Does AC Power Quality REALLY Matter? CLIPS+POLL

[lolzgreg]

Considering AC power is the "food" for all of your equipment, does it really matter how pure it is, or if it is getting the correct voltage?

Since I received my new PS Audio Power Plant Premier, I wanted to do some A/B tests. I have been told "the sound quality becomes even greater after burn-in time (approximately ten hours) on the unit." These tests were done 15 minutes after plugging in the unit. I will do more tests tomorrow.

In the following four clips, all variables are EXACTLY THE SAME aside from the power being fed to the GUITAR AMPLIFIER.

No processing AT ALL was done on the guitars. There IS a master bus limiter and dither on all of the clips.

A reamp was done with the same performance four different times through my Dual Rectifier with the following power options:

1. Directly plugged into the wall outlet
2. PS Audio Power Plant Premier Normal Setting
3. PS Audio Power Plant Premier MultiWave Setting (peak charging time of the sine wave is extended to help connected equipment lower power supply ripple and improve the performance)
4. PS Audio Power Plant Premier CleanWave Setting (places a series of higher frequencies that ride on the main sine wave to help "degauss" connected magnetics)

Note that 100% pure AC power was being distributed to both the computer and interface with preamps for this test at all times.

Here are the audio files scrambled. Can you match the power option with the clip? Which clip sounds best to you?

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1569935/CLIP A.wav
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1569935/CLIP B.wav
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1569935/CLIP C.wav
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1569935/CLIP D.wav

Here are solo'd guitars, phase aligned, just in case anyone would like to compare and flip phase to hear missing/present material.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1569935/CLIP A GTRS.wav
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1569935/CLIP B GTRS.wav
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1569935/CLIP C GTRS.wav
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1569935/CLIP D GTRS.wav

DAY TWO CLIPS:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1569935/POWERPLANT DAY 2.wav
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1569935/POWERPLANT DAY 2 GTRS.wav

Scroll down for answers!

 

[lolzgreg]

34 views and no responses OR votes? C'mon!

 

[::XeS::]

I'll check them this evening.
Thanks for these comparisons Greg

 

[Mutant]

I don't have the time now to compare, but if your AC power is good quality, then obviously even the best conditioner will not make a big difference.

 

[abt]

Well I can't really hear any difference except for clip D which I'm going to say is 3. PS Audio Power Plant Premier MultiWave Setting. I was going to say I like clip D better for some reason, but that would give me a one in three chance of going through the power conditioner, so I'm guessing that setting 3 is supposed to make the most difference based on your description. Then again logic could point D in the way of straight into the wall because from where I'm sitting D is the only one that sounds different and the other three have the power conditioner as the common factor.

 

[Soundlurker]

I'll have to check them in my mixing room since there's no difference listening to them in the recording room with the backup monitors.

 

[lolzgreg]

I can hear a difference with my Firebox and headphones. My whole system is now powered by this Power Plant unit, so that may also have something to do with it. I really tried to rule out placebo effect- since I'd really rather not HAVE to drop $1.7k on something that treats AC current. You guys may not hear the differences ALONE, but I can hear them in the mix.

ALSO, I did a new test today (haven't changed mic position or knobs or ANYTHING) and the sound has changed again. I will add a link. I hear a bit more meat and less fizz than the previous clips.

 

[BLUElightCory]

Dude, I'm sorry, but there are so many things you could have done with $1700 that would have made SO MUCH more difference than a power conditioner.

I'd send it back and buy some nice preamps.

 

[Lasse Lammert]

Dude, I'm sorry, but there are so many things you could have done with $1700 that would have made SO MUCH more difference than a power conditioner.

I'd send it back and buy some nice preamps.

this.

not saying a PC isn't doing anything, but that's something to consider once everything else has been perfected...Room, preamps, converters etc

 

[Trevoire520]

Only listening on headphones just now but I can't hear a difference.

 

[Soundlurker]

Exactly - priorities.

 

[Ermz]

Ok, listened to about 10 seconds of each clip, so these are immediate, off-the-top-of-the-head impressions.

C and D seem to be more up front, with stronger/harsher high mids. A and B are a little more cloudy and distant, or at least the concentration of fizz is in a different spot. C & D appear to be the clearest overall but those high mids are really strong (mic positioning?).

