Power Conditioning on the Cheap

For the money, you may consider dedicated power lines to your listening area if that is possible for your situation.

I second @mitch2 opinion. It’s always better to start on solid, proven ground. Later on, you can add a conditioner. The better your power, the less hard the conditioner has to work to clean it. You should start here. Good luck. 

While a dedicated power line is always beneficial, getting a basic AC filter is simpler.

I suggest you opt for a low-cost, pro Furman device like this one (or similar) and take it from there. You will most certainly hear an improvement.

I'd go with the Shunyata combo if you need the extra outlets, if not just the Defender. I've added Defenders in 2 systems even beyond my power conditioners and realized additional SQ benefits.

the old Shunyata Venum blocks I disassembled contained metal oxide varistors, which I and another poster have found to squash dynamics, particularly with amplifiers. I am not sure if the current models continue to utilise them, but it‘s definitely something I would look into

despite claims of elaborate filtration all they contained was a varistor and a capacitor

I tried an expensive PS Audio power regenerator and it had no discernible effect, whatsoever. The dealer who'd brought it over agreed. 

Given your stated  budget limitations, you could buy something from a vendor that offers returns and try it out for yourself for a month.

FYI: Audio Advisor carries Furman. 

I have an older Shunyata Hydra 6 (probably about 10 years old) and my experience has been very positive. There has been no degradation of sound whatsoever, to include the preamp and amp being plugged into it, and it has performed flawlessly preventing any surge damage.  The sound overall is much more dynamic and open as well.

My PS300 is a very good power generator, but it’s old and still running, Finally I have to give it rest, and I also want to save electricity, I decided to buy Wisdom power ES, did not expect anything, To my surprise it surpass my PS300. It’s so quiet and very natural sounding.Its excellent. You can call Jim the owner , he can give you more info, he knows what he is doing.

Puritan PSM 136.

@jayctoy The wisdom power ES seems as close to plugging directly into the wall as you can get. It is wired almost exactly like I wired my my wall boxes (except I consider cryo as snakeoil). It doesn’t surprise me that it sounds better than the old PS300 because many power conditioners do more harm than good. --Jerry

You cannot improve a lack of a problem, and most people, myself included, do not have a problem.

Thus it's about confidence.

dedicated circuit is good, isolate refrigerator, ac compressors, anything else

I bought a Furman P-1800, here's an open box listing

 

It's the capacitors that are sending the juice, and you don't need to over-do it, only part of your system is on at any one time. you could theoretically fill the capacitors with filthy power, they send the same out. your quality equipment has transformers, capacitors, ... 

take a look at the diameter of the wire in the fuse before you buy power cords larger than garden hoses. the furman monitors/shows incoming voltage, if you had a real problem, temp or permanent, it would be easily revealed. I use it as a power center, 1 switch for all equipment, the preamp and amp power switch's will stay in on position. walk away for 20 minutes. then turn on selected source equipment via it's switch. they still get powered via the Furman.

@elliottbnewcombjr Are you saying you can identify a problem by looking at voltage?  If so, please explain how.

 

I think he is saying you cannot fix a non existent problem @carlsbad  

You don’t know what you don’t know… until you do.

If you monitor the voltage coming in from your distribution panel, you can determine if you have line sags or over voltage.   The range allowed for your line voltage is quite large, so any changes will readily show up on a voltmeter.   What you can't see are short term voltage spikes or HF noise - most DMMs are not fast enough to catch them.

There are two transformers in a Puritan PSM-152 to allow free flowing amperes.
Fused circuit protection, banks of capacitors to remove DC effectively.
Two stage individual shunting inductors that shunt high frequency hash from both the active and neutral to ground, individually on each outlet. While leaving the sinusoidal waveform intact and without impeding current flow.

A highly regarded device, discussed many times in Agon and the one I decided to drop the money on.


 

Let me talk about what I’m most familiar with. The difference between the Furman PST-8D and Elite 15i (which I own) is mostly in convenience features.

