Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion Meridian - Systems Getting the best sound... power conditioning

Hello Andy,


Iam in a similar situation, as my listening room needs to be finished.
I have a previsional installation.
Iam just testing different power cables and the PS audio premier conditioner.
Also i can choose how many phases i want to use.
Here in Austria every house have 3 hot(phases) and one neutral that get delivered by the power company.For flats the phases are most times fixed-no choices can made..

The electrician makes at the house a local earth connection(digg and burried a solid wire in the earth).
At the entry of the power in your house-ONLY at one point- the NEUTRAL phase get connected with the earth(this is also for safety)
The voltage between neutral and phase is 230 VAC and between phases ist 380 Volt(230 * squareroot of 3)
The choice what phase you are using and for which purposes can be made and changed without big problems.

So you can decide to use one phase for hifi-the other for the "standard things".
Or you distribute your stuff on all 3 phases.
To select one phase for hifi have the advantage that your "other" stuff in the house doesnt disturbe your hifi equipment.
Choicing three phases is better in "current time distribution".That means when you have heavy amps with one phase all amps surge the current when the sinus shape voltage have the maximum.
This "flaten" a little the peak and can cause distortions.
With 3 phases the maximum of the voltage is shifted in phase(120 degree), that means the current doesnt "surge" at the same time on all amps and also have less load for each phase.
And that means the peak get less disturbed as on one phase.

IAN, practically the balance issue of the loads on all 3 phases is not very sensitive as long you dont kWatts of power ;-))
Of coarse, one major point to select a specific phase or choose 3 phases is the quality.
You have to look with an oscilliscope or a suitable THD meter on the phase.
If one phase is badly, the decision for 3 pahses its not a good choice.
If you choose one phase,you should select the pahse with the lowest distortions.
The problem is her that you have to watch it multiple times, because the distortions always changing over the day and night.
And which kind distortion is more or less important for your equipment, its a question where only your experiences and hearing results can brings the "fact".

Thats not easy, but when you have 3 phases at all, you can try them at different times to hear whats the best for you.
The disturbances of the equipment themselves and to each other is also a point for your decision one or 3 phases as explained above.

And this variess with the power cable and filter or conditioner.
So Iam personally will go the way with one phase, but its not finalized yet.

I tested the PS Audio premier on the source, the sound get "cleaner" but more "harder".
So i have to put the "DUETT" a filter in front of it-thats changed a lot in the direction of better.
The "HUM destroyer" (All from PS Audio) give the equipment the final touch-
and of coarse all the hard selected power cables.
I didnt tested the 8k with the conditioner yet.
A quick test at my friends equipments(valve preamp-standard LS) bring out the result that when its connected to the amps,that the sound gets cleaner but is limited for the dynamics.
We didnt tested the conditionor at my friends stuff.

The compression of the dynamic of the filter(Duett) get "fixed" by the conditioner.You have to take the filter in series "before" the conditioner, otherwise the sound gets limited.The PS audio "can" correct the change in load of the amp.This experience i have with sources-have to try it wit the DSP.

So only a conditioner doesnt save all-that is the bad news.
One reason to use it beside the current sonic advantages,
is that you get better future proved with a conditioner as without.
But dont try the premier without a filter in front-it makes no sense in my case.

Andy, prepare everything so you can easily change from 1 to 3 phases and listen to it..

Robert