Hi:
So in a previous post I asked where was the best place to place my Noise Harvesters. Trial and error took care of that one and ultimately they ended up in my Dectet power bar.
Success was measurable with the add so I went and bought more for a total of six. Right now I have one Harvester per each Dectet Power Port outlet so that each piece of gear that’s plugged in (4 pieces) has one NH working for it. With the final two, I have one in the Power Port Premier outlet that powers the Dectet unit and the other one plugged into the final Dectet Power Port outlet that sits unused (so that’s 5 in the Dectet, 1 in the PPP).
So here’s the thing…
When I had only a few and I relocated them from my stereo circuit to the Dectet directly (as I asked about in my original Q) that improvement was really groovy. But here I am with full assortment to cover ALL my outlets on the Dectet for all my gear and now the sound has shifted ‘laterally’ to being okay. I say laterally, because all the normal attributable improvements of the NH are there, but some how the overall doesn’t sound as good.
At this point, I’m figuring that the cleanliness has revealed a deficiency elsewhere in the system and that’s why it sounds good/bad instead of good/good like one would expect from the Harvester add.
Any way, I plugged these in yesterday and did an A/B on the sound to note the change and that’s what I’m speaking to here. I dunno if this is enuf info but if anyone wants to weigh in what might be going on I’d appreciate some opinions. Maybe it’s all between my ears, but I don’t think so. And it’s not like a Noise Harvester has to ‘burn-in’ or anything…
I would be interested in knowing if anybody has experienced anything similar.
Cheers,
MB
I would need a little more description about what it is you’re feeling deficient in and what it sounds like with and without the NH’s plugged in before I can offer any help.
Ah, sorry Paul - didn’t know if that would be overkill to include.
With the add it sounds every bit as detailed, ‘blacker, blacks’, revealing, etc. Just reiterating your take on the units. So that is represented 100% - the NH’s are working as advertised. Personally, I’d almost call it the signature sound improvement of all the PS Audio power product upgrades that I, myself have personally encountered every time I’ve upgraded power with one of your products (e.g. PP->PPP, Quintet->Dectet, etc.).
However, the sound is also a lot ‘drier’, less lively, somewhat brittle even, dynamics are reduced, rhythmic component has lessened greatly, almost like some of the life has been siphoned off from the overall music.
Again, I will do my own due dilly on this and shift the NH’s around on the Dectet and on the power circuit (where nothing else is drawing any power from) to see if I can find a magic combo, but I’m just surprised the ‘more is better’ mantra is actually giving me trouble here.
I dunno if that gives you anything to work with. Any musings/advice would be a major help.
Thanks.
P.M. UPDATE: From what I can tell my system prefers NOT having a Noise Harvester in the same Dectet Power Port outlet as either the Pre-amp or the Amp, they need to stand on their own. I just finished A/B-ing it to death with all the combinations I could think of. I may be sacrificing a little bit in terms of background noise, but the overall sonic impression is much improved. Honestly, I have no idea why that would be the case…but that is what sounds best, hands down.
Nice info to know, thanks. I have 1 Harvester in each of the 3 zones of my Dectet. Was a very nice improvement, but have not tinkered with any other combos. I usually end up driving myself bonkers doing that.
Like you, I also have a harvester in the Power Port Premier outlet that the Dectet is plugged into.
Hi,
In my experience it is easy to get excited about the sound that a tweak like a Noise Harvester can make. And then you order more thinking that if one or two made my system sound better then ordering 3 to a dozen more will be much better, so the new stuff arrives and one goes crazy placing them in every conceivable place posible but . . . then you start listening and the music and fun have died, dried up and gone away, until you start subtracting and usually end up back where you started. I did the same thing.
So instead of including them all in the same circuits with your audio gear, try placing them in potentially noisy circuits through out the home. I found that placing them in circuits that have noisy offenders such as the furnace, computer, refrigerator, video, etc can decrease noise in your system as well. I was amazed at how much better my HDTV looked after a Noise Harvester was planted there.
I use this axiom, if a little is enough, then a lot can be too much.
And yes, I’ve learned and relearned this lesson several times!
Steven
B-)
I had a similar experience with a set of 5 Noise Harvesters. Originally, I had all 5 on the same outlet as my audio system (all audio components are plugged into a Torus RM-15 isolation transformer). The sound was similar to what the original poster (“mb”) described: less lively, dynamics are reduced. Now I have just 2 by the audio system. The other 3 are spread out throughout my apartment: 1 by the computer, 1 by the air conditioner, and 1 by the refrigerator. In this spread-out configuration, the music sounds livelier while still having blacker background, wider soundstage, and more details.