Both offer active noise removal (LiFT) and top end surge protection and noise filtering (SMP). The Elite adds:

• Power factor correction, which can help improve current/power delivery
• 12V trigger switched outlets
• 4 independently filtered banks

Both are actually tested as surge protectors. I live in South Carolina, and we get serious thunderstorms here. The idea that I am going to let my precious gear connect directly to the incoming power without surge protection is absurd, never going to happen. I’ve already lost an unprotected laptop last year. Sometimes these storms sneak up on you too, so the counter argument that I should always unplug gear during a storm isn’t that worthwhile. I could be asleep or miles and miles away.

The other idea I see floated around is that somehow having a dedicated line (a good idea) makes you immune from noise and power problems. No, it only reduces how susceptible you are to noise in your house, somewhat, and with a heavy enough gauge may help minimize voltage sag.  That is, what sag you have control over. The idea that the transformer outside on a pad or up a pole is "ideal" is one I will never ever comprehend.

@erik_squires +1 No need to spend a ton of money and dedicated lines are great (I have 4) but you are right, only keeps you off the household grid.

 

@pesky_wabbit 

despite claims of elaborate filtration all they contained was a varistor and a capacitor

Not surprised, a lot of products consist of normal stuff in a fancy box.  After you install your dedicated lines, if you want to spend just a little money for protection and filtration, check out the Jon Risch ac filter described here and here.  I made two of them years ago and they continue to work great.  Take Five Audio in Canada used to offer a kit for this.  Unfortunately, I could no longer find the original links but you might ask around on audio asylum.

Underwood HIFi has a line of lower cost power conditioners and offers a trial period.

I am personally a fan of the Garth Powell units (Furman and Audioquest) that have storage in the unit for more power than the line can deliver for transients.
While I use the Niagara 7000 in home system to great effect, I needed to put together another much cheaper system and found a very old Furman reference 15 for sale. It’s pretty much the same as the current reference 15i units sold now except for cosmetics.

I just noticed a Furman reference 20 on flea bay for 800 obo.  I would imagine it would blow away even an Niagara 1200.  

 

Brick Wall offers a couple of power conditioners/protection. I can’t say about the improvement in sound, because I am just using one for my computer.

To my liking are the old BPT power isolation transformers, which were rated high over the need for current in many systems. The one that I bought many years ago had 6 secondary windings electrostatic shields for each winding, and also produced balanced power in the output. Each secondary is rated at 10 amps, but the primary is also rated for 10 amps, so that must be taken into consideration.

Got to admit to using Richard Gray products in the past but think that more than one needs to be considered.

A close second in my experience is an old PS Audio P300. I have one coming in Wednesday that has been thoroughly rebuilt by a good friend of mine who used to consult for Sudgen in Europe. I consider the extra money spent on the rebuild rather worth it. I have owned these units (the P300 in particular) like what they do given their limitations. Almost always used for source equipment.

I also agree with @mitch2.

And that a dedicated ground can't be overlooked, if available.

Objective? Here you go, from Audio Science Review, a deep look into power regenerators. 
 

Personally? I just use a nice TL line conditioner that has a protection circuit built in.

 

@mitch2 yeah, when you know what’s actually in the box you have to giggle

varistors change sound in a way some may find appealing, but squash dynamics big time. The outlets are very high quality and probably do offset their impact to a certain extent, but I would remove them in a heartbeat..

As Eric mentioned the Furman units are surge protectors first and top notch. I think the idea of “conditioning power” is dubious. However, keeping voltage as constant as possible along with surge protection is a smart thing. I need surge protection like Eric, in CO, t-storms can be monsters. Very real deal. This year I’m installing a whole house surge protector and dedicated line. For now I too use a Shunyata Hydra 6 for my amps and front end along with the Furman PTS-6 for digital, TV etc. they haven’t failed me yet. The new Viper block looks like a winner IMO. I like Shunyata gear, it has served me well overall on the power side of things. I’m considering an upgrade of my block to a unit that can do all my system as one… not sure what that will be just yet.

