Belkin PF30

[magiccarpetride]

A guy in my hood is selling PF30 for $75. I know this product has been discussed here ad nauseum, but the findings are all over the place (if you do a forum search), so I wanted to see if we could summarize them here.

First off, one of the reviews (http://www.techradar.com/reviews/audio-visual/hi-fi-and-audio/hi-fi-accessories/belkin-pureav-pf30-94279/review) claims that, while this is a great product for the price, the reviewer couldn't detect any improvement in the sound quality.

Well, since sound quality is the ONLY thing I care about, the first question that comes to mind is: what's the consensus here about that aspect? Are the improvements there, or are we talking placebo?

Secondly, it's been mentioned that one shouldn't plug the power amp into the high current outlet (which seems engineered precisely for power amps). If that's the case, what would be the reason to avoid plugging your power amp into the designated outlet?

And lastly, I think I've read somewhere that this product offers ethernet connectivity. Is that the thing I've been hearing about where you can get network connections throughout the house via your electrical outlets?

Also, does this product need any burn in time?

Thanks so much for any info you guys could give me. Apologies for my innate ignorance in these matters. Cheers!

P.S. Is $75 a good deal, or should I push for a lower price?

[Stratmangler]

I think the concensus is that it definitely has an effect on the sound.
Some like it.
Some don't.
Try it yourself - it's a case of suck it and see. There's no hard and fast about it.
If you like it fine.
If you don't move it on.

[The Vinyl Adventure]

Mine cost £40 inc postage new ... And I think people got them cheaper than that ...
Mine made a difference as when I introduced a mini pc in to my system I could hear a huge amount of nastiness from what I image was the cheap psu of the pc ... The pf30 got rid of that entirely ...
But... I don't plug my hifi into it ... Just the components local to it that seem to cause issues eg pc, tv, bd player, etc this approach seems to work best for me ... Plugging my majik dsi source (which also has a smps psu) into it had little if no effect in the context of my system ...
I haven't tried plugging in my speakers or pre ...

[Effem]

I bought one of these cheap off ebay and it certainly did make a vast improvement to my system. I had my CD player, valve pre-amp, SS power amp all connected through it and it sounded just fine. I plugged the power amp direct into the wall socket and it made no difference, apart from my mains cable was too short so back it went in through the PF30.

I have sold my pre and power amps this week so I now run the integrated amp through the PF30 and that sounds just dandy too :)

For me it just removes the hiss and hash so the quiet bits are quieter, the soundstage and imaging is far more focussed and fine details shine through

[keiths]

I see someone's put a PF40 up on ebay for a 'bargain' 449 quid. Somebody has already queried the price suggesting that it was a typo for 49 pounds, but no - the seller is adamant it's 449.

Sent from my HTC Tattoo using Tapatalk

[keiths]

The ethernet port just provides protection for your router etc from a power surge. It doesn't give you ethernet over your ringmain.

Sent from my HTC Tattoo using Tapatalk

[magiccarpetride]

I bought one of these cheap off ebay and it certainly did make a vast improvement to my system. I had my CD player, valve pre-amp, SS power amp all connected through it and it sounded just fine. I plugged the power amp direct into the wall socket and it made no difference, apart from my mains cable was too short so back it went in through the PF30.

I have sold my pre and power amps this week so I now run the integrated amp through the PF30 and that sounds just dandy too :)

For me it just removes the hiss and hash so the quiet bits are quieter, the soundstage and imaging is far more focussed and fine details shine through

Thanks Frank. Just wanted to hear from someone who's used this product first hand and has experience in evaluating whether it makes an audible improvement in sound quality.

[magiccarpetride]

I think the concensus is that it definitely has an effect on the sound.
Some like it.
Some don't.
Try it yourself - it's a case of suck it and see. There's no hard and fast about it.
If you like it fine.
If you don't move it on.

This is something that many of us could actually frame and put it on the wall. Because, after all is said and done, that's pretty much all there is to it.

Well said.

[Ali Tait]

Indeed so.

