*NEW* Folsom Lillies

Folsom

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Oct 25, 2015
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Hi guys, I'm happy to be offering these here, first. They are meant for dealers (welcome to inquire) but until there is a dealer in your area they will be available through me. There is no comparative product in competition to this anywhere. I accept Paypal & Litecoin.



Folsom Lilies

Folsom works hard to make all of our devices capable of their maximum potential. In order to reach the full potential within any electronics it is key to have the incoming AC power at its highest ability to deliver. This starts at the breaker box.

The AC power grid within our home is an ecosystem. It has a diversity of life that comes from our A/V equipment, lights, appliances, and what's floating in the air. The complex-system under goes constant shifts where different devices and signals in the air disrupt the balance, shuffling the complex impedance around. In order for the system to deliver power correctly it has to recover from each and every change fast enough to meet the demands of a high fidelity system. The Folsom Lilie works to keep the complex impedance optimal by compensating for these changes.

The problem being addressed exists no matter how big of wire, type of wire, type of conditioners/transformers, or type of electronics you use simply because power is used dynamically in all settings. When they are addressed we feel the existing beauty in music becomes much more alluring, as the qualities we listen for reach out that extra mile to us, with our Lilies. Our experience wouldn't be complete without them.




*Can be installed in a few minutes by a qualified electrician.
*Compatible with all breaker boxes.
*Can be used on existing or new breaker set.
*Made with UL & AC line approved parts & materials.
*Special unit offered if you use Equi=tech balanced transformer installed in your place, that goes along with standard units.



MSRP: $346



Use:
1. It is recommended to use one per phase in the main breaker box – even when your equipment is only on one. This is because a balance is achieved on the neutral by having a Lilie on both phases. That balance is important because the neutral is used by the phase that your system draws power from.
2. Effectiveness is increased with distance from the audio system so both should be located in the main panel, not in a dedicated sub-panel.




Ok but is anyone using them, do they sound like anything?

Yes I have sent out some demo's and got positive review. Perhaps one fellow who is a member here will chime in.

Will they make MY stereo sound better?

First they cannot do any negative things from an engineering standpoint. From a subjective standpoint I would say 95%+ will benefit. When won't someone? When their stereo benefits from complex impedance problems. And that means? Here's a scenario, you've got vintage speakers that are softer on the highs so the added uplift to the frequencies affected by the complex impedance issue is imperative for balance, but adding Lillies will essentially "detune" your stereo's natural balance. How do I know? Well, if zero forms of noise reduction have ever done anything beneficial for you then that would be a good indicator in conjunction with vintage speakers. But also it's a matter of taste, as I firmly believe we don't all have the same ears so some people are never warded off by higher frequencies. (I am, I can get fatigued, some people don't)

So what about the Equi=tech special unit?

The transformer will behave better if the complex impedance is friendly on both sides, not just one, as it forms a sort of barrier so complex impedance changes can occur on both sides. This unit is meant for the ones installed in a home, as if it's too close to the stereo it will not be very effective. It also has an added benefit for the ground that is in the Equi=tech units; because the enclosure of them allows some parasitics, which is not (nor can be) an issue for the regular Lillies in a breakerbox. Ok, I get the technical side, but will this actually benefit me? Considering it's been tested, yes. The stereo where it was tested 2/3 people knew immediately that there was an improvement, and it was confirmed later again by removing and reinserting. The hardest part was trying to describe the improvements as not everyone is use to the experience that better power can bring. Personally what I heard was less homogenized highs that gained some timbre, became easier on the ears (was a little bit of an issue for me before), and spatial ques where much easier to read. I suspect different stereos will benefit in varying ways, but all will get the benefit.

Is there anything I have to worry about interfering with it?

The only thing that I know of is the EP-2050. It claims to have sonic benefits but no one has ever heard it. I've seen the patent. There is zero relation between it and the Lillies.

Wait so are the Lillies just a power filter? (NO)

No, they are not. But they do help your equipment naturally reduce noise based on their design because they are not in such high tension with the complex impedance; while also allowing it to operate for better power delivery.

They sound pretty special, what do these bad boys look like?

Not much, there's no reason to increase the price for something you can't even look at by dressing it up; but if you have a special request because you want them dressed up in Boulder quality aluminium feel free to inquire... Here's a picture of two installed at my residence. *Note: the potting material I use now is black.

IMAG1186.jpg
 
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DaveC

Industry Expert
Nov 16, 2014
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I have a pair and they work for me. They did seem to reduce noise with the accompanying increase in clarity, resolution and soundstage. No downsides either. Very nice... :cool: Specifics about what's in them and exactly what they do is a mystery, which I don't like, but I can understand wanting to keep IP private.

I was currently using one of my modded SurgeX power distributors when I installed the Lillies, which does have an emi/rfi filter that makes a noticeable improvement. This seemed to be the same sort of improvement, it was like the power filtering got even better.

