Author Topic: Alan Maher Quantum Studio  (Read 24067 times)

Offline hometheaterdoc

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Re: Alan Maher Quantum Studio
« Reply #30 on: August 30, 2009, 07:57:09 PM »
late to the party with comments... sorry, it's been a bit crazy this weekend...

The weird thing about Mike's setup is that I don't think he moved his speakers from the last get together.  They sure did look like they were in exactly the same place.  So that's why I'm confused.  We didn't listen to that track at the last meet with his cables in the system.  We only listened near the end of the evening when we had the system wired with all Aluminata cabling.  With all JPS wiring, the imaging was correct and the guitar was properly placed.  Now, with his current combination of gear, the imaging was not correct.  So there was a difference in frequency response that was attributable to his current cabling or the Alan Mahar gear.  How cables or his product could cause that much of a frequency response difference is interesting....

As to the system itself and it's current sound:  The Alan Maher products were definitely doing something in there.  The only other change was running a JPS Kaptovator on the power conditioner instead of the stock Mongoose.  That definitely had an effect... but overall, the entire system sounded *much* smoother than last time before we swapped in the JPS.  The image was about 3 feet higher.  It was almost larger than life.  Think big Maggies where everything is up high and everything is slightly too large in the soundstage.  You could still hear the edge of a couple items in the system.  But at the same time, it was more organic than I've heard it previously with Mike's combination of gear.  Instead of immediately noticing and being bothered by the edge, it took a few minutes before it really bothered me and even then, the edge was still subtle.  It was more cumulative than instantaneous.  I was able to focus on other things in the music and was struck more by the ease and musicality of things rather than immediately zeroing in what I would perceive as an issue.  Noise floor was lower than last time by a good bit.  That let more resolution and detail come through and resulted in less smear (with the exception of the aforementioned guitar and that range of frequencies) to things.  Instruments and voices were more properly placed with good definition around the edges of things. 

Overall, a big improvement from the beginning of our last get together at his place....  I'm impressed with how much change has occured with Mike's system since last I heard it... very very nice... now if he would just hurry up and finish up some acoustic treatments, I think it would take a few more big steps in the right direction............ :)
Shane Sangster
Used to be Night & Day Audio.......

Offline mdconnelly

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Re: Alan Maher Quantum Studio
« Reply #31 on: August 31, 2009, 06:57:29 AM »
Thanks for jumping in Shane!

What Shane heard in my system was the result of a bit over 4 weeks of the Alan Maher Quantum Studio in the same dedicated circuit as all my audio components plus 3 Ref IIs recently inserted on non-audio circuits (e.g. frig, computer, TV circuits).   

I will say Shane's description is dead-on.  There is a rich, smooth, organic feel to the music that is extremely engaging.  The soundstage is also a step up and out.  People talk about a walk-thru soundstage but this is the first time I've felt a sense of that in my room.  Other than that one song where the guitar image is confused, all other tracks I've listened to place voices and instruments in a 3D space. 

Given that I'm helping Shane break in a JPS Kaptovator, there is no doubt that it, too, is contributing.  It's an awesome power cord.  So I thought I'd swap it out over the weekend and revert back to the Mongoose and Flavor 4 PCs to discern what it's doing vs the AM products.  Where the Kaptovator excels at bringing out detail, presence and definition, the Mongoose tends to tame things conveying a more relaxed presentation (too much me thinks). As we heard at Carl's, the Flavor 4 was more engaging than the Mongoose, albeit, without the finesse and refined detail of the Kaptovator. 

But what was most exciting was that the rich, organic tonal quality, and expanded soundstage was there regardless of power cord.  That is clearly attributable to the Quantum Studio and Ref IIs.   Hyperbole aside, I'm loving what the Alan Maher products are doing in my system.

Interesting aside... a bad storm over the weekend knocked out power for maybe a minute late Friday night.  If there was an impact on the sound, it wasn't discernible the next day.

Offline richidoo

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Re: Alan Maher Quantum Studio
« Reply #32 on: August 31, 2009, 07:13:16 AM »
Interesting aside... a bad storm over the weekend knocked out power for maybe a minute late Friday night.  If there was an impact on the sound, it wasn't discernible the next day.

