Yes, Puritan PSM 156 substantially improves all aspects. Check ALL of the boxes. It is all greatly improved by replacing the stock 20A cord. Furutech 4.1 with Furutech connectors will do the trick. Best of luck. Cheers
The End of My Search for a Power Conditioner
I posted recently about my search for a power conditioner.
Previously I tried a PS Audio PowerPlant 3. It apparently did what it was supposed to do but I could not hear much of a difference except the soundstage seemed a little narrower and darker which I did not like. So I returned it.
I then decided to try a power conditioner with active filtering, I ordered an AudioQuest PowerQuest 707 which is the top of the PowerQuest line before the Niagara line. It did lower the noise level slightly and improved imaging. Initially I liked what I was hearing. After a day or so I noticed that the soundstage was not as big or open and that the upper midrange and lower treble were more forward than I liked. Upper strings were less refined and more upfront. This was not a perspective I enjoyed as I prefer a more relaxed and laid back presentation so I retuned the unit. Now the Niagara line which gets excellent reviews may present a much more refined sound. However I did not want a larger and heavy power conditioner that also has been noted to have a potential issue with hum. A fact noted in their user guides with steps to eliminate it. Plus they are expensive.
Reading reviews of a few other active Power Conditioners I noticed that reviewers also mention this forwardness in perspective. It seemed this might be a characteristic of the active filtered conditioners although I'm sure there are some that may not do this. So I decided to try a power conditioner with passive filtering. And the best reviewed I could find were those offered by Shunyata.
I called The Cable Company and borrowed a Shunyata Gemini 8 Power Conditioner and a Gamma XC Power Cable. The XC (Xtra Current} cables are specifically designed for their power conditioners
This unit was excellent and transformative for my system. Every aspect of the musical spectrum was positively impacted. At first I noticed more and better bass. Actually a little too much bass. I had just completed the blending of my REL T3 sub (an older model I had connected to my Keyboard system) with my Harbeth C7ES-XDs. The bass with the Gemini was so impactful I turned off the REL. There was too much low end with the sub. Most notably the overall dynamics of the system improved as a result of the darker background. My system was very low noise before the Gemini but now an even blacker background emerged. Detail improved and the upper midrange and treble were beautifully rendered with no forwardness. In fact the soundstage got bigger and wider. Soundstage depth improved slightly as well. Upper strings were more silken and refined. The overall presentation was balanced. I could increase volume without any part of the frequency standing out. Also I could now play my system any time of day and it sounded the same. I played through my 50+ reference tracks several times enjoying every one and hearing a more dynamic and live presentation.
Now I thought what would a Shunyata Denali 6000/V2 sound like at over 2.5x the price of the Gemini? I had to find out. So I borrowed a Denali and a Theta XC power cable from the The Cable Company. After speaking with Shunyata they said don't audition the Denali unless you can buy it. It's that good. My expectations were high.
Well my expectations were not met. I found that at least in my system I preferred the Gemini. I found the Denali sounded similar to the Gemini in general with maybe a little better bass but again with the upper midrange and lower treble a little too forward and emphasized for my taste. Now according to Shunyata the Denali should be powered by the Alpha or Sigma power cord. So using the Theta may have been hampering it. But adding another $3k for a power cord to the $6k for the Denali was not something I was interested in paying considering the wonderful performance of the Gemini in my system.
I also tried the Gemini with the Theta power cord and found that cable added a slight brightness to the treble and I preferred the Gamma with the Gemini, The Gamma is a copper cable while the Theta has a silver core that is lined with copper. Maybe that's the source of the brightness. Thinking about that I tried the Denali with the Gamma and it did slightly smooth out the treble but not entirely. I really think the Denali may need a Sigma or Alpha power cord. But the overall sound characteristic of the Denali is not significantly different than the Gemini. The Denali 6000/V2 has been on the market for about 5 or 6 years while the Gemini is a new product which I believe was introduced in 2023. So I think there has been a significant trickle down of Shunyata Technology into the Gemini 8 making it a really good value at $2.5k. It has a 20 Amp output and can be used with amplifiers up to 200 watts. I did try my Accuphase P4600 150 Watt amp plugged into the Gemini. It sounded pretty good but I slightly preferred the sound of the amp into the wall. At some point I will try it again with an upgraded power cord. BTW the Gemini is a beautiful piece of equipment that is solidly built, weighs in at 10 pounds, has a Lifetime Warranty and offers a Grounding System you can implement if desired.There is also a Gemini 4 that offers a 15 Amp output priced at $2k. The Gamma power cord is $498.
Bottom line is if you are looking for a small and light weight power conditioner take a look at the Shunyata line. In any case whatever brand always try one in your system as the synergy between power conditioners, cables and components can not be over emphasized.
You were right. A quality power conditioner can really be the foundation of a system.
