The power in my apartment is quite noisy. I don’t have the option of adding a dedicated line in my apartment, unfortunately.
I have experimented with higher-priced multi-outlet power conditioners and the P5 power regenerator, but they are all too heavy for my headphone audio rack, so they stay in the main system. (I am temporarily using a Furman Elite PF-15i power conditioner and/or a powerstrip.) In their absence, I am looking for reasonably-priced noise-reducing accessories for my headphone system.
I have had a Blue Circle powerline pillow for years, but have never really noticed any audible benefits from it.
I obtained four of the PS Audio Noise Harvesters a few years back, and installed them in various outlets in my listening space, but have not noticed any audible benefits from them, either.
Recently, I purchased a Shunyata Venom Defender and plugged it into the same outlet as my equipment. I immediately noticed that the music sounded a little louder and a little clearer. Not a huge change, but definitely noticeable.
I’d like to hear about others experiences with these types of accessories.
Yes, it was a big improvement. Unfortunately, it’s way too heavy for my headphone equipment rack, so I can’t use it there. I have a weight limit of 20-25 lbs per shelf.
You’re right. There’s no point in owning the P5 if I’m not going to use it where it’s needed. I switched audio racks and now the one I’m using is capable of supporting the P5’s weight. Definitely a huge improvement.
I’m still interested in adding other affordable noise-reducing devices, though. Has anyone had good experiences with them? (As I said in an earlier post, PS Audio’s Noise Harvesters don’t seem to make a noticeable impact.)
Suggestion: isolate digital from analog – not just zone isolation!
My story: I was using balanced isolation transformers (BITs) to condition power to my monoblocks (the P10 was overwhelmed by the monoblocks). Recently, I experimented with High Fidelity MC-0.5 magnetic wave guides – one for each amp. To my surprise, the MC 0.5s obviated the need for the BITs.
What to do with the leftover BITs? Well, first I plugged all the “wall wart” power supplies (network switch, LANRover, Grace Digital tuner, upsampler) into a BIT and plugged the BIT into the wall – clarity improved, and some peak noises (piccolos played loudly used to put my teeth on edge) disappeared.
Long story short, I’m using my two BITs – now plugged into the P10: one powers all the wall wart stuff; the other powers my Bryston/DS combo. I’m hearing stunning clarity – no edgy sounds at all (even at ridiculously high volumes)!
Funny thing is that I should not have been surprised at this. A while back, I considered having my Roon computer in the music room, but just plugging that computer into one of the dedicated audio power outlets in the music room drastically changed the sound of my entire audio system (even vinyl playback).
Interesting ideas, thanks! I do own a Bryston BIT that I haven’t used in years, due to it weighing 90 pounds or so and being difficult to maneuver. I could plug my digital sources and/or wall wart-powered devices into it, and then plug it into the PS Audio P5. I don’t have a second BIT handy, however, for anything else. What brand of BIT are you using?
As per your suggestion, I ordered a few High Fidelity MC-0.5 magnetic wave guides to try out.
I’m using Exactpower BITs (discontinued, bought mine used). I modified the BITs by removing fuses, bypassing all filtering and MOVs, as well as replacing the outlets with PS power ports. So, all I’m using is the transformer.
Toroid sells raw BITs in-a-box, which is what you’ll need if you plan to plug the BIT into a P5 or P10. But plugging the wall wart stuff into your Bryston, and plugging the Bryston into the wall will still improve clarity by 1) keeping the digital grunge away from your analog components, and 2) reducing noise going into the digital components.
Apparently, the BHK preamp benefits sonically from balanced power (and possibly isolation)!
As an experiment last night, I plugged the BHK into one of my BITs — wow.
My noise solution setup: all wallwart-supply devices on a BIT; my Bryston BDP-2 and the DS DAC are directly on the P10 (together on a single zone); the BHK pre on the other BIT all by itself — both BITs on separate P10 zones.
The only other device on the P10 directly (separate zone) is my Sutherland phono pre. The 20/20 uses outboard switching supplies.
What audio equipment now is truly “all analog”? Even power amps (probably?) have digital circuits for protection systems, or to detect conditions and activate indicator lights.