Good news!

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Re: Alan Maher Quantum Studio
« Reply #33 on: August 31, 2009, 07:36:40 PM »
I now have two audio friends that have this Ouantum Studio thingy in their systems and both are singing praises about what it is doing for their systems.  A basic question:  Do you still need a power conditioner with the Quantum Studio plugged into a circuit? 

I am waiting for Alan to post the Labor Day Special Prices as I am interested!

Ken


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Re: Alan Maher Quantum Studio
« Reply #34 on: September 01, 2009, 01:54:52 AM »
Ken-

The short answer is: yes, the Quantum Studio can be considered a power conditioner.

Our philosophy is very simple - we look at the service panel as one gigantic power conditioner for the entire home.  Typical applications lump everything into one box with mediocre results, which is obvious by looking at the huge resale market on any given day on AGon.  What we are doing is educating the user how to fine tune each circuit in the home using AM design products to benefit the entire home.  Let me explain- when you install a Quantum Studio at the audio/video duplex, the Studio not only talks to the AV equipment, but to every appliance plugged into your home.  When you add a Reference II to a non-AV circuit (to address the washing machine, for example) the Ref II looks at the entire electrical phase to see if there are any other AM design products installed.  If it finds one, the two products will couple together, creating one larger product.  The benefit here is extended frequency bandwidth and noise suppression.  Every time you add an AM designs product into the home, it will do the exact same thing.  So what we have done is design a way to tune the panel using a very simple method, and have had superb results and feedback using this method. 

First, start with our standard PE, now in its third generation (PE v3).  Set some time aside one day with a pad and pen, and take a look at your panel box.  Write down every circuit that has a receptacle installed.  Now go to the stereo, turn it on, and plug the PE into the first circuit that has a receptacle installed, and allow it to set up for 20-30 minutes.  While listening to music, your stereo system will go through one of three changes:

1) you will hear increased dynamics with punchier bass and more extension

2) the install will sound neutral with very minor differences (small adjustments and refinement)

3) the circuit will sound dull or lifeless

Once you have determined what each circuit sounds like, unplug the PE and allow the circuit to collapse for 10 minutes before moving on to the next circuit.
 
With that said, on all neutral circuits in the home, a minimum of one PE should be installed.  It is highly recommended that the PE is used for individualized power factor correction to address large appliances like refrigerators, air conditions, furnace, etc.  On the dynamic and extended circuits, a mix of PE, Ref II, and Infinity Shield is recommended.  Again, use the PE for large appliances, the Ref II for small appliances (ie: coffee maker, digital alarm clock, hair dryer, etc.), and use the Infinity Shield to address high frequency noise(florescent lighting, microwave oven, etc).  The dull and lifeless circuits require an impedance shift.  In order to achieve that on the cheap, I would recommend a Hammond 193L choke be installed across the load. 

With all that said, all our large filter models (PE V, PE VI, Quantum Studio/and IEC) are considered power conditioners.  I’m not really a big fan of surge protection, simply because I think it’s useless (I have never encountered any situation where a surge protector ever protected any equipment on a 120v circuit from a lighting surge).  Reason for that is lightning enters your home via the ground rod in the backyard, which is split in your panel box between the earth ground and neutral wire.  This bypasses the breaker and enters the component, bypassing the fuse in the component.  The only time surge protection works is when a minor voltage irregularity is caused by a component short.  99.9% of the time the breaker trips the circuit before the surge protector even kicks in.  If you really want to protect your home, it is highly recommended to look at thermal magnetic circuit breakers.  A good one will run you $45-$75 for a 20A breaker. 

Our filter concept throughout the home does several other things for you.  First, they will squelch any form of internal spark or arc riding on the circuit.  Second, as you begin to cover more and more circuits throughout the home and understand the concept of tuning each individual circuit, you will begin to notice that larger surges are now just being absorbed by the multiple filters installed throughout the home.  One thing PE technology addresses is, every single time a magnetic surge passes by a PE it is reduced.  In the case of a standard PE it is reduced by -6 db, and our larger filters by -24 db to -30 db (this is acoustic db which has nothing to do with magnetic saturation).  Third, the PE will take the excess magnetic energy and break it up between the many filters and store it.  When needed, the PE will now release the stored energy as the circuit dips to maintain total house-wide power factor correction.

