A run down on mains filters..

bottleneck

bottleneck

talks a load of rubbish
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Hi

Sorry, I cant give you a run down on mains filters... but.. can you give me one? :D

Basically, Ive tried loads of power cables and seen a little difference here and there, but nothing I'd shell out for.

Ive an open mind though, and havent ruled out mains tweakery. Ive never tried filters of any description in my own system.

Id like to borrow a few from an amenable dealer at some point to see if I think its worth it for me...

But which ones represent the best value for money and work well, and which are available SOR?

Cheers!
Chris

If I see a benefit to the filtering, I may even try the power cords again in a revised set up.
 
Some are Chris
Im not realy in a position to say what is what tho.
Im happy with my box of lobster spunk from you know who;)
I treid one of the swampy filters, but i found it squashed things somewhat, by popular thought i assume it was caused by the use of chokes in the design.
I also use a 2KVA iso tx on the power amp to good effect, It appears to be a normal industrial type with decent cable used to hook up to the input/output
 
bottleneck said:
..so no Mains filters/regenerators etc are worth trying ?!?
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You're welcome to try a DPA "The power" conditioner from me - good on digital sources DACs etc, not so wonderful on amplification.... :)
 
Sorry Chris. We're all a bit bored with mains now. It's been done to death.

The Trichord Powerblock 1000 gave a big improvement in groove factor in my system.

The Omiga cables (two different ones) gave improvements in impact, bass depth, tightness, timing (a further very noticeable improvement in groove factor), and cleaned up the top end so there is less of what we usually call digitalitis. My system now sounds much more fluid and organic. Instruments sound more real.

I played Dire Straits 'Private Investigations' last night after getting my Alpha 9 back in service. It sounded far more real than I have ever heard it. I was stunned. The attack on that solo guitar! Wow! And when the electric guitar cuts in, all the grit and raw edge is there but without the usual ear-bending distortions. Incredible! I have never enjoyed my music so much. I am now busy going through my collection and hearing most of it for what seems like the first time!

So there you go. Mains treatments are worth trying. They can transform your system.
 
BlueMax said:
No need to pay silly money either. Some of the ones available from places such as RS Components are re-badged as sold as by some in the hifi trade.
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That doesn't apply to the isolation trannies. You can't buy the toroids in the Trichord/Ben Duncan from RS. They are hand made specifically for audio use. They are also submerged in some sort of bituminous looking gunk, presumably to kill any vibration.
 
3 outlets wm?? which is 3rd? smartsound? in Soundonsound mag...I have seen them there.
I read a good article by Ben duncan on mains once, he said there were basically 4 types of mains filter, can't remember what, will have a look.
 
Mains treatments are incredibly system dependant IME. I've had a Trichord 500VA powerblock on extended loan from a friend and through the various changes my system has gone through in the last few months it has singularly failed to make any difference whatsoever. I tried it in as many possible configurations as I could (off the wall socket, with/without the Olsons blocks, before/after the Olsons blocks, on transport and DAC, on just the DAC, on just the trans, on the amp etc.etc.) and none made any difference at all.

I've actually been running it powering the DAC and transport for the last 2 months or so and took it out yesterday as my mate finally wants it back and the famous "you'll hear a difference when you remove it" test revealed....nothing. Nada. Zip. No change at all.

So, I would encourage anyone interested in this kind of thing to try it in your own system at home before you buy otherwise you may be disappointed.

Michael.
 
ok from Ben Duncan's article in an old hifi news, 4 types of mains cond. for commercial and industrial use:

basic type is a box with some vdr's wired across live and neutral
work as transient spikes. filter a little rf, too. tranzorvb diodes clamp harder, but do not reduce rf.

next is a box with an rf filter...common mode inductors working with x and y caps.

3rd is isoltation tx. susceptible to dc on the power line, transreactor toroid is an improvement.

4th comes the constant voltage transformer, large capacitor banks and magnetic devices store charge, large, heaavy and noisy.
 
technobear said:
I played Dire Straits 'Private Investigations' last night after getting my Alpha 9 back in service. It sounded far more real than I have ever heard it. I was stunned. The attack on that solo guitar! Wow! And when the electric guitar cuts in, all the grit and raw edge is there but without the usual ear-bending distortions. Incredible! I have never enjoyed my music so much. I am now busy going through my collection and hearing most of it for what seems like the first time!

QUOTE]

My first intro to the high end was listening to that track in 1983 on a Townsend Rock/Decca London cartridge/soe huge amp and IAS beualieu speakers - an awesome experience that probably not been bettered but maybe i am remembering with rose tinted specs!

Dominic
Click to expand...
 
dominicT said:
technobear said:
I played Dire Straits 'Private Investigations' last night after getting my Alpha 9 back in service. It sounded far more real than I have ever heard it. I was stunned. The attack on that solo guitar! Wow! And when the electric guitar cuts in, all the grit and raw edge is there but without the usual ear-bending distortions. Incredible! I have never enjoyed my music so much. I am now busy going through my collection and hearing most of it for what seems like the first time!

QUOTE]

My first intro to the high end was listening to that track in 1983 on a Townsend Rock/Decca London cartridge/soe huge amp and IAS beualieu speakers - an awesome experience that probably not been bettered but maybe i am remembering with rose tinted specs!

Dominic
Click to expand...
I doubt it. It's a fine recording (tape hiss excepted :) ). The better your kit, the better it sounds :cool:
Click to expand...
 
Any views on inexpensive mains filters such as the ones by Sid & Coke and Triode Systems?

Luckily the builder of my property used 'copper clad' wiring throughout.

I live in the outskirts of a town in a quite street. And no industrial estates for miles around. But after mid-night the sound becomes much clearer, high frequencies in particular. :confused:
 

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