This is all good advice and parallels my experience in experimenting with power strips. Star wiring is good, but a heavy copper bus bar as is found in the iFi power station is also good if not better. I voided my warranty by modifying my power station. Internally there is a long length of wire that goes to the opposite end of the power station (than the cable end). I removed the connector and switch and directly soldered my own home made power cable right to the copper bus bar on the cable end of the power station. This removed the long length of wire, the switch, and the connector. It made a really nice difference in my system.
All the great companies like Ray Samuels owner, Pratues Cypher Labs and even Nelson Pass all told me NEVER use a power conditioner for amps- if the amp is built correctly you just do not want it in the chain. All other gear like cd players, servers, pre amps different story- but I never ever use a power conditioner for my amps. I have dedicated lines for all my digital pre amps and amps and thats the ultimate if you can do that- clean power from the box. Outlets of hospital grade or better a plus. OCC wire and better of course. Cheers! great video!
@@adrieltzu3565 power restriction of any kind- im not sure but my friend who has a $500,000 set of Perfect Eight Speakers and $600K worth of Other gear says the same thing- amps should never be conditioned or restricted at all- as I mentioned; Ray Samuels also says same thing and so does Coffman Labs- and so does JM Audio Editions -Pass Labs, VAC amps and so many other serious amp makers -
This is great advice. There are very few "honest" surveys on this topic. I'm lucky to have my main system in the basement and use a total of three dedicated bus-outlet-pairs (which I personally re-wired). We also have pretty clean power where I live in the upper Midwest of the US. The one piece of advice I would add here is: NEVER, NEVER use a UPS/Surge suppressor designed for computer/home office for audio use.
perfect video, i found a amazing second hand deal 2 piecves furutech FL-50 (orginal) plugs with 2 furutech female shucko connectors for 60 euro's. that guy was cleaning up his room and bought 2 coax drivers and basicly sold the rest for whatever I wanted to pay... so now I will make a power strip with your tips.. thx dude your the man !
I stumbled across Emotiva's CMX-6 and CMX- 2 units. I was so impressed with the first CMX-6, I bought two more, and then two of their CMX-2 units for my DAC and DDC. These are built like tanks, have real internal filtering and are inexpensive, both under $100 ea, with free shipping. And, you can use your own power cord!
Several years ago, I was looking on that big auction site, and found 2 Geist Military-spec power strips, 20 Amps, each outlet has it`s own circuit breaker. Each one is almost 5 feet long, and weighs about 25 lbs. Very high quality.
I have a dedicated 20 amp line from the breaker box going to my listening room terminating at Shunyata outlets. From there AQ Tornado HC power cord to one PS Audio Power Plant and Shunyata Delta HC power cable to a Shunyata PS8 to another Power Plant. I completely agree. A good hifi system is as good as the power that feeds it.
Only just come across this video. I have a Musicworks G5 on loan and can testify that mains blocks can make a significant difference. This is far superior to the G4 in every respect. I wasn’t expecting too much of an improvement but it became clear very quickly just how much better it is. Yes, it’s very expensive but I have spent more on other components that have had less impact on sound quality.
I got a week ago an Isotek aquarius. I didnt expect so much. Clean power matters. I can say that the sound changed like i got more clean watts in my amp and a small subwoofer in my speakers. The soundstage changed. More dynamics and more punch. No tremble roll off. I'm amazed with all changes. I got it as a demo and paid 2/3 of the normal price. I thought I could easily sell it, if not satisfied. But is not gonna happen. I might change my amp but this power cond is staying. You should check it out someday. All the best. Keep it up.
An interesting technical review! I am personally weighing up the Furutech e-TP60E NCF which has everything except star wiring versus the Puritan Audio PSM136 power conditioner with 6 outlets, which claims to be the only power conditioner not to suck the life out of amps.
@@theomindschrddr7983 Interesting. I think I'll go for Furutech f-TP615E, that model has star wiring and it looks thicker gauge than what the Puritan uses. Also Furutech are generally the masters of al things interconnect cables, power cords and distributors.
Tripp Lite Isobar plug-in is a great way to lower the ground noise from the wall. It doesn’t come with a weak ass cord attached to it. It is a plug-in unit with two outlets. It is a grounding device and a surge protector. It’s not really an audiophile product but a general electronic unit that’s found at Home Depots, eBay and Amazon. I then plug in a silver cable that I seek out on eBay. I feel that the Tripp Lite Isobar is my safety device for my equipment. Then, I found a power distributor on eBay that used Furutech parts and pure silver conductors. I bought mine for $400 and now they’re $450. This combination, plus Furutech Liquid Nano brushed on my connectors has done wonders to my sound.
Use an isolated ground and isolated grounded outlets. You will never have Hum, and the sound will be a lot darker. Add to that a dedicated circuit and you will have less choke. Place the amp and preamp on the 1st outlet inline.
Great tips. I asked the power company to replace all wiring from the house to the power station with OFC unidirectional Teflon coated conductors, had them put in aluminium ducting, remove all fuses and switches in between the said power station and my house, and wire the whole town in star. You won't believe the sound difference it made! Now I can finally hear that last meter of unicorn power cable to my equipment perform as it should.
Lol! I know, everybody thinks that. But in electronics you must change your perspective. It's the first meter for the amplifier and it is of paramount importance for its push/pull function as well as the other components. Try then decide. Don't think by prejudice.
I own the Audience adeptResponse aR2p-T4 Power Conditioner. The sonic improvement is nothing short of amazing and it has a plastic chassis. I was told this is actually an advantage over metal chassis because it doesn't react to electrical interference. It does have an on/off switch and light which I agree is stupid. But customers demanded it so Audience put a lot of R&D just into designing a power switch and light that didn't degrade the sound.
Speaking of mains polarity, some CD / universal disc players and DACs perform better if you plug them in a particular polarity but tend to sound flat in the projecting a sounstage departmemt when you plug them the other way even though it still works / powers up. 🤔
Perhaps the power supply is of poor quality? I would expect a switching supply would be pretty standard by now, providing excellent isolation for any potential ground loops and well filtered, with very stiff regulation.
You might think you do not hear electrical noise, well if one was to audition a iso-tek syrus power conditioner then all would become apparent! Therefore the tacima mains power conditioner has now been relegated for the REL subwoofer!
I used to love IEC inlet sockets, they are actually great if you frequently setup temporary systems, However for permanent installs, they are just another point of failure.
hope to see your power strip recommendations on your next video. Thks On power conditioners, does it tend to be power limiting and hence not good for power amps?
In most cases, IMO, yes. BUT if you get a high quality conditioner, well designed, with modest and soft filtering, then you will get fantastic, dynamic and clean sound!
Well, I truly love my dedicated power conditioners. They are made here in Italy, not cheap but changed my system radically! It was the topic of my first (strange) video I made: ruclips.net/video/elU1cEMLjYE/видео.html
Very good and thanks! I want to mention Supra from Sweden. They make very good electric HiFi products for a reasonable price. I would not recommend a power conditioner, but a power plant, if you have the money. It’s best to start with a dedicated Powerline to your HiFi system. The iFi AC iPurfier can be an addition to silence the rest of your house. Can you agree with this (as an update)?
Over here in the Netherlands it's easy to know which one is the Fase. It's allway's the left pole in the wallsocket. This during the fact we read allso from left to right. Hope it will help other Dutch persons.
In that particular instance, as well as any ... that's assuming it was installed correctly, as occasionally mistakes are made. A meter would determine what is what.
