Is PS Audio the only game in town for Power Regenerators?

I only posted this once. Not sure why two post appear? 🤔

Not sure if ExactPower is still in business.

I have a P 10.....their well worth the money.

One of the great audio bargains.

@timo62 

I only posted this once. Not sure why two post appear?

its a glitch and one day the developers of this site that created this issue might get around to fixing it......but dont hold your breathe.     

@erik_squires 

 

Not sure if ExactPower is still in business.

no.   a company called Middle Atlantic Power bought them in / around '08.     i did read that you could send Exact Power equipment to them at one point to be serviced if needed.   not sure if that is still an option.     

krelldog,  I am actually considering trying the PS Audio P15.

I was just curious if there was any other brands to compare.

A friend had lent me some older PS Audio power strips to try a few years ago. I believe they were the Quintet power strips. It added an element of brightness to the sound though that my ears did not prefer. I was just concerned that the P15 might have the same sound characteristics ,or house sound.

 

erik_squires ,  I do not believe ExactPower are still in business.At least nothing shows up under any searches for the company itself.

riley804,

I will check Middle Atlantic Power out to see if they have any current offerings.

I owned a premier Power Plant and was not happy. I sent it back for upgrade but it was the same when I got it back. Much better luck with Core Power PLC. They also have a Deep Core but I don't have one yet. AND I have a balanced dedicated line for my audio

I have a P12, P15 and P20 I like them,  but this 3000VA UPS which I own too, is not that far off any of them under an oscilloscope.. I do not know if the PSs are worth the additional cost.

@ astolfor , Thanks for the 3000VA UPS recommendation. This looks like a promising option and at a much lower cost. Any difference in sound, or any positive attributes between using the 3000VA and PS Audio products in your system?

All what I say is my experience, so I do not say if a product is better or not. 😊

In my home in the USA, the entire house was rewired when Covid-19 started because I needed very clean power for my instruments. So half of the house is in one panel the other in another. From the “lab” panel I have 2 5000va Apc and a 3000va connected, from the ups the 3000 and one 5000va go to the “lab” the other 5000 goes to the living-audio-room.

What comes out of the ups is in the 0.2thd and 119-120v, but not true/perfect sine but very very close despite the claim. So I tried an Isotek to lower the noise, which marginally did until the outlets rusted. My house is also temperature and humidity controlled, because for the work I do I need very stable environment to make sure that I have as little variation in my projects, so the Isotek rusted because cheap component in the plugs.

Then, I bought a PS15, and lowered the noise and gave me a very close, closer than the APC, sine wave, and 0.1thd. Did the sound benefited from the PS15? Yes but not enough, then I bought a p20 because I read that they are better.

in my system the P15 and P20 sound identical, maybe because my system does not load them much.

I called PS Audio and asked them if me running the PS from my 5000va Apc was a problem, they said no, but in the documentation it say do not do it. So I ran a 20Amp outlet and plugged the PS20 to it and there was absolutely no difference, in the output power metrics, the P20 was working harder but not sound difference.

the panel had ~1.9thd and the voltage fluctuation was around 6-7V, and radder jagged sine wave.

Are the PS worth it? It all depends if they make a difference in your system and you can hear it.

If you are in a budget, put a 2000-3000va UPS, there are many good brands, then see if you like the improvements, if you do then you can try the PS.

 

astolfor,

Thank you for your reply in regard to your experience with  PS Audio and recommendation on trying a 3000VA UPS.

Kemp Elektroniks makes a front end AC regenerator. Check it out here:

 

nmmusicman,

 

Thanks for the recommendation. Have you used this front end AC Regenerator product yourself?  How would this be applied to an audio system , it  only has one outlet? 

 

timo62,

PM sent.

Pro Power is another company. https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/is-ps-audio-the-only-game-in-town-for-power-regenerators-2 No price provided, but likely as high as PS Audio. They use a battery, so could be a reworked commercial UPS modified to be quite. They do not provide THD output specs, but do have a 17dBa noise spec.

I did find a UK product that was quiet made for audio application, but not sure if they made a 110V version. https://www.powerinspired.com/product-range/specialist-ups-systems/vfi1000qs-silent-ups-system/

With respect to low cost solutions, the APC and Cyber Power UPS units at 55 dBa @ 1 meter is too loud for my room, Liebert UPS are 46dBa again too loud. Would have to have at panel or another room for my audio application. Those unit provide specs of <2% THD. Although per @astolfor measure better .2%. THD with 1.9% THD at panel. I have not measured my THD at panel, but doubt it is >2%. So from my research PS Audio is the only practical game in town.

No experience with re-generators.  Just sharing experience, that if a much lower system noise floor is what you seek, the Decware conditioner delivers in spades.  Shockingly good at subtraction without dulling dynamics.  What one did not perceive as there, is removed for a blacker background.

I purchased one for a friend and without solicitation he independently expressed the same with his system.  It replaced a Furman Elite 15.

Best of luck and success on your journey.

 

Celtic66,

Thanks for your input. I have seen the Decware’s line conditioner before on their web page. I assume you are talking about Zen Line Conditioner ( ZLC)? Looks very interesting.

georgeab, Thanks for your input on Pro Power and the APC and Cyber Power UPS.

Correct, ZLC.  Probably now an 8 month wait time, sorry for that.  Ciao

 

@timo62 - Perhaps not as "elegant" as Audio Power Generation systems, but I do now people are using them - the YETI Goal Zero

Goal Zero Yeti 1250W Battery Powered Portable Generator | The Home Depot Canada

I believe you can leave them plugged in for contant charging, but the power is genertated from the battery

Take a look at this thread

Audiogon Discussion Forum

Hope that gives you more options - Steve

Take a look at these 2 videos and you will see why PS Audio is not any game when it comes to power conditioning.

I did the same measurements in my PS 15 and 20s

They are electrical junk 

 

No, inverters are way more elegant than power regenerators.......My friend had the Goal Zero 3000 watter and that was great but then he got the Eco Flow Delta and it is way more transparent sounding. He also uses the Puritan line filter after it and also has the Puritan ground filter and put his own ground rod outside just for his stereo......his noise floor is soooooooooooo low.....you hear stuff you never ever heard before.....and you are off the grid.....you always have the same great sound. He went back to the wall for a minute the other day and had to put his finger down his throat (still with the Puritan in the line)......he says....you guys who are using the wall power are living in the past. He has Parasound JC1+ amps and his system is running over 700 watts constant draw.....but he gets over 4 hours listening before he has to recharge the 3500 watt thang.....and it has a 15 amp charger built in.....charges fast. If you are drawing 300 watts then the thing will last 10 plus hours...You can also add as many 3500 watt extra battery packs to make it last for days......of course, all this is not cheap....$3500....for the basic 3500 watt unit with battery and charger built in.

+1 inverters is the way to go, and can be done very smartly.