I think the most important question you need to ask yourself is how robust of a surge protection unit you need. If your needs are minimal then I think about any decent block would get you where you want to be.

If you guys could only experience the PI Audio UberBuss with a Power Factor Correction of 1 plugged into a 30A dedicated line, you’d know what power conditioners were really capable of.

And I speak from experience.

Before you start talking about what equipment you can buy, find a really serious electrician (where are you, geographically?) who can "audit" your electrical set up. I spent money on power, but made sure the basics, starting at the service entrance, were in order.

Mr. Fremer did a video about the noise from his Generac (Mike?) which turned out to be a combination of long standing electrical problems, starting with corroded contacts where the meter plugged in.

In my estimation, it’s all an expensive bandaid until you address the basic delivery of power to your house, building and system.

See what you have and deal with the problems there first; the rest should come easy. I did not stint (this isn’t about saving money, but it may be that you need very little to "condition"). With "conditioning" or black boxes, I’m always afraid of baby with bathwater. To me, before spending money on conditioners and black boxes, it make sense to assure you are getting the best results from the power provided to you. A lot of residences and commercial spaces have terrible power that can be corrected by good practices. That’s where I’d start.

Thanks for all the responses.  I'll take it all into consideration.  Since more than one of you has mentioned installing a dedicated line I was wondering what something like that typically costs.  I live in three story old Victorian just outside of Boston where the electrical panel is in the basement and my listening room is on the third floor.  It is however, directly above the electrical panel so it should be a pretty strait shot between the two.  Also what gauge wire should I use 12, 10, 8?  Thanks again.

Regarding wire gauge, the gauge should be paired with amps.  Your electrician will know.  If your wire is already at 14 gauge for 15amps, and if you want to save some money and stick to that wire. Or you can upgrade to 20amps if you think you are getting electronics that need to run on 20amps.  https://www.familyhandyman.com/list/cable-and-wire-basics/#:~:text=The%20most%20common%20sizes%20you,%2Dgauge%20and%2012%2Dgauge.

 

Also, think about changing the outlet to a hospital-grade/studier outlet.  Or splurge for an extra $30 for one of these.  

 

 

 

 

I think the question of gauge depends on what you are doing. My guys ran 4 gauge from the output of a very large isolation transformer to a secondary panel adjacent to the listening room, and from there, ran 10 gauge from the panel to the outlets, which are 20 amp hospital grade Hubbells- made to spec for Albert Porter (and no longer available, bargain that they were). I think it is less about audiophile "approved" than good practices. The guy I alway call on is @Jea48. Simply for his practical knowledge of Code +. 

The top grade furutech power outlet. Then after that furutech top with of the line AC and IEC ends on your power cords. Start at the wall one set and keep going until you decide it's time to relax for awhile to pl

 

From your text it sounds you already decided you want to buy a Power Conditioner. My questions is ... is there something wrong / missing with your current sound that pointed you in this direction as being the solution?

It could be that maybe if you change another component, or improve room acoustics, experiment with speaker placement or port (if they have them) tuning, improvements can be made that have more impact for the same or less investment than adding a power conditioner, which will probably only make a subtle audible difference, if any at all.

Since you say you have this budget cap, other solutions could be more money efficient. But of course the high tech looks and ’estheatics’ of a power conditioner added to your rig may give a nice feeling and may be worth something too.

The Furman PST-8, for the money, is very good. You mentioned the PST-8D, be advised that that model is dedicated to digital sources only. I’m not certain if you are aware, Garth Powell is the designer of the Furman PST-8. He used to work at Furman. He is the same guy that designed the Audioquest Niagara 1000 and 1200, as well as the more expensive models.

I will agree that it is advisable to run a dedicated circuit to your hifi. It can be done cheaply (if you are proficient in electrical work) by running a 12/2 romex (yellow) from a 20 amp breaker to a high quality receptacle (audioquest Edison for example). Then you will also need to buy some high quality power chords to take full advantage of your new found better quality power. 