Hi, An(dia)log, It is quite acceptable to use both plastic and metal power conditioners, I use both on the same system, one pluged into the other. I have gone to considerable expense to convert my equipment to IEC sockets that have a power switch. I would say one of the most important thing that you left out is, Cable Management. The power strip/power conditioner has reduced my, wall outlet plugs, from 20 wall plugs to just one wall plug. If you asked me a year ago, I would have said this was impossible. I converted all components to IEC sockets that can be switched on or off. Now the system is very tide and zero hum. Job done.
Yes, you have surely solved ground loops but inserted several signal interruptions, which IMO are worse than the problem. Yes, of course plastic is good, it is a good isolation material but if you are not doing your own power strip, quality power strips are not going to be housed in plastic.
Great video! Have you done a video on how to make your own surge protector? I did not see one in your library but hoping that you did and that I missed it.
So are there a couples brands/models you recommend? I’ve also noticed the nicer “Hifi” surge protectors have line filtering which can actually make things worse with demanding Hifi gear.
Point #1... The best is a steel case because it does provide a magnetic shield on top of RF/EMI. Point #2... I agree with star type wiring but the missing part is the fact that all lines have to be of the same lenght, especially the ground. Point #3... Brass is not that bad, except it dos rust rapidly and lack mecanical strenght. Point #4... Contact points have to be double action. Point #5... I agree with AC power phase uniformity. Point #6... Unless high current is drawned, this may be unimportant. Point #7... Gadgets are always sources of troubles. Point #8... This seems a repeat of point #4. All that being said, a well designed power supply should alleviate most points. The paramount point remain to make sure all the grounds are of the same lenght and respect a star configuration. In conclusion, put a scope in front of me and show mee the difference! Anyway, who is stupid enough to listen to music with a scope? I use my ears.
The problem with electricians today is that the job has to be at least a thousand dollars or they won't to it. It's not worth their time as I was told by many.
@@walterpen371 It’s expensive but worth the price (for those who can) but yea I imagine it’s not that easy to get a professional to do a professional job at a “fair” price.
I recommend the Furman PST 8 linear filtering power strip. It has fantastic power surge protection, and it eliminates the vast majority of noise from your electricity. Also a dedicated outlet from your breaker is always best. It costs like $200 to hire an electrician to wire your outlet directly so that it doesn’t get contaminated by the rest of the house. This will solve 99% of your noise problems right there. Also unplug crap that you aren’t using. If you have stuff like a noisy gaming PC or whatever, unplug it before listening and it will eliminate crossover noise. That way with doing those basic things you can eliminate most signal noise and avoid having to spend crazy dollars on absurdly expensive audiophile grade cables.
I am sorry, but we are talking about AC or DC. Because in case of AC there is no polarity. The AC current changing its polarity 50 or 60 times in every second. There is only phase/neutral matching. Out of that, great advices. Thx
I am taking of plugs that have only two prongs where one pole is hot and the other is cold, yes phase but you can also call it polarity just as phase means 100 different things in electronics and audio in general.
Thanks for your new video, power conditioner was a huge improvement for my system . Can I ask a question about turntable/tone arm? I have a Thorens TD 2001 with the TP90 tonearm. I would like to improve the sound, my hifi system is in general on an audiophile level. Would you recommend the cartrige AT 33 PTG II or better Dynavector 20x2 for this turntable, or is too much for the Thorens? Thanks in advance
First, poweramp(s) should always be connected directly to the wall! I have a Supra powerstrip, first two outlets are not filtered, but still I have the amp in the wall. My other sources like TV, Apple TV, blu-ray player, decoder and turntable are connected to the strip.
It will depend on the amp. Many of these newer amps do not draw or need the amperage like the older models with the huge terroidal transformers. If you are going direct to the wall, I would have the amp on a dedicated 20 amp circuit. When you have a circuit (wiring) with multiple outlets and switches, a lot of noise can be introduced to the amp. Electricity is inherently noisy, and it vibrates, loosening connection on those outlets and switches over time. I use Emotiva CMX-6 units with my XPA-2, no issues to date, and the amp is now dead silent.
I agree however here in Canada and in the USA there must be a REGULATED POWERADE SUPPLY that comes first top priority. This is very important in eliminating AC HUM / NOISE. There is an old saying, "GARBAGE IN, GARBAGE OUT". Also "LESS IS MORE ". Top quality power and preamps have less switches. As for hiring an electrician, the job has to be worth at least a thousand dollars or its a waste of their time $$$
1:10 The metal case/chassis only matters if your powerstrip is located. close to your analog equipment. 2:00 Star wiring is a good one, especially ground, that's by far the most important one to be star wired; it reduces the chance of getting ground loops. 3:10 The OFC/OCC copper etc. shouldn't matter, as power is only 50/60Hz frequency. 3:25 Those brass bars are crap indeed, but mostly because of oxidation which causes unreliable contact. 4:05 When using those clamps/terminals, don't get spring loaded ones, but ones met screws instead. And *never* put soldering tin on your wire to put it in the terminal - use crimps instead. 7:00 That's a matter of opinion, I prefer to have an RFI filter and surge protector in my powerstrip. 7:45 Cool! I didn't know you had other powerplugs over there in Italy! I thought continental Europe had all the same Schuko plug, except Switzerland.
Ciao, sto per costruire la prima ciabatta hifi. Ho preso un case in alluminio da audiophonics, 6 prese miste viborg e furutech (oro e rodi) per avere più scelta, cavo Ramm audio. Ho un dubbio sul cablaggio a stella. Per comodità optero per la presa IEC (Furutech NCF), quindi in teoria dovrei collegare 6 fili per fase, 6 per neutro e 6 per massa. Temo che sul connettore IEC i contatti non siano così grandi per ospitare tutti quei cavi (non ho ancora ricevuto la spedizione ma sono quasi sicuro di questo). Hai qualche idea da suggerire? Pensavo di usare delle morsettiere ma non sono riuscito a trovarne di qualità per hifi, tutte quelle che ho visto sono in ottone. Grazie
Eh si, ma puoi unirli (saldamente) anche con morsetterie al limite, e collegare ogni gruppo con un singolo cavo dedicato ai tre poli dell'IEC altrimenti è un incubo. Esempio di cablaggio: images.app.goo.gl/RagqE3MJ34VNFFCn9
@@anadialog Grazie per la risposta. Si nel frattempo ho trovato dei morsetti a cappello che dovrebbero fare al caso mio. Praticamente stringo insieme tutti i cavi che fanno contatto tra di loro, evitando di passare per ottone come per le morsettiere che stavo vedendo prima. Quelli nella foto mi sembra siano crimpati su un occhiello che poi è avvitato sul connettore IEC. Nel mio caso non è fattibile perchè il connettore IEC è fatto diversamente e può accogliere solamente cavi.
My friend, do you have an earlier model of the Wireworld Matrix? I have version 2 and it states star wired. Perhaps the U.K. model is different. I’d say that the matrix strip reduced noise, hence I was able to pick out instruments in the soundstage better
Yes, I have Matrix 2 and yes, as I have shown in the video, it states star wired but its not, not all of the outlets. Moreover, I also wrote in the video that some models are 100% star wired. You can recognize the ones that are NOT if on the front the outlets are disposed in PAIRS, as I have shown. If not, then they are all stared.
