Power Cable & Power Conditioner Upgrade

[REUBEN GABRIEL]

Hi,

Just need advice IF upgrading from stock standard power cables would be a smart move? This would be power cables for av receiver (Anthem), power amp (Emotiva), Bluray (Oppo) and 2 subwoofer amps (Triads)

There are so many options out there and the price range is so huge. I was looking at ISOTEK cables. Their entry level power leads are around at $100 each (Australia).

Secondly thoughts on power conditioner? is it a smart investment long term. Anyone have experience with Torus TOT Max?

thank you

 

[shadyJ]

Don't bother on either count. Here is the skinny on power cables. The short version is that the cables that shipped from the factory are more than good enough for those components. In terms of sound, it will not make any difference at all if you "upgraded" to another power cable. In fact, it might be problematic to equipment safety if the gauge is too small.

With regard to conditioners, I would only consider this if the electrical power in your area is erratic, like you get brown-outs, power spikes, voltage drops, etc. If you haven't noticed anything amiss in your electrical, don't worry about getting a power conditioner. The best thing it can do is protect your equipment from erratic current, and that wouldn't improve the sound quality anyway, it would only improve the long-term reliability of your gear.

 

[REUBEN GABRIEL]

Don't bother on either count. Here is the skinny on power cables. The short version is that the cables that shipped from the factory are more than good enough for those components. In terms of sound, it will not make any difference at all if you "upgraded" to another power cable. In fact, it might be problematic to equipment safety if the gauge is too small.

With regard to conditioners, I would only consider this if the electrical power in your area is erratic, like you get brown-outs, power spikes, voltage drops, etc. If you haven't noticed anything amiss in your electrical, don't worry about getting a power conditioner. The best thing it can do is protect your equipment from erratic current, and that wouldn't improve the sound quality anyway, it would only improve the long-term reliability of your gear.

thank you for your feedback, much appreciated.

 

[lovinthehd]

We were just laughing at a ridiculous Isotek product in another group. $2000 plus for a power cord with a large ferrite clamped to it. Totally ridiculous.

 

[REUBEN GABRIEL]

We were just laughing at a ridiculous Isotek product in another group. $2000 plus for a power cord with a large ferrite clamped to it. Totally ridiculous.

thanks for that, good to know

 

[everettT]

Most amplifier brands tend to recommend not using any type of conditioner or regulator, for sure emotiva.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

With regard to conditioners, I would only consider this if the electrical power in your area is erratic like you get brown-outs, power spikes, voltage drops, etc.

Only one reason to upgrade surge protector and is to improve line filtering and/or reduce ground loop. My fav go-to brand is Trip Lite Isobar. As for power brownouts, a surge protector is useless. He'd need a UPS with sufficient capacity and clean wave AC output.

Power cables upgrades are pointless as already mentioned.

 

[mtrycrafts]

We were just laughing at a ridiculous Isotek product in another group. $2000 plus for a power cord with a large ferrite clamped to it. Totally ridiculous.

One can clamp a ferrite clamp on any cable for a few $.

 

[mtrycrafts]

Hi,

Just need advice IF upgrading from stock standard power cables would be a smart move? This would be power cables for av receiver (Anthem), power amp (Emotiva), Bluray (Oppo) and 2 subwoofer amps (Triads)

There are so many options out there and the price range is so huge. I was looking at ISOTEK cables. Their entry level power leads are around at $100 each (Australia).

Secondly thoughts on power conditioner? is it a smart investment long term. Anyone have experience with Torus TOT Max?

thank you

If you don't trust the power cable on a component, a simple engineering, how can you trust the rest of the design in the component?

 

[highfigh]

Only one reason to upgrade surge protector and is to improve line filtering and/or reduce ground loop. My fav go-to brand is Trip Lite Isobar. As for power brownouts, a surge protector is useless. He'd need a UPS with sufficient capacity and clean wave AC output.

Power cables upgrades are pointless as already mentioned.

Filtering does nothing to help ground loops unless isolation is part of the scheme and it usually isn't.

 

[lovinthehd]

One can clamp a ferrite clamp on any cable for a few $.

Let alone taking some larger (or smaller) gauge copper wire and put fancy terminations/insulation/flexwrap on it....and charging whatevver the market bears from the gullible.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

Filtering does nothing to help ground loops unless isolation is part of the scheme and it usually isn't.

https://www.tripplite.com/isobar-4-outlet-surge-protector-6-ft-cord-3300-joules-tel-fax-modem-suppession~ISOTEL

Isobar's unique protection system combines large toroidal chokes, ferrite rod-core inductors, HF/VHF capacitors and multiple layers of metal oxide varistors into exclusive isolated filter banks that remove EMI/RFI interference, even noise generated by other pieces of connected equipment

 

[Joe B]

Hi,

Just need advice IF upgrading from stock standard power cables would be a smart move? This would be power cables for av receiver (Anthem), power amp (Emotiva), Bluray (Oppo) and 2 subwoofer amps (Triads)

There are so many options out there and the price range is so huge. I was looking at ISOTEK cables. Their entry level power leads are around at $100 each (Australia).