@mb Tell me what’s in your system - what are the sources, amps, interconnects and speakers?
Paul, what I have is a strictly bargain system, probably one of the most humble ones on the forum. It’s precisely why I play in the PS Audio sandbox as it allows those of us out there with dough enough only for good systems, to make them sound great.
Any way…I have spent the last year getting the whole setup as right as possible and the NH add was the last thing I could do, without selling off gear and starting anew.
That said, on paper what I have isn’t all that impressive but I have taken great measures to make sure all is well matched and works VERY well.
Source: Oppo BDP-95
Pre-Amp: NAD C165 BEEE (http://nadelectronics.com/products/hifi-amplifiers/C-165BEE-Stereo-Preamplifier)
Amp: NAD C272 (http://nadelectronics.com/products/hifi-amplifiers/C-272-Stereo-Power-Amplifier)
Tube Buffer/Power Supply: Musical Fidelity X-10 v3 & X-PSU (no links)
Speakers: Epos M12.2 (http://www.epos-acoustics.com/products/archive/m12-2/)
Stands: Skylan (http://www.skylanstands.com/)
Interconnects/Speaker wire: ETI (http://www.eti-research.com.au/)
Power: Power Port Premier, Dectet, Assorted Cabling (PS Audio, Straight Wire, others), Noise Harvesters (6)
A very intelligently assembled system.
I agree and previously I had C160+C270 bombo and would not expect they could be affected so much by NHs. I would try to bypass the Tube Buffer to see effect of NHs without it.
mb: Don’t sell your system short! Some thought and energy can produce better sound on your system than on a sloppily tuned megabuck system. I agree with Elk. This is truly one of the biggest kicks that I get out of audio. I have less invested in my whole system than some have in their speakers alone and in the end, who cares WHAT your listening on. It’s how it sounds that counts, eh? I first became a PS Audio customer in the mid 80’s and I’ve had at least one component in my system ever since. You are in the right place my friend.
Appreciate the feedback and the thumbs up on the system. I think it’s okay and that I’ve done the best by it I can. Personally, I agree with wglenn that it can be fun to show people what can be done with budget gear if done your homework and put it together right. Something I strive to do…
Will see about maybe trying maniac’s suggest about removing the Musical Fidelity kit from the system. I have done so in the past to a lessening of goodness, but that was a whole different system ago. I’m game to give it another try.
Still look forward to hearing what Mr. McG thinks about the whole thing.
Cheers.
BTW, I didn’t mention that a Chicago retailer is having a helluva sale on these which is why I went and bought a fair whack of them.
In addition, I think I misunderstood the “When More is Better” section in http://www.psaudio.com/products/power/noise-harvester-2/ which is definitely proving true, just not how I took it to mean. Based on Steven’s advice above I wish I had a Noise Harvester vending machine down the hall that I could just have bought one of at a time, but such was not the case.
In the end, one has to find their own Noise Harvester ‘porridge’ that Goldilocks wants to eat for their system - and that’s the right amount. No big revelation, but it’s good to know.
I have a few now and I’m moving them around to different places to see if I can spot any differences.
My house must be pretty clean as They never seem to blink at all until my home automation system starts turning on the lights in the evening.
They then begin to strobe constantly so they must be picking up the low voltage signals used to control lighting.
I’ve tried turning on the lights manually but still no blinks. Strange little characters they are.
The harvester I have by my refrigerator blinks quite often, but the others I have around the house hardly ever do. That is until I start up the microwave, and then they all light up.
I have a 400A entry. 2 x 200.
I set up 3 panels and segregated everything that I guessed might be noisy.
So fridge, geo-thermal system, kitchen appliances etc are all on their own circuits and on a separate panel from my Audio power.
I guess this helps in my case?
Well in an interesting turn I noticed the switchable outlet in the back of my pre-amp and so just for the hell of it I plugged in a Harvester and it started slowly blinking away. The improvement in sound was what was really surprising - very good.
Interesting that a piece of gear wouldn’t like having one in the same outlet in a Dectet, but really digs having one drawing off the back of it like a little noise vampire bat. Go figure.
Cool discovery. Just goes to prove that power outlets on audio gear are not always a bad thing…
J.P.