Seeking a Power Conditioner

+2 for pay no attention to ASR.  As far as power conditioning is concerned there is a controversy sparked by misunderstanding.  It is only needed in locales where the power supply is not tightly regulated or in areas served by old infrastructure or where a recent increase in population has resulted in a power demand that is taxing the power grid.  Not everyone needs power conditioning and if it isn't needed it does no harm, but it does no good either.  Hence the confusion.  I live in South Florida and in the summer months in densely populated areas the voltage swing goes from ~105 to ~120vac.  Especially during peak usage times this can affect audio performance.  I use a PS Audio P20 and it smooths things out completely.  I don't have to fuss with the bias on my tube amp any more and tube life is greatly extended.  That is real world experience over the past 8 or 10 years. 

ASR writes fiction to attract clicks.

That said, have you ever seen a negative review (except the clowns at ASR)?

Neither of them would be on my list.

Go with a regenerator.

Jerry

Have a question about ASR. reviews. I have been into this field for about 40 years and believe that each piece of the puzzle makes a difference in what we ultimately hear, room treatments absorption, diffusion etc. cables and interconnects, power cords, amps, preamps. dacs, streamers, etc. I have always believed reviews whether from magazines or fellow audiophiles are credible. Of course, I attempt to listen for myself before making a decision. For example, I plan to purchase the Schiit Loki Max, based on reviews.  Now I come to the issue of power conditioners.  I currently have a Richard Gray conditioner that is 20 years old or more.  I wanted to make a change on the rationale that conditioners have improved technology  since my purchase. My goal is to reduce the noise floor so I can listen to music at 55 dbs and still hear the dynamics and full body of the music. In my quest, I figured that less noise, more music. Then I read a few positive reviews in print and was ready to make a buying decision, until I came  2 reviews from ASR, who claims his tests are conducted with objective scientific instruments, and he concluded that 2 specific conditioning products  that I already mentioned make almost no difference at all as to the goals of reducing the noise floor or otherwise.  On this site, a few people have said his supposedly scientific testing is not useful, and that the subjective reviews online and in print have more value as compared to his objective tests. Are the conditioners for real?   Who is correct and what is your rationale for your conclusion? Would appreciate any thoughts that you may have.  By the way, my budget is in the $3000.00 range, new purchase only. Thank you. 

Get the best power conditioner you can afford, but be aware that there is no magic, just reality of electricity. If there is a benefit, it can be measured, so don't believe false claims of better audio in most cases. Where I live in Florida I'm done with paying for repairs from dirty power and surges, even when the house has surge protection (that didn't protect the stereo and on-demand water heater). I have not read the reviews of power conditioners on ASR, but it's electric and there should not be such negativity from this group to looking at the facts about the measurable characteristics of the power handling. I have a simple conditioner from Panamax and I have seen it work in storms and with generators that push dirty power as well. We have had fireballs traveling down the power lines and houses having things burst into flames even with surge devices installed as I assume it was a bigger event than they could handle. I have had to repair two McIntosh components due to immediate and latent failures related to this type of issue. A good conditioner will tell you that there is an event happening and dirty power may not be obvious, but can cause damage. I cannot plug things into the wall unless I want to risk losing them. A good conditioner should also have the high current capacity needed for pretty big high current amps. Every system and device is different so do your research on the actual power needs of your system, not this crazy idea that everything must be plugged directly into the mains with a cord made of unicorn hair. IMHO, you are not going to get any sonic benefit, just cleaner power and protection. 

carlsbad2

ASR writes fiction to attract clicks.

Pretty much. ASR promotes controversy and drama. Some people like that stuff.