Skip to main content

Hey all,

Just a show of hands who thinks power conditioners can make an improvment in sound quality? givin specific circumstances one might need one to correct some power issues but i noticed people are split on this decision. Could it be becuase some have good power to begin with and dont actually see the need for it?

I just got the furman PL-PLus C and to me it did give me a slightly more responsive sound and a tad clearer high-mid range. but this could just be becuase my power was a bit off. I seem to notice it more when I record layers of vocals on top of each other! its like the harmonics that ive been missing are now thier. I find my self wanting to record more layers now than ever before(partly becuase they sound better now.)

-Gift

Comments

RemyRAD Mon, 05/28/2012 - 19:10

I think power conditioners can and do have the ability to improve audio. They don't just protect from surges, they clean up RFI trash. Power modulated by RFI can cause issues in some equipment. Most equipment today however, are regulated power supplies which intrinsically provide cleaner DC. Though, I don't bother with power conditioners since I take everything from the secondary of my own power distribution transformer. And in a sense, I'm wired for balanced power while not being truly balanced i.e. 60 V with reference to ground from each pin on the Edison plug. I take 208/240 input to the transformer and from the secondary I get 120 & 120 utilizing the center tap as neutral. And I run without a ground at all. This confuses most electricians since my power is wired like a balanced audio signal at 60 Hz. So if your power doesn't get modulated by RFI trash, you're likely to enjoy it more. I've never actually checked the high frequency response of my power supply transformer but I don't believe it passes much beyond the bass frequencies? So I'm filtered by his virtual roll off. And I like it better also. In fact I believe it actually improved signal to noise.

Zap! Dammit!
Mx. Remy Ann David

DaLyricalGift Tue, 05/29/2012 - 07:21

RemyRAD, post: 390059 wrote: I think power conditioners can and do have the ability to improve audio. They don't just protect from surges, they clean up RFI trash. Power modulated by RFI can cause issues in some equipment. Most equipment today however, are regulated power supplies which intrinsically provide cleaner DC. Though, I don't bother with power conditioners since I take everything from the secondary of my own power distribution transformer. And in a sense, I'm wired for balanced power while not being truly balanced i.e. 60 V with reference to ground from each pin on the Edison plug. I take 208/240 input to the transformer and from the secondary I get 120 & 120 utilizing the center tap as neutral. And I run without a ground at all. This confuses most electricians since my power is wired like a balanced audio signal at 60 Hz. So if your power doesn't get modulated by RFI trash, you're likely to enjoy it more. I've never actually checked the high frequency response of my power supply transformer but I don't believe it passes much beyond the bass frequencies? So I'm filtered by his virtual roll off. And I like it better also. In fact I believe it actually improved signal to noise.

Zap! Dammit!
Mx. Remy Ann David

Sounds like youve got your self a rig! :D.. Well no i am not actually saying the mids and highs are boosted i think they are just more audible with a lower noise floor i guess? but thier is definatly something to it. I am contemplating eventually getting the furman balanced power. I am interested in seeing how far power condition can take sound. I have learned that you cant really trust what people say until you try it your self. For years i didnt try a conditioner becuase most people said it was not nessesary but it told a different story when i tried it.

Please do share your experience with it here!

Thanks
Remy

RemyRAD Tue, 05/29/2012 - 10:03

Of course there is always the placebo effect. For instance, some people believed in wiring up their studio strictly with Monster Cable. They are absolutely convinced that the wire produces a better sound. Within certain areas of technical connectivity, that may be true. Especially an extremely low-level signals such as on microphones. But on line level sources, I believe that's the placebo effect? But since this is art we are dealing with, whatever puts you in the right frame of mind can rectify the cost. And within the right frame of mind, you are likely to produce a better product. I personally have experienced the result of different qualities of microphone cabling. But not so might so when dealing with line level sources. There is that element of capacitance with extremely long microphones snakes that in virtue to its capacitance does have a tendency to filter/reduce high frequency levels over long runs of cabling. But I live with that and don't let it get in the way of the product that I produce. Because that can become counterproductive and financially infeasible. Some solutions are geared more to the more affluent whereas other situations are geared toward the financially lower budgeted folks. Many folks here insist upon having the best audio whereas they're quite happy driving around in a 1974 Chevy Vega. I find that to be a huge contradiction overall. So when budget is the issue, you live with what you can afford. I believe I noticed a marked improvement in my signal to noise ratio when I installed my 7.5 kW Signal Power Transformer. Though I never bothered to actually measure the difference. So my perceptions may have been one of the placebo effect albeit it did most definitely solve ground loop issues which not only lessened 60 Hz artifacts it afforded me the perception of cleaner audio even when ground loops were not necessarily an issue. I found the Furman balanced power quite intriguing. And I do believe that power regulation also provides for better equipment stability. So perhaps to a lesser extent, the Furman power regulator may also be just as effective as their balanced power distribution system? And perhaps combining both elements may provide for even better results? And that's something I have as yet to invest in myself. This is where John from Sheffield Recordings Ltd. indicated to me the only proper device should be a $10,000 Liebert computer power distribution system. But KOOSTER McAllister from Record Plant Remote laughed and said he only utilized a Signal Power Transformer of the 10 kW devise for his rig. And since he was not a rich fat cat like John, I went with his recommendation and have been quite pleased.

I can take 104/120/208/240 and no problems
Mx. Remy Ann David