so occassionally, you'll get humming. Grrrrr!
At one time I owned two Parasound A51 power amps at one time - one hummed noticeably, the other did not - go figure.

I would follow the other suggestions of trying to damp the transformer/housing and tightening screws. At least you will kill the hummming transferring to the housing which is probably the bulk of the annoyance.

Silent power conditioners? Certainly. Audio Magic, Soundapplication, Hydra--to name but a few...

My experience has been that all power conditioners (that I've used) are dead quiet.

I use a Oneac that doesn't hum and have had Powervars that didn't hum at all. One thing to try is to tighten the transformer nut down some.

24phun, sorry you had bad luck regarding your power conditioner. I use for my digital front end the Ensemble Duo Isolink and for the rest of my system Richard Grays Power Station, two of them in what's called a star cluster arrangement, with great results.

Total dead silence with the background noise floor gone with air around the players, more precise layering in the soundstage, more natural timbres, without any loss of dynamics or prat.

There are many power conditioners on the market, I auditioned about five different ones before finding what I wanted, so I would suggest you try to audition some new pieces to find what you are looking for.

The PS Audio UPC-200 is a very good power conditioner and it's quiet. Their Power Plants are pretty quiet too, as I recall. I think most power conditioners are fairly quiet. Maybe the transformer mounts in your unit loosened during shipping; or maybe the unit is inherently noisy. I'm not familiar with your unit, so I couldn't say. I'd contact the company and see what they advise...

I use a Panamax Max 5500 ACRegenerator that uses a large transformer to decouple wall AC from AC provided to equipment... my ear has to be practically right up to the unit to hear any noise at all... and even then it's extremely low in volume.