My question is whether some units/designs might actually worsen the sound from source equipment. Theoretically, reducing noise in the electricity would improve blackness of background, exposing finer detail, as well as improve dynamics. Might it also color (or discolor) the sound in some way, i.e., brighten, gray, dull, or flatten the 3-dimensionality of the sound?
Again, I'm just asking about source equipment, including phono preamplifiers.
@analogj , your question has merit. I've tried a couple passive conditioners for my sources that coloured the sound: eg, added warmth instead of remaining neutral, restricted dynamics, removed that sense of "air" and sense of space. They lowered the noise-floor, but at too great a cost.
These were name-brand products, but used too much filtering which affected sonics. I found many more conditioners at the same price-point which used different technology to achieve better results. I now use balanced power for the majority of my sources and a Brick Wall for a couple digital devices.