PC Power Conditioners?

[Taskforce]

Summer is coming up which means more noise and surges on the gird, would like to hear some recommended power conditioners suited for PC's, thanks.

Interest so far:
http://www.furmansound.com/product.php?div=01&id=PST-6_PRO
Not sure if it's adequate enough since "Output - 15 Amps RMS" shed some light on this if it matters.
http://img819.imageshack.us/img819/8097/furmanpst6.jpg

[zanzabar]

15A should be plenty but the ones targeted for pc users are overpriced look at the ones for music like at guitar center

[Taskforce]

Thanks, figure the ones for PC's would be over prices since most come with backup batteries, but i can do without backup battery so anyone without is ok.

PS Audio Duet is one specially design for audio, so that's my first choice.
http://gbx2006.net/head-fi/dl-duet/1.jpg

[lkiller123]

What difference will a "conditioner" make in a PC system?

Won't surge protectors be enough?

[zanzabar]

What difference will a "conditioner" make in a PC system?

Won't surge protectors be enough?

a surge protector protects against surges, the power conditioner cleans up the power by stabilizing the voltage and reducing line noise. its like when u have hard water so u get the water conditioner to pull the metals out, the power dose the same kind of thing but on electricity. u normally wont need one for anything but audio equipment but some places have bad power.

most UPS units will do the same thing but they cost more and generally wont give u as clean power

[Donnie27]

What difference will a "conditioner" make in a PC system?

Won't surge protectors be enough?

http://accessories.musiciansfriend.com/product/Furman-M8x2-Power-Conditioner?sku=712515&rec=product_A

If you got to have one.

[[XC] Lead Head]

I personally wouldn't even bother. PC power supplies don't really care what you feed into them.

They rectify AC into DC, store it in large capacitors, switch it to a high frequency, pass it through a transformer, switch it again high frequencies then pass it through some filter caps once more. They really don't care what you feed them. You can feed a PC PSU a nasty square wave or even pure DC and it will still work.

[Miwo]

I use a Belkin PureAV PF30. While I don't really think they are necessary, I suppose they offer peace-of-mind. Any decent Surge Suppressor like the Tripp Lite IsoBar should be more than enough for PC. Some of the fancier ones give you a real-time readout of the incoming voltage level, but PC Power Supplies are flexible to work even when your power is noisy. The PF30 I use has a HiCurrent Jack specifically for Amplifiers

You should not expect to have an increase in Computer OCing, or audible improvements in your sound setup. My advice is to pickup an Isobar and put your money elsewhere into something that will give tangible improvements

[zanzabar]

Lead Head;4470290']I personally wouldn't even bother. PC power supplies don't really care what you feed into them.

They rectify AC into DC, store it in large capacitors, switch it to a high frequency, pass it through a transformer, switch it again high frequencies then pass it through some filter caps once more. They really don't care what you feed them. You can feed a PC PSU a nasty square wave or even pure DC and it will still work.

i would agree that it wont help stability but some places have dirty power and that can kill anything with varying frequency and voltage. a conditioner is only $50-75 and u can run everything off of it and it will get some hums out of the mic as well as if u have speakers or a monitor u can get improvements there

[Donnie27]

i would agree that it wont help stability but some places have dirty power and that can kill anything with varying frequency and voltage. a conditioner is only $50-75 and u can run everything off of it and it will get some hums out of the mic as well as if u have speakers or a monitor u can get improvements there

Some folks need these and others are better off with a good surge protector or suppressor. Folks saying everyone needs either misses the point. Having your stuff (outlets, flow is clean or dirty and etc...) tested is the best thing all of us can do.

[cyberspyder]

If I was choosing a surge suppressor, ISOBARs and the Hammond series would be my go-to products.

[bigKr33]

i would agree that it wont help stability but some places have dirty power and that can kill anything with varying frequency and voltage. a conditioner is only $50-75 and u can run everything off of it and it will get some hums out of the mic as well as if u have speakers or a monitor u can get improvements there


Agreed, as a highend audio enthusiast such as myself. A power conditioner can make a world of difference in sound. It should hold true for computers as well for serious overclocking (I would assume). You have to watch out for some power conditioners though as they may have an opposite affect and actually degrade the signal.

If anyone is interested, a well known power company that specializes in such things is "richard gray power company". Their conditioners actually run in parallel, so anything on that breaker will benefit from it. It really does wonders for not only sound, but picture as well. This one for ($795):

http://www.richardgrayspowercompany.com/Products.aspx?productid=6

Now obviously they have higher models, but this is certainly the best bang for the buck. Another company "$$$" is shunyate research, but thats a different story.

[zanzabar]

i dont think that ive seen anything that helped IQ on a monitor or tv recently as they use the same kind of psu that computers do were they act like a power conditioner. audio stuff though or anything that has DAC i would agree.

most studios just use the $100 guitar center one, that one seams a bit extreme.