I realize this is a very long-winded explanation to a very direct question, but there are many factors involved that I wanted to ensure were addressed.  At the same time, I want to ensure the consumer is aware of what benefits our AM design products can do for them besides the typical audiophile tonal changes.  I can go into more detail on our Infinity CBF and IEC filters and what they offer at a later time.

Bigfish8

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Re: Alan Maher Quantum Studio
« Reply #35 on: September 01, 2009, 05:23:42 AM »
Alan:

Thank you for the detailed explanation. 

Ken

Offline Rob S.

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Re: Alan Maher Quantum Studio
« Reply #36 on: September 01, 2009, 07:06:11 AM »
Thanks Alan,  I understand a little more.... enough to take the plunge.  Look forward to seeing what your products do in my system or should I say our house.

Rob S.
No new money spent on audio!!  but starting in 2012!!

Offline mdconnelly

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Re: Alan Maher Quantum Studio
« Reply #37 on: September 01, 2009, 07:22:05 AM »
Last night, Rich(idoo) and I took on the challenge of 'pulling the plug' on the Quantum Studio and 3 Ref IIs I have.  It was a facinating experience!

Phase I: Gave Rich a chance to get a feel for my system with all AM products in place.  All power to components was via my Running Springs Jaco fed by a JPS Kaptovator.   Rich can comment on his impressions, but for me, the music was smooth, engaging, dynamic and detailed in a tall and 3D soundstage. 

Phase II: after listening to maybe a dozen tracks, we swapped out the Running Springs Jaco and replaced it with a simple power strip feeding all components.   While I felt this added an edge and growl to the top end and cost a bit of definition, it was also clear to me that all the benefits of the QS and Ref IIs were still intact.   Rich liked the sound even more without the Jaco than with it commenting that it seemed more alive and engaging.  The Jaco does contribute to a smooth & relaxed presentation.  We had a similar experience with it at Carl's last month.

Phase III: Pull out the Ref IIs.   While I went around removing the Ref IIs, Rich sat and listened.  After I pulled the first two, Rich said he already could hear a difference.  With all 3 out, the 3D soundstage dropped to a 2.5 soundstage.  Less front to back, less height.  The richness of the upper bass/lower mids seemed less.  We were listening to a fabulously recorded guitar CD of Rich's (but damn, I can't remember what it was - Rich?).  It was clear that some of the guitar body and string resonance was less defined with a lessened sense of the recording venue.

Phase IV: Put the Ref IIs back (note that we haven't touched the QS yet).   Within minutes the soundstage, instrument tonality and detail returned.  Nice to know just how much the Ref IIs were contributing and how easily they were able to re-engage.  Note also that the Ref IIs are on non-audio circuits (frig, TV and computer circuits).  Pretty amazing that their impact on these circuits were so easily heard even tho my system is fed by a dedicated 20a circuit.

Phase V: Pull it all out - Ref IIs and QS.   The easiest way to describe this is to quote Rich "hmmm, sounds just like a stereo now".   It still sounded nice but in comparison to what the AM products were enabling, it was just ... boring.   Soundstage depth gone and that wonderful resonance of the guitar body and strings was lost.   To me, there was also a more pronounced electronic edge to the sound.   Was this the same sound that pre-Maher I thought sounded so wonderfully engaging?   I guess so, but compared to the sound with the QS and Ref IIs, it left something to be desired.  We listened to a number of other tracks that we had listened to earlier with similar results.

Phase VI: Damn, will it really take 2 weeks before the magic returns?  Inquiring minds want to know! We spent maybe 15-20 minutes listening with the QS and Ref IIs out of the circuits before putting the Ref IIs back in.  Ah, within minutes some of the benefits seemed to return.   Putting the QS back in didn't seem to have an immediate affect but we continued to listen for at least another 20-30 minutes I think.  At the end of that point the system was sounding very good, perhaps somewhat less than where it was when Rich arrived several hours earlier, but damn good.  I continued to listen until about 1am (mistake!). 

