Audio Magic Stealth it is

Warren-Thanks for the reco. I was thinking either or the hydra or Powerplant and couldn't make my mind up. For the price of these little guys its worth the risk, funny plugging PC's into a line conditioner that cost more then the conditioner itself! ~Tim

Warrenh,

I took a similar approach and am now auditioning the Ensemble set up--- Isolink Duo, Magnaflux ac cords, and power link. Do you have any experience/references/comparisons of the Stealth vs. Isolink? Thanks for your time.

Sorry, no experience with that. Let us know what you decide.

Someone I *highly* trust in the area of line conditioners told me the Audio Magic is "gargage". This person has auditioned virtually every conceivable unit in the market and ended up designing his own...

Happens very often in "high end", doesn't it?

I,too, highly trust my own ears. The Audio Magic is unbelievable. Now, if we're talking garbage....hey, I'm not going there. Trust your ears. Don't hear anything good?-- don't buy it. It's funny. I know just as many, if not more people, than Pschicanimal, who I trust equally, who would give you another rap. That's what audiodom is all about. The Stealth is definitely not garbage. Do your homework and you'll find what you like and can afford...All I can say, with comlete confidence, is that I listened to (not everything out there)most of the major players and the Stealth was it...

You know there will be a new and more expensive Stealth at the CES? I have only heard it at others and still love my Sound Application as well as the new Walker Audio unit.

I am very skeptical when it comes to line filtration--there's so much hype out there! I trust this person because he's a circuit designer, has a good ear plus a rig that's about $50K. He's listened to a lot of gear in order to make sure his design would outperform what's out there. I'm supposed to get the first Beta release for evaluation...

Warren, there's a DeZorel filter running around www.audiocircle.com. It's a different type of filter to what's available out there. You can sign up to audition it in your home...

As to what I like and *can* afford, I have what I like but cannot afford new--not a chance! I have a ONEAC CB2338 3000W (220V in/ 110V out) isolation transformer/capacitor based filter (95 lbs) and one of these:

http://cgim.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/vs.pl?vaslt&1022712214&viewitem&o18

Just be careful--If you're going to spend so much money ask them for specifications @ several bandwiths and/or a noise reduction graph. If the Audio Magic people can't provide you with *guaranteed* performance specifications turn around and spend your money elsewhere. I recently e-mailed AudioPrism and asked for the Foundation II specs and they never answered. Maybe the e-mail was 'lost'.

I do take my line conditioning very seriously...

Audio Magic is now showing their new Matrix AC line conditioner at CES. I've been told that indeed it betters the Stealth. Sounds to me like a must-hear to audition. Lists for $3200 including an upgrade input cord.

Did anyone listen to the DeZorel so far, and can share his experiences?

Why are the specs so important? It's the sound that matters. Don't you think? My Stealth works beautifully in my system. I have owned this baby for 6 months (sounds like you think I'm looking to buy one, now) and have been very happy. Now the new ones are cryoed, so I'm already behind the eightball, and with their new one coming out, I'm not even on the pool table. Still, the Stealth does it for me, as yours, for you. Oh I love audiodom..
peace,
warren

When it comes to line conditioners, specs *are* important--especially because you are paying your hard earned money! Noise specs can be readily measured. The sound quality is important, of course, but one can have line conditioners which don't adversely affect the signal yet are pretty weak at doing their job. Examples:

1) These individual 'digital' conditioners made by the guy w/ the pony tail--just a capacitor, a strand of wires in parallel w/ a switch and then a $300 price tag--OUCH!

2) The AudioPrism Foundation II I asked for its specs. Being of a parallel design, it is very benign on the music. But when I asked for the specs the e-mail was never answered.

Warren, I though you were on the market for one--sorry! I hope you're now getting a better picture, though. I have been learning a lot (and experimenting with) about power filters--that's all. There is a good white paper you can download from the DeZorel website. It is titled Noise Basics and is a pretty good primer on noise filtration. It is written by my friend Dejan Veselinovic. Good stuff.

My big ONEAC transformer publishes specs and also filters (isolates w/ a big capacitor?) the ground--"Virtual Ground, TM" they call it. This is very important for tube gear.