Mains Purifier or Network Switch

[2roomsor1]

Hi All

my first post, i stumbled onto the forum whilst looking for info on the puritan 136 and saw a lot of good info, so decided to join.

I am looking to add either a silent angel n8 pro switch or the puritan 136 mains conditioner, but not sure which will give me the biggest leap.

having changed out my system completely (one swoop) funds are drained for my hifi addiction

thoughts please, i like the 1 box solution, so will not be adding a k22 / lumin mini or any other streamer. the using roon to change volume is great

thanks all

 

[GHasley]

What power or ethernet problem have you identified that requires addressing? Does your new gear sound the same, better or worse compared to when you demo’d and purchased?

 

[2roomsor1]

no problems, given this is my first venture into streaming/roon the network can always be improved (noise etc)

power is always interesting, mt naim stack was fussy with power conditioning/purifers, but i have heard (or read) interesting this on stuff with switch mode or class d

 

[GHasley]

Some free advice and certainly worth far less than that, seek out a dealer or audio club in your area to inquire if you may borrow some of these devices to try in your system to determine if you have the kinds of problems they were designed to address. For instance, how can someone in Estonia possibly design a product that fixes all the problems that may or may not exist with your power through your power transformer on the pole on your street in Cleveland? These things aren’t a universally applicable product segment and there are always tradeoffs. In a previous home, I had such bad power that I had to buy one of these kinds of products to address the noise but the tradeoff was decreased dynamics.

Many of us here have a closet full of these remedies but please be careful that the remedy isn’t worse than the cure or in fact, ineffective in your home due to the fact that you may not have a material issue to address. This hobby forces tweaking…we can’t help ourselves and I know I’m like a moth to a flame when something cool comes out.

 

[Kingrex]

If you put a switch in, you need to address cables as well as power for the switch.
If your feeding your system wall power and you put any filter in, the filter may sound choked as your starving it for power.

 

[antigrunge]

In simple terms, clean power and clean ethernet are separate issues. The former is best addressed by a separate power spur and active or passive power conditioning. Ethernet cleanup requires switches and/or fibre conversion as well as isolators and switches depending on the chosen approach. Where they overlap is that switches and/or fibre converters need clean power from a conditioner and/or LPS

 

[2roomsor1]

as per most tweaking, it may not be needed but would add a little????

not sure which way to go, conditioner/purifier or switch.

currently have a 4mm2 csa cable to unswitched sockets local to each speaker and hifi, their own supply.

 

[PYP]

Agree with the post about an in-home demo. Only way to decide what works in your setup and to your ears.

That said, from my own experience I would suggest a demo of a power conditioner first. A good conditioner -- I've read good reviews of the Puritan but haven't heard it in my own setup -- will not only help with noise entering via the power provided, it will also help prevent the noise generated by individual pieces of gear from affecting the other pieces.

A quick internet search yielded this company, which seems to offer a 45 day trial (in the U.S.): https://jaguaraudio.com/product/psm156-power-conditioner-by-puritan-audio-laboratories/

For ethernet, you could start with an inexpensive passive filter, also as a demo. Stack Audio makes good stuff. Try this for 30 days https://stackaudio.co.uk/smoothlan/. Price: £200 EX-VAT Passive filters can be used with switches, so nothing lost if you keep it and then add a switch later on.

You could overlap the demo periods. Leave yourself enough time for the Puritan to settle in, then add the ethernet filter.