We’ve locked ourselfs in the lab again to bring you another interesting test. This time we dive into the effect of a power conditioner. We brought in the YETI Reference and the Isotek Aquarius V5 and Titan V5. Now do these filters do anything, or is it all nonsense?
We made a simple set-up for this test with a Bryston PowerPAC 300 power amplifier, a dummy load and our trusty Prism dScope. We simply measured the noise floor with and without a filter. You can see the results in this video
Could you possibly measure the Emotiva cmX2+ or the cmX6+ sometime? It would be great to see how a more affordable option with DC filtering would compare. Great article. Thanks.
We can try to get one. Sure.
I need to check who imports Emotiva. If we can get one, we will.
Yes, that would be really interesting, because next to all the solutions I’ve heard I like the Kemp’s the most. One Kemp at the system is nice, a second Kemp in the Mains cabinet is more than twice as good and a third Kemp on another powergroup where for example some Led lights and a television are situated makes it really great. Not sure if you can get 3 of them?
It is pretty useless for us to test them that way, because the situation is radically different in our listening room. We need a controlled set-up to determine the effectiveness. We already did a listening test and some measurements. But not this type of measurement. We have a Kemp SNS plug. Just like the Isotek Isoplugs. So I can try.
The goal with the first plug in the main cabinet is that a certain level of noise is already canceled. Then a second plug which kills noise from several components like computers, led lights etc. to impact the main powersupply are very important steps. The last step is to silence the powerblock where the audio system is situated. This seemed a very good solution in several systems. No offence but why would it be useless the test it that way, because your listening room also is fed by a mains cabinet and also can be disturbed by equipment near by 🙂
But please, when you only have one plug it still would be very interesting to see what impact is. Thanks in advance!
We hire rooms in a vinyl pressing facility. We have our working sprace, the video room, storage, listening room and the server-room / measurement room… all with gear / lights / LED’s…
Yes: we have our own, seperate power group(s), but we can’t measure noise in a controlled way, the way you describe the situation. It’s impossible. Also, the way noise distributes over the grid is very different. And there is the fact that the amount of noise changes during the day.
Okay I understand there are several unknown noise sources. Probably I don’t understand, but to be sure we are on the same page. While measuring on the power amps output. It should be still possible to measure the impact per filterplug? With the first measurement without a filter plug. Then with the second measurement one filter plug in the mains cabinet, then with the thirth a second filter plug somewhere in the neighborhood of the audiosystem and with the last measurement a thirth filter plug in the powerblock of the poweramp. This was what I had in mind and already made a big impression in several systems 🙂
Sorry… it does not work like that in a lab test. There are far too many unknown factors. But I will think about another setup that will work.
Thanks!
Nice!
I’m curious about what parallel filters like Kemp SNS could do. I listened to many different power conditioners, but still a bunch of Kemp SNS plugged in on several outlets. For example one in the mains cabinet, one on an outlet in the living room and one on an outlet next to the audio system. The effect is much better than one plug at the audiosystem.
They do work.
Yes! for sure, but I’m curious what they would do in the measurements. I mean they are a lot more affordable. No loss of dynamics and no coloring
I havent tried. But I can!