Power Strip vs. Line Conditioner


Please give me some feedback on this. I was told and have read that line conditioners should never be used as they degrade the sound. Instead a simple power strip such as the Wiremold brand is all that is needed for the best sound. Is this true?
boboh1

Showing 1 response by fpeel

Not familiar with the Wiremold, but in my experience the answer is "it depends." Generic power strips are usually made of cheap materials and with questionable manufacturing practices. Poor connections, cheap switches and small gauge wire do not enhance any system. Quite the opposite.

Line conditioners seem to be a mixed bag, too. Some claim good experiences, some bad. In my case everything except the amp ended up plugged into a Vans Evers power line conditioner (PLC). This PLC has sockets with three levels of filtering and it does seem to matter what component is plugged into which.

The amp is plugged straight into the wall. When it was plugged into the PLC there was a discernable loss in dynamics and the bass became less defined.

My advice is to buy quality products whatever they may be and be prepared to experiment to find which works best in your setup. In the end it's a matter of synergy.