Not sure how these differences stack up to $1,700 worth of preamp or converter, but there are differences for sure.

 

[jangoux]

Greg, I can't listen atm, but I had a 5150 that sounded a lot different depending on where i plugged it. There was this particular place i gigged that it sounded terrible. Other than that, as long as there is no ground loop issues on the place you're pluggin in, i think there is no problem.

 

[~BURNY~]

I hear nothing that could make or break a sound here.

 

[lolzgreg]

Ok, listened to about 10 seconds of each clip, so these are immediate, off-the-top-of-the-head impressions.

C and D seem to be more up front, with stronger/harsher high mids. A and B are a little more cloudy and distant, or at least the concentration of fizz is in a different spot. C & D appear to be the clearest overall but those high mids are really strong (mic positioning?).

Not sure how these differences stack up to $1,700 worth of preamp or converter, but there are differences for sure.

Ermz, glad you're hearing the same things I did.

I think this is going to be similar to spending money on a new preamplifier that will help clarify the sound. If you upload B vs D in your DAW and phase reverse, there's a lot of content that just wasn't there.

Also, this was only used on two tracks of guitars. I'm sure the benefit will increase several fold when every item in the chain is recorded attached to this device and all mixing is being done through it.

Next investment is new preamps! I just need to figure out which to get.

 

[Ermz]

I'm keen to do a similar comparison with the Furman now, but somehow I doubt it will provide that much of a difference. I'm normally fairly sensitive to these things and picked it out with the new converters instantly. When hooking the monitors up to the conditioner though I didn't hear any difference. I imagine C and D are those special 'power purification' modes then?

 

[lolzgreg]

Wall=B
Normal=D (my favorite)
CleanWave=C
MultiWave=A

CleanWave and MultiWave work better for some equipment than others. I need to test it out with my monitors today. All reviews other than my own have said that the increase in clarity of powered speakers is amazing.

 

[lolzgreg]

Dude, I'm sorry, but there are so many things you could have done with $1700 that would have made SO MUCH more difference than a power conditioner.

I'd send it back and buy some nice preamps.

I'm going to go ahead and say that you're probably wrong. You can easily trick someone into thinking a higher quality preamp is used by "eq-ing" a preamp to sound like another. Preamps do make a difference when stacked, but Andy told me that the FF800 preamps are "fine." They're not great, but they won't prevent you from achieving professional results.

In double blind tests, people preferred the Behringer ADA8000 to Aurora Lynx converters... why? Does it mean that they're better?

My point here, is that you can't argue with results. Take any of the wav files I recorded of the solo'd guitars. Put them in your DAW, flip the phase of one pair, and listen to all the extra material. That missing material could be the foundation of some of your tones/recorded sounds. It could make them wider in the mix... it could make them "richer."

I plan on upgrading my preamps next. It's more important to start at the source- electricity. It powers EVERY piece of gear in your rig in some way or another, so optimizing it will help each link in the chain become a bit stronger.

 

[JeffTD]

1. They're not great, but they won't prevent you from achieving professional results.

2.In double blind tests, people preferred the Behringer ADA8000 to Aurora Lynx converters... why? Does it mean that they're better?

3. My point here, is that you can't argue with results. Take any of the wav files I recorded of the solo'd guitars. Put them in your DAW, flip the phase of one pair, and listen to all the extra material. That missing material could be the foundation of some of your tones/recorded sounds. It could make them wider in the mix... it could make them "richer."

4. I plan on upgrading my preamps next. It's more important to start at the source- electricity. It powers EVERY piece of gear in your rig in some way or another, so optimizing it will help each link in the chain become a bit stronger.

1. Yeah but it sure as hell isn't helping you along the way.

2. You know why those tests are bullshit, we've discussed this before - stop bringing them up when you yourself have stated why they're bullshit.

3. I don't hear $1700 improvement there, and I don't listen to records in reverse phase. So far, it doesn't make them wider, and doesn't make them 'richer', so what they could be is a moot point.

4. You really should just return this thing and get an A2D right now

 

[lolzgreg]

1. You're right. As I said, I'm deciding on the preamps I'll be buying in the next week or so.

2. It really depends. I'll leave it there, nice and vague

3. Neither do I, but if everything I record has better power, and I can MONITOR with more detailed response, it's well worth it.

4. See figure 1.