Hello PTss.
I like isolation transformers: better performance, lower price. Plitron makes superb ones. |
If you've got champagne taste and a beer pocket book, check out the Blue Circle Thingee. It's a great little power conditioner. |
Terry, have you tried any Equitech by chance?
How about the old MIT Z Stabilizer (fixed short cord) or the newer(but still well out of production!) Z Stabilizer ll with the silver or black face and a duplex in the back and detachable cord? They can both be a very interesting combo with your isolation transformer. |
Hello Ptss.
I am a big fan of isolation transformers, so I have been using them for about 10 years. Isolation from lightening, not to mention all the line garbage. When the electrical inspector certified my installation, he said that he had never seen such clean power, even at a power station.
Early on, I went to the local high end store and borrowed an exotic cable and an exotic power stabilizer. I tried six conditions into a Bryston power amp:
factory cable into industrial grade wall socket, no isolation: good
exotic cable into industrial grade wall socket, no isolation: slightly better
exotic power stabilizer, as above: significantly better
isolation transformer: best by a wide margin
isolation transformer with exotics: no improvement over isolation transformer
The best thing about Plitron transformers is that you can buy directly from the factory, and their medical isolation transformers are, well, designed to be good enough for medical equipment. The only thing is that they growl at 120Hz when working, so they should be placed in their own metal electrical box, outside the music room. And that means the electrical inspector. Even so, $500 for parts, $500 for professional installation, and you really have something - for the cost of one medium exotic cord.
That's my thinking. I use three at 2KVA. |
Hello Ptss.
I wrote a long response, which seems to have evaporated. The jist of it was, I tried an exotic cord and an exotic conditioner, but the Plitron Medical Isolation Transformer was by far the best. Also, you can buy factory direct. |
Thanks Terry. I appreciate your info. Going to do a bit of research. |
Terry, did you ever try an MIT Stabilizer with your isolation transformer? |
Hello Ptss.
I do not recall which conditioner I tested. The improvement of the conditioner ($4000) was so small, compared to the transformer, that I lost interest in testing more conditioners. I just went with more of what I had - transformers.
If you want to go more exotic than isolation transformers, you could add an industrial constant voltage transformer afterwards - but the returns are diminishing very rapidly at that point. And some of them are VERY noisy. Better to upgrade your caps, resistors, and rectifiers. |
Hi Terry. If I were to use an industrial unit it would perhaps be at the house power supply entry, and certainly before the 2Q. The reduction in gross noise & constant voltage the industrial unit would provide 'might' enhance the effectiveness of the 2Q.( I think of the industrial unit as a serrated knife and the recording studio/NASA quality oriented Equitech 2Q as a scalpel.) At our audio level I hope we are all looking at "refining" already decent power-at least that's what I'm about. My experience with my 2Q balanced transformer is all positive-but-a Z Stabilizer (1st and/or 2nd version)certainly has proven very beneficial to my Spectral/MIT system(combination of common-mode & differential noise reduction). But I'm always looking to improve/refine my sound. I'm hoping to hear from someone who has added a Shunyata to a system using a balanced transformer. |
I have been in the Richard Gray camp since 2002.
I have owned the 400 + Pro 400 conditioners. |
Jafant. have you tried combinations with any other conditioners. How do you use the 2 you have? |
Terry, I use a 2Q transformer and found MIT products to compliment it nicely. |
Hello Ptss.
I can't comment on these, as I haven't used them. But I find that industrial equipment is often a superior alternative, because it must work, and work reliably too. Hence Plitron. I also use a CVT (constant voltage transformer) for my turntable, in front of the manufacturer's "special" power supply, for three levels of filtration.
I think that you are correct in your pursuit of pure power, because I think that is the most under-rated factor in audio. My amplifiers see more than a Farad of capacitance, for example. |
Terry, I agree about industrial equipment reliability/robustness; and I completely agree with your comment about pure power being the most under rated factor in audio. . However I feel equipment designed for industrial use may not be as "refined" as some high end "audio only". I presently use an Equitech 2Q, which balanced transformer I understand is industrial and high end audio grade, but I have found my gear benefits from additional ac treatment. |
