Can you measure the need for a power conditioner or power regenerator?

To me, Storm and Blizzard series are excellent cables. They take 2 to 3 months to sound their best, and I put up with their lack of flexibility for their sonic merit.

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New grow operation on the same or adjacent circuit? My THD used to hover between 2.2% and 2.6% but since Fall has averaged 2.8-3.2%. I’ll likely never know why.

Hi Brett,
Nothing that I can verify. I have 3x 20 amp home runs for the stereo gear and at this time they are all on the same 120v leg. I may move one of them to the other 120v leg during the year end break and see if there is a difference.
The 240v service is buried underground roughly 250 feet to the pole mounted transformer and there are two other neighbors sharing the supply. Neither one is a big power user so it may forever remain a mystery.
Vern

When I have to deal with this specific issue, I take off my audiophile hat and put on my FCC hat. I usually isolate the home from the service, and with the simple aid of an AM radio, begin to ascertain whether interference is inside or outside the home. If inside, obviously that on me, but if outside the home and on the power company’s equipment, I have to get them involved, but they are required by law to address and repair the issue.

How does one do this and maintain incoming power? Can you sight a reference to the law you refer? Does it include THD maximum?

As far as isolating the home, there are a few ways to do it. You can throw the main breaker at the panel, or individual circuits. You can use a hand held AM radio turned all the way up past 1600khz and get close to the panel and you’ll hear what I’m saying. That’s probably the easiest way to start investigating.

Concerning Part 15 of the FCC regulations, power lines are considered a Part 15 item and must eliminate interference. For example, see item 5: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/FCC-03-100A1.pdf

THD is one of the components that is the result of the issues I’m speaking to.

@stevensegal yes indeed, I live by the same principles. But I would feel guilty returning a product to what I perceive as an earnest operation.

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@Serhan Nod to AudioQuest Blizzard and thanks for confirming my sanity. I understand that the Audience is really Furukawa / Oyaide continuous cast copper at the heart of it. The write up on the Blizzard suggests it is also continuous cast copper so that’s why I went for it.

I remember what ESP Essence 1m cost $500 ~17 years ago. That’s another goodie as I recall for later days.

I don’t find any occurrences nor references to harmonic distortion in this document but thanks.

We should assume that unless there are incontrovertible facts stated that they all do. Or perhaps, “In my experience…”.

I wouldn’t worry about it. Do you think anyone feels guilty about selling you a product that has no audible benefit?

Reputable dealers and manufacturers will indeed “feel guilty” selling a product to a customer which does not benefit the customer. Good dealers and manufacturers will steer you away from making such purchases.

Of course, there are both customers and sellers who are scammers.

Yes, AQ uses solid core for key power and speaker cables. Moreover, I think insulation contributes to the overall rigidity of the cable.

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I’m not sure what the takeaway from your post is, however, you asked what law controls the electric company’s grid, and that is Part 15. The FCC has the responsibility to require that utility companies rectify power-line related interference problems within a reasonable time if the interference is caused by faulty power utility equipment. Under FCC rules, most power-line and related equipment is classified as an “incidental radiator.” Concerning the limits of THD that is generally considered high, (5%) can be found in IEEE Std 519-2014.

When I bought Shunyata power cables it happened because I read a review from a trusted source, went to my dealer, he loaned me a demo cable and told me to give it a try with no payment and no obligation. In fact he offered me several, some more than I wanted to spend. No issue with burn-in.

“Sale or return” is by comparison the best direct sellers can do, but the customer has to pay up front to give the dealer financial security. Why should the customer feel guilty about that?

My dealer lent me an expensive cable with no security because we have a trusted relationship, rather than my being any old Joe off the internet.

I was responding to your query:

As I stated, good dealers and manufacturers will steer you away from making such purchases.

That isn’t my experience, but I will say no more.

Paul seems dead against conditioners and has said so here and in print, and has not invested in developing any. PS Audio do, however, sell the little Dectet, which is a sort of conditioner. It would appear that in Europe conditioners are far more popular than regenerators, possibly because of local brands in the UK and Germany, plus they tend to be a lot cheaper. That said, I use a conditioner product made in the USA.

@Serhan that’s great, it seemed so by the description and more importantly the sound. So glad to know it’s still the same sauce as the Audience wires (continuous cast copper). And these were better priced than Audience.

Over 10-17 years ago I bought and sold a dozen speaker cables trying to make the sound transparent; it was fun in a way and a little aggravating in another. All that history is still in Audiogon, nice artifact. Once I tried the Audience Au24 that was it, huge difference and I have been happy for over 10 years.

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