Line conditioner/enhancer - DVDfile.com forum for DVD, Blu-Ray, and HD-DVD

08-03-1999, 02:10 PM

Krish asked me to post this as a topic after seeing that I had a couple of line conditioners/enhancers in my HT system on another thread, so here goes.

I first got an Adcom Ace 515 about 8 years ago, primarily to protect my equipment from surges, but I found that it also helped lower the noise levels overall, for audio. I can only guess that this was due to the Ace's ability to "clean" the electrical power coming from my standard wall outlet. It has 7 receptacles, 2 dedicated to amps, one for a digital component, and 4 for analog source components. The Ace also has a remote turn-on feature, where if you plug it's "sensing" cord into a component that can be powered up with a remote (pretty much all receivers and pre/pros now), then the whole system can be powered up sequentially. The only problem I had with it is that about 2 years ago the remote turn on feature crapped out on me (one of those really pain-in-the-a$$ intermitent problems- sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't. Probably a bad transistor and since it'd cost close to what I paid for it, less than $200, to get it repaired and it still passes a clean electircal signal, I use it for components that I can turn on & off remotely).

So I got an Audio Power Power Pack V about 2 years ago. I needed the increase in receptacles, anyway. The Adcom Ace protects/conditions the power to my CD player, DVD player and my sub. The Power Pack V keeps the power clean for my RPTV, tuner, 2 amplifiers, pre/pro, and VCR. It also has the remote turn-on feature, so that all I have to do is turn on the tuner and the whole system powers up. And I noticed a decent improvement in my RPTV's picture after plugging it into the Power pack V. Better color retention, less video "noise" and truer blacks. It also lowered the noise floor a little more than the Ace did for audio signals (it should - it cost more then twice what the Ace sold for).

In summation, I will never set up an HT without some type of line conditioner/enhancer. I know some folks feel that a surge protector is enough, and my assessment of improvements above is purely subjective, but to me the only way to insure that a quality electrical signal is providing juice to an HT is to invest in a decent conditioner/enhancer that goes beyond simple surge protection. I don't think that means you have to spend thousands of $, as is the case for some of the really high end equipment like Tice (although, if you've got the disposable income, I'd say go for it), but I would suggest to anyone putting together an HT to budget at least a couple of hundred for a decent power conditioner/enhancer.

My 2 sense,
James M.

------------------
HT equipment: Pioneer Elite Pro-100 RPTV (ISF calibrated)
Lexicon DC-1 pre/pro, Sunfire Cinema Grand amp, Adcom GFA-555II amp, Legacy Victoria L/R speakers, Legacy CinemaII center channel speaker, M&K SS150THX side surround speakers, Def. Tech BPX rear surround speakers, Velodyne F1800II sub., Sony HiFi VCR, Denon DCD-1500 CD player and DVD-3000 DVD player, NAD 1600 pre/tuner (used for powering up the system and radio reception only), Power Pack V line conditioner/enhancer, Adcom Ace 515 line conditioner/enhancer, LAT and Monster speaker cables, assortment of AudioQuest, Monster and XLO interconnects, various forms of component vibration isolation and room treatment

08-03-1999, 02:14 PM

Yup - it's what I thought it was.

Thx James. I'm in a bt of a rush so we'll chat about it later today. Love your set up BTW. It's something I aspire toward (Lexicon mated with Adcom) once I get the space and more important --- the $$$

- Krish

------------------
DDS-017
DVDFile.Com General Manager
manager@dvdfile.com

08-03-1999, 02:25 PM

No problem, Krish. Glad to help. And feel free to e-mail me about anything specific you might want to know about my setup.

Take care

,
James M.

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08-03-1999, 02:10 PM	#1 (permalink)
James M	Line conditioner/enhancer Krish asked me to post this as a topic after seeing that I had a couple of line conditioners/enhancers in my HT system on another thread, so here goes. I first got an Adcom Ace 515 about 8 years ago, primarily to protect my equipment from surges, but I found that it also helped lower the noise levels overall, for audio. I can only guess that this was due to the Ace's ability to "clean" the electrical power coming from my standard wall outlet. It has 7 receptacles, 2 dedicated to amps, one for a digital component, and 4 for analog source components. The Ace also has a remote turn-on feature, where if you plug it's "sensing" cord into a component that can be powered up with a remote (pretty much all receivers and pre/pros now), then the whole system can be powered up sequentially. The only problem I had with it is that about 2 years ago the remote turn on feature crapped out on me (one of those really pain-in-the-a$$ intermitent problems- sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't. Probably a bad transistor and since it'd cost close to what I paid for it, less than $200, to get it repaired and it still passes a clean electircal signal, I use it for components that I can turn on & off remotely). So I got an Audio Power Power Pack V about 2 years ago. I needed the increase in receptacles, anyway. The Adcom Ace protects/conditions the power to my CD player, DVD player and my sub. The Power Pack V keeps the power clean for my RPTV, tuner, 2 amplifiers, pre/pro, and VCR. It also has the remote turn-on feature, so that all I have to do is turn on the tuner and the whole system powers up. And I noticed a decent improvement in my RPTV's picture after plugging it into the Power pack V. Better color retention, less video "noise" and truer blacks. It also lowered the noise floor a little more than the Ace did for audio signals (it should - it cost more then twice what the Ace sold for). In summation, I will never set up an HT without some type of line conditioner/enhancer. I know some folks feel that a surge protector is enough, and my assessment of improvements above is purely subjective, but to me the only way to insure that a quality electrical signal is providing juice to an HT is to invest in a decent conditioner/enhancer that goes beyond simple surge protection. I don't think that means you have to spend thousands of $, as is the case for some of the really high end equipment like Tice (although, if you've got the disposable income, I'd say go for it), but I would suggest to anyone putting together an HT to budget at least a couple of hundred for a decent power conditioner/enhancer. My 2 sense, James M. ------------------ HT equipment: Pioneer Elite Pro-100 RPTV (ISF calibrated) Lexicon DC-1 pre/pro, Sunfire Cinema Grand amp, Adcom GFA-555II amp, Legacy Victoria L/R speakers, Legacy CinemaII center channel speaker, M&K SS150THX side surround speakers, Def. Tech BPX rear surround speakers, Velodyne F1800II sub., Sony HiFi VCR, Denon DCD-1500 CD player and DVD-3000 DVD player, NAD 1600 pre/tuner (used for powering up the system and radio reception only), Power Pack V line conditioner/enhancer, Adcom Ace 515 line conditioner/enhancer, LAT and Monster speaker cables, assortment of AudioQuest, Monster and XLO interconnects, various forms of component vibration isolation and room treatment

08-03-1999, 02:14 PM	#2 (permalink)
Krishna Sriram	Yup - it's what I thought it was. Thx James. I'm in a bt of a rush so we'll chat about it later today. Love your set up BTW. It's something I aspire toward (Lexicon mated with Adcom) once I get the space and more important --- the $$$ - Krish ------------------ DDS-017 DVDFile.Com General Manager manager@dvdfile.com

08-03-1999, 02:25 PM	#3 (permalink)
James M	No problem, Krish. Glad to help. And feel free to e-mail me about anything specific you might want to know about my setup. Take care , James M.