’new found better quality power’

Better ISOLATED, i.e. nothing that cycles on/off to disturb the line, is NOT better QUALITY.

Problems prevented, a worthy goal, will NOT make better sound.

"I am personally a fan of the Garth Powell units (Furman and Audioquest) that have storage in the unit for more power than the line can deliver for transients."

Exactly why I chose my Furman P-1800

The capacitors store and send the juice. It’s like filling a baby bottle, the equipment is the little suckers. Except juice is constantly filling the bottle. The juice can be cloudy, that’s why there are filters.

Doesn’t make it sound better, just problem free, IF you had a problem, which ... most of us do not have.

Thus, don't need to over-do it.

 

I have a dedicated line plus dedicated ground and a digital voltmeter always on. I am so glad that as an audiophile I can do away from this power conditioning issue even so many would jump here and tell me I could still use some :)

Forgot two details about the Furman Elite 15i:

• Detachable IEC power cable
• Hospital grade outlets

 

I use shunyata defenders throughout my house and the small Audioquest Niagara 1000 on one of my spare systems. All of them I’ve picked up used here on Audiogon and eBay. All work great and I saved a lot of money. 

Puritan PSM156 or 136 at a lower price point. 156 is more robust. Can be mounted vertically with special feet. The Puritan mains cable supplied is also very good.

If you want something basic that is nice looking and will act as a surge protector there are used Monster Power Conditioners (i.e. 5100 Signature) that are available on eBay. I run three of these (one in a different system) plus a vintage Tice Power Block III Signature from the 90's. As far as I can hear, the Monster units don't change the sound (neither does the Tice) but they make a convenient spot to plug in my components and they protect my gear. One cool feature is that they have a large LED display that shows the voltage in real time. You can see your voltage change throughout the day and especially if your system is loading it down.

Regarding hospital grade outlets, I had the opportunity to talk with Caelin Gabriel (Shunyata) at AXPONA a few years ago. I asked him about outlets and he said not to use "hospital grade" outlets because they have stainless contacts that are designed to resist corrosion from the cleaning chemicals in a hospital. They are not designed for optimum power transfer. He recommended Hubble outlets and said that they are just about as good as Shunyata's own outlet for less money. I replaced my outlets (I've got two dedicated 20 amp circuits for my system) with Hubbles but I couldn't hear a difference. But like Amir said, it makes me feel better.

The last point I'll make is that you may be a prime candidate for having an electrician come out and examine your electrical system. It sounds like your house is pretty old and it must have been rewired at some point, maybe decades ago. Besides issues like corroded or poorly installed grounding, old electrical systems were designed before the proliferation of electrical gadgets. If you decide to run a dedicated 20 amp circuit to your listening room and then you buy an electric car you could bump into the limits of your service.

Yet another vote for the Puritan 156.  I had an Audioquest Niagara 3000, and the 156 is better

I find that most power conditioners do good and bad things. Dedicated powerline s on the same leg  of the breaker box wire the same length 

and furutech plugs only do good things nothing bad. Cannot say that with any power conditioner I have been around. Get the basics right to begin with no need to patch a problem that you can fix. 

 

Regards

Im with the farmer......if you get a conditioner be sure you can return it.

 

carlsbad

I only meant, if you suspected your service was bad, low, high, spikes of voltage, you could find out by watching the meter, it shows voltage fluctuations in real time.

my 2 controllers for my sump pumps also monitor and show voltage in real time. I already knew from them that my voltage is very consistent 121-122v.

weirdness will not be revealed, but will be filtered and kept on the incoming side, not the outgoing side, of the capacitors.

