Picked Up the Stellar P3

Has anyone tried the Stellar P3 (or earlier P3) powering all source components only? I have two Sanders Magtech amps connected to a dedicated 20A branch circuit and would not connect to regenerator. Presently I have no AC conditioning or regeneration.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Can’t think of why you wouldn’t. I’ve had them with the amps/subs plugged in or just the sources. Helps either way.

Shunyata do not believe in power regenerators, and they have their technical reasons for that. They feel their passive technology is better.

Well, the hum from a regenerator is too loud in the bedroom anyways. I will need to look at a passive device. Perhaps a used Denali. Also I would not plug amps into a regenerator. It kind of makes them lifeless. It is hard to explain. Anyone that has might know what I mean though. They are fantastic on source components. I imagine a Denali shall suffice in the bedroom. The system is higher end but it is not reference level. I am using a DS Senior in that system. Or I could get a new Panamax PM5400 but I think those are garbage? I am not sure what else is passive around a Grand new or used. Perhaps a Transparent Powerwave store has used cheap. Or a Dectet. I have 2 P20’s in reference system. Amps are on them but probably better not to be. It sounds good to me though. I know I negate what I just said but not enough outlets! Each on 20 amp dedicated line all the way to the transformer outside. I was wondering what you guy’s would choose given my requirements for the bedroom? It needs to be reasonably small too, on floor. Thanks

Is there a transformer hum from the a P3 regenerator?

I totally agree. Removing my (old) P3 regenerator brought life back to my system (sorry PSA).

Are you in the States? Check out the AVOptions (the US Naim guys) website. They make two power strips, one slightly above your price point, the other, that I use, is $450 USD. Dynamics, PraT, and texture all returned after I plugged my equipment (including amps) into the AVO SuperWiremold power strip. Highly recommended!

I’ve never heard one. By that I mean I have never heard any noise from either the P3 or SP3 I own.

Decisions. Will just have to listen. I can get the ULTRA-HBL Deep-Cryo. Or a low end Shunyata or Transparent. Of course the Panamax PM5400 is the most advanced. With AVR on 11 outlets including 2 high current delivery outlets. However that may very well hum too. For completely passive the first 3. There is not much to these things and they are expensive. However Furutech makes something similar that is only $800. They are just chokes,filters.mov’s. That’s all. I can pick the one that sounds best to me. Something else to do. Although straight into the wall right now may prove to be just as good. I have a box with Hubble outlets, no filtering or protection. I at least want to protect it all but not at the expense of sound quality. I will listen to these various options. Most of these probably made in China but that is okay with me. There is also a used Dectet for only $300 and I may actually find that to be better than P3. At least without the hum. These are all the same thing really just different manufacturers. AFAIK.

Edit: Cryo may be very good, no cheap mov’s. Not sure I want hardwired though. Although that is a plenty good cable. Oh well, will listen to options.

What is inside the long fat “tubes” that are inside of most of the passive units?

Not to my ears. Every product has a small amount, I suppose, but putting my ear up to the chassis doesn’t result in any noise.

My P3 used to buzz like crazy. Not transformer hum, that is a different sound.

To save any confusion, can we call the new Stellar P3, SP3? And the old P3, just P3.

Figures yours would be defective : )

Not only that, the spare part they sent me to fix it was also defective.

Now that it has been repaired properly, it’s quiet. No buzz or hum.

He seems to forget that he posted this last Summer as he continues to take backhanded swipes at the Power Plant products.

“The root cause of my 10 power plant failures has been dealt with. The transistors were changed with more robust higher voltage ones. And the power utility changed the mains transformer in my street, so I’m not exposed to 258V+ any more (which I mention, my long term power play data captured by PS Audio server was instrumental in getting Western Power to do something about it). I’m now on a more subdued 227-248V range”

No, I haven’t forgotten about that, which was an entirely different issue. The P10 was quiet, but it frazzled itself. The smart repair tech quickly came to the conclusion that the transistors that PS Audio were using were not appropriate for the local conditions and he changed them for better ones. That feedback also went back to PS Audio.

The problem with the P3 was entirely something else.

I take backhanded swipes at the Power Plant products because I have owned ten of them, and all ten have failed at some point. And failed even after the electricity company knocked my mains back to 230 volts.

Wondered how long it would take you to try to walk back from that statement. If the units “frazzled” themselves before your power supply problem was fixed then the smart tech was working under the wrong assumption that the power delivery to your house was normal. Had you been getting normal current delivery the supplied parts may in fact have been fine as they were for other 230 volt customers. And the fact that they failed after the correction was made is irrelevant if they were made to operate for any length of time in your house prior to the change. Just take your share of the blame for your problems and move on.

I haven’t walked back from any statement. The crux of the issue is the PS Audio power plants weren’t built to cope with the local conditions. 250 volts is still within specification in this part of the world. If they sell product into this part of the world it should be built to cope.

And its not just my power plants that have been failing. I know of three other owners in this part of the world and theirs have also failed. Now using Accuphase, which I’m told has been rock solid.

Clearly you are in the Bermuda Triangle of PS Audio gear.

For the record my Power Plant P3, which as been repaired twice, is still in service and performing OK. I guess it’s feeling nervous at the prospect of being replaced by a Shunyata…

Thanks Paul. I am about to get a new regenerator SP3,but I want to be able to monitor the electricity at home. Is the fan on the P12 noticeable?