@@anadialog thanks for the clarification, I looked at the picture again in more detail, I can see that they are paired. I will pop the hood off my U.K. model and see if it is the same. It is very cheeky of the manufacture to state star wired if it isn’t fully star wired. I look forward to a DIY power strip video 😉 Best regards
@@anadialog I tried taking it apart, I got the end caps off, but I could get the earth screw undone because I didn’t have the screw bit, It was like a Philips screwdriver with a 3 sides. Similar to the centre of your logo. Another question please, have you tried earthing the chassis? I heard it improves performance
I’ve found that the PS audio power outlets are a good choice for the price. They aren’t cheap but in comparison to some of the other companies selling high-quality outlets they are very reasonable. I use them as my wall outlets feeding a PS Audio power regenerator. I also favor VH audio power cables. They are not cheap and not very flexible but I think that Chris VenHaus knows what he’s doing.
If i run cable direct from the main circuit board, with dedicated fuses for my hifi… that is better right? Then I can fix in the wall multiple individual sockets going back to that wire so that I dont need a multisocket box… its better, right? 🤔
How do you like the Furman SS-6B-PRO if you are using it for voice overs. I have a high end microphone, laptop and audio interface VS a decent surge protector?
hi i would like to ask you about Taga PC - 5000 power conditioner for my external power amplifier XPA 11 Gen 3 because me Switch mode power supply has a humming sound and i don't know if it's for my electric outlet dirty power or not and if i get Taga pc - 5000 power conditioner it's going to solve this issue or not hope to reply me ASAP.
In most cases yes! That is why it is important to use quality filters with sound geometry. I have used Systems and Magic BlackNoise (now out of production) for decades with absolutely stunning results...in fact I dedicated my very first video to this!
2) The most important consideration of power strip design is shielding cleaning but also protection in a world all the cable in the world be 5 or 6n silver but this is not cost effective Where it is much more important to shield and clean the mains supply than try to use a conductor to try to increase the speed of electron flow I will give you a simple example of this when you by a phone charger do you buy a cheap and nasty buck transformer which puts loads of absolute garbage on the mains Or do you buy a separate walwart and or a torrid transformer in a properly shielded metal enclosure with a proper mains input circuit fully shielded with mov's and pye filter protection Cheap charger £15 UK pounds or a nice quality charger around £300 You see how vast this subject is you can approach from 2 sides an electronics or an electrical engineer both will give totally different solution's to the problem both are right but also wrong If you would like to have a more indepth chat about this send me you contact detail's and I was much harder in my review of a Furman product which costs 300$ US I said the unit wasn't worth 30$ US Regards Simon
Great video! And nice advice regarding whe wireworld matrix. Unfortunately this seemed to be a common problem with most power strips on the market. There is always a catch. I saw many solutions where only two plugs from six were star wired, but obviously they just say it is star wired to grab your attention and only rarely explain the restrictions. And this is valid even for very expensive power strips! You would think the Furutech tp609 ncf is star wired.... but it not completely, the ground is serial!! Only when you know this, you understand why they write "star wired" (under brackets) on their website... because they know it kind of isnt....but they dont explain it! The 609 is a obvioulsy a great power strip, what kills me is that Furutech, as most suppliers, is not at all transparent regarding this.....and obviously they know about the benefits of star wiring, as the obscenely expensive e-TP809E is completely star wired...talk about limiting your own products.... The lack of transparency from hifi manufacturers is really a shame. Ok, rant over, nice video :-)
Ive tried to break this down into bite sized chunks lol your video is not wrong but not right if that makes sense 1) The problem with the video is you have gone into a topic which is vast I design conversions of rare 100/110 volt collectors hifi into multi voltage hifi 100 /110/220 and 240 mainly rare Japanese hifi for the world market this includes transformers capacitors and hifi power supply boards the one thing I find that most of the videos done by audio reviews don't concentrate on the basics
And 1 more thing is the design of US wall plugs a 2 pin socket you pull the the plug half way out of a wall and both pins are live why don't the fit the plug with shielded pins and also no way off adding a fuse to the plug coming from the UK this makes absolutely no sense to me ????
Ah crap... I already bought an Ifi Power Station and after watching this video ruclips.net/video/HWTP5xfWwoA/видео.htmlsi=MFIPRnExxEBvlZuf it looks like it doesn't have star wiring? Can anyone help me confirm? I'm assuming those copper bars running across the outlets mean they could "contaminate" each other?
Is the advice in this video is for someone that's more or less found their endgame gear and just want to tweak every last ounce out of it? Because I'm assuming that paying more attention to other aspects of the system: speakers/components will make a bigger difference to the sound quality.
Main components are always going to be more important by definition. Tweaks are for getting the max out of them. This said, power is paramount. A good amp with quality power will become an excellent amp, therefore not a small tweak but a proper setup to exploit in depth a piece of gear.
I actually think it's the other way around. High quality components are capable of dealing with poor electrical systems while normal quality hi-fi systems are very sensitive to this aspect. At least that is my experience.
LOL - it make no differences from a plastic POWER STRIP compared to a metal. The star connection or individual wire to each socket inside that box make no differences unless it has an isolated circuit, but again this topic is talking about a power strip not a surge protector or conditioning. A power strip is nothing but a bank or row of metal bar to distribute power to multiple outlet. Electricity conduct energy just fine in whatever that power strip. I haven"t seen in my lifetime a power strip that gave me less power than what coming out of the wall socket, LOL. If you want noises less (not noises free) or isolation from anonther devices that plugged into the same outlet, get a power conditioner with outlet isolation. Use shielded power cord from power condition to your equipment to avoid EMI & RFI. Why? The power coming out of your conditioner has been treated so you dont want to attract noises back in to the line between the conditioner and your equipment. Plugged a shielded cord directly to power strip or wall does nothing or it will reduces or eliminate anything. Stop spreading something that doesn't make sense.
@@anadialog Please elaborate QUALIFY power distributor power strip from a none. I work with electricity for 30+ years and would like your input in this.
quality power strips are in most cases waste of money !,...unless you rewire your entire house with a quality occ wire and probably take that wire down the street to the nearest power point,...otherwise don't bother with gold plated contacts in your £££ power strip :-)))
I didn't! Maybe you didn't see all the video...in the end I strongly recommended to use a power conditioner, also known as mains filter in the UK. In any case that is a different component.
@@anadialog I think it gets on my tits so much, because I hear my American buddies incorrectly pronounce it all the time. Your English is fine, Sir (far better than my Italian), but if I have to hear one more Aluminum .. 😝
- Lift versus Elevator - Moving stairs versus Escalator etc. Aluminium versus Aluminum ..... they are both correct - depends where you were studied your English :o)
@@NoMoreHeroesPunkPostPunk Both variations are accurate. The IUPAC has officially recognized both forms as correct since 1990, and in the US, it has been so since 1925. Get off your language high horse.
@@anadialog No, I have some physics understanding which is against all that power cables discussion. For example, I don't understand how good power cable can affect sound quality, if cable from your area power transformer to you house outlet is regular cable? So you have few miles of regular cable and at the end you connect very good one meter cable. How that one meter can make any difference?
I made the same question several times. A knowledgeable engineer explained to me that we are using the wrong perspective. You must use the perspective of the amp, or any other piece of gear, for the machine it's the first meter of wire, not the last and it is paramount to have a good cable to obtain a clean and abundant power supply.
Seva3star, think of tap water. Is it possible for the pipes inside your home to degrade the water you pour into your glass, after it has entered your home? It is a benefit to make sure that the wiring is high-quality as far back in the chain as it is possible to do.
"A power switch will kill the dynamics"? WHAT? Are you real? Do you have any knowledge in electricity? Don't listen to this guy. You're wasting your time.
I perfectly know what I am talking about and I also know the diagram of a switch. Do you? It's an interruption and attenuation of the signal. If you want max quality non of this must be along the line. That is why I don't recommend a IEC inlet. If you check all quality power distributors you will see that they never have this. If you think that audiophile cables and power strip are all BS, that is something different. Quality is quality. No question about it. An interruption along the line degrades that signal.
