What is the Consensus - Plug Your Amplifier Into Power Conditioner- Yes or No

[rollo]

 Robin, cool. To date I own only one AM CBF . It is installed at the breaker for one dedicated circuit. To date my ears tell me that the CBF it more affective than any of the well known power conditioners we have tried. Only $25. We are doing a group buy @ $15 each for the CBFs. So [4] at $60 IMO is well worth the money.  I trust your experience and do NOT doubt what you hear[ I am in that camp as well] so I am very curious to try the Uberbuss. As long as the soundstage isn't presented in a forward fashion or the presentation over detailed I'm in like Flynn.
    If you can make my Rave meeting in July please bring the Uberbuss. I'm game to learn or hear an improvement. Thats what this is all about. Fun, fun, fun.

charles

[tmazz]

     Wow. In that case well worth it. Maybe someday, LOTTO

At these prices you may have to switch from Lotto to Powerball. 

[mdconnelly]

While I do feel that the Alan Maher products I have work very well in my system, I have to admit that Alan's marketing strategy is a bit bizarre (facebook, really?).  I don't have a problem with his more-is-better approach and, overall, have found it to be true.  Of course, there is certainly a point of diminishing return which is only obvious after you exceed it     Hey, he's running a small business and it seems to be working for him - whatever works I guess.

I must admit that I was extremely skeptical of Alan's crystals-in-a-box CBF products.  They struck me very much of Geoff Kait and Machina Dynamica, but damn if they don't seem to make quite a difference.  Hey, skeptical until proven otherwise.

[mgalusha]

Been away for a while, hi yall.

A few weeks back I picked up a pair of Atma-Sphere M60's and plugged them into what has been my standard setup, a 20amp BPT followed by a Bybee Wire conditioner. This combo has worked really well for various SS and tube amps, never had anything but good results. Well, to say I was disappointed with the new amps would be an understatement. I was trying to like them and while they did some things very well they just left me cold in most regards.

Thinking about how much current they draw, about 400W each, I decided to remove the BPT and try just the Bybee conditioner alone. The difference was quite stunning and I went from regretting my purchase to delight in a matter of a few minutes. A friend was over and we were both quite surprised. Not sure why the AS amps didn't like the balanced power but it was not a subtle change. The BPT has a 20amp transformer and should not have limited the current in any way, so perhaps they didn't like balanced power. Not sure but it's all good now.

Full disclosure, I build the Bybee conditioners under contract so I might be a little biased but if it didn't work with the amps I'd say so in a heartbeat. In my personal system it's a matter of what sounds good, nothing else.

IMO the bottom line is that various amps react differently. The balanced power has always worked really well for me with the exception of the M60's and I certainly won't be getting rid of the BPT.

mike

[rollo]

Hey Mike glad to have you back. Compaered to the Cyber 845 how does the M60 compare ?


charles

[tmazz]

Mike,

Good to hear from you again.

This just blends right in with what I have been saying for a long time. Power Conditioning equipment is the flakiest stuff I have ever dealt with in all of my  30 years in this hobby. In some situations it works great, in others it does nothing and in yet others it does damage.   I have heard the same piece sound vastly different in different locations and (like you) vastly different in the same location with different pieces of equipment. And there seems to be no rhyme or reason as to why (or at least any that I can seem to figure out  ). You just have to try it and listen for yourself. Whether it's line cords, AM Crystals, conditioners or anything else, the AC power side of our equipment just seems like a strange place to play.

Just for my own curiosity, did you try the amps straight into the wall without the Bybees?

[mgalusha]

Hey Mike glad to have you back. Compaered to the Cyber 845 how does the M60 compare ?

Hi Charles, I have compared them to both the Cyber 211 and 845 and in both cases I prefer the M60's, at least with these speakers and the Audio Kinesis Jazz Modules. I actually just returned from my friends house who has the Jazz Modules. I brought the M60's over as he has the 845's and I think he's now trying to figure out how to buy a set. They mated with Duke's speakers in a most excellent fashion. That said, I'm keeping the 211's and my Mc 275, I like them all.

Just for my own curiosity, did you try the amps straight into the wall without the Bybees?

I did and preferred the sound with the conditioner. They were a little quieter, which nearly always translates into better transparency and dynamics. I do have my subs straight into the wall. My listening room power is two 20A dedicated circuits but of course eventually they meet everything else in the house at the service entrance and sometimes pick up noise from other stuff in the house, so some type of filtering is usually beneficial. I agree that you just have to try things to know for sure.

mike

[lonewolfny42]

O.T. ....

Mike....

I actually just returned from my friends house who has the Jazz Modules.

How'd ya like them Mike ?

Next time you see Jerry....tell him I'm still waiting for his speaker photo....

[mgalusha]

O.T. ....

Mike....

I actually just returned from my friends house who has the Jazz Modules.

How'd ya like them Mike ?

Next time you see Jerry....tell him I'm still waiting for his speaker photo....

Chris,

I like them a lot. I liked them when I first heard them at RMAF several years ago and had I been able to afford them at the time I could have ended up with a pair. Jerry's currently listening space isn't very large and no doubt the JM would benefit from more room but even in the limited space they work very well.

I'll try and snap a photo next time I'm over there, I didn't even think about it this time.

mike

[pmkap]

Power Conditioners always robbed the dynamics from my system...

If you have good power supplies in your amps, you shouldn't need a power conditioner...

Well, by that logic, after market power cords don't help. Similarly, proper power supplies should also eliminate the need for power conditioners in source components, etc...
But we simply run into the question - What is a proper power supply?
If I've room, I'll always stuff a Felix into a source component.
How many vendors actually put a shield between primary and secondary on their toroidal (aka noise sluice) transformers?
Every time a vendor releases a sparsely populated chassis for a source component with an pissant toroidal rather than a flat pack multi bobbin transformer, an Angel sheds a tear.

FWIW,
Paul

[lonewolfny42]

Thanks Mike....