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Sonic Frontiers Line 3 and Power Condtioners

I am wondering what people are using for power conditioners on their Line 3's?

I have a 5 year old Line 3 SE. I just had the third power supply failure in that time. Each time it appears the right channel power regulator has failed. Has anyone else had similar problems?

One suggestion from SFI is to look into added power line protection. I understand that SFI pre-amps have problems when ran with PS Audio equipment that has multiwave capability. I can see where that makes sense. But is the Power Director and UPC equipment without the multiwave a good choice? What about other brands?

I have been reading reviews on Monster, Richard Gray, Brick Wall, Tice, PS Audio and a dozen others. I think I have learned to look for isolation tranformers, stay away from surge protectors that use MOV's and be aware of current limiting But what products offer these without killing the pocketbook? (I know a $3K - $5k preamp deserves $$$ to be protected, but I can also buy a new amp for a few $K.) I think I am at the point of more confusion than conclusion.

Some folks swear by each of these, and others say they cause significant sound degradation. I am not after sonic improvement, though if I get it, great. I am after power line protection that won't degrade sonic performance.

Any recommendations?

Tnx,
Rick

System:
- SFI Line 3 SE
- Pass Labs X150 Amp
- Sony SCD-1 SACD/CD player
- Magnum Dynalabs FT101 tuner
- Martin Login Odyssey speakers
- Parasound phono Pre-amp
- Technics SL-23 turntable
rlmalm807f
outlier's avatar
outlier
381 posts
 
Hi Rick:
I used to have a Line 3 and I used a PS Audio P300 with it. It was not a good idea. Sometimes the P300 would cause a fuse to blow in the unit. It caused no damage to the Line 3 beyond the fuse blowing, bit it was mightly frustrating to keep opening the unit up. The problem occured more frequently if I played with the PS Audio multiwave functionality. Overall, it might be prudent to use a more passive type of line conditioner, if at all. Maybe a Walker Velocitor? Good luck.
jsawhitlock
302 posts
 
I don't have a line 3 but do own a sfl-2 and use a power director and a power plant p-500 with no problems. I don't care for the multi-wave settings and run mine on sine wave. There have been some mention on the PS Audio web site about the fuses blowing with some equipment and they said it was the inrush current of the power plants when first powered up and the fix was going with a one size larger fuse. I beleive someone confirmed with Chris Johnson about this and he said no problem, you may want to check with him to make sure. If you power your power plant up first then power the pre I would think there be no problems.
pocketchange
19 posts
 
Would having a bad "soft start" relay be a cause? Replace them and see what happens especially if they are showing signs of excessive resistance at startup. I use a big Powervar and turn one piece of gear on at a time. I have replaced both of the relays in my L3 for this "excessively hot" reason.

Also:
Nothing lasts forever except your best friend and your favorite tech.
ngjockey
1,042 posts
 
Tried a SFL2, which the Line 3 was based on, with balanced AC (60-/60+) from an inexpensive industrial transformer I got off EBay and the immediate improvement in sound was astonishing for a tweak. Literally, within five notes, my jaw dropped.
donjf
50 posts
 
Hi Rick,
I've used a Chang Lightspeed CLS9600ISO for about 4 years with my Line 3 without any problems. I also upgraded to a Line 3 SE about a year ago and had no problems. Also have been using it for about 2 years with my Transport 3 and Processor 3 with good results. I plan on trying a Shunyata Hydra. I use Shunyata power cords and they are excellent
I have dedicated lines with 10 awg to 2 wattgate and 2 ps audio outlets. I'm currently plugging direct to outlets to check for any improvements in dynamics.
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