@@anadialog Not all quality strips have their cable attached-fixed. In fact there are many that don't, like Supra, Taga Harmony, Emotiva, Gigawatt, Oehlbach, Pro-Ject. Al of them with IEC sockets.
Yes, absolutely. Actually most audiophile power strips/distributors have IEC inlets as the one I put in the cover of this video. Nevertheless, if you want top quality it should be directly connected to the power outlets. In any case, this is not a crucial point like others. A good IEC connector and a good cable will do an excellent job.
I happen to know how switches work (many kinds of them) and happen to be an electrical and electronics engineer (are you? :) It also happens that most of the high-end power strips/distributors (like the ones mentioned) do use switches. AND it also happens that ALL amplifiers have a switch. I dare you to find one from high-end companies (e.g. Krell, Krell, Pass Labs, Audio Research, PSAudio, Classé Constellation Audio, Dan D'Agostino, etc.) without one. Do they also degrade the sound?
@@lambischiragua3628 Forget it buddy! MEng Audio Electronics with merit here and all I'm saying is trying to explain there is no audible quality drop, is futile. While he is right about several of the things you have to check for a power strip, this switch thing is pure audiofoolery.
in most modern european connections all you need is a fused power strip to prevent a power surge and just run a single line from main to the setup thats all the rest is snake oil
DISAPPPOINTING VIDEO: Most of what you said is usually invisible until after you buy it. The most important aspects weren't even described: Voltage Regulation, Overvoltage Clamping, and Dirty Electric Reduction. No audiophile should be buying a power strip, they should be buying a Furman or Radial Engineering power conditioner instead.
This is a power distributor, not a power conditioner. The elements you are highlighting have nothing to do with a power strip and if present, they will degrade sound. A quality power strip is not the optima solution but used with a good power conditioner WITH the characteristics I exposed you will maximize the effects with the right cost. 100% solid. You had other in mind and that is why you were disappointed, understandable.
@@anadialog lots of high quality ones, in many systems.The least intrusive, if we can call it this way, was a Ps Audio model. The effect has always been the same as Jay´s found out on this video: ruclips.net/video/VBcF7h0odh4/видео.html
Be aware, if the electricity comes from a solar plant, instead of coal plant, you will hear a huge, major difference in the sound! Hah, I was waiting to hear something useful about power filtering, but it's just all shamelessly ridiculous snake oil. Made me upset. You ("audiophile") guys are simply nuts. Btw, a cheap average active studio monitors sounds better than any ultra-expensive "audiophile" setup. All music was made with studio monitors as a reference.
@@anadialog Sorry, snail oil, not snake oil. All your 8 points here. All false: 1. Metal chassis - if your power strip "needs" a metal chassis to avoid interference, then what about the cable to and from the power strip? I guess it's best to break all your walls and replace the mains cables with isolated ones? Remember, they all power cables have just plastic cover and no shielding at all... Whatever EMI/RFI filtered electricity you have, it must be inches/cm from your audio, so it doesn't have much a chance to pick new interferences after the power strip. Your metal chassis power strip doesn't have any filters. I personally use Furman rack-mount power strip with filters. I'm musician, not an idiophile. 2. Series vs parallel wiring - they are exactly the same! No any difference at all. It only matters if one of your socket dies, but then your device will simply stop working and probably your fuse will go off. It does not affect the quality of the sound. 3. The quality of the power cable only matters for how much load it can handle - they have to be thick enough for the amperage. It doesn't matter at all for the material. It's not used for transferring audio signal! 4. Same for the clamps - it only matters to hold tight the plug, and nothing else... 5. Polarity - the polarity only matters for safety and has no affect the sound whatsoever. 6. Connections? Yes, they must be tight. Nothing else. 7. The power strip should have a switch if you need it for convenience and surely better to have a fuse too in case of shortcut. Switches and fuses do not affect the sound in any way. They just need the necessary amperage rating. 8. Large contacts? How much amperes do your audio equipment require? 16 amps? Look, if you and your buddies like to spend thousands of dollars for snail oil, because of guys like you, go ahead, but I watched your video and I couldn't believe how nuts are you guys. Point after point. The wine tastes better in a $500 glass, right? Good luck!
This guy is clueless he is just another so called audiophile talking about mains electrify and trying to cash in on it please tell these people to stop talking about a subject they no knowledge off
Please explain what are the problems you have noticed in this video. Cash on what? Not selling anything and I do this for my passion: high fidelity ;-)
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This is all good advice and parallels my experience in experimenting with power strips. Star wiring is good, but a heavy copper bus bar as is found in the iFi power station is also good if not better. I voided my warranty by modifying my power station. Internally there is a long length of wire that goes to the opposite end of the power station (than the cable end). I removed the connector and switch and directly soldered my own home made power cable right to the copper bus bar on the cable end of the power station. This removed the long length of wire, the switch, and the connector. It made a really nice difference in my system.
All the great companies like Ray Samuels owner, Pratues Cypher Labs and even Nelson Pass all told me NEVER use a power conditioner for amps- if the amp is built correctly you just do not want it in the chain. All other gear like cd players, servers, pre amps different story- but I never ever use a power conditioner for my amps. I have dedicated lines for all my digital pre amps and amps and thats the ultimate if you can do that- clean power from the box. Outlets of hospital grade or better a plus. OCC wire and better of course. Cheers! great video!
@@adrieltzu3565 power restriction of any kind- im not sure but my friend who has a $500,000 set of Perfect Eight Speakers and $600K worth of Other gear says the same thing- amps should never be conditioned or restricted at all- as I mentioned; Ray Samuels also says same thing and so does Coffman Labs- and so does JM Audio Editions -Pass Labs, VAC amps and so many other serious amp makers -
This is great advice. There are very few "honest" surveys on this topic. I'm lucky to have my main system in the basement and use a total of three dedicated bus-outlet-pairs (which I personally re-wired). We also have pretty clean power where I live in the upper Midwest of the US. The one piece of advice I would add here is: NEVER, NEVER use a UPS/Surge suppressor designed for computer/home office for audio use.
True!
perfect video, i found a amazing second hand deal 2 piecves furutech FL-50 (orginal) plugs with 2 furutech female shucko connectors for 60 euro's. that guy was cleaning up his room and bought 2 coax drivers and basicly sold the rest for whatever I wanted to pay... so now I will make a power strip with your tips.. thx dude your the man !
*From electrical Kirchhoff Law point of view, so-called "star wiring" that is still a parallel connection !!!!* Amen.
I stumbled across Emotiva's CMX-6 and CMX- 2 units. I was so impressed with the first CMX-6, I bought two more, and then two of their CMX-2 units for my DAC and DDC. These are built like tanks, have real internal filtering and are inexpensive, both under $100 ea, with free shipping. And, you can use your own power cord!
Thanks for sharing that!
Several years ago, I was looking on that big auction site, and found 2 Geist Military-spec power strips, 20 Amps, each outlet has it`s own circuit breaker. Each one is almost 5 feet long, and weighs about 25 lbs. Very high quality.
I have a dedicated 20 amp line from the breaker box going to my listening room terminating at Shunyata outlets. From there AQ Tornado HC power cord to one PS Audio Power Plant and Shunyata Delta HC power cable to a Shunyata PS8 to another Power Plant. I completely agree. A good hifi system is as good as the power that feeds it.
Sweet!!