Overall, I gotta say that if you even think you have power line noise, you really should check out these products.  It took me awhile but I finally got it.  Alan's products simply and effectively address power line noise in all its forms (hence the number of different products).  Get rid of the noise and you get seriously improved sound.  Works for me!

Offline richidoo

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Re: Alan Maher Quantum Studio
« Reply #38 on: September 01, 2009, 09:30:15 AM »
Thanks for the invite Mike. We had some good fun.

The CD we used for the comparisions was chosen because AM told Mike that soundstage will be the cue to listen for when the devices are pulled. Not being familiar with Mike's music collection, and not hearing any particularly good natural soundstage recordings in the testing playlist he made up, we chose the CD which we could both hear a great soundstage, along with clear, dynamic acoustic recording with steel, wood, flesh instrument with somewhat extended freq range. It is the disk I got from Marvin, (mboldda1.) http://www.audionervosa.com/index.php?topic=1520.0  I think it was track 4 that we used.

The changes made by pulling and reinstalling the Maher pieces were audible, but more subtle than those from removing the Jaco, which was night and day. I hate passive AC filters! Granted Mike did have the power amp plugged into the Jaco too but Running Springs says no problem.  NOT!

Pulling out the Maher small wall wart thingies was a bigger change to me than pulling out the Studio. But the wall wart removal may have only been audible while the studio was active, holding down other noise that would have otherwise obscured the warts' effects.  The wall warts added textural detail and focused soundstage cues more clearly. It enhanced the illusion of reality by a small amount. On lesser speakers and amp I would question whether it would be as audible, but then maybe I would have noticed something else in that circumstance. Mike's soundstage exists in the pit of his brick fireplace, so he needs all the help he can get! The effect of the wall warts was significant enough to warrant the price.  I did not know the timing of Mike removing the warts from outlets in other rooms, so it is hard to tell whether the effect is from one wart, or one in particular, or all three being removed.   If the effect is coming from curing one particularly bad outlet like the one with PCs SMPS then it would be a bargain for the price. If it is cumulative effect then less valuable for the price of three units. But we did not test the warts without the Studio to know their value working on their own.

Removing the Studio had a bigger effect than removing the warts. It was heard as grunge entering the tone, especially in lower midrange (related to 120Hz?) The system became subtly less refined, it was a bit of an edgy grunge, so I don't think it is sinewave related. I did not notice any additional spatial blurring as I did with the wallwarts, but that could be because the tonal grunge masked the spatial differences. The excitement and clarity of the high end audio system was reduced, but I think I would adjust to the grunge and survive just fine. It is a still magnificent sound. At home I have tube amps plugged straigt in. My AN review of Equitech would suggest I am total denial and suffering with godawful sound without the Q, but I can tell you that is not true - at least not the suffering part. I believe the power conditioning would make my system better, but I also believe a Porsche would make my driving experience better, but I choose not to partake for many reasons, financial and otherwise.  How much is good enough? Different for everyone according to passion and means.

The flying guitar discussed above was still all over the place with or without the Maher components in. It is an artifact of poor miking on the recording or room nodes in the recording room. I think it is caused by some lower notes peaking at the location of another mic panned right and cause the guitar to sound like it is stretched across the stage only on some notes. Crazy! The spatial focusing of the Maher products, wall warts especially, made the panned notes more easily noticed.

The most valuable discovery last night IMO was putting some couch pillows on top of the couch behind Mike's head. The echo from behind was much more disturbing than the noise on the powerline.  But the Maher devices DO work, although I would not agree it is to the extent that others have described Maher products here, but they are using different products in different ways, every system is different, every person has different priorities in their listening, and challenges in their listening environment. Maybe in my own system which I am very used to I would notice bigger changes over time.   I hope to get that opportunity. But I hope to afford new interconnects even more at the present moment.

From memory, I judge the Equitech Q1.5 having a bigger effect on my system than Mike's Maher products did on Mike's system in terms of tonal clarity, spatial improvement and dynamic headroom. But my imagination and memory are scary things, and the Maher parts definitely don't have mechanical hum. Maybe the products Alan sells at similar price to the Equitech would outperform it. It would fun to hear Mike's Maher filters on some of our other systems in the area.

