Power Conditioner/Distribution

[Penthouse-D]

Hi Folks, We've addressed this slightly in another thread. I'd like some thoughts on Spectral and power products. Cords, conditioners,and distributors. It seems many plug the amps directly into the wall outlets. I currently have Shunyata Cobra Zitron power cords that have been reviewed quite well. I also have a Shunyata Triton conditioner. Thanks in advance!

 

[kennyb123]

All my gear, including a Spectral DMC-30S and a DMA 150 Series 2 amp, is plugged into a Quantum QBase QB8. This is a high quality power strip featuring star grounding and nothing that can limit current. The QB8 is plugged into a Quantum QX4 that is in turn plugged into the wall. All power cords are Nordost Brahma.

The Nordost and Quantum power products have complimented my Spectral gear exceptionally well. Just placing a single Brahama at the wall, replacing a Nordost Vishnu, delivered one of the biggest upgrades I've experienced as it made the music come alive. The QX4 I could not live without. The soundstage flattens and the music becomes dull when it's switched off. The Nordost cords have worked so well that I intend to eventually start working Valhalla cords into my loom, starting at the wall.

 

[LL21]

All my gear, including a Spectral DMC-30S and a DMA 150 Series 2 amp, is plugged into a Quantum QBase QB8. This is a high quality power strip featuring star grounding and nothing that can limit current. The QB8 is plugged into a Quantum QX4 that is in turn plugged into the wall. All power cords are Nordost Brahma.

The Nordost and Quantum power products have complimented my Spectral gear exceptionally well. Just placing a single Brahama at the wall, replacing a Nordost Vishnu, delivered one of the biggest upgrades I've experienced as it made the music come alive. The QX4 I could not live without. The soundstage flattens and the music becomes dull when it's switched off. The Nordost cords have worked so well that I intend to eventually start working Valhalla cords into my loom, starting at the wall.

I will second the use of the Qx4...it will not be coming out of my system. Like the HRS products, I might switch a digital piece or a pre...but i the leave the Nordost and the HRS. I used to have Nordorst Thor (which the salesman said was NOT current limiting...turned out in fact to have limits...which i tested and blew thru resulting in a melted socket). The QX4 is great, and i may try the QBase...i currently use Transp Ref Power conditioner, but i might need a couple extra outlets.

 

[Penthouse-D]

Thanks for the comments. It seems I'll be selling my Shunyata Triton and possibly my Shunyata power cords. Any thoughts on the MIT Zstrip? It seems to isolate digital units. I may switch to MIT power cables also. Still very open to further suggestions.

 

[kennyb123]

It seems I'll be selling my Shunyata Triton and possibly my Shunyata power cords. Any thoughts on the MIT Zstrip? It seems to isolate digital units. I may switch to MIT power cables also. Still very open to further suggestions.

I've never tried Shunyata products, but they are highly regarded. This is likely brand I would have looked to had I not stumbled onto Nordost & Quantum products at RMAF a few years back. I would think the Shunyata products have a good chance of delivering quality power to Spectral components, which is the goal after all.

The only MIT power product I've tried is an older Z-Center, which was quite colored compared to my QB8. I could be wrong, but it doesn't seem that MIT has the same passion to advance their power products as they do for their signal cables. So I never put much serious consideration in their power products. The Z-Strip sounds very much like a Z-Center, though I'm sure it's better due to the better outlets. Of course there could still be additional advancements in that box. You should definitely try to demo one before dumping your Triton.

 

[Penthouse-D]

Thanks! I'm hearing the Triton is somewhat limiting. I'm also curious about "star grounding" which I'm starting to hear about frequently.

 

[Adimon]

Does the Triton improve the overall sound of Spectral?
Including the power amp?
What about the newest powerplant from PSaudio did somone try this with Spectral.

 

[Penthouse-D]

I had a PS Audio P5. I thought it was fair at best. Apparently a lot of other people think the same. There are a TON of them for sale on A'gon etc. I am putting my system together as we speak. I have the DMA 360 II's and I'm working on getting a DMC 30 SS2, so I don't know how the Spectral products will sound on the Triton but I'm hearing from many the conditioner is somewhat limiting as far as cuurent goes. Not a very good match for the Spectral products form what I've read. Thanks!

 

[ack]

Thanks! I'm hearing the Triton is somewhat limiting. I'm also curious about "star grounding" which I'm starting to hear about frequently.

Good move on selling the Triton. You may also find the MIT "networked" power cords limiting as well; try the Oracle ZIII instead. Star grounding is everywhere, starting within the electronics themselves.

 

[Adimon]

Thx,
So the best conditioner for Spectral is no conditioner.
But they are sensitive for mains quality.
The sound differs from time to time (weekends)

 

[ack]

Thx,
So the best conditioner for Spectral is no conditioner.
But they are sensitive for mains quality.
The sound differs from time to time (weekends)

My Z-Strips do not appear to be limiting current; MIT claims the same.

 

[ack]

BTW, the benefits of the Z-Strip's digital outlets are easily verifiable if you have an FM tuner: w/o the Strip, a lot of noise from the tuner when digital is on, grain in the electronics. With the Z-Strip you get grave-like silence and totally black backgrounds even with the volume maxed out.

 

[Adimon]

Hi Ack,
Is the Z- strip the same as the Z bar?
I don't know any Z strip.

 

[ack]

Hi Ack,
Is the Z- strip the same as the Z bar?
I don't know any Z strip.

