Audiophile-grade power strips?

[Wie Gehts?]

I live in a 1940s house and have run out of wall outlets near my equipment rack. Can anybody recommend a high-quality power strip (not a power conditioner or surge protector) which doesn't have a negative impact on system sonics? Thanks.

[jstraw]

I went with a Monster Cable HT800 based in part on a recommendation on these forums. I plan to buy another.

[triple]

Naim USA recommends Wiremold power strips. I do not have a link, but there might be one from the Naim USA web page. I do remember that they were cheap, around 80 dollars or so.

Regards,
Goran

[Dennis Metz]

Naim USA recommends Wiremold power strips. I do not have a link, but there might be one from the Naim USA web page. I do remember that they were cheap, around 80 dollars or so.

Regards,
Goran

I use one.
http://cgi.ebay.ca/Naim-Wiremold-AC-Strip-50-gets-you-1000-improvement_W0QQitemZ110177324412QQihZ00 1QQcategoryZ39783QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1 QQcmdZViewItem

[Glen B]

Check out the following options in high performance power strips without filters, switches and surge protection:

The PPC power strip from Balanced Power Technologies: http://www.b-p-t.com/news.shtml

The Eichmann power strip and VH Audio Hot Box from VH Audio: http://www.vhaudio.com/powerstrips.html

[monewe]

The wiremold might not be the best option for him his system. I don't know the US market but I would speak to a dealer and ask if you could borrow one for a home demo.

[jstraw]

What are the advantages of unfiltered power?

[Billy Budapest]

A lot of people have had good luck with the PS Audio Juice Bar. No power filtering of any kind. Just OFC copper wiring and hospital grade outlets, star grounded. Plus, you can use any power cord you like from the wall to the strip (the strip has an IEC power inlet).

http://www.psaudio.com/products/juicebar.asp

http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?powrdist&1195955387

[golfchance]

What are the advantages of unfiltered power?

I've been wondering the same thing. Wouldn't clean, stable power be more desirable than noisy, spiky power?

[LeeS]

For affordable strips, also check out the Monster Cables. If you can afford the HTS series then buy that either new or used. :)

[Metralla]

Naim USA recommends Wiremold power strips. I do not have a link, but there might be one from the Naim USA web page. I do remember that they were cheap, around 80 dollars or so.
And they were about $35 from other sources.

[jstraw]

And they were about $35 from other sources.

What I like about this, is I could afford to upgrade the four power strips that it takes to support my entire computer rig which, with the throw of a switch, is occasionally fed via a pair of long interconnects , into my audio system.

I'd use an HT800 to replace the first in the chain then use these for the remaining three.

[Tubeman]

I use Monster Cable's HTS 1000 for video and gaming, their SW 200 for my sub and Brick Wall's PW8R15 for all of my audio gear.

[tps]

I've been wondering the same thing. Wouldn't clean, stable power be more desirable than noisy, spiky power?
The problem with using a filter to "fix" noisy power is that it ends up, in one way or another, dissipating the noise into somewhere else, like the ground or the neutral. Since we don't have zero-ohm, superconducting wire in the grounding paths between our audio equipment, the noise will build up a little copy of the noise across the grounds. Since most audio equipment does not use balanced connections, that means that a small part of the noise is, in effect, impressed across one side (the ground side) of the audio.

How to eliminate these problems?

1. Don't fix non-existant problems. Most equipment power supplies are designed to deal with normal AC mains power. Unless there's a problem, don't increase the ground leakage, and hence the audio noise, by using "filtered" power strips.

If there's a problem, consider:

2. Balanced audio paths, if possible, so that mains-to-ground leakage does not get impressed across the audio signal.

3. Cable TV isolation transformer if it is connected to the stereo via a TV or FM receiver. Remember, those line amps the cable company uses run from AC power inserted onto the cable by large pole-mounted power-inserters. Often the tap at the pole doesn't remove every last bit of AC from the drop to your house, but a CATV isolation transformer will. Between the ground block and the receiver is the right place to insert it.

4. Mains isolation. I used a 1 KVA low leakage, medical isolation transformer to deal with subborn guitar amp grounding problems with my PA rig. Worked every time.

5. Extreme mains isolation. Use a proper UPS to take the mains AC all the way to DC, float it across some storage batteries to protect against brown-outs and black-outs, then take it back to sine-wave AC. I think operations like the XM's studios do this on a grand scale.

Surge suppressors are most effective if applied at the right place, the building's main electrical service entrance. I worked at a couple radio stations where we used big LEA (Lightning Elimination Associates) boxes right where the power entered the building.

Ensure that ALL third wire grounds, even orange "isolated ground" outlets, as well as cable TV ground blocks, satellite and telephone line protectors are bonded to the SAME rod. (Orange "isolated ground" means the ground bypasses the "star point" at the fuse box and goes directly to the SAME ground rod as the fuse box, NOT that it is grounded to a separate rod.)

[Glen B]

What are the advantages of unfiltered power?

In addition to the other things said above, a lot of filter products employ some sort of device in series, usually a wire coil or choke. Amplifiers draw current instantaneously according to music peaks. Many people find that coils in the electrical path limit dynamics and make music lacklustre.

I have had the experience with EMI/RFI block filters (containing chokes, resistors and caps) where they caused a reduction in transparency and detail as if a blanket was thrown over the speakers, even though these filters operate outside the audio range.

[B-Diddy]

The Wiremold is great. IMO power conditioners do nothing. You're better off calling an electrician and getting a dedicated circuit and ground.

[Billy Budapest]

A lot of this stuff is voodoo to the average music listener--even the average audiophile. Most of us do not have high enough resolution systems to notice a difference in any conditioning--or lack thereof--done to the power source.

However, video is a different story--I have seen the effect of "clean power" reducing static, ghosting, and other anomalies on video displays. To be sure, some of the improvement I witnessed could have been due to removal of AC in the cable line and removal of ground loops.

[Dennis Metz]

The Wiremold is great. IMO power conditioners do nothing. You're better off calling an electrician and getting a dedicated circuit and ground.

That's what I did when I had the basement done. I thought three outlets would be plenty, not.

[Chad Etchison]

That's what I did when I had the basement done. I thought three outlets would be plenty, not.

Here are some four outlet Wiremolds I found the other day. I bought a couple to plug into my new dedicated circuit, which is amazing BTW.

There could be an even better price out there.

http://www.pacificgeek.com/product.asp?c=216&s=1064&ID=21708&P=F

[Mike from NYC]

I've been wondering the same thing. Wouldn't clean, stable power be more desirable than noisy, spiky power?

Generally most of the line/power conditioners also have surge protectors which is why I use them. I have had spikes and I'm sure the equipment has protected my equipment.

I have been using a surge protector for about 25 years after seeing what happens to equipment w/o using one.

It may dampen my transients but I can live with that.