[The Vinyl Adventure]

Alex, I thought it might interest you to know ..
Today I got my new turntable and after I set it up I noticed a faint but definate extra hum ... I thought it came from the cartridge somehow but it turned out, after unpluging everything that it couldn't have been ...
One thing I didn't unplug was the walwart to my phono pre amp ... Until about 20 mins ago when it occured to me that it could be the cause ...
I unplugged it from the mains block and plugged it into the pf30 into the slot designed for amps ... The hum has gone ... And the turntable sound more dynamic (I have only listened to vinyl today, so I don't know what effect it would have had on other sources)

[magiccarpetride]

I bought one of these cheap off ebay and it certainly did make a vast improvement to my system. I had my CD player, valve pre-amp, SS power amp all connected through it and it sounded just fine. I plugged the power amp direct into the wall socket and it made no difference, apart from my mains cable was too short so back it went in through the PF30.

I have sold my pre and power amps this week so I now run the integrated amp through the PF30 and that sounds just dandy too :)

For me it just removes the hiss and hash so the quiet bits are quieter, the soundstage and imaging is far more focussed and fine details shine through

OK, I got one!

Unlike with Belkin Pure AV Silver Series interconnects, where I just wasn't able to hear ANY difference, with PF30 the improvement in the sound quality is DRASTIC! People, this is not funny, I'm literally blown away.

What the hell? How's this possible. I mean, I'm now hearing sooo much more music, it's starting to mess with my head. I now understand why someone here mentioned that some people actually didn't like the difference PF30 brings -- it is really overwhelming!

Perhaps the best $60 buckaroos I've ever spent in my life. Thanks Frank.

[Effem]

OK, I got one!

Unlike with Belkin Pure AV Silver Series interconnects, where I just wasn't able to hear ANY difference, with PF30 the improvement in the sound quality is DRASTIC! People, this is not funny, I'm literally blown away.

What the hell? How's this possible. I mean, I'm now hearing sooo much more music, it's starting to mess with my head. I now understand why someone here mentioned that some people actually didn't like the difference PF30 brings -- it is really overwhelming!

Perhaps the best $60 buckaroos I've ever spent in my life. Thanks Frank.

Maybe NOW the interconnects thang will make sense to you as well Alex :eyebrows:

[Alex_UK]

How many times is it now Alex that something new in your system made such a dramatic improvement? I'm beginning to think that maybe you have got the "best possible" of everything! ;) Either that or it was goddam awful before you joined AoS! :D

Sorry mate, couldn't resist a little tease, glad the PF30 is doing the business for you. I've got two, even my wife commented (without knowing what I had done) that the TV picture looked "brilliant" after I had installed the one in the TV environment... (You have got one on order for your TV, haven't you? ;))

Can't say I've noticed a massive improvement in the audio system like you have, but then the mains here is good and clean being a relatively new build, and I was already using a mains filter anyway.

Enjoy!

[Covenant]

I love a bit of enthusiasm myself. Too many people are reserved. If you enjoy it say so!

[AlanS]

I love a bit of enthusiasm myself. Too many people are reserved. If you enjoy it say so!

I think you are being a bit reserved calling Magic's post a bit of enthusiasm, more a tidal wave - literally blown away.

[magiccarpetride]

How many times is it now Alex that something new in your system made such a dramatic improvement? I'm beginning to think that maybe you have got the "best possible" of everything! ;) Either that or it was goddam awful before you joined AoS! :D

Sorry mate, couldn't resist a little tease, glad the PF30 is doing the business for you. I've got two, even my wife commented (without knowing what I had done) that the TV picture looked "brilliant" after I had installed the one in the TV environment... (You have got one on order for your TV, haven't you? ;))

Can't say I've noticed a massive improvement in the audio system like you have, but then the mains here is good and clean being a relatively new build, and I was already using a mains filter anyway.

Enjoy!

I call them as I see them (don't forget I called bull on the Belkin interconnects, as I fail to hear any diffs). I think my electrical power supply (I live in a hundred plus years old house) is probably dismal. This gadget brought it up to the 21st century code.

The differences are indeed staggering, there's definitely more music coming out of the speakers and everything now sounds much louder, even though I haven't increased the volume knob at all.

The music now has much more body to it, and I am hearing previously never heard details.

That's the beauty of this hobby -- it just keeps giving, sometimes for very little investment. There are many people on this forum who are sourpussies and bitter and tight chested and very upset about anyone who claims that any change makes any improvement, but I think in the end the joke is on them.