I want to do that when I move out of my apartment into a house. I do refrigeration and ac and am pretty competent when it comes to wiring
@@ABRAXAS37 hey! The radio turns on when I open the fridge’s door 😂
Only just come across this video. I have a Musicworks G5 on loan and can testify that mains blocks can make a significant difference. This is far superior to the G4 in every respect. I wasn’t expecting too much of an improvement but it became clear very quickly just how much better it is. Yes, it’s very expensive but I have spent more on other components that have had less impact on sound quality.
I got a week ago an Isotek aquarius. I didnt expect so much. Clean power matters. I can say that the sound changed like i got more clean watts in my amp and a small subwoofer in my speakers. The soundstage changed. More dynamics and more punch. No tremble roll off. I'm amazed with all changes. I got it as a demo and paid 2/3 of the normal price. I thought I could easily sell it, if not satisfied. But is not gonna happen. I might change my amp but this power cond is staying. You should check it out someday. All the best. Keep it up.
Thanks for sharing that!
An interesting technical review! I am personally weighing up the Furutech e-TP60E NCF which has everything except star wiring versus the Puritan Audio PSM136 power conditioner with 6 outlets, which claims to be the only power conditioner not to suck the life out of amps.
I have read a review of the Puritan that it holds the dynamics of amps.....
@@theomindschrddr7983 Interesting. I think I'll go for Furutech f-TP615E, that model has star wiring and it looks thicker gauge than what the Puritan uses. Also Furutech are generally the masters of al things interconnect cables, power cords and distributors.
There are a few that do not suck the life out of amps. The Deep Core 1800 is one.
Tripp Lite Isobar plug-in is a great way to lower the ground noise from the wall. It doesn’t come with a weak ass cord attached to it. It is a plug-in unit with two outlets. It is a grounding device and a surge protector. It’s not really an audiophile product but a general electronic unit that’s found at Home Depots, eBay and Amazon.
I then plug in a silver cable that I seek out on eBay.
I feel that the Tripp Lite Isobar is my safety device for my equipment.
Then, I found a power distributor on eBay that used Furutech parts and pure silver conductors. I bought mine for $400 and now they’re $450.
This combination, plus Furutech Liquid Nano brushed on my connectors has done wonders to my sound.
Thanks for sharing that!
These power conditioners/regenerators can be life savers for those of us that live in apartments. I had so much line noise before I upgraded.
True! Thanks for sharing your experience. A lot of people think it's just audiophile mumbo-jumbo.
Which one is recommended then? Without breaking the bank?
Your vids are always great; Thanks! Sparks in Daytona
Another excellent video. Looking forward for a DIY power strip video !
Use an isolated ground and isolated grounded outlets. You will never have Hum, and the sound will be a lot darker. Add to that a dedicated circuit and you will have less choke. Place the amp and preamp on the 1st outlet inline.
This 👆
Good advices here. ☝️
Bella spiegazione,ho preso da poco una Dynavox x4100 ed è veramente buona,servono eccome!!
Great and important Video. And think also from the beginning - use a seperate power line from the home fuse box to your stereo
I was thinking the same. I think it was Jay from Next Best Thing Studio advised to get a dedicated run before the Audioquest Niagara power conditioner
I bought an Emotiva (US) power strip. I am happy. Any comments?
Great tips. I asked the power company to replace all wiring from the house to the power station with OFC unidirectional Teflon coated conductors, had them put in aluminium ducting, remove all fuses and switches in between the said power station and my house, and wire the whole town in star. You won't believe the sound difference it made!
Now I can finally hear that last meter of unicorn power cable to my equipment perform as it should.
Lol! I know, everybody thinks that. But in electronics you must change your perspective. It's the first meter for the amplifier and it is of paramount importance for its push/pull function as well as the other components. Try then decide. Don't think by prejudice.
You neglected to ask your nearest power station to burn gold plated coal. ;)
I own the Audience adeptResponse aR2p-T4 Power Conditioner. The sonic improvement is nothing short of amazing and it has a plastic chassis. I was told this is actually an advantage over metal chassis because it doesn't react to electrical interference.
It does have an on/off switch and light which I agree is stupid. But customers demanded it so Audience put a lot of R&D just into designing a power switch and light that didn't degrade the sound.
Speaking of mains polarity, some CD / universal disc players and DACs perform better if you plug them in a particular polarity but tend to sound flat in the projecting a sounstage departmemt when you plug them the other way even though it still works / powers up. 🤔
Perhaps the power supply is of poor quality? I would expect a switching supply would be pretty standard by now, providing excellent isolation for any potential ground loops and well filtered, with very stiff regulation.
I really am considering "The Hot Box" by VH Audio. looks like a solid design with great reviews.
I don't think we use clamps in the UK. I got a Tacima 6 way mains conditioner for Christmas and it works just fine! (it was about 35 pounds)
Thanks for the recommendation, I've been looking for an affordable one for UK outlets.
@@MaximumJoy Yes, It's very good and it's not very intrusive with the sound :)
You might think you do not hear electrical noise, well if one was to audition a iso-tek syrus power conditioner then all would become apparent! Therefore the tacima mains power conditioner has now been relegated for the REL subwoofer!
Please do DIY power strip video!
Thx for the vid, liked and subscribed ❤
I used to love IEC inlet sockets, they are actually great if you frequently setup temporary systems, However for permanent installs, they are just another point of failure.
hope to see your power strip recommendations on your next video. Thks
On power conditioners, does it tend to be power limiting and hence not good for power amps?
In most cases, IMO, yes. BUT if you get a high quality conditioner, well designed, with modest and soft filtering, then you will get fantastic, dynamic and clean sound!
@@anadialog cool, look forward to your recommendations
Well, I truly love my dedicated power conditioners. They are made here in Italy, not cheap but changed my system radically! It was the topic of my first (strange) video I made: ruclips.net/video/elU1cEMLjYE/видео.html
Very good and thanks! I want to mention Supra from Sweden. They make very good electric HiFi products for a reasonable price. I would not recommend a power conditioner, but a power plant, if you have the money. It’s best to start with a dedicated Powerline to your HiFi system. The iFi AC iPurfier can be an addition to silence the rest of your house. Can you agree with this (as an update)?
Over here in the Netherlands it's easy to know which one is the Fase. It's allway's the left pole in the wallsocket. This during the fact we read allso from left to right. Hope it will help other Dutch persons.
In that particular instance, as well as any ... that's assuming it was installed correctly, as occasionally mistakes are made.
A meter would determine what is what.
There is no guarantee for that.
I can recommend the isotek evo 3, it’s a really nice piece of gear!
Hi, An(dia)log, It is quite acceptable to use both plastic and metal power conditioners, I use both on the same system, one pluged into the other. I have gone to considerable expense to convert my equipment to IEC sockets that have a power switch. I would say one of the most important thing that you left out is, Cable Management. The power strip/power conditioner has reduced my, wall outlet plugs, from 20 wall plugs to just one wall plug. If you asked me a year ago, I would have said this was impossible. I converted all components to IEC sockets that can be switched on or off. Now the system is very tide and zero hum. Job done.
Yes, you have surely solved ground loops but inserted several signal interruptions, which IMO are worse than the problem. Yes, of course plastic is good, it is a good isolation material but if you are not doing your own power strip, quality power strips are not going to be housed in plastic.
Great video! Have you done a video on how to make your own surge protector? I did not see one in your library but hoping that you did and that I missed it.
Nope, sorry!
So are there a couples brands/models you recommend? I’ve also noticed the nicer “Hifi” surge protectors have line filtering which can actually make things worse with demanding Hifi gear.
Some are listed at the end of the video!
Point #1... The best is a steel case because it does provide a magnetic shield on top of RF/EMI.
