Effusive praise:
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Admins: Please feel free to delete this post if the review has already been noted elsewhere.
Nice review, certainly makes me want to buy one! I do find it interesting that the reviewer says if you don’t have a large load the P15/P12 will suffice and “The sonic effect is identical” to the P20. He didn’t review the P15/P12, so not sure how he makes this leap, plus it contradicts what Paul has been saying, the P20 just sounds better regardless of load. Oh, the joy of reviewers!
I agree that the author apparently makes an assumption about the comparative effects of the the three Power Plant models; but he sure seemed to appreciate the P20’s capabilities in his system.
It would have been nice to see him have experience with the original P10 too since I can imagine that’s what a large number of us may be upgrading from…
Would be interesting if someone on the forum has made the upgrade- I’m sure there has. I would suspect from no re-gen to a P20 would be an improvement if you were ever going to hear it. P15 to P20, not sure. However most mfg’s will state “more expensive = better” and that’s only true a % of the time. Too many variables I think.
However I agree- he essentially “reviewed” the other models and put them in the same basket without hearing them it seems like…
I’m not sure I’d agree with them all sounding identical. Certainly they are all better than the wall, though each step up the chain nets you sonic improvements.
One of our dealers down in FL, Tonal Tech actually did a shoot out of the P12 vs P15. He noted that “going from the P12 to the P15 was significant. In louder passages, it felt like the P12 was reaching its limits (even though the meter on the front did not show this). On the other hand, the P15 didn’t struggle at all”
Which to me sounds like the lower output impedance of the P15 kicking in. The P12 can deliver close to the same amount of power as the P15, though it does have to work a bit harder in doing it.
i went from a P10 to a P15 and the improvement was astounding. see my review and comments on the P15 review that i did.
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P20 Review - I have the PSA P20 and AC12 power cables for every component including the PSA P20 from the wall. Also using the BHK250, PSA DS DAC, and PSA DMP. I left the top shelf open for a Basis 2500 turn table; that door is shut after 3 months listening to this system. I will never go back to a turntable. I once had a Trans Audio Oracle table years back w/ Threshold amp/preamp and KEF Reference floor standing speakers and that system is not even in the same zip code for sound. VPI LP vacuum… blah, blah, blah… I guess when I retire and have a huge amount of time to dedicate to LP listening and all the massive drama, might consider going backwards. The trouble is, I don’t have a romantic bone in my body. This system streaming mp3 is unbelievable, let alone when I listen to FLAC, MQA… a regular CD, then an SACD. A lot of that is amazing openness, excellent 3D imaging, and great dynamic range. I’ve yet to hear any distortion from the SF Guareni Evolution speakers with the DAC at 80 and the neighbor listening. Running wireless router to PSA DS DAC, P20, and DMP with CAT7 cabling. All Nordost connections. Using ASC isothermal bass traps for acoustic room treatment. These 100+lb bookshelf speakers on stands blew me away, backed up by such ultra clean amplification.
There are better systems out there; just now I can focus on content (Mconnect w/ TIDAL) instead of the next newest components. In 3 months, my listening depth has quadrupled and all I want to do is listen to music.
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cadri,
Thank you very much for taking the time to post such an “intimate” response. Looks like a great, dedicated space…!
It is nice to see and hear some details about a member’s system and their preferences.
Care to share anything specific about the “efficacy” of the P20 when added to your system…?
Cheers.
scotte1 - The point I was trying to make is that I have nothing to compare it to as a system. I just designed this system in APR, 2018, block diagram shown, then bought all the equipment and it sounded 100X better than the Transaudio Oracle/KEF/Threshold system I had 30+ years ago. As a matter of fact, this 2 channel go around is about musical content vs. the next new component. In 4 months I have only added (2) SACDs to my 300+ CD collection. This streaming with the right equipment is amazing. SO, the only thing I can share of relevance is the openness, dynamic range, and 3D imaging. IMHO - the most important component in a system is the speakers. I can’t decouple the P20 from the system qualitatively by comparing A/B, just wanted the audience to know I started with a very solid foundation when I designed the system and it has paid off. I can just say WOW for this system. I listen to smoothjazz 101 (mp3) and it sounds amazing and I have listened to and had nice systems. For all of the 2 channel audiophiles: if you are designing a system from the ground up, pay attention to the power foundation.
