Intro
Contents
Last Sunday we traveled to Leiden to test some power conditioners on Yung’s retro system. The big Tannoys and Yamaha amplifiers are in the Nieuwplaatz studio in Leiden. A wonderful place to be working with hifi gear!
What could be more fun than playing some nice music on a pair of big Tannoy Monitor Gold Studio speakers, driven by a Yamaha B1 power amp? We can guarantee you that it is a beautiful experience. The looseness and ease with which this system plays is remarkable. Every time we listen to it, we think: what have we really gained in the last 40 or 50 years? Yes: systems have become more stylish. And smaller… but in terms of experience and musicality… no: we haven’t really made any progress there if we’re really honest. But anyway: back to the subject.
Power!
We have been saying it for years: stable and clean energy is the basis of a good system. In fact, a hi-fi system does only one thing: modulate energy. If this energy is not clean and stable, it is simply audible.
With the advent of LED lighting, countless switchmode power supplies and, for example, solar panels and charging stations, our power grid has a very tough time. There is more and more DC (direct current) on the grid and noise levels are also increasing. That’s just a fact of life.
Now coffee machines, vacuum cleaners and Sonos-like systems won’t suffer from that. But a high-quality audio system will. Is that odd? No: a high-quality system lets you hear everything. Even what’s not right. Think of it as an elite athlete. They can perform fine on a hamburger, but with the right nutrition they will fly. And that’s no different with a good hi-fi system.
In this test of power conditioners, let’s see what such a device can do in a solid system. This ‘studio system’ from Yung may be old; it plays unprecedentedly loose and fast. And so it shows very easily what a decent conditioner can do!
Baseline
The baseline is not really a baseline. We took a decent power block from Supra: the MD06. A solid, aluminum distribution block that costs about 135 Euros. Highly recommended for those playing with a plastic IKEA strip.
The first test is with the plugs just in the block without a phase check. The second round is with all cables neatly in phase. That makes a huge difference! More control, more air and much more calmness. And it’s basically free… so do it!
After this round, we will listen to the first conditioners. But first, let’s introduce the complete system….
Last year I used a Oehlbach phaser for testing the polarity on my 10 components. Works on a battery and gives the correct results. When both positions of the plug gave the same results I used a multimeter, this also gave identical results, in other words there is no lower value and the position of the plug doesn’t matter. I marked the position of all phases with a dot of a red paint marker (so on the components, both plugs of the power cords, the power strips used and the wall socket. In this way it is easy to change components or cables. And yes it made a small difference in the sound of the music. Good luck.
Thank you for the advice!
You can also open up the device and check the ‘live’ wire. Put a sticker on the back for future identification. :-).
Did you try the high power outputs of the Aquarius v5 to say drive the power amps?
Nope… power amp remained in the Supra the whole time.
No. The Yamaha vintage amps don’t like power conditioners at all.
Great test, thank you.
I betray my ignorance… what do you mean in the Intro by “cables neatly in phase”?
That you check the polarity.
What was that device you used to check the polarity?
Kemp Ultimate Polarity Checker
Typical, they have been discontinued. Can you recommend another product? Or would a phase pen work?? I tried an Oelbach phase tester, it gave mixed results.
A pen doesn’t really do the same. I will need to search for one…