View Full Version : The mains improvement
I've been gradually improving my mains power supply over the last year: adding dedicated power supplies to my Trichord Dino and Preachtree DAC-IT, upgrading to IsoTek mains leads (of which - to my ears the IsoTek leads had the biggest effect). I've been thinking about getting a dedicated mains conditioner, but thought they were probably out of my price range. However, I then saw MCRU were selling IsoTek GII Visions at a price I couldn't resist (http://www.mains-cables-r-us.co.uk/mains-products/1026-isotek-gii-vision-mains-conditioner.html) (well I did for a week or two :) ), so I've made the plunge, and the vision is now sitting proudly in my system rack (after a little reorganisation)
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-uqQdMy3JnWE/VNYRj8uLouI/AAAAAAAAAag/rLBlUZGVsLU/w448-h674-no/DSC_3062.JPG
I'm really pleased with the result. Better clarity and imaging. More detail. Definitely a little more bass. Everything sounds just a little more real, but also more relaxed or perhaps less forced.
Anthony K
07-02-2015, 17:27
Isotek make great mains conditioners, using an Orion G2 the degree of clarity , control , seperation and dynamics is stunning.
I've been gradually improving my mains power supply over the last year: adding dedicated power supplies to my Trichord Dino and Preachtree DAC-IT, upgrading to IsoTek mains leads (of which - to my ears the IsoTek leads had the biggest effect). I've been thinking about getting a dedicated mains conditioner, but thought they were probably out of my price range. However, I then saw MCRU were selling IsoTek GII Visions at a price I couldn't resist (http://www.mains-cables-r-us.co.uk/mains-products/1026-isotek-gii-vision-mains-conditioner.html) (well I did for a week or two :) ), so I've made the plunge, and the vision is now sitting proudly in my system rack (after a little reorganisation)
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-uqQdMy3JnWE/VNYRj8uLouI/AAAAAAAAAag/rLBlUZGVsLU/w448-h674-no/DSC_3062.JPG
I'm really pleased with the result. Better clarity and imaging. More detail. Definitely a little more bass. Everything sounds just a little more real, but also more relaxed or perhaps less forced.
Nice looking system dude.
Nice looking system dude.
Thank you David, and sounding all the better thanks to the MRCU supplied additions :)
andrasszamek
08-02-2015, 10:05
thats seems like a nice setup. yeah mains are super important, the foundation of everything. if you can, do try upgraded fuses, in my system the hifi tuning supremes work best. not a lot of money for quite big improvements.
Personaly, I'm quite unconvinced by the impact of fuses and although mains leads do seem to make some difference it's minimal compared to other areas. As to mains conditioners, well I guess one mans 'more relaxed' is another's 'less dynamic'.
By more relaxed, I didn't mean less exciting. I meant more like 'effortless'. Like the difference between a really good singer who sounds fabulous without forcing things. As opposed to someone trying to force out the notes they can't quite hit. My systems seems to be more easily rending the sound being presented.
I also admit that there is a good chance I have poor mains in my house - and hence I may get more from mains upgrades than those who have a clean mains supply.
I may need to look at the fuse options.
Personaly, I'm quite unconvinced by the impact of fuses and although mains leads do seem to make some difference it's minimal compared to other areas. As to mains conditioners, well I guess one mans 'more relaxed' is another's 'less dynamic'.
Yawn, put another record on dude :lol:
I have sold 100's of SR RED fuse £57 a pop, remarkable most punters say!
As regards mains leads your comments are becoming quite tiresome, have you nothing positive to say about anything? :)
Only one way to find out what impact fuses make ... I'll have to try some in my system :). However, I've got other things higher up the list at the moment.
I'm probably turning my eye to my Linn LP12 next. Probably be a Heed Orbit 1 (http://www.heedaudio.co.uk/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&view=productdetails&virtuemart_product_id=37&virtuemart_category_id=11&Itemid=490) and then look at the cartridge options.
I've just put Genesis, Wind and the Wuthering on. Blood on the rooftops (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xn9FLJWChw) has blown me away. That's one of my all time favourite bits of music, and I've not heard is sound so sweet. The guitar at the beginning is just wonderful.