In short, good job! :)
 

Folsom

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Oct 25, 2015
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Dave, thank you for the kind words. I'm very passionate about good power for fighting apathy towards music, and for attaining greater pleasure for those that can have a sit down for an album. If the winds will keep it going so they become widely adopted I'll be very pleased. I see them as intregal to achieving the highest performance as possible; if everyone has them I'll be one step ahead as I release bigger products that will clearly show the benefits as much as anything. For almost everything there's no reason not to use them, as no place is exempt from complex impedance problems, to which the AC system does not recover well on it's own.

I trust Dave on his descriptions, btw, as I like his cables that are accurately described, so he got to help me with feedback from a demo pair - incase anyone was wondering.
 
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awsmone

Well-Known Member
Apr 6, 2014
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Canberra Australia
Forgive me, but are you aiming to do here, are they able to be used in 240 V system....whats the compatibility?
 

Folsom

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Oct 25, 2015
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Yes they are compatible with euro systems. I am announcing a new product & early availability of a product that should become more frequently noticed as available from here on out from a variety of sources.
 

microstrip

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May 30, 2010
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Yes they are compatible with euro systems. I am announcing a new product & early availability of a product that should become more frequently noticed as available from here on out from a variety of sources.

Do you have CE certification? Does your device include a safety fuse?
 

Folsom

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There is no replaceable fuse, but there is safety function built in for failure. They don't use notable power, and are wired directly to a breaker. I'm proud to say these exceed the safety of everything thing you already use within a home, including the breakers themselves.

There are not enough in production to pay the exorbitant fees for CE/UL; much like countless audiophile products - and many that do probably have expired licenses since they need frequent updates that. (I could go into all the "back channels" of ways people may acquire CE/UL without being technically up to date, but it's really another topic) But there is not one single part not rated and approved for the use. (ENEC, UL, cUL, UL94, RoHS) When you look at releasing a product and consider whether you want CE/UL approval, the biggest question is liability if your product ever caused a problem that took you to court - neither are required, but they setup the framework for legality of fault. Many companies meet and exceed UL/CE certification but do not have it because the cost is unrealistic for a small business. If we had any expectation for the remote possibility of needing the CE/UL shield, I wouldn't be selling them until I had upfront orders for many thousands of units
 
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DaveC

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I thought you can self-certify CE? Make sure it follows CE then put the label on it without 3rd party testing?

UL does require testing and is fairly expensive for a low volume product.
 

microstrip

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I thought you can self-certify CE? Make sure it follows CE then put the label on it without 3rd party testing?

UL does require testing and is fairly expensive for a low volume product.

CE certification is a complex procedure - one of the things that must be done is identify whether an independent conformity assessment (Notified Body) is necessary to check your product. I imagine that for a product that will be permanently wired to mains distribution you will need such external testing by certified authorities, particularly as it is an import and the manufacturer is not registered in the EC.

Selling such non certified device in is CE is forbidden - customs will seize it if they find it and discover its function! No responsible technician will mount it in an a distribution board.

SoundLab had the unfortunate idea of using stripped green/yellow wire for the middle point of its huge audio toroidal transformers - I spent months trying to get them from customs, because I needed to supply proof that the transformer was not a power transformer and did not need CE certification!
 

microstrip

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May 30, 2010
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There is no replaceable fuse, but there is safety function built in for failure. They don't use notable power, and are wired directly to a breaker. I'm proud to say these exceed the safety of everything thing you already use within a home, including the breakers themselves. (...)



Well, here things are different. In case of fire having an electrical origin an insurance company expert will probably point to it, even if it is clear that the device is not related to it. The electrical company will not approve the distribution board if they find such device.

Can I ask what is the safety function for failure, or is it a proprietary trade secret?
 

DaveC

Industry Expert
Nov 16, 2014
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Well, here things are different. In case of fire having an electrical origin an insurance company expert will probably point to it, even if it is clear that the device is not related to it. The electrical company will not approve the distribution board if they find such device.

It's not so cut and dried here in the US... If the device is simple, only a few parts, and the parts are all UL certified it's probably fine. But at a certain point the entire device needs to be UL approved even if it's made up of all UL approved parts. I ran into this designing a multi-zone lighting controller for a local business some years ago. A mechanical design had too many parts to be approved but replacing the various parts with a single PLC (programmable logic controller) that controlled a bunch of switches was approved as the system now only had 3 parts, PLC, switches and fuses, it was deemed simple enough not to need UL approval. But it's the local inspector's call...
 

Folsom

VIP/Donor
Oct 25, 2015
6,024
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520
Eastern WA
Well, here things are different. In case of fire having an electrical origin an insurance company expert will probably point to it, even if it is clear that the device is not related to it. The electrical company will not approve the distribution board if they find such device.

Can I ask what is the safety function for failure, or is it a proprietary trade secret?

In general distributors may not accept non-UL/CE rated devices. That is one reason you see some repetition in brands online from websites.

Normal operations with this device would be classified as low voltage, which often even in distributed parts doesn't need/get certifications.

I can't cover what's inside them. But I can tell you that they can easily take 1kv pulsing in normal operation. Full failure is way beyond that. In the invent of extreme, repeated, voltages you'd probably have lot more to worry about than devices that have impregnated fire stopping material in all the parts.
 
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