The Z-Bar is the larger and horizontal version of the Z strip (http://www.mitcables.com/available-online/z-strip.html); same Hubbell outlets and parallel filtering. I actually have two of them, and to get the maximum isolation on my FM I plug in the transport and DAC into the digital outlets of one of the strips, and the tuner into one of the digital outlets of the other; this gives me grave silence everywhere.

 

[Penthouse-D]

ack, Thanks SO much for your valuable input. I really appreciate it. At this point, I think I'll buy two zstrips. One for the amps and preamp another for the Esoteric K-03 , Oppo BDP-95, TV, and cable box. I guess I'll buy the oracle power cords for at least the 3 Spectral products. Can I buy Magnum III's for the Esoteric, and Oppo? I guess Oracle from the wall to the Z-strips? I'm thinking the Zstrips will provide me with the star grounding the local dealer is giving me nightmares about.Thanks in advance!

 

[1rsw]

I've experimented with a wide variety of power devices over the years. Not too many I like to use with Spectral amps as I find them all to have some bad a long with the good. One of the few I do like with Spectral amps is the Acoustic Revive RTP-2 Ultimate. I don't like the MIT stuff with the amps but I do like them on front end gear. For me, they are muting on Spectral amps collapsing the stage and dulling dynamics. I agree with Acks comments on power cables preferring the Oracle Z3 to the networked cables. I just recently replaced my ZPowerbar with a isolation transformer based product, Silver Circle Pure Power 5.0 and really like the result. There are others such as Torus Power and Equitech and there is a thread going in the general audio section exploring this topic in more detail. My next step is to experiment with an iso device on my amps too. I really think for me these isolation transformers are the best AC solution.

BTW, MIT is releasing a ZPowerbar II that was showed at CES. I don't know anything about it yet, just thought relevant to mention.

 

[ack]

Work with the dealer to experiment for yourself and see what works best; you may find a more favorable configuration; you have good starting information, but take what you read on the net with a grain of salt. All MIT products will provide you with star grounding, however, keep in mind star grounding requires that all relevant components be plugged into the same strip - my tuner doesn't care about star-grounding, but my phono, for example, surely does. Exceptionally sensitive components like a phono stage or a tuner are an easy guide to good noise reduction: the former with humming, the latter with hash. Conversely, digital products are, in general, exceptionally noisy. Another thing to keep in mind is what noise the power cords you choose may end up inducing into the environment - I don't know about the MITs, but the Shunyatas (and every cord I have chosen) don't; I use a device like this one http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc...ord=voltage+tester&storeId=10051#.UQ_PbvXsYfM to test the field around a cord and IEC connectors (it's inductive, meaning, it's got a tiny coil at the tip, and the device lights up if it detects a magnetic field; with non-shielded cords, it can go off as far as 3 ft away!). And always be mindful of the weakest link effect - I sometimes forget about this; for example, don't use an inferior cord to feed the power conditioner. Good luck and do post your final configuration.

 

[nirodha]

Work with the dealer to experiment for yourself and see what works best; you may find a more favorable configuration; you have good starting information, but take what you read on the net with a grain of salt. All MIT products will provide you with star grounding, however, keep in mind star grounding requires that all relevant components be plugged into the same strip - my tuner doesn't care about star-grounding, but my phono, for example, surely does. Exceptionally sensitive components like a phono stage or a tuner are an easy guide to good noise reduction: the former with humming, the latter with hash. Conversely, digital products are, in general, exceptionally noisy. Another thing to keep in mind is what noise the power cords you choose may end up inducing into the environment - I don't know about the MITs, but the Shunyatas (and every cord I have chosen) don't; I use a device like this one http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc...ord=voltage+tester&storeId=10051#.UQ_PbvXsYfM to test the field around a cord and IEC connectors (it's inductive, meaning, it's got a tiny coil at the tip, and the device lights up if it detects a magnetic field; with non-shielded cords, it can go off as far as 3 ft away!). And always be mindful of the weakest link effect - I sometimes forget about this; for example, don't use an inferior cord to feed the power conditioner. Good luck and do post your final configuration.

May I suggest Elrod power cables to end all worries about noise induction etc. They ARE the power cables to consider. Even though I have the top MIT cables (interconnects / speaker cables) the Elrod blew away the MIT power cables (with and without the boxes). And yes I know, there are other fantastic cables as well

 

[Adimon]

The Z-Bar is the larger and horizontal version of the Z strip (http://www.mitcables.com/available-online/z-strip.html); same Hubbell outlets and parallel filtering. I actually have two of them, and to get the maximum isolation on my FM I plug in the transport and DAC into the digital outlets of one of the strips, and the tuner into one of the digital outlets of the other; this gives me grave silence everywhere.

Hi Ack,
Is you're Spectral setup real quiet wenn it is only powered on (no music)?
Totally no hum or other noise!

 

[ack]

Hi Ack,
Is you're Spectral setup real quiet wenn it is only powered on (no music)?
Totally no hum or other noise!

With the volume maxed out, yes, dead silence with most inputs, but of course still a little noise from the phono (I am hoping the new Spectral phono will be dead quiet as well); by contrast, in my most recent visit to the dealer, their set-up clearly had a lot of noise. The results are also audible with music, as jet-black backgrounds and exceptional low-level retrieval. I feel it's a bit of an art to kill noise all around.