Point #2... I agree with star type wiring but the missing part is the fact that all lines have to be of the same lenght, especially the ground.
Point #3... Brass is not that bad, except it dos rust rapidly and lack mecanical strenght.
Point #4... Contact points have to be double action.
Point #5... I agree with AC power phase uniformity.
Point #6... Unless high current is drawned, this may be unimportant.
Point #7... Gadgets are always sources of troubles.
Point #8... This seems a repeat of point #4.
All that being said, a well designed power supply should alleviate most points.
The paramount point remain to make sure all the grounds are of the same lenght and respect a star configuration.
In conclusion, put a scope in front of me and show mee the difference!
Anyway, who is stupid enough to listen to music with a scope?
I use my ears.
Pay an electrician and get dedicated outlets for your gear. (For those who can)
The problem with electricians today is that the job has to be at least a thousand dollars or they won't to it. It's not worth their time as I was told by many.
@@walterpen371 It’s expensive but worth the price (for those who can) but yea I imagine it’s not that easy to get a professional to do a professional job at a “fair” price.
Do it yourself
@@matthewcooke4477 i imagine this DIY should be done by a professional or it might be “your” last DIY...but yes. DIY if you know how
I recommend the Furman PST 8 linear filtering power strip. It has fantastic power surge protection, and it eliminates the vast majority of noise from your electricity. Also a dedicated outlet from your breaker is always best. It costs like $200 to hire an electrician to wire your outlet directly so that it doesn’t get contaminated by the rest of the house. This will solve 99% of your noise problems right there. Also unplug crap that you aren’t using. If you have stuff like a noisy gaming PC or whatever, unplug it before listening and it will eliminate crossover noise. That way with doing those basic things you can eliminate most signal noise and avoid having to spend crazy dollars on absurdly expensive audiophile grade cables.
Nice!
I am sorry, but we are talking about AC or DC. Because in case of AC there is no polarity. The AC current changing its polarity 50 or 60 times in every second. There is only phase/neutral matching. Out of that, great advices. Thx
I am taking of plugs that have only two prongs where one pole is hot and the other is cold, yes phase but you can also call it polarity just as phase means 100 different things in electronics and audio in general.
Thanks for your new video, power conditioner was a huge improvement for my system . Can I ask a question about turntable/tone arm?
I have a Thorens TD 2001 with the TP90 tonearm. I would like to improve the sound, my hifi system is in general on an audiophile level.
Would you recommend the cartrige AT 33 PTG II or better Dynavector 20x2 for this turntable, or is too much for the Thorens? Thanks in advance
Check out pine tree audio for power cables, power conditioners,they are handmade. they also hand make amplifiers pre-amplifiers.
Super insightful thanks! Love your work. Any chance a video about making your own power strip is in the near future?
I’m not sure where to buy wire and connectors. There is a lot of “noise” out there!
Thanks! One day! ;-)
First, poweramp(s) should always be connected directly to the wall!
I have a Supra powerstrip, first two outlets are not filtered, but still I have the amp in the wall.
My other sources like TV, Apple TV, blu-ray player, decoder and turntable are connected to the strip.
I found that it depends from the type and model of amp
It will depend on the amp. Many of these newer amps do not draw or need the amperage like the older models with the huge terroidal transformers. If you are going direct to the wall, I would have the amp on a dedicated 20 amp circuit. When you have a circuit (wiring) with multiple outlets and switches, a lot of noise can be introduced to the amp. Electricity is inherently noisy, and it vibrates, loosening connection on those outlets and switches over time. I use Emotiva CMX-6 units with my XPA-2, no issues to date, and the amp is now dead silent.
I agree however here in Canada and in the USA there must be a REGULATED POWERADE SUPPLY that comes first top priority. This is very important in eliminating AC HUM / NOISE. There is an old saying, "GARBAGE IN, GARBAGE OUT". Also "LESS IS MORE ". Top quality power and preamps have less switches. As for hiring an electrician, the job has to be worth at least a thousand dollars or its a waste of their time $$$
1:10 The metal case/chassis only matters if your powerstrip is located. close to your analog equipment.
2:00 Star wiring is a good one, especially ground, that's by far the most important one to be star wired; it reduces the chance of getting ground loops.
3:10 The OFC/OCC copper etc. shouldn't matter, as power is only 50/60Hz frequency.
3:25 Those brass bars are crap indeed, but mostly because of oxidation which causes unreliable contact.
4:05 When using those clamps/terminals, don't get spring loaded ones, but ones met screws instead. And *never* put soldering tin on your wire to put it in the terminal - use crimps instead.
7:00 That's a matter of opinion, I prefer to have an RFI filter and surge protector in my powerstrip.
7:45 Cool! I didn't know you had other powerplugs over there in Italy! I thought continental Europe had all the same Schuko plug, except Switzerland.
Ciao, sto per costruire la prima ciabatta hifi. Ho preso un case in alluminio da audiophonics, 6 prese miste viborg e furutech (oro e rodi) per avere più scelta, cavo Ramm audio. Ho un dubbio sul cablaggio a stella. Per comodità optero per la presa IEC (Furutech NCF), quindi in teoria dovrei collegare 6 fili per fase, 6 per neutro e 6 per massa. Temo che sul connettore IEC i contatti non siano così grandi per ospitare tutti quei cavi (non ho ancora ricevuto la spedizione ma sono quasi sicuro di questo). Hai qualche idea da suggerire? Pensavo di usare delle morsettiere ma non sono riuscito a trovarne di qualità per hifi, tutte quelle che ho visto sono in ottone. Grazie
Eh si, ma puoi unirli (saldamente) anche con morsetterie al limite, e collegare ogni gruppo con un singolo cavo dedicato ai tre poli dell'IEC altrimenti è un incubo.
Esempio di cablaggio: images.app.goo.gl/RagqE3MJ34VNFFCn9
@@anadialog Grazie per la risposta. Si nel frattempo ho trovato dei morsetti a cappello che dovrebbero fare al caso mio. Praticamente stringo insieme tutti i cavi che fanno contatto tra di loro, evitando di passare per ottone come per le morsettiere che stavo vedendo prima.
Quelli nella foto mi sembra siano crimpati su un occhiello che poi è avvitato sul connettore IEC. Nel mio caso non è fattibile perchè il connettore IEC è fatto diversamente e può accogliere solamente cavi.
My friend, do you have an earlier model of the Wireworld Matrix? I have version 2 and it states star wired. Perhaps the U.K. model is different.
I’d say that the matrix strip reduced noise, hence I was able to pick out instruments in the soundstage better
Yes, I have Matrix 2 and yes, as I have shown in the video, it states star wired but its not, not all of the outlets. Moreover, I also wrote in the video that some models are 100% star wired. You can recognize the ones that are NOT if on the front the outlets are disposed in PAIRS, as I have shown. If not, then they are all stared.
@@anadialog thanks for the clarification, I looked at the picture again in more detail, I can see that they are paired. I will pop the hood off my U.K. model and see if it is the same.
It is very cheeky of the manufacture to state star wired if it isn’t fully star wired. I look forward to a DIY power strip video 😉
Best regards
Indeed! Tell us, thanks!
@@anadialog I tried taking it apart, I got the end caps off, but I could get the earth screw undone because I didn’t have the screw bit, It was like a Philips screwdriver with a 3 sides. Similar to the centre of your logo.
Another question please, have you tried earthing the chassis? I heard it improves performance
I’ve found that the PS audio power outlets are a good choice for the price. They aren’t cheap but in comparison to some of the other companies selling high-quality outlets they are very reasonable. I use them as my wall outlets feeding a PS Audio power regenerator.
