Do power conditioners really help?


I am a thinking about a purchasing a power conditioner for my system but really don't know much about power conditioners. I have a Denon AVR 5800 home THX with B&W Nautilus speaker set up. I'm also thinking about purchasing a power cable. I am currently using the Denon factory cable. If I buy a good power cable do I need a power conditioner? I'm clueless and wondering if I will hear any sound improvements. Prices I've looked at range from $30 to $2000. If I purchase, used or new, I only am willing to spend $300-$500. Comments welcome.
donald_pollock

Showing 1 response by bwhite

Power conditioning products initially seem very impressive. I have used the Shunyata Hydra, Sound Application CFX, Audio Magic Stealth, and Bybee Pro. Over time, I realized that the conditioners weren't really conditioners at all, they were more like "coloration-ers". Each of these top "conditioners" produces a sonic signature which shows up in your system as a coloration. As I cycled my components on and off of these products, I found that ultimately I preferred only the digital source be connected since all other components were not benefiting in a neutral way from the devices. The added color these conditioners brought to the digital source component was welcome but given that conditioners have several outlets, I found it ridiculous to have that much of an investment in a device that was only used on one product. Therefore I came to the conclusion that this is the best setup:

Dedicated lines for each component - 10AWG Romex in the walls - good outlets (Hubbel makes a new outlet that has far greater conductivity than any other available. Going from memory here - I was informed that commercially available outlets including Wattagate - PSAudio (also a hubbel) and others only have between 7 to 12% conductivity. The new Hubbles have upwards of 32% conductivity. You might want to contact Jim at Sound Application to get more info on these outlets.

Select unique power cord for each component - avoid using multiple cords from the same manufacturer in one system. This will allow you to custom tailor your system to your preferences and produce a more neutral tonal balance, greater transparency, more weight and body, better dynamics, etc....