I’m a few years away from dropping for a p20, but in the meantime I’m looking hard at lower level options. Wondering if anyone can give some insight into the performance difference between a dectet and a stellar p3?
For some background, I’m stuck in a rental house for 2 years and the stereo is in the main living room sharing a 15amp circuit with a bunch of switching power supplies for lights etc for other quality of life reasons. It is what it is. Would need to connect the DS dac, a wyred 4 sound music server, a rega elex r integrated amp, Martin Logan Dynamo 700 sub. Not the most highly demanding system so I think a p3 would be fine.
I’m thinking about trying out a pair of kii threes in the next year if I see a used deal I like enough. I’m not sure the p3 would have enough juice to handle the 6 250w amps per speaker for that.
The Dectet’s one of the best passive products I have auditioned, but it’s more in the camp of doing no harm than helping make things significantly better. In other words, adding a Dectet works to protect equipment and give you more outlets without robbing your
system of life (as most passive power conditioners tend to do).
Power Plants, on the other hand, not only protect and increase outlets, but now we’re in the territory of increasing performance by noticeable amounts.
The P3 is fine for sources and small amplifiers and will make a dramatic difference in performance.
For me, switching from a Dectet to a Stellar P3 made a H-U-G-E improvement in everything we look for in high-end audio. In sum, the sound is richer, fuller, more detailed, more nuanced, more “present,” and generally just more alive.
Here’s something that puzzles me: PS Audio’s ad copy mentioned how audio gear might sound better at some times of day than others due to varying quality in the AC current. Yes, and for me the best time was most nights after 11pm. The ad said the P3 would make my system sound like that all the time, which proved partially true: With the P3, my system sounds even better than its best in the past , but now it also sounds even better still after 11pm. (This happens even when the system is well warmed up from playing all evening.)
That raises a question for me: I understand that the P3 is filtering out noise, breaking down the AC into DC, and converting the DC to high quality AC. I would assume that, as the ad copy implied, that process would create uniformly good AC and so my system would sound the same all the time. So why does it (still) sound even better after 11pm? (BTW, I am happy for that, because I like hearing the sound improve as the evening progresses.)
Yes, you’ve discovered how big of an improvement one gets between a really good sounding passive conditioner and an actual regenerator like the P3.
The P3 should have reduced the nighttime change level noticeably, though it’ll never go away. What I have found is several fold. First, even a regenerator isn’t perfect. It can reduce line problems by rebuilding the sine wave and producing a much
lower distortion version, but even that process isn’t perfect. Which is why a good power cord is still essential (though the need is reduced).
Ordered a p3 earlier today. Decided that proof of concept with a regenerator and balance in system cost made the most sense with getting a p3 at this point.
If it proves to be legit, I suspect I’ll end up with a p20 or two in the next few years
Will do. It’s too bad that it will be coming the day I start my stretch of 7 straight 12+ hour shifts at work though. I might not have time to play with it properly for a bit.
How would a re-generator, REACT in micro-seconds to high current demand of an Amp, during a big orchestral scene? I just simply can’t understand how it could do no harm vs. well designed passive conditioner where it takes the current from outlet, while there’s significant electronics in the way by re-generation. Correct me if I am wrong, but IF you have a good power from the outlet WHY do I have to re-generate it?
It’s mostly an older and smallish system, Gary: A Phono stage, CD transport, and DAC feed a solid state preamp that feeds EL84-tubed mono blocks running in triode mode and outputting 14 watts each to tower speakers with 92db sensitivity and 8-10 ohm impedance. Hard to tell which source benefitted most from adding the P3, but it might be the newest, a Lehman Decade phono stage. Power cords do make a difference; an older PS Audio Statement supplies the P3.
Last night I replaced my Furman power conditioner with the Stellar P3. An immediate and noticeable improvement. Fuller, richer, more musical. If I was blindfolded I would have sworn my speakers had moved with the enhanced imaging. As big an improvement as any new component or room treatments. And this is with stock power cord (for now).
Have DSD, DMP, CA streamer on rengen; BHK 250 and BHK pre on high current. Will try moving the pre to a regen outlet later. But just having the source components on regen is well worth the price of admission.
Thanks PSA for this option. I did not want a screen or Internet connection or firmware updates or data to analyze. I just wanted regenerated power. Check!
Forgot to print out and post the FedEx form to leave the package at the door without someone signing for it…So another day before I get to play with it
Day 2 with the Stellar P3. I had some work to do so I just put on Spotify for background music. Well I didn’t get much work done. I was floored with the SQ. Old rock songs I have listened to for decades were all of a sudden intricate, layered, well mastered compositions. I could not believe how good streaming lossy music could sound. So then I played some hi res music I bought from HDTracks that I was disappointed with. And they sounded noticeably better!
YMMV, but this P3 is a total system upgrade with just my source components on regen. Amazing.
Exhausted and about to pass out, but I did get the stellar p3 hooked up and running tonight. Quite the headache with my space and cord lengths, but settled in for now.
At first, I ran the DS DAC, integrated amp, music streamer/server, and tv up (curious if the LG OLED would look any better). Honestly, I wasn’t totally blown away initially. Voices were really prominent/forward, and everything seemed brighter.
I ditched the TV connection…
Hooked up the subwoofer ( I was initially worried about stretching the p3 too thin), the cable modem, and router. Every component touching the audio somehow hooked up…
Definitely a bigger jump up now. Voices no longer felt too forward. They sounded a bit more realistic. Base improved, tighter, improved subtlety. Probably improved separation and clarity.
Exhausted as I said so critical listening wasn’t at a high level… Might be the case for The next few days at least with work.
It’s a keeper. The biggest update I would add is that the soundstage has increased to a level I didn’t realize was possible from my relatively modest speakers. It’s a bit wider…but the increase in depth and height is to a level I haven’t even considered to be feasible.
I was running a tube amp through the SP3 regenerated but the highs were very, very harsh, pretty much unlistenable. I switched to the HF and it toned down the shredding of the highs. Never noticed that when using the Dectet. Not sure if there is an improvement over the Dectet.
