I put the Shunyata Hydra Ultra A10 in the other day. My system (Devialet) ordinarily makes no noise or hum (there is nothing to hum) and really is indifferent to issues of voltage and impedance (which is very stable and relatively low anyway). What does make a difference is noise. This unit claims -60dB noise reduction against -24dB for the unit it replaced, and loads of other grounding features etc. The unit has 4 pairs of sockets and two single sockets with multiple levels of isolation. The first thing I put on was a live recording (Shepp/Moran) and all of a sudden I’m hearing conversations in the audience. It was quite weird, there is no obviously noticeable reduction in the noise floor (extremely low anyway), it’s just that the system becomes a whole level more revealing. I decide on products quickly, but this was a record. About 30 seconds.
As said earlier, I use different types of mains equipment for different jobs with different types of audio equipment and servers, which has included regeneration. This unit does a remarkable job with reducing noise. I just spoke to my dealer, who recently installed the new Shunyata Everest unit ($8,000) that he says takes things to another level, and he’s using far more sophisticated audio equipment than me.
I just do not know what Paul has against mains conditioning, as for a lot of modern electronics, not necessarily BHK amplifiers, it’s a much more cost-effective and appropriate solution. It would seem to me an obvious thing for PS Audio to leverage its reputation in the power market into that type of product, but that’s just my consumer viewpoint.
The thing to remember (I believe) is the uk power supply is very different from the US so what works well in the UK may not work so se well in the US and visa versa. I just hope my pre used UK P20 sounds as good as the investment made when it arrives next week I know it seems virtually mandatory in the US but waiting to see if that’s true for the UK as well
I’ve used a regenerator in the UK and plenty apparently do. There have been Europe-wide regulations for the quality of the power supply for decades, apparently there are next to none in the USA.
I don’t think that the old argument that the audio signal is just a derivative of the incoming power applies to a lot of modern equipment. I get that impedance is a big issue with a BHK drawing a lot of power, but lots of equipment these days can be run off batteries or DC power supplies, like Naim have been doing for decades.
Frankly, my £500 ifi Power Station is probably as good in terms of sonic benefit as the £1,800 Shunyata Venom, except the Venom has much better build quality. This Hydra is a different thing altogether.
It depends on how close the strike is. A direct hit on your house will destroy most (all?) of your electronics, including your P10. A far strike which merely creates a small surge the P10 will handle easily.
If you are concerned, unplug your system during electrical storms. A number here do this.
I believe this is a DC offset protection trip, and you don’t want that in your stuff so it shuts off. The regenerates are also power safety devices, too. My P10 in Florida has reportedly shut off a few times but it never did in Ohio for several years. Incoming power garbage is the factor it seems.
My P10, sold to a friend who knows where I live!, and my P20 all work fine. As far as Zardozm’s load, his unit shows a 32% standing load so the P10 is more than enough for his system. Watch the load and keep it 70% or under and you’ll be fine. Few will push that unless you have BIG mono AB or A amps. Those made me get the P20.
I once had a direct strike to a window AC about seven to eight feet from where I was sitting. I literally was picked up about one foot off the sofa, then dropped. Surprisingly, the AC kept on working, although with strange noises, and kept working for about two more years. Nothing else was affected at all. Well, except my ears, which were ringing for a couple of days.
My house was hit some years ago, starting a brief fire in the cedar shingles which the rain fortunately extinguished, leaving a small hole in the peak of the roof.
Many bits of equipment were destroyed, along with every GFCI, all connections in the circuit box were loose, etc.
The output of all analog audio equipment is the incoming power as modulated by an audio signal. The cleaner the incoming power the more precise the output.
If this were untrue, the quality of incoming power would be irrelevant; power conditioners, filters, and Power Plants would have no effect. But they do, decidedly so.
Digital equipment also benefits from clean incoming power, but the reason this is so is a bit more complicated.
A few years ago lightning struck next to our house and fried our Denon AV receiver, Apple TV and the modem. It was rather scary when it happened as we witnessed a bright white light flash inside the house when the lightning hit. I had never seen anything like it before and hopefully never again.
Some years back electrical storm took out my ac compressor.
At the time I did not have a whole house surge suppressor.
Made a call to the electric company which came and installed
a whole house surge suppressor at the power meter…
I still use quality surge suppressors in my house…though my
P15 offers good protection…when summer storms arise…
P15 will be shut down and unplugged from wall…to be safe.
I know it seems virtually mandatory in the US but waiting to see if that’s true for the UK as well