Plugging your power amps into a bog standard power strip

[Dynamics]

I just took my cyrus mono x200 signature power amps out of my crappy tacima £35 power bar and plugged them into a £10 bog standard power bar. Wanted to see what would happen.

I'm hearing more decent detail and bass punch and I suspect the choke on the Tacima, or whatever it is - that donut shaped thing, is really affecting the power amps to draw best current off the mains.

Has anyone tried doing this in a good set up. Just reverting to bog standard power strips for power amps.

God I need a decent mains conditioner with common mode filtering etc I think.......

[brian2957]

I use this Simon http://www.custom-hifi-cables.co.uk/...er-conditioner

Have a word with Sean , he's very helpful .

[Macca]

I always run the power amp straight into the wall socket. IME sticking any socket board in between the power amp and the wall socket degrades performance noticeably.

[Spectral Morn]

I always run the power amp straight into the wall socket. IME sticking any socket board in between the power amp and the wall socket degrades performance noticeably.

Where possible I would agree.

I use Mark Grant power strips and find them to be a good way of having kit plugged in ready to go. I also have an old Russ Andrews Kimber one into which my analogue kit is plugged. I also run some MK metal box units which I made into power strips.

My experience to date with re generators and filters is they tend to mess with the sound. There are pluses but there are also negatives as in I feel dynamics often sound sat on and truncated + I have heard treble roll off as well, as such I don't use any of these. Of course there is always one that doesn't do that but I have yet to hear one.

One little tweak you can do is if the power strip has a light in it, and you can safely remove it, then do so. I have heard this improve sound. I can only assume that the light flickering introduces noise. Best of all is a power strip with no light in it.

[hifinutt]

I always run the power amp straight into the wall socket. IME sticking any socket board in between the power amp and the wall socket degrades performance noticeably.

most people seem to be of this opinion if you search forums and I agree too

however I do think conditioners make a big difference on source equipment

[struth]

My big belkin box has a power amp socket on it which is high current, so always used that

[Macca]

I have a Belkin with a socket labelled 'amplifier' but I don't trust it to be doing anything different. You've got a double wall socket, power amp into one, power strip in the other and run all the stuff that doesn't mind off that. I've tried conditioners and balanced mains and they all made the sound worse so I figure there is nothing wrong with my leccy.

I have plugged the power amp into the mains block by accident a few times. Every time I could tell something was up almost straight away so that's as good as a blind test in my book. I don't listen at background level though, suppose you might not notice it as much if you listen at low levels.

[struth]

yeah mine is marked high current amp I think. Good disto box. the cable on it is rediculously thick

[Simon_LDT]

Definitely run your power amps directly into a wall socket. I ran my monos through a surge protector/filter for well over a year and when I had been given advice to run directly from the wall I heard a noticable difference, mainly in the dynamic shifts and overall slam (fatter kick drums being a big giveaway).

[farflungstar]

Mine are hard wired to their own spur.