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We Believe In Power - Part 2
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5 Basic Elements...
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There are 5 basic elements to achieving great sound reproduction in any home audio system - components, cables, room acoustics (which we recently covered - see our archives if you missed, resonance control, and AC power. This is the second part of an article about improving the quality of your AC to get better sound. In case you missed it, here is the link to the first part.
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"My system sounds good - do I really need better power?"
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Improving the AC power for your audio (or video) system will significantly improve the performance of the system as a whole, even if you don't think this is a weak spot to begin with. Sometimes you don't know better until you hear it or see it! Increased resolution, less grit and grain in the upper frequencies, and better dynamics are just some of the areas that will benefit.
One good way for you to get an idea of what the noise on your AC line "sounds" like is to borrow one of our "Noise Sniffers" from the Lending Library. These clever devices plug into your AC outlet and amplify the noise through a built-in speaker. They are great for finding out about your AC "noise floor" and also how effective a filter or power conditioner actually is at reducing noise and isolating the components from each other. You may also find out which of your components dumps noise back onto the AC power that the rest of the system has to use.
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"What if I can't install a dedicated AC circuit?"
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Sometimes there are some practical reasons that prevent the installation of a dedicated AC circuit as we discussed in the first part of this series. If your domicile is a condo, a high-rise, or a rental space, installing a dedicated AC circuit may not be an option. But there are a number of practical alternatives that you can choose from in order to improve your power quality.
The most basic way for getting better quality of AC power for your system without running a dedicated line is to use the outlet closest to the electrical panel as the AC source for system power. The closest outlet to the panel will have the least amount of AC pollution generated by the appliances in the rest of the house, so it will be the best available AC source in the house for you to use. You may need to run a long power cord from this outlet to the system, and then use a distribution box (or power strip, or line filter). If you choose this method, you should not cut corners on the long power cord - get something that has good shielding and is of sufficient gauge to handle the entire system - something like Kimber PK10 will do a good job and not break the bank. For a bit more performance, JPS Labs makes their Power AC+ cable with a 2-duplex Outlet Center available in any length you might need, and Essential Sound Products offers their ESP Reference Power Distributor.
Some of our customers in this situation, and on a budget, have had good results conditioning the power for their entire system by using the new single outlet line filter Audience Adept Response aR1p ($495) at the wall outlet, and then adding a multiple outlet extension strip (like those above or some of the many others that we carry). More on this product below.
Another big plus, especially for audiophiles in apartments or condos, is the new HiFi-Tuning Noise Destroyer.
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HFT Noise DESTROYER eliminates noise in every AC Circuit
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The HFT Noise Destroyer is a parallel AC filter - a classic wall-wart - which plugs into a "free" socket within an AC circuit . It consumes a tiny amount (about 0.25mA) of current while it goes about getting rid of RFI and EMI that are in the AC circuit, providing you with a lower noise floor resulting in better video and sonic performance from your system(s). Because the filter system is parallel, it is not current limiting, nor does it have any adverse effect on dynamics. This is truly the most effective plug-in type of filtering device for noise reduction that we have seen. ONE was enough to treat the nasty AC in the hallway of a major metropolitan hotel during the recent HE2007 show, so you can be confident that it can handle the audio circuit in your home.
The HFT Noise Destroyer is priced at $249.95, but for the month of July 2007, we are offering the Destroyer at a very special price of $179. For more information on this terrific new product, please visit our website.
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What about the wall outlets?
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We handle a wide variety of "audio grade" outlets, all of which have performance characteristics that make them better for your audio system than what you can buy in your local Home Depot, or even "hospital grade" connectors. For example:
- Acme Audio $45 - cryogenically treated with silver plated contacts
- FIM 886GP - $64 - gold plated contacts and isolated ground
- Shunyata Research SR-Z1 - $75 - cryo treated and great grip on the plug
- Oyaide SWO-XXX - $86 - gold and palladium plated contacts
- Oyaide R-1 $125 - Beryllium copper prongs plated with platinum and palladian
- Wattgate 381 - $148 - gold or silver plated versions with isolated ground and Nylon body
- + PS Audio, Furutech, and more.
Upgrading the wall outlet that you use as the primary AC source for your system will have beneficial results on the quality of the sound for the entire system. Click here for our complete catalog of 40+ outlet choices.
Special This month - During the next 2 weeks, until the end of July 2007, all outlets and in-wall AC electrical wire will receive 15% off special pricing.
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What do I need to do to protect my system against surges and spikes?
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Frankly the electrical grids that are used in all but the most rural locations are such that this is of far less concern than most of the advertising by the makers of power conditioners would have you believe. All UL rated electronic components are designed to work with a minimum plus or minus 10% variance in voltage, and most well-designed components have even higher tolerances than that. So in most cases surges, spikes, and dips in AC voltage should not be your primary reason for purchasing a power conditioner.
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So why buy a power conditioner?
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Power conditioners do exactly what the name implies - they condition the incoming electrical service and make the power for your system better than it is at the wall outlet - even if you DO have dedicated circuits. There are many, many power conditioners in the market today, and almost all of the good ones are available in our lending library for you to try in your system to evaluate what effect having better AC will have on the final sound. A quick glance at this category on our website shows 130 different products available! There is usually a trade off between price and performance, as well as benefits and drawbacks that need to be taken into account when the time comes to select a power conditioner for any system.
Some are designed to only filter incoming power, some will have bi-directional filters that keep noise that is created by one component on the AC line from affecting any other component. Some are active conditioners, some are passive. Some "pass" the existing electrical ground, some others reference a new ground. Some have current restrictions, others do not. We have had many years of experience with these products and can advise you as to what conditioners will do the best job for your particular situation, taking into account your components, your AC, and your budget. Give your consultant at The Cable Company a call and we will be happy to share this knowledge with you and help you narrow down the choices.
For some further thoughts on specific line filters, take a look at our recent article featuring the Running Springs Audio Haley, which we dubbed the best value in state-of-the-art filtration.
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New in the Library....
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We try to make the very best in new cable and powerline products available in our Library for our customers to be able to audition in their own systems. In addition to the Running Springs Haley , the HiFi Tuning Noise Destroyer , and our various AC "Noise Sniffers" mentioned in this article, we should highlight an exciting new power conditioner product from one of our existing manufacturers.
The new Audience Adept Response AR1p is a single outlet power conditioner which provides the award-winning performance of the $3495 12 outlet Adept Response to the owners of systems that already use some other power conditioner and want something special for their amplifier(s), and/or for use as a stand alone high performance conditioner when used in conjunction with a high quality power strip. Since the "Adept Response Single" plugs directly into an AC outlet, it eliminates the need for, and expense of, purchasing an additional power cord, making it an even greater value! Call your consultant today to get one of these terrific conditioners out to you for home evaluation.
In addition, the Audience Adept Response AR1p single outlet power conditioner, regularly $495.00 is being offered to our customers at a very special price of $439.00 - this offer is limited to domestic US customers only.
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For additional information on these offers and frequent updates speak with your Cable Company consultant, or visit our websites: www.thecableco.com and www.ultrasystem.com. For hundreds of specials on used and demo cables, visit www.usedcable.com.
Or call us Mon.- Fri. 10 -6; Sat. 11-5 Eastern time on 800-328-9973 (or 215-862-4870). Fax: 215-862-4871
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