One comment on the P20 might be that when I crank this system up it opens a lot as most systems do. The cool thing is that there is zero distortion and that I would owe to the amazing clean power. Another note is that the P20 input ranges from 115 to 126VAC and the distortion into the P20 will get as high as 3%; however, output to components is always 120V and THD is below 0.1%. I have seen the power go as high as 400watts when I’m cranking it up. PSA has a really nice website you can track data. I have tracked it on the PSA website and the input is all over the place and I live in a brand new planned community.
10-4. Thanks. Your turnkey system was/is well thought out.
+1 on “streaming”. I ripped all of my CD’s to my iMac which I stream wirelessly (along with a handful of “original” digital files and my kids iTunes purchases) to a router and through a switch to my DS Sr. over Ethernet. I use JRiver Media Center (JRMC) and Roon as my primary music management software. To my ears, JRMC directing my CD rips and equivalent or better resolution files to the DS Sr. provides the “best sound” I have ever heard in my system, which has evolved over the years. My speakers are the very resolving Antony Gallo Acoustics Reference 3.1’s.
Scott
scotte - As you probably figured out, I’m an engineer and thinking things through is very important. I am blown away by streaming. I thought I would hear a big difference and be turned off and have to stay with SACD. I find streaming is amazing and I owe it to PSA system. I see you are a car enthusiast, here is one of my hot rods… A 600+HP 383 stroker w/ TBS 6V-71 blower. This car has a Brax audio system w/ (2) 1150 watt amps in the trunk and dual JL Audio 10in subs with an enclosure in the trunk I designed. The cab has (8) Brax Matrix speakers… 
Roon - I have an iPAD III and was not going to spend $500 on an iPAD VI to get Roon. Mconnect w/ TIDAL does the trick. Running a QNAP 2150+ NAS w/ 8GB RAM and Seagate Iron Wolf 8GB drive for all of my .wav ripped CDs. With all of the sources I have to choose from, TIDAL (HiFi) is mostly what I’m listening to these days. I am going to upgrade to the Bridge III a year after hitting the streets and try PSA’s server. That sould be in 2020.
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Here is some P20 data over the course of a partial day back in June, 2018. I live in a planned community that is very new; you would think the power would be very stable and clean. On average I see the input power at 1.5% THD and sometimes as high as 2.5%. However, the P20 output is very stable at 120V with THD less then 0.1%.
I’m still slumming with a P10 but about a month ago, kicked up my streaming more than a few notches with one of these…expensive, yes, but there is no comparison to my standard PC running Roon ROCK.
https://www.pinkfaun.com/index.php/products/streaming-audio/pink-faun-streamer-2-16.html
I2S to DS to BHK Sig Pre to M700 to Ascend Acoustics Sierra 2 , 2x 12" sealed servo subs in a moderately treated living room 14’x18’x8’.
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I hate y’all here. I’m saving my pennies to either upgrade from a P10 to a P15 or P20. It depends upon how many pennies I can put away…
Everyone seems to love their P20"s. I wonder what the breakdown is % sales of the 12, 15, 20 ?
RonP - how are you doing these days; been riding a lot? I have been on my trainers due to summer in AZ.
Hi Richard. It’s been a very frustrating summer with seemingly intractable sciatica. I haven’t turned a pedal in months. Working hard to solve the problem but old age is a constant battle!
Three Septembers ago I was at a meeting at The Biltmore in Phoenix. Gorgeous place but we lost a couple people who tried to go running in the afternoon. They just evaporated–poof–gone. Hot there!!