@incorporeus, as you well know, having clean power running through your mains is critical to getting the best sound out of any hifi system. To that end I use an AudioQuest Niagara 1200 power conditioner in conjunction with an AQ Thunder power cable in my dedicated headphone setup. The Niagara takes inputs from three LPSU’s, my hp amplifier, an iFi iPower DC power supply for my network switch, and from my CAT6 router. I chose AudioQuest because my audio dealer of over 40yrs is a big retailer of AQ products, and also because he gives me a very generous discount. When there is no music playing between tracks, or even within a recording, the background is absolutely pitch black. As the designer of power equipment at AudioQuest, and formerly at Furman, Garth Powell explains that power cables and conditioners do not add anything to the SQ of any system. All they do is take things away. If I had known how critical clean power was when I started my audio journey I definitely would’ve spent even more money. 

Brick wall audio in PA.is a or was a B rating in Stereophile 

8 outlets on top plus surge protection for around $300 is a great deal 

the New Shunyata Vernom 3 for $800 another excellent buy.

Although I don't have a dedicated 20 amp spur I agree with the posts above that is a solid investment. I've witnessed before and after results. That being said I've had a whole house surge protector for 15 + years. It has never tripped during any storms or power outages. I personally don’t like any filtration between my A/C outlets and my gear. I also don’t like fuses, switches, lights, capasitors etc. anything that gets in the way of the incoming A/C. I’ve used the Naim Wiremold power strip for 20 + years. 9 quality outlets, captive cord. Why captive? Because some high dollar power conditioning units use a $5. cheap EC connections that does more harm than good. Captive also means no breaks in the A/C connection > direction > Wire to wire. The Wiremold is Star Grounded sharing only one common ground. All outlets are tied to the main incoming power line. Non current limiting and all aluminum construction. Now they come Cryogenicly Treated as well. 

 

 Holographic Open Soundstage and purify the music for only $200. It's awsome in my 12K system....better than my 600 dollar PS Audio conditioner...What is it ....AudioQuest POWER QUEST 2...6 outlets with 3 Linear power outlets and 2 Hi Gain outlets...No Sacrificial surge protection   7 ft ac cable  Unlimited Joule protection.  The best $200 I ever spent . Forget all those overpriced units. This one is just as good and you can save a bundle.  Audio Advisor. Try it for 30 days.

At $171.00 the Furman PST 8

@mitch2  Damn good idea but the cost might not be as affordable as you think.  Running dedicated power line depends on several factors such as electrical needs, distance and whether or not you need to cut into drywall to run new wiring. If extensive work is needed to run wires in your home, the project could cost as much as a few thousand dollars.

Last year I went through a search for a small size power conditioner for my computer and digital audio setup.  The lower level Furman's were okay, but they only had 3 outlets on the rear (6 plugs).  Also, the Furman has a single filter design.  I looked at the Audioquest products, but rejected them because of the silver-plated components.  I ended up getting a PS Audio Dectet.  Review and teardown here:

https://www.audioaficionado.org/showthread.php?t=19276

It has 5 outlets (10 plugs) and actually three separate filters for three high current A/C zones.  It's more like a large power strip similar to the Audioquest, but does not use silver-plated components (if you are critical about that).  And it uses better outlets than the Furman.  Can use any high current power cord for A/C input.  Retail is now $750, but you can sometimes find these used for less.  The PS Audio Dectet worked out great for my scenario.

@lanx0003 

"the cost might not be as affordable as you think...If extensive work is needed to run wires in your home, the project could cost as much as a few thousand dollars."

I agree, everyone's situation is different.  I was fortunate to have commissioned the house construction so I was able to predetermine power distribution and other factors.  Having a basement helps with wire routing and upgrades also.  Some people can only resort to aftermarket products to improve their power so we all do the best we can.  Other than surge protection, it seems many of these products only "clean up" electrical noise if there is a problem to begin with.  So many factors can affect that and I am fortunate to live in an area with underground electric lines and to have dedicated lines and really no power noise issues whatsoever.  I was not this fortunate at all of my former living arrangements.  I currently use an Isoclean 60A3 II Power Conditioner on my front end components and nothing on my amps and preamp - all run from dedicated 20A lines and it works/sounds great.  I am not sure how much benefit the Isoclean provides (if any) but it doesn't seem to hurt and it gives me 6 outlets to run my digital gear from.