I think Mike had a big relief when he heard the positive effects of the Studio return in < 15 minutes after replugging it. I could tell he was nervous about removing it.  We did try to plug the thing into a UPS, but then we thought the UPS was still plugged into the house, and I did hear a drop off of clarity when he unplugged it from the UPS. But unplugging the UPS from the wall didn't work because it started beeping. :duh   A potential explanation is that it requires greater time to break in from new, and then reforms quicker after subsequent unpluggings.  But it did need to warm up for a few minutes after unplugged for 20 minutes.

Thanks to Mike for the chance to hear these popular and controversial products for myself.
Rich

Offline Carlman

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Re: Alan Maher Quantum Studio
« Reply #39 on: September 01, 2009, 07:44:30 PM »
Wow, thanks Mike and Rich for getting together, doing this test and sharing your results.  I've had a long day and can barely keep my eyes open yet still I was glued to this thread reading over your findings.. and was so happy to hear it I had to post a thank you..

-C
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Phil

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Re: Alan Maher Quantum Studio
« Reply #40 on: September 01, 2009, 08:40:16 PM »
nice experiment!  So much easier with two people too.  Thanks for detailing your findings.


Offline rollo

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Re: Alan Maher Quantum Studio
« Reply #41 on: September 21, 2009, 07:01:35 AM »
Very fair and well written review there Mr. Richadoo. You should write for Enjoy the Music.com or something like that SERIOUSLY.
    Anyway your review prompted me to remove the one and only Infinity installed on the circuit panel breaker. the grunge was back the soundstage collapsed and the bass was lighter.
     It is so hard for me to understand that a box of minerals can do this. Which leads me to WTF are the other companies doing instead of this approach. Where did this science come from ? Aerospace industry, military, what ? Sonar, radar use what?
     Just buy one Infinity and you be the Judge. Amazing just amazing.



charles
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Offline richidoo

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Re: Alan Maher Quantum Studio
« Reply #42 on: September 21, 2009, 07:47:42 AM »
I worked in a "new age" magic crystal store in the late 80s. People were lining up to buy magic rocks from space (moldavite) for $25/gram. I can tell you those minerals have something going on. Tourmaline has a lot of physical effects and is used in many products, especially from Japan. Carry a piece in your pocket and you will have abundant physical energy like energizer bunny. Acoustic Revive makes a power strip packed with tourmaline dust, it is incredible. I have a vegetable juicer with a ring of tourmaline dust in the exit spout. Juice stays fresh all day instead of rotting in an hour like my other juicers.   

Maybe I should be Alan's best customer? Maybe someday I will.

Thanks charles, I like to write reviews. Still waiting for John Atkinson to call with salary offer. haha Otherwise I am AN exclusive!   :D

Offline rollo

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Re: Alan Maher Quantum Studio
« Reply #43 on: September 21, 2009, 08:09:45 AM »
 Well don't know about being Alan's best customer. A complete system can get a bit expensive to treat the all the panel breakers and circuits. Still less than that Audience or other exotics. The best part IMO is that one can build on Alan's products . One does not have to buy them all at once.
   So you want me to call Atkinson or Harry for a job ? Hey, hey, hey ? Maybe we should start our own rag. I can see it now. " AUDIOPHILE REVIEW" Hey if the NY Audio Society can have one we could as well. Any takers ?



charles
contact me  at rollo14@verizon.net or visit us on Facebook
Lamm Industries - Aqua Acoustic, Formula & La Scala DAC- INNUOS  - Rethm - Kuzma - QLN - Audio Hungary Qualiton - Fritz speakers -Gigawatt -Vinnie Rossi,TWL, Swiss Cables, Merason DAC.

Offline mdconnelly

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Re: Alan Maher Quantum Studio
« Reply #44 on: September 21, 2009, 08:11:33 AM »
Ha!  Rich will have to carry a lot of Tourmaline in his pockets if he's going to start his own audio rag :rofl: