From the Emotiva website the CMX-2 offers elimination of DC Offset as well as High-quality common mode and differential mode L-C noise filtering. So my thought was the CMX-2 does some initial cleaning of the power and then the Tice Power Block which I think is a large isolation transformer does the rest.
Interesting thread idea I've read before.. I have an isolation transformer, regen and SR Powercell, may try it sometime if I'm unhappy with the sound after my new speakers.
Here is my progression. with my system, I started out using a Monster Power Signature HTPS 7000 unit, with every low level piece plugged in to the Monster (pre-amp, CD, DAC, TT, Tuner, Phono Stage) and the amps into their own dedicated line to the panel. Note, the Monster also had it's own dedicated line. Three dedicated lines. My favorite store in San Diego had 2 PS Audio PS600 units for sale used. I took them home for a week and they blew immediately. Apparently, they are just like massive amps and the capacitors went bad. The store replaced all of them at their costs and I took them back home along with a Transparent Power Isolator 8 Conditioner. I did directly A/B comparisons between the Transparent unit and the PS Audio units with the Monster out of the system. The Transparent Power Isolator unit made the system sound really better than the PS Audio units. Don't get me wrong, with the PS Audio units, it still sounded great. Just better with the Transparent unit, and the PS Audio units have regenerators. That is my chain. 1) dedicated lines whereby the small signal equipment are all plugged into the Transparent Power Isolator and into a dedicated line to the panel. The Amps (Mark Levinson 23.5 for upper panels of my speakers and ML-3 to bass units of my speakers) have their own separate dedicated lines to the panels as well. And last, I am the first house on the power circuit of my neighborhood off of the transformer. So, my line voltage is clean and high all the time. But, I strongly recommend before isolators, regenerators, conditioners, etc. That you pay a few hundred bucks to a qualified electrician (or do it yourself if you are qualified), to install dedicated lines first. The Transparent unit is actually really good.
Sabai, Now that I think about it , I guess I am daising chaining a little too. I have 3 dedicated lines with an Audience aR2p-To on each. But, I also have a Nordost QV2 plugged into each line at the wall. I am also using a MIT super duplex outlet for my Video and that is plugged into my DIY power strip that comes from my Audience power cell.
My experience with an Isolation transformer included a humm that eventually made me sell it.
I will someday try a power regenerator. I was going to order a PurePower unit until I started reading all the bad press against that company.
Minorl, My system is on a dedicated line. Here is my daisy chain:
high quality medical grade isolation transformer (made in Germany) > Bybee Stealth power conditioner > Monarchy power regenerator
Any other configuration does not work well.
Ozzy, The Monarchy is sold direct and is a great bargain. It is rated at 100 watts -- good for transport and DAC in my system. My isolation transformer also had a hum. I solved the problem in this way. I have a large Tupperware container under it with dry beach sand then a poly cutting board then the tranny. On top of the tranny is another cutting board with another Tupperware container filled with dry beach sand. This is a very effective fix. The hum is inaudible now. Please message me if you would like pics.
I have to agree with Elizabeth, I am suprised with all that gear in the chain it hasnt choked the system a bit. Power regenerators in my mind are really unneccesary, a well designed power conditioner and cables are all you really need. Everyone has their preferences but sometimes too many tweeks can untweek the tweeks ;) My belief is to buy the the best you can afford and keep it simple but pay attention to the details.
As Rodman99999 said, Some redundancy is definitely happenning. Regenerators are really a unneccesary cost. All of our AC powered audio devices in fact dont use AC voltage at all. They are all DC devices so really they need clean DC not AC. So creating "pure sine" is almost utterly a waste of time. The AC current, after entering our gear, becomes rectified into DC and that is it for the sine. The big electrolytic capacitors accumulate the electrons, these electrons become a source of energy for the active devices in our gear. They are being released slowly as a DC current. These electrons have no memory of their AC past. They do not remember nor care if they arrived in a form of perfect sine, cosine, square wave, or chaotic ripples. As long as they arrived, their sins are forgiven in the capacitor and they are purified. So in other words, the hi-fi gear is indifferent to the AC shape.
Dcizmok, I know -- this defies the common wisdom of a short signal path. In the past I have talked about this on various threads and have received typical responses.
I used to have an SR PowerCell 10 SE MKII power conditioner but it could not compete with my Bybee Stealth, so I sold it off. In any case, a power conditioner is inadequate to do the job that needs to be done. Adding the power regenerator and isolation transformer was the breakthrough in my system. This makes for a much longer signal path -- and superior SQ. On the contrary -- power regenerators are neither unnecessary nor redundant. They are essential.
Most people have no idea about all this because few people will do to the trouble and the expense of doing what I and a few others do with their front end.
I do a lot more than this to enhance SQ in my system -- including a break-through product that may be marketed in the future.
Dcizmok, I know -- this defies the common wisdom of a short signal path. In the past I have talked about this on various threads and have received typical responses.
I used to have an SR PowerCell 10 SE MKIIpower conditioner but it could not compete with my Bybee Stealth, so I sold it off. In any case, a power conditioner is inadequate to do the job that needs to be done. Adding the power regenerator and isolation transformer was the breakthrough in my system. This makes for a much longer signal path -- and superior SQ. On the contrary -- power regenerators are neither unnecessary nor redundant. They are essential.
Most people have no idea about all this because few people will go to the trouble and the expense of doing what I and a few others do with their front end.
I do a lot more than this to enhance SQ in my system -- including developing a break-through product that may be marketed in the future.
The Problem that Dcizmok isn't addressing is that on the AC signal (that is eventually transformed into a DC voltage/current) is system noise. Unless the power supply in your equipment is really well designed and built, the AC noise isn't filtered out/removed adequately and it is passed through the amplification circuitry of your equipment and is also itself amplified. Good clean power from your local utility is the first item to be addressed and believe it or not, if you notice low or high voltage or noise, etc. this is a safety and reliability issue and if you report it in writing, the utilities have a mandate to fix it. I know this for a fact. Second is dedicated lines which means that certain equipment voltage/current isn't shared with the noise making equipment of your house and ground loops are eliminated. Designers get really creative in their circuit designs, but as many really good designers have stated many times, if the power supply isn't designed at the very top of the design/construction level, the system and sound reproduction will really suffer, and many really have no clue regarding proper grounding for circuitry and proper power supply design/contruction. Many times the old saying is still true. you get what you pay for. Lot of people are trying to fix problems that are already inherent in their system, like older equipment that does not use proper internal grounding techniques, or they don't have dedicated lines. So, they will install isolators, conditioners, regenerators, before fixing the real culprit, the quality of the voltage/current coming into your home in the first place. all it takes is written complaints of problems. Too many fixes will eventually choke the system. If the transformer that feeds your house is overloaded, you are starting out with a problem. If you don't have dedicated lines, then you have to turn off all the noise making stuff in your home and wait until the refrigerator stops cycling and the washing machine and dish washer stops. If you have ground loops and hum because everything is plugged into the same outlet, and you are using cheater plugs risking electrocution of yourself, pets, family to fix really simple problem, instead of dedicated lines and elimination of equipment that is quite basically designed poorly. But, I have to say, my system does sound better with my Transparent conditioner than without it. Not night and day different, but you can hear a difference.
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