DAC Being Impacted By Home Power Issue - Help
I have a PurePower 1500 regenerator which has a built in UPS. It has forever eliminated any power problems I might of had. I plug in my entire system to this device which provides a clean steady 60 hz. Not sure of current pricing but you can go to there web site. PS Audio also has regenerators but they do not have ups built in. Remember the ups only kicks in if there is a total outage Alan |
The lowest cost UPS-like device I am aware of that I would have reasonable confidence in, with respect to both the likelihood that it would solve the problem and its suitability for use in a quality audio system, is the APC S10 or S10BLK, manual here. I've seen good reports on it or its larger brother, the S15, from some reviewers and other members here. Unfortunately, though, it costs $900 at Markertek.com (a well known and reputable dealer), although some less well known sellers apparently offer it in the area of $650. Note, btw, that its continuous output power rating is 700 watts, which may or may not be adequate if you were to include your power amp in what it is supplying. The devices Alan mentioned, btw, while most likely being excellent solutions, cost multi-thousands of dollars. A question, though: I would expect that the refrigerators are probably not on the same breaker as the outlets supplying the system. If that is the case, are the refrigerators on the same AC phase (breaker panel "leg") as the outlets which supply the system? If so, perhaps the electrician could just move the system outlets to the other phase, and that would solve the problem. Or if they are already on different phases, what I would wonder is if the DAC is responding to something other than a drop in voltage, such as RFI/EMI that is generated when the refrigerators turn on. If so, and if that is being coupled to the DAC through the house wiring (as opposed to through the air, which seems unlikely but is a possibility I wouldn't totally rule out), an inexpensive conditioner or filter might be the solution. Good luck, in any event. Regards, -- Al |
I can think of 2 things that may help. The first is to get a long extension cord and try powering your system from different outlets. At the very least, it can be a temporary fix. The other, is to give The Cable Company a call. Not only will they give you some recommendations as to what products may work for you, they'll send you demo units to test in your system first, before you commit to a purchase. There's no reason to take a chance and buy something that may not fix your problem. |
John, your best and imo only move is running a couple of dedicated lines and as it happens that would probably be the least expensive option as well. All the regenerators and UPS's mentioned here change the nature of the sound, and generally not for the better. You can run the wire on the outside of your house from your main utility box directly to your listening room, punch a small hole and bring the line into the room, add a breaker box and run a couple of lines on the floor to simple electric boxes with outlets. This way you avoid both the costly modifications to your house and the unsightly alternative of running a conduit. You can email me offline for pictures if you need them. david |
Dkarmeli, The APC S10 does NOT change the nature of the sound, believe me. I am as obsessed about my sound as anyone on AG, and if the APC changed it, I would not have it. Nightfall, try the APC S10, and if it doesn't solve your problem, I will eat my words. Btw, I bought a silver one new for $250 5 years ago, sprayed the front and top black (it turned out great), and it has operated flawlessly and silently since then. |
A review in Stereophile by Kal Rubinson (KR4 at Audiogon) of the APC S10's similar but more powerful big brother, the S15, can be found here (scroll down to the middle of the page). There is no mention of fan noise amid his very favorable comments. I would re-emphasize my earlier suggestion, though, that the first question which should be addressed is whether or not the outlets used for the system are connected to the same AC phase as the refrigerators. If they are, and assuming they are not on the same breaker, a simple wiring change at the breaker panel could very conceivably solve the problem. ZD's suggestion of trying a long extension cord to different outlets may also provide useful information. Regards, -- Al |
John, "Due to the fact that the first two levels are on slabs..." Are you saying that your first and second floor are of concrete slab? If so, then yes, running a circuit to your listening room will be very expensive. However, If your second floor is of wood frame then maybe I would contact another electrical contractor to look at running a dedicated circuit to your listening room. I am very familiar with holmes on slabs and can tell you that there usually are ways of feeding a wire to another level and on the opposite side of the house without breaking the bank. Typically you would look for possibly 2 closets stacked one over the other (or maybe a utility room under a closet, ect.). A good mechanic would be able to remove the base, drill holes and fish the wire up to the attic. And then make a drop down the wall where you want the electrical outlet. |
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