Vertex AQ mains filter

I'm not interested in the empty boxes but does the filter work, ie remove RFI, spikes and surges without sitting on the music and screwing up the timing. More to the point, does anything?

Alex

 

"More to the point, does anything?"

You know something that doesn't Alex ! , Both Merlin, Henry & myself had one on test at chez WM a few years back, certainly didn't screw up any music, though in all honesty, I can't say we detected a great deal of difference. T.

 

You want a proper, high quality filter Alex, try Experience Filtration. Not cheap but then the best rarely is, and timing is one thing that the Experience stuff does very well indeed.

 

I thought, subjectively, that there was a very slight loss of impact with the Jaya in place. Although that could have been down to the removal of grit/grain from the sound maybe, always a tricky call as a certain amount of grit/grain in the signal can also subjectively make the sound more exciting/immediate/etc. It didn't seem to screw up the pacing or anything else in the music, should be worth a shot if you can get it on trial.

There are a few more products on the market now a days which work without sitting on the music than their used to be IMO/E. Source and low level components are usually quite easy to sort out, but power amps don't usually respond too well to being put on the end of an iso tranny or any kind of device which has a potential for current limiting - best to use some kind of passive or minimal contact conditioning device here I reckon if at all.

 

Henry, I know exactly what you mean about grit/grain. I remember a 135 vs 1.2 dem where all the grunge in the signal from the 135s made them sound quite exciting. Also, recent bi-amping removed nearly all distortion - initial feelings might be that the music has slowed but then you realise it being allowed to breath . . .

So, the Jaya may at least be worth a trial?

 

Hi Alex,

True, and therefore it's a case of do you like the effect and can you live with it in the long term. Effectively having to re-condition yourself to hearing a piece of music differently to how you were always use to hearing it.

Then again, there have been products I've tried side by side which appear to remove the grit/grain and slowed things down, then pluging in something else which not only appears to remove the grit/grain but also kept things fast and snappy sounding as before.

The Jaya we tried at the time belonged to Merlin, not sure if he still has it lying around as a spare part or whether it's moved on now. Yes should be worth a go anyway, if only because these products can have different effects in different systems. For example, I use to use a Russ Andrews Superpurifier in my system and it did work well within the given system context and my tastes/experiences at the time, it plugged into an adjacent mains socket as does the Jaya (i.e. so it's not directly in-line with your component(s) supply lines) and I found it squashed the dynamics a bit whereas Robbo uses the same device in his system and reports no such problems.

 

Alex, what about the thing recommended by LesW on PFM? £900, but -60dB at 1.5gHz, or something.

 

Alex,

the Jaya does not seem to interfere in any way. It has a subtle effect on high frequency hash. Subtle but once heard, easily identified. Put one in circuit and listen to a high hat. That should demonstrate the improvement.

 

Kit, the problem with Les's suggestion is I think I'd need one for each spur. Are you still using a BD btw?

Merlin, I'll try one then - does yours happen to be lying about . . . ?

 

I'm borrowing a Jaya and I'll report back.

Mr C. Thanks for the link but I don't want anything in line since if I keep the spurs I'd need 6 of them.

 

By far the best mains filter I've ever tried on the spurs - did absolutely nothing