Power Conditioners - suggestions

[powerslave]

Just curious ; how or when do you guys decide that you need a power conditioner? I completely appreciate and get the need for isolation via UPS or Isolation TF . However beyond that what is the "sonic" attribute or metric that you guys are hearing/listening to push one in direction of opting for a power conditioner?

I ask this based on my understanding i.e.following components influence sound in decreasing order of their impact

1. Speaker
2. Source
3. Amp
4. Mains isolation and backup (mostly for safety and reliability )
5. Interconnects and power cables

Is there a power quality check you guys perform to rule out the above variables and then decide to opt for a power conditioner?

 

[Yelamanchili manohar]

Just curious ; how or when do you guys decide that you need a power conditioner? I completely appreciate and get the need for isolation via UPS or Isolation TF . However beyond that what is the "sonic" attribute or metric that you guys are hearing/listening to push one in direction of opting for a power conditioner?

I ask this based on my understanding i.e.following components influence sound in decreasing order of their impact

1. Speaker
2. Source
3. Amp
4. Mains isolation and backup (mostly for safety and reliability )
5. Interconnects and power cables

Is there a power quality check you guys perform to rule out the above variables and then decide to opt for a power conditioner?

There is only way to find out...that is to try one...you might have very good mains power, in which case the additional power conditioning will not make much of a difference. Where as if you live in a apartment block like me with 2200 flats, all dumping their smps noise into the mains , then it makes a discernable difference. Worth the money or not is debatable. It is a personal choice

 

[thedude]

Just curious ; how or when do you guys decide that you need a power conditioner? I completely appreciate and get the need for isolation via UPS or Isolation TF . However beyond that what is the "sonic" attribute or metric that you guys are hearing/listening to push one in direction of opting for a power conditioner?

I ask this based on my understanding i.e.following components influence sound in decreasing order of their impact

1. Speaker
2. Source
3. Amp
4. Mains isolation and backup (mostly for safety and reliability )
5. Interconnects and power cables

Is there a power quality check you guys perform to rule out the above variables and then decide to opt for a power conditioner?

For me it was sharp top end which is a typical consequence of “unclean” mains power. But cleaning up the power has many benefits beyond making highs sweeter/cleaner/extended etc etc

 

[Krishnan]

Thanks all for the overwhel.ing response.

 

[drkrack]

Just curious ; how or when do you guys decide that you need a power conditioner? I completely appreciate and get the need for isolation via UPS or Isolation TF . However beyond that what is the "sonic" attribute or metric that you guys are hearing/listening to push one in direction of opting for a power conditioner?

I ask this based on my understanding i.e.following components influence sound in decreasing order of their impact

1. Speaker
2. Source
3. Amp
4. Mains isolation and backup (mostly for safety and reliability )
5. Interconnects and power cables

Is there a power quality check you guys perform to rule out the above variables and then decide to opt for a power conditioner?

You Missed "Room" in the List, it should be the 1st in the List if listed in the Descending order of Impact.
Once you get your RSS (Room, Speakers, Source-Synergy) Right ; you look at these 2nd Level of Tweaks like Power Conditioner & Cables.

As Mentioned earlier, Look for Screechy highs, bass bloating, unclear midrange ( lots of parameters in midrange actually, like one of the examples is Especially when you can't make out what Male Rapper is Singing) & Instrumental Separation.
Listen to the Silent Passages in between the Songs, Do you hear it pitch dark silent or some hiss or not so dark , any baseline hiss near the speaker Tweeters when nothings playing (at 70% volume), or baseline subwoofer hiss may indicate that your power supply might not be upto the mark. You can use a simple SPLMeter/app; just switching the system on, when nothings playing shouldn't increase the baseline noise in your Room. Of course all these issues can't be sorted out by power conditioner alone, but trying one is worthwhile. Next obvious tweak is Power Cables and Other cables. After RSS optimization law of diminishing returns becomes very prominent, most of these tweaks are not VFM because they cover the last 10 -15% of performance upgrade.
Of course YMMV.