Power Conditioner: Isotek, Audioquest or other?

I have the Audioquest 1200. Overall, I like it. I installed a whole house surge protector, upgraded my outlets, ( can't remember but $100 each ). 

When playing pool and casual listening, the music sounds good.  But it is only when critically listening that I really can hear the difference. The difference in what I hear is reduced underlying background noise. Sort of like going from ambient noise in your house that you don't really hear, to going to a dead silence that you might hear at a far away place, late at night. 

When I first auditioned the 1200 I listened to a Shelby Lynne album that I had listened to many many times. And for the first time ever, I heard someone softly talking at a table near where she was singing. I was sold. 

I’m keeping my Audioquest Niagara 1200. I took my time just plugging my Kinki EX-M1 integrated into it and all it took was one CD and I plugged everything else in as well.

At first it reminded me of my Marantz Reference PM 15S2b. It had more of that warmth but lost none of the detail, finesse, dynamics and soundstage that the Kinki has.

There must have been a very short break-in period because it wasn’t long before I found the sweet spot. Without the AC nasties highlighting everything (which I hadn’t noticed until they were gone) I found myself listening anywhere from .5-2.0db higher than usual.

Some say the sound is sweeter and at first I thought it couldn’t be but I can see why. they'd think so, There is a tonal fullness to guitars that reveal the whole body of the instrument. Never have they sounded so convincing. Same for vocals. Can’t overlook the piano as well. Even the softest notes have that majesty that only a piano has.

A great recorded CD like a Japanese pressing of The European Jazz Trio will leave your jaw on the floor. No kidding.

Like capatindidactic said, I can hear things going on before a musician plays, which had me looking for them on the stage before they started.

I didn’t think that there was that much crud on the AC lines and that what I had was good enough.
Boy, was I wrong.

All the best,
Nonoise

Thanks for all your responses. I can only see good reviews here from the Niagara 1200. Just no one seems to have the powerquest 3.

Not much on the Aquarious here eigther.

Just wondering, has anybody tryed or know about the Inakustik AC 3500?

Thanks.

I had the Isotek EVO for my theater room and two channel room in my last house.  With all of the other tweaks that I had I could not really say that there was a grave difference in sound from the Power Conditioners.  That said for my new house I purchased the best - Inakustic AC 3500P.    I am probably going to buy the AQ Niagra for my theater room.  If you have the money go for the 3500P.  If not the Niagra or EVO is fine.  

As one can see in my Escape From NY system in the speaker forum, I am putting together a small sustem while away from home. Last night I started looking into power conditioning, and upon finding the AQ Powerquest line, I thought that would be the right unit for the all in one integrated I’m plugging in. More reading lead me to an Amazon review of a Furman PST 8D that one guy liked better (and was cheaper).

I considered the idea of buying a used power unit since it would be pre- burned in. Looking on fleabay, I noticed quite a few higher end Furman’s and the ref15. I liked that it had some stored current (a feature I really like on the Niagara 7000 in my system at home).

The previous generation Furman reference line (without the “I”) seems to have the exact same specs as the current, just without as nice a case.

I made a computer surplus company an offer of half of what they were asking, and they accepted. I know it’s a very old unit, but for $450 I took a chance. They had 2 of them so if anyone wants to offer the same as I did.....

I’ve gone way overboard what I had planned to spend on an away from home system, and am now looking to complete it with some Core Power AC cables. (Just trying to decide between the Gold or Diamond  versions - which will end up in my home system eventually)