31 responses Add your response
IME, you don’t need additional plug-in devices dubbed as noise defender if you are using a high quality power conditioner. All of these plug-in devices are nothing more than band-aids. I have several of these (Nordost, Furutech, AddPwr, AudioPrism) rotated through my system and none of them made a profound difference compared to integrating a high quality power conditioner. |
In my experience power conditioners are extremely system dependent, and man there are so many different types of conditioners one can choose from these days (both old and new). It's the same with plug-in filters, what may sound good in one system may hinder another. I think that's one of the reasons why some people write off power conditioning, they've had a bad experience or two and then that experience turns into an outright writing off of the concept (though there are also legitimate concerns outside of bad experiences like not wanting to connect power hungry devices into certain conditioners that may limit current), and there's the expense that can come with trying different products. It's good you got to try several and found one your system and ears mesh well with.
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@jfrmusic Did you plug your amp(s) into the Gemini or only your other components? What amp(s) are you running? Thanks. |
In my never-ending quest for "the" sound that I want, I decided that I had to try a Shunyata Denali v2 to replace the isolation transformer that I had in my system. My system: ARC REF 6, Pass 250.8, MSB Discrete DAC with Premier power base and Wilson Sabrina X's, Shunyata Sigma v1 cables. Although I found a good deal on a 6000/T, I didn't act quickly enough and it sold. Having already pumped myself up for a Denali, I decided to splurge and get an Everest. In for a penny, in for a dollar, as they say. Found one used with a Sigma XC power cable. My experience was similar to OP's with the Gemini. Although there were some subtle benefits during the first week that I had it, on day 7, everything suddenly clicked. The soundstage was wider. It was now much more 3D. The instruments were perfectly placed on the stage, and the background was black. I wasn't sure before what that really meant, but it is like adjusting the white balance on a photo. Everything popped in relation to the background. Even on bootlegs like some of my Led Zeppelin soundboards, the background was quieter, and the band was perfectly placed on the stage. I noticed little details in my recordings that I didn't notice before. The little background noises on a live recording that make it sound like you are there were much more present . . . things like clinking glasses, chairs being moved, glasses sliding along the table . . . that sort of thing. I wouldn't say that it was like a new system, but it was transformative. I also grounded all of my components to the Everest. I can't say that that made an audible difference, but I figured that it couldn't hurt and I didn't critically listen to the system "ungrounded" and grounded. I can't speak to the Denali or other conditioners, but the Everest is so much more than the "glorified power strip" that I had thought that it would be. Rather, it is like another important component in the system. And as an added benefit, my outside generator was struck by lightning, which fried it, traveled to the transfer switch in my garage and fried it, and from there, went into the panel and fried my entire HVAC system. But with the Everest, nothing touched my stereo equipment! As I said, I cannot discuss the Eiger, Denali or Gemini, but if you can afford an Everest, you can pick them up used for $6K + the cost of at least a Sigma XC, it made my system sing! |
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Do have furman 20 and they are great surge protector heavy but have not failed in that area .have several 1000 watt pluss amps hooked to them and they handle it.i would hook amps into the wall but can't afford power outages problems .power out at least 4 times a wk in surges. Stay healthy. I bought all my 20 furman open box used have not had a problem. |
I bought a bunch of conditioners all kinds.first our power surges alot.they so far have all protected all my equipment. 2nd had a ground loop.went from rca to xlr fixed the ground loop.i do have several amps on my mcintosh 12000 pre amp y off with xlr.? Is there a better way than to y them ie snakes. Have not had time yet to check a b on sound stage of different power conditioners. Plus 1 on ozzy. Enjoy the music |
If there is no dedicated grounding terminal on your component, you can connect Gemini with a grounding cables by using RCA, XLR, BNC, USB or Ethernet connectors. All the connectors are available through Shunyata. Since your Gemini comes with grounding, it would be worth exploring which one of your components responds favorably to superior grounding within Gemini. My grounding device is connected via RCA connector, plugged into one of the vacant RCA inputs of Accuphase. https://shunyata.com/wp-content/uploads/dlm_uploads/2023/04/GEMINI-Grounding-Guide.pdf |
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We have tried the top of the line Audioquest compared to our reference audio magic oracle the Audioquest was sent back the next day
we have used huge amplifiers with the Audio Magic and they improved their performance in fact we have tested over the years power conditioners from:synergistic, shunyata, exact power, silver circle, running springs audioquest,audience, ps audio,isotek and audio magic.
Dave and Troy Audio Intellect NJ
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Congratulations. Glad you were able to find something that met your needs with qualities that are commensurate with higher priced products. It seems to be true that newer Shunyata products are benefiting from trickle down technology. New product announcements which incorporate upper level tech are being featured in these new lower price products. For example, The new Shunayta X series power cords with QR technology really showcase that Shunyata is advancing their top tier products while bringing their once top tier product tech to a lower level product line with a better price. Of course, better price is in the eye of the beholder. |
