Power Conditioners


Does anyone have opinions about the outrageous claims of the power condioner makers of improving the quality of the sound and picture to the levels they claim. Any preferences from the makers: Tice,Equi=tech,Cinepro,Suntaya, Bybee, ExactPower? or any others for that matter? Thanks.
gijay
I have also used those Blue Circle BC86 Noisehounds Power Pillows. They are a parallel filter. They so not have outlets. They work wonders if used with a low cost conditioner. Even with a high end conditioner, I notice some difference, mostly in the blackness of the background.
You may want to add the Sound Application CF-X to your list, I own both and the CF-X beats the Hydra hands down.
Try the Monster Cable one. At $179 it is much cheaper than many of the others and it works well in my system. (I cannot say that I have directly A/B'd it against the competition, but the improvement is noticeable and I like the price!) They also have a slightly less expensive one with fewer outlets. (System: Thiel 1.5 speakers, Golden Tube SE-40 monoblocks, Modulus 3A preamp.)
Sean, as is usual with his expertise, is right on the money.
Powerwedges and the early Brisson stuff were the first plc I experimented with and they made the system noticeably quieter. I did not find, that they reduced dynamics. I've also used Equi/Techs( balanced power= less noise) and the PS Audio stuff, to run US voltage equipment here in 230VAC country with no detrimental effects at all. With the Bybee powerconditioners I tried, I did not really notice much difference, neither with the Tice stuff. But I found the TAD, an early Bybee attempt, which is without current protective devices, subtly increased the dynamics on the preamp,(Spectral DMA 30) I used it with. I've never tried the really expensive Accuphase and Burmester gear, but I am very happy with the PS Audio 300 and 600, which also helped to make my system somehow subtly quieter and its rendering more "relaxed" and naturally musical.
From my limited experience with various PLC's, i think you notice the biggest difference when you take them OUT of the system. Many of the improvements are subtle and take some time to notice / get used to. When you remove them from the system, you can then notice all those subtleties that are no longer there. The lower noise floor, ticks, pops, etc... from other devices in the house being turned on now become FAR more apparent.

I also think that PLC's work FAR better in congested living conditions ( apartments, condo's, city dwellers in hi-rises, etc..) or those in residences that have a LOT of people sharing the same pole transformer. Those that live in the boondocks or have very limited electrical usage around them may not notice near as much of a benefit. Sean
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The Shunyata Hydra is tremendous. All of the products you mentioned are pretty good, but the Hydra is a different level of power product.

It takes about five days to break-in but when it does the difference are huge.
The cinepro really made a big difference. The noise floor was lowered considerably. Also the music seemed to have more impact. Large storage capacity, 1.5 Kva, on the ten amp model. My friend and I both bought one after doing a listening test that lasted about, well we had barely enough time to turn around.
I Bought a CHANG LIGHTSPEED 9600.
I did my Research and Tried several others out there.
Chang is Competitively Priced, made the Biggest Difference, and Very Well Built Product! Also, you need to consider upgrading Power Cords, if you haven't already.
I have Definitely Heard a Difference in MY system since its Purchase. Through Filtering (for EMI and RFI), GOOD Line Conditioners DUE Lower the Noise Floor and allow your system to go Another Level Up. And With a Lower Noise Floor (Grundge), you WILL Hear More Detail and a Blacker Background. I Recommend Staying AWAY from Conditioners that USE Transformers. A Good Line Conditioner WILL make a Difference in ANY system. Try Different ones (Comparison Demo) and see which one makes the Biggest Difference in Your system (different ones due different things)! Good Luck.
My Tara AD/10B Power Filter is outstanding and I would not consider parting with it. Like many other brands, it uses balanced AC power (+60v to -60v) which virtually eliminates common mode noise from the ground. It also has a GFI for additional protection. Search this forum, as there are many here who own power filters and consider them mandatory for their systems. You will also get helpful advice on the many different models out there.