I love it when an upgrade makes me hear my favourites anew. :)
I have pretty dirty mains now and I found my Belkin units made a dramatic difference(much against my scepticism at the time) I believe a regenerator would be a further improvement, especially during the week when the mains is not only getting hit with all the factories plus the railway but also clips 250 plus. weekend it goes down to 239. If I can afford one I probably will get one although the one I was looking at has all outputs as iec 's. not very helpful as all equ comes with 13 amp plugs. I can only say it would probably cost me a fair bit extra to convert.
As said b4 if your mains is relatively good and clean I doubt you will get a lot of benefit but if like me you have a lot of noisy mains users and have old wires it will make a difference (IMHO)
prestonchipfryer
09-02-2015, 08:38
I've just put Genesis, Wind and the Wuthering on. Blood on the rooftops (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xn9FLJWChw) has blown me away. That's one of my all time favourite bits of music, and I've not heard is sound so sweet. The guitar at the beginning is just wonderful.
I love it when an upgrade makes me hear my favourites anew. :)
A fine album. Nice to know you are enjoying it anew.
andrasszamek
09-02-2015, 10:36
awesome! :)
Is there any scientifically way of telling if the mains supply is dirty? Had rewiring done about 10 years ago but as I live in a busy part of London I suspect there could be problems in that area.
Yawn, put another record on dude :lol:
I have sold 100's of SR RED fuse £57 a pop, remarkable most punters say!
As regards mains leads your comments are becoming quite tiresome, have you nothing positive to say about anything? :)
Don't pretend to patronise me (dude!) you are doing no more than using a forum as free advertising and promoting the products you sell (which I quite understand) - but in reality, all of your 'top tips' are just an advertisement without valid content. Even a basic mains lead is 90% of what you need and although differences can be discerned similar money would've better spent on equipment upgrades.
Chill out dude, don't take things so seriously man :)
Have you turned you irony filter off!
Have you turned you irony filter off!
No but I turned my mains filter off instead, is that ok? :lol:
Have one on me.....
http://i622.photobucket.com/albums/tt309/themainsman/BONI/IMG_2846.jpg
Enjoy the improvement - on me.....
Floyddroid
09-02-2015, 22:20
Is that it then? All done?
Wakefield Turntables
10-02-2015, 08:52
This always happens.... :rolleyes:
andrasszamek
10-02-2015, 18:30
Yeah. Well...
Is there any scientifically way of telling if the mains supply is dirty? Had rewiring done about 10 years ago but as I live in a busy part of London I suspect there could be problems in that area.
I don't know about scientific, but the thing that demonstrated to me what improving mains could do was getting some decent cables. I'd got a couple via ebay that hadn't made a noticeable difference. Then I saw an Isotek demo at the 2014 Bristol Hi-Fi show, and was very impressed. That coincided with me seeing an advert for some end of line Isotek cables going cheap (sorry YNWaN, but it was David selling some off, on his MCRU site), so I took the plunge. The difference was apparent straight away.
The way I see it, all a Hi-Fi system does is take the power from your mains system, and bend it and amplify it to make music. The cleaner the mains input, the less work your hi-fi has to do to distort it into the shape of your music, and the less likely it is that you'll hear noise that originated in the back of your fridge, rather than on the spinny thing your music's hosted on.
Anthony K
10-02-2015, 19:03
Well put , to be honest a lot regarding cables and mains I do not understand all I know is what I have works and the improvements were far from subtle.
I've been trying a couple of conditioners from Isol-8, the chap who started Isotek designs them. The minisub axis certainly changed the sound making it richer with more 'body' but I preferred the Substation LC for source components only where I can hear more detail and seemingly more dynamics due to a lowering of the noise floor I suspect. It certainly makes quite an improvement to my ears.
Anthony K
13-04-2015, 00:29
Must be something in it if it can improve the sound of a Nagra
I'm using it with the Stax headamp where there is a significant improvement, similarly with the Esoteric phonostage. However with the Nagra the results were poorer - the soundstage seemed flatter somehow. Don't know why the negative effect but goes to show that these things don't always work with all equipment.
hifinutt
26-04-2015, 17:08
I have had an isotek sigmas for years , upgraded it to schuco and it was even better . then added a isotek syncro which takes it to another level . had 3 of these !!! great value improvement
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