I'll share a few anecdotes based on my experience in my system, for what they are worth:
first, I use very efficient horn speakers and it took some doing to get the line quiet. Not 60 hz hum exactly, but you could hear a sort of hash that was reduced through various power conditioners and grounding arrangements. I've been able to get this sorted without the need for power conditioning, but I'm sensitive to this. Does it raise the 'noise floor' or make music sound less clear and distinct coming through the system? I think so.
second, I've been experimenting with various rectifiers in the power supply of my phono stage. In exploring issues like voltage drop or 'tube sag,' (something I know guitarists talk about when they want to get a certain 'crunch' or distortion out of an amp), it seems like the tube that sounds better has less 'sag' ; this contributes to distortion. Conversely, the more robust rectifier sounds more effortless, although there may be trade offs elsewhere in the sound spectrum.
I just changed to a battery line stage. For some reason, there was a low level sizzle, which didn't make much sense. It went away after a large crew, with two bucket trucks, went to work on a transformer one up from mine on the line.
I'm looking forward to seeing how the big Equi=Tech wall panel works in my next room, for precisely the reason that AC power seems to determine a lot about how my system sounds.
first, I use very efficient horn speakers and it took some doing to get the line quiet. Not 60 hz hum exactly, but you could hear a sort of hash that was reduced through various power conditioners and grounding arrangements. I've been able to get this sorted without the need for power conditioning, but I'm sensitive to this. Does it raise the 'noise floor' or make music sound less clear and distinct coming through the system? I think so.
second, I've been experimenting with various rectifiers in the power supply of my phono stage. In exploring issues like voltage drop or 'tube sag,' (something I know guitarists talk about when they want to get a certain 'crunch' or distortion out of an amp), it seems like the tube that sounds better has less 'sag' ; this contributes to distortion. Conversely, the more robust rectifier sounds more effortless, although there may be trade offs elsewhere in the sound spectrum.
I just changed to a battery line stage. For some reason, there was a low level sizzle, which didn't make much sense. It went away after a large crew, with two bucket trucks, went to work on a transformer one up from mine on the line.
I'm looking forward to seeing how the big Equi=Tech wall panel works in my next room, for precisely the reason that AC power seems to determine a lot about how my system sounds.