I also favor VH audio power cables. They are not cheap and not very flexible but I think that Chris VenHaus knows what he’s doing.
True! I've seen them and the appear to be quite good.
Let’s proceed
If i run cable direct from the main circuit board, with dedicated fuses for my hifi… that is better right? Then I can fix in the wall multiple individual sockets going back to that wire so that I dont need a multisocket box… its better, right? 🤔
If capable of setting that up, indeed
At the moment I build the room completely, including stud wall and power supply… If you tell me the best way I can do it 😉👍
Is oehlbach any good?
Somehow I think you're either Monster Cable's target audience or their Chief Product Officer :D.
One of the worst fake audiophile brands out there
@@anadialog Which was what I was getting at.
Needing to check the copper type seems conspiracy theory territory.
How do you like the Furman SS-6B-PRO if you are using it for voice overs. I have a high end microphone, laptop and audio interface VS a decent surge protector?
Can you recommend a power bar that has every thing that you are talking about ?
hi i would like to ask you about Taga PC - 5000 power conditioner for my external power amplifier XPA 11 Gen 3 because me Switch mode power supply has a humming sound and i don't know if it's for my electric outlet dirty power or not and if i get Taga pc - 5000 power conditioner it's going to solve this issue or not hope to reply me ASAP.
Most probably Emotiva SMPS was broken.
Hey, allot of Infos and lessons!!! What about UPS ( Uninterruptible Power Sources)?
If your power goes out a lot it is definitely a good idea but they are never audiophile oriented so they will impoverish the signal IMO
@@anadialog thank you very much
How does power source get surge power with all that stuff on the line?
holy 🐮where can we buy these godly power strips? 😝
Does not adding a power conditioner kill the dynamics?
In most cases yes! That is why it is important to use quality filters with sound geometry. I have used Systems and Magic BlackNoise (now out of production) for decades with absolutely stunning results...in fact I dedicated my very first video to this!
Brasileiro, né? Ótimo canal! Saudações!
Italiano! Grazie!
2) The most important consideration of power strip design is shielding cleaning but also protection in a world all the cable in the world be 5 or 6n silver but this is not cost effective
Where it is much more important to shield and clean the mains supply than try to use a conductor to try to increase the speed of electron flow
I will give you a simple example of this when you by a phone charger do you buy a cheap and nasty buck transformer which puts loads of absolute garbage on the mains
Or do you buy a separate walwart and or a torrid transformer in a properly shielded metal enclosure with a proper mains input circuit fully shielded with mov's and pye filter protection
Cheap charger £15 UK pounds or a nice quality charger around £300
You see how vast this subject is you can approach from 2 sides an electronics or an electrical engineer both will give totally different solution's to the problem both are right but also wrong
If you would like to have a more indepth chat about this send me you contact detail's and I was much harder in my review of a Furman product which costs 300$ US I said the unit wasn't worth 30$ US
Regards Simon
An alternative to the wireworld please ?
Did you watch the end of the video?
Great video! And nice advice regarding whe wireworld matrix. Unfortunately this seemed to be a common problem with most power strips on the market. There is always a catch. I saw many solutions where only two plugs from six were star wired, but obviously they just say it is star wired to grab your attention and only rarely explain the restrictions. And this is valid even for very expensive power strips! You would think the Furutech tp609 ncf is star wired.... but it not completely, the ground is serial!! Only when you know this, you understand why they write "star wired" (under brackets) on their website... because they know it kind of isnt....but they dont explain it! The 609 is a obvioulsy a great power strip, what kills me is that Furutech, as most suppliers, is not at all transparent regarding this.....and obviously they know about the benefits of star wiring, as the obscenely expensive e-TP809E is completely star wired...talk about limiting your own products....
The lack of transparency from hifi manufacturers is really a shame. Ok, rant over, nice video :-)
Unbelievable! I call that fraud, plain in simple.
i only use Furman
In the trip from the power station to you HiFi system, nothing you do on a power strip will make any difference.
Which quality power strips have you tried?
Ive tried to break this down into bite sized chunks lol your video is not wrong but not right if that makes sense
1) The problem with the video is you have gone into a topic which is vast I design conversions of rare 100/110 volt collectors hifi into multi voltage hifi 100 /110/220 and 240 mainly rare Japanese hifi for the world market this includes transformers capacitors and hifi power supply boards the one thing I find that most of the videos done by audio reviews don't concentrate on the basics
And 1 more thing is the design of US wall plugs a 2 pin socket you pull the the plug half way out of a wall and both pins are live why don't the fit the plug with shielded pins and also no way off adding a fuse to the plug coming from the UK this makes absolutely no sense to me ????
Ah crap... I already bought an Ifi Power Station and after watching this video ruclips.net/video/HWTP5xfWwoA/видео.htmlsi=MFIPRnExxEBvlZuf it looks like it doesn't have star wiring?
Can anyone help me confirm? I'm assuming those copper bars running across the outlets mean they could "contaminate" each other?
Is the advice in this video is for someone that's more or less found their endgame gear and just want to tweak every last ounce out of it? Because I'm assuming that paying more attention to other aspects of the system: speakers/components will make a bigger difference to the sound quality.
Main components are always going to be more important by definition. Tweaks are for getting the max out of them. This said, power is paramount. A good amp with quality power will become an excellent amp, therefore not a small tweak but a proper setup to exploit in depth a piece of gear.
Furman product work great with ugly outlook!!
So you gave all these tips and then show a Wireworld that has almost none of these?
Nice video but it would have been even more helpful (at least a time saver) with some brand recommendations.
Did you watch ALL the video? There are reccomendations at the end.
Maybe hair plugs would be a better investment 🤔
I know the difference between a cheap and expensive stripper 👍😂🤪. She is a star ⭐️
Maybe you can start to use this level of attention (and €£$!) when your system reached a certain level, before then is a total waste of money!
I actually think it's the other way around. High quality components are capable of dealing with poor electrical systems while normal quality hi-fi systems are very sensitive to this aspect. At least that is my experience.
LOL - it make no differences from a plastic POWER STRIP compared to a metal. The star connection or individual wire to each socket inside that box make no differences unless it has an isolated circuit, but again this topic is talking about a power strip not a surge protector or conditioning. A power strip is nothing but a bank or row of metal bar to distribute power to multiple outlet. Electricity conduct energy just fine in whatever that power strip. I haven"t seen in my lifetime a power strip that gave me less power than what coming out of the wall socket, LOL. If you want noises less (not noises free) or isolation from anonther devices that plugged into the same outlet, get a power conditioner with outlet isolation. Use shielded power cord from power condition to your equipment to avoid EMI & RFI. Why? The power coming out of your conditioner has been treated so you dont want to attract noises back in to the line between the conditioner and your equipment. Plugged a shielded cord directly to power strip or wall does nothing or it will reduces or eliminate anything. Stop spreading something that doesn't make sense.
Which quality power distributors have you tried?
@@anadialog Please elaborate QUALIFY power distributor power strip from a none. I work with electricity for 30+ years and would like your input in this.
quality power strips are in most cases waste of money !,...unless you rewire your entire house with a quality occ wire and probably take that wire down the street to the nearest power point,...otherwise don't bother with gold plated contacts in your £££ power strip :-)))
But audiophiles know better the engineers...
They cant provide measurements for anything but claim they can clearly here "it"
Lots of MISINFORMATION here 🤦♂️
This guy has no clue how this works.