Secondly thoughts on power conditioner? is it a smart investment long term. Anyone have experience with Torus TOT Max?

thank you

Don't bother with a power conditioner. These products lower RF and IF interference. I know Isotek actually rates the number of -db of noise reduction per outlet. Their products also isolate each component from every other component plugged into them, so noise is not transferred from one component to another. Couple this with cables that are shielded and you're bound to do nothing more than lower the noise floor, allowing you to experience an increase in dynamic range. Who needs products like that. I'm sure anyone here would be more than happy to tell you that it is impossible for you to hear the differences these products purport to make. Next thing you'll be asking if different components in the audio chain can make a difference in your listening pleasure. Lets face it, everyone at this site will tell you that it is only possible to hear differences between speakers. I'm not sure why that is, they're nothing more than transducers. And certainly if they spec out the same they must sound identical.

Good luck!

 

[Verdinut]

https://www.tripplite.com/isobar-4-outlet-surge-protector-6-ft-cord-3300-joules-tel-fax-modem-suppession~ISOTEL

Info from TrippLite is that the production of this Isobar power box was discontinued and item never replaced.

 

[lovinthehd]

Don't bother with a power conditioner. These products lower RF and IF interference. I know Isotek actually rates the number of -db of noise reduction per outlet. Their products also isolate each component from every other component plugged into them, so noise is not transferred from one component to another. Couple this with cables that are shielded and you're bound to do nothing more than lower the noise floor, allowing you to experience an increase in dynamic range. Who needs products like that. I'm sure anyone here would be more than happy to tell you that it is impossible for you to hear the differences these products purport to make. Next thing you'll be asking if different components in the audio chain can make a difference in your listening pleasure. Lets face it, everyone at this site will tell you that it is only possible to hear differences between speakers. I'm not sure why that is, they're nothing more than transducers. And certainly if they spec out the same they must sound identical.

Good luck!

So how does this alleged lower noise in the AC line translate to lower noise after the power supply in each component? Got anything but seller's claims such as a independent 3rd party test of such?

 

[Beave]

Don't bother with a power conditioner. These products lower RF and IF interference. I know Isotek actually rates the number of -db of noise reduction per outlet. Their products also isolate each component from every other component plugged into them, so noise is not transferred from one component to another. Couple this with cables that are shielded and you're bound to do nothing

You should have stopped right there!

 

[highfigh]

https://www.tripplite.com/isobar-4-outlet-surge-protector-6-ft-cord-3300-joules-tel-fax-modem-suppession~ISOTEL

I like TrippLite, but varistors and caps are parallel devices- I'd like to see where the isolation is accomplished and chokes or ferrite-core inductors don't provide that. I think they mean the banks of outlets are isolated from each other, not the electrical service.

From the Surge/Noise Suppression section, "Unique isolated filter bank design offers additional filtering between each duplex pair of outlets on the strip to prevent electrical noise interference between connected loads. Includes 2 filter banks. ". I don't see anything about helping with ground loops and if one exists when the equipment is connected to the same outlet, something else is going on.

 

[Speedskater]

One can clamp a ferrite clamp on any cable for a few $.

There is a whole lot more to ferrite filter engineering than just clamping one on a cable.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

I like TrippLite, but varistors and caps are parallel devices- I'd like to see where the isolation is accomplished and chokes or ferrite-core inductors don't provide that. I think they mean the banks of outlets are isolated from each other, not the electrical service.

From the Surge/Noise Suppression section, "Unique isolated filter bank design offers additional filtering between each duplex pair of outlets on the strip to prevent electrical noise interference between connected loads. Includes 2 filter banks. ". I don't see anything about helping with ground loops and if one exists when the equipment is connected to the same outlet, something else is going on.

May I present an anecdotical evidence: I have my jbl active monitors. Before I was using AE Dac-1 with an unbalanced connection to speakers. Had pretty annoying buzz while no music playing. Isobar nearly fixed the issue. Replacing high-quality coax cables fixed the rest of it.

 

[highfigh]

May I present an anecdotical evidence: I have my jbl active monitors. Before I was using AE Dac-1 with an unbalanced connection to speakers. Had pretty annoying buzz while no music playing. Isobar nearly fixed the issue. Replacing high-quality coax cables fixed the rest of it.

Did you try moving the power cords for the monitors on the TrippLite? The description seems to be saying that it has two banks, isolated from each other- if this is true or if one was isolated from a source device , that may explain the partial solution.

It's interesting that you heard a difference- what might have been causing the buzz? Were the cables near the TV, did you have a dimmer in the room? Is it possible that the power supply for the DAC-1 had something to do with this? They can be noisy.

I did a system a few years ago and had asked the electrician to do some specific wiring WRT the projector, screen and outlets at both ends of the AV cabinet/bench seat but he didn't do any of them. I plugged the power amp into one outlet and the rest of the equipment into another, with the screen and projector on their own, all on the same circuit. With balanced cables, I had noise and with unbalanced, none. I had wanted a power inlet for the projector, so I could feed it from the protector, but he made that impossible and that may have been the culprit, but I'll never be sure because it can't be re-wired.