Enlighten us! ;-)
You missed 1 thing power line filtering or regeneration
I didn't! Maybe you didn't see all the video...in the end I strongly recommended to use a power conditioner, also known as mains filter in the UK.
In any case that is a different component.
Sorry .. one word that drives me crazy (sorry, again). .. there's an 'I' in Aluminium. It's NOT 'Aluminum'.
You are right, I am Italian so I mispronounce several words. Sorry about that.
@@anadialog I think it gets on my tits so much, because I hear my American buddies incorrectly pronounce it all the time. Your English is fine, Sir (far better than my Italian), but if I have to hear one more Aluminum .. 😝
@@anadialog *< Viva Italia amico !!!! Viva Azurri. Ciao 4 now ))*
- Lift versus Elevator
- Moving stairs versus Escalator
etc.
Aluminium versus Aluminum ..... they are both correct - depends where you were studied your English :o)
@@NoMoreHeroesPunkPostPunk Both variations are accurate. The IUPAC has officially recognized both forms as correct since 1990, and in the US, it has been so since 1925. Get off your language high horse.
Power strips are useless. What you need is a surge protector.
BS. I am wondering if anybody can distinguish "bad" power strip or cable from "good" one blindly.
I am wondering if you ever invested in an audiophile grade power strip.
@@anadialog No, I have some physics understanding which is against all that power cables discussion. For example, I don't understand how good power cable can affect sound quality, if cable from your area power transformer to you house outlet is regular cable? So you have few miles of regular cable and at the end you connect very good one meter cable. How that one meter can make any difference?
BTW Don't take me wrong, I am your fan)
I made the same question several times. A knowledgeable engineer explained to me that we are using the wrong perspective. You must use the perspective of the amp, or any other piece of gear, for the machine it's the first meter of wire, not the last and it is paramount to have a good cable to obtain a clean and abundant power supply.
Seva3star, think of tap water. Is it possible for the pipes inside your home to degrade the water you pour into your glass, after it has entered your home? It is a benefit to make sure that the wiring is high-quality as far back in the chain as it is possible to do.
"A power switch will kill the dynamics"? WHAT? Are you real? Do you have any knowledge in electricity?
Don't listen to this guy. You're wasting your time.
I perfectly know what I am talking about and I also know the diagram of a switch. Do you? It's an interruption and attenuation of the signal. If you want max quality non of this must be along the line. That is why I don't recommend a IEC inlet. If you check all quality power distributors you will see that they never have this. If you think that audiophile cables and power strip are all BS, that is something different. Quality is quality. No question about it. An interruption along the line degrades that signal.
@@anadialog Not all quality strips have their cable attached-fixed. In fact there are many that don't, like Supra, Taga Harmony, Emotiva, Gigawatt, Oehlbach, Pro-Ject. Al of them with IEC sockets.
Yes, absolutely. Actually most audiophile power strips/distributors have IEC inlets as the one I put in the cover of this video.
Nevertheless, if you want top quality it should be directly connected to the power outlets. In any case, this is not a crucial point like others. A good IEC connector and a good cable will do an excellent job.
I happen to know how switches work (many kinds of them) and happen to be an electrical and electronics engineer (are you? :)
It also happens that most of the high-end power strips/distributors (like the ones mentioned) do use switches.
AND it also happens that ALL amplifiers have a switch. I dare you to find one from high-end companies (e.g. Krell, Krell, Pass Labs, Audio Research, PSAudio, Classé Constellation Audio, Dan D'Agostino, etc.) without one. Do they also degrade the sound?
@@lambischiragua3628 Forget it buddy! MEng Audio Electronics with merit here and all I'm saying is trying to explain there is no audible quality drop, is futile. While he is right about several of the things you have to check for a power strip, this switch thing is pure audiofoolery.
first
a metal power strip with a fuse is all you need, the rest is a waste of money
in most modern european connections all you need is a fused power strip to prevent a power surge and just run a single line from main to the setup thats all the rest is snake oil
Surge protector power strips kill dynamics. Ben there, done that. Which high quality power distributors have you tried?
Seems like you are saying Star grounding
I am Italian after all so I may be making some mistakes. Sorry about that.
DISAPPPOINTING VIDEO: Most of what you said is usually invisible until after you buy it. The most important aspects weren't even described: Voltage Regulation, Overvoltage Clamping, and Dirty Electric Reduction. No audiophile should be buying a power strip, they should be buying a Furman or Radial Engineering power conditioner instead.
This is a power distributor, not a power conditioner. The elements you are highlighting have nothing to do with a power strip and if present, they will degrade sound. A quality power strip is not the optima solution but used with a good power conditioner WITH the characteristics I exposed you will maximize the effects with the right cost. 100% solid. You had other in mind and that is why you were disappointed, understandable.
Almost everything was fine till the suggestion of a power conditioner.
Which quality power conditioner have you tried?
@@anadialog lots of high quality ones, in many systems.The least intrusive, if we can call it this way, was a Ps Audio model. The effect has always been the same as Jay´s found out on this video: ruclips.net/video/VBcF7h0odh4/видео.html
Be aware, if the electricity comes from a solar plant, instead of coal plant, you will hear a huge, major difference in the sound!
Hah, I was waiting to hear something useful about power filtering, but it's just all shamelessly ridiculous snake oil. Made me upset.
You ("audiophile") guys are simply nuts.
Btw, a cheap average active studio monitors sounds better than any ultra-expensive "audiophile" setup. All music was made with studio monitors as a reference.
Thanks for your comment. Please explain what is “snake oil” and why. I am ready to discuss.
@@anadialog Sorry, snail oil, not snake oil.
All your 8 points here. All false:
1. Metal chassis - if your power strip "needs" a metal chassis to avoid interference, then what about the cable to and from the power strip? I guess it's best to break all your walls and replace the mains cables with isolated ones? Remember, they all power cables have just plastic cover and no shielding at all... Whatever EMI/RFI filtered electricity you have, it must be inches/cm from your audio, so it doesn't have much a chance to pick new interferences after the power strip. Your metal chassis power strip doesn't have any filters. I personally use Furman rack-mount power strip with filters. I'm musician, not an idiophile.
2. Series vs parallel wiring - they are exactly the same! No any difference at all. It only matters if one of your socket dies, but then your device will simply stop working and probably your fuse will go off. It does not affect the quality of the sound.
3. The quality of the power cable only matters for how much load it can handle - they have to be thick enough for the amperage. It doesn't matter at all for the material. It's not used for transferring audio signal!
4. Same for the clamps - it only matters to hold tight the plug, and nothing else...
5. Polarity - the polarity only matters for safety and has no affect the sound whatsoever.
6. Connections? Yes, they must be tight. Nothing else.
7. The power strip should have a switch if you need it for convenience and surely better to have a fuse too in case of shortcut. Switches and fuses do not affect the sound in any way. They just need the necessary amperage rating.
8. Large contacts? How much amperes do your audio equipment require? 16 amps?
Look, if you and your buddies like to spend thousands of dollars for snail oil, because of guys like you, go ahead, but I watched your video and I couldn't believe how nuts are you guys. Point after point.
The wine tastes better in a $500 glass, right?
Good luck!
Are you a DJ. Seems like it. You might be over your head on this
Subject
AHAHA! No, I am just a hi-fi enthusiast but I must admit that this isn't exactly rocket science.
I had to do the thumb down on you. Mr DJ
Sorry to hear that! You should explain why...
This guy is clueless he is just another so called audiophile talking about mains electrify and trying to cash in on it please tell these people to stop talking about a subject they no knowledge off
Please explain what are the problems you have noticed in this video. Cash on what? Not selling anything and I do this for my passion: high fidelity ;-)