[cyberspyder]

This is turning into snake oil...it's up to you if you believe it makes a difference. Try it out, then report back.

[bigKr33]

A dac can only do so much. In highend audio, a system is only as good as its weakest component. A dac needs the best signal coming in as well as the power supply. I've demoed power conditioners before and they do make IQ differences. Infact I promise you it makes a difference. You will notice an improvement in black level, and noise levels. I wasn't a believer either until someone let me borrow theirs. And of course audio performance is one thats noticeble. Heck even highend power cables make a difference.

Studios use extremely expensive audio recording equipment. Some studios have speaker wire costing as much as $20k+ a pair. The power conditioners they use is no exception.

[Donnie27]

A dac can only do so much. In highend audio, a system is only as good as its weakest component. A dac needs the best signal coming in as well as the power supply. I've demoed power conditioners before and they do make IQ differences. Infact I promise you it makes a difference. You will notice an improvement in black level, and noise levels. I wasn't a believer either until someone let me borrow theirs. And of course audio performance is one thats noticeble. Heck even highend power cables make a difference.

Studios use extremely expensive audio recording equipment. Some studios have speaker wire costing as much as $20k+ a pair. The power conditioners they use is no exception.

See the snake oil thread please?

http://hdguru.com/will-a-line-conditioner-make-hdtvs-sharper/19/


What Line Conditioners Can’t Do
Power conditioners can’t give your digital HDTV a sharper picture or better color, regardless of display technology, whether plasma, LCD, DLP, SXRD, or DILA rear projection. Period. Resolution is, by definition fixed, and so cannot be increased. If a salesman tells you otherwise, ask why are there no power conditioners connected to the dozens of TVs on display. All HDTVs have internal power supplies designed to filter and transform the incoming AC to voltages necessary for the set’s operational needs. These built-in power supplies do a great job, and are designed to accept a fairly wide range of line voltages. Can a power conditioner clean up heavy interference in your power line? Yes, but most of the time they are simply not necessary and will be of no use because the vast majority of households are free of electrical interference.


From the same sight, here's something used the right way.


A UPS will prevent the lamp’s cooling fan motor (or hard drive in the DVR) from shutting off during a power failure. You need just enough battery power to cool off the projector to prevent premature lamp failure or a DVR’s power down. 10 minutes worth of battery back up is more than sufficient. Virtually all UPS units also have built-in surge protection.

I don't understand how smart folks do SEEMINGLY silly things like waste money on BS! Something almost as crazy, was posted on Head-Fi, AVS and a couple of more so called Audiophile sites. Just like some nutz talking about a $600 cable for his Headphones LOL! Then saying $375 Moon cables aren't good enough! when 98% of them are well, a rip off!

http://www.moon-audio.com/Moon_Audio_Headphone_Cable.htm

http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/270878/high-cables-for-senns-what-s-the-deal/45#post3609889

:rofl: Some smart folks there but also ding bats who are given too much credit!

[bigKr33]

First off, I never said it will make a picture sharper. Second, who are you to judge what people do with their hobbies. Theres alot that can be said about computer guys, let me tell ya. Do I go around judging people? No. I am an audiophile, and too me you just don't understand. I do forgive you for your actions because I have respect for you and xtremesystems.

That quote "What line conditioners can't do", that is a load of garbage. A good line conditioner will result in better black levels which inturn can result in better color level. I will say that there is alot of crap in the highend audio world, but same goes for any hobbie. Man I go through this stuff time and time again on audiophile websites. All I got to say, is don't knock it until you try it. Sorry if I sound a little harsh, but I just gotta get out there.

[crackhead2k]

First off, I never said it will make a picture sharper. Second, who are you to judge what people do with their hobbies. Theres alot that can be said about computer guys, let me tell ya. Do I go around judging people? No. I am an audiophile, and too me you just don't understand. I do forgive you for your actions because I have respect for you and xtremesystems.

That quote "What line conditioners can't do", that is a load of garbage. A good line conditioner will result in better black levels which inturn can result in better color level. I will say that there is alot of crap in the highend audio world, but same goes for any hobbie. Man I go through this stuff time and time again on audiophile websites. All I got to say, is don't knock it until you try it. Sorry if I sound a little harsh, but I just gotta get out there.

Sorry had one of those monster power conditioners, no improvement in audio and video, ended up getting a apc surge protector for 40$ works just fine.

Heres the facts no improvement in blacks on my plasma. Note: Im in a completely dark room
Audio did not sound any better, and I have 5 computers on in the house.
I think its all in the mind....btw im using fairly powerful amps and floorstanding spkers around the 3k range. If theres anything bad I would of heard it.

May help DACs in a crowded environment were there are lots of electronics and other audio equip but other then that
Money is better spent elsewere.

I always go with good coverage for surge protectors
then equipment, and last maybe a conditioner.

[bigKr33]

Not getting an improvement doesnt suprise me. Monster is not what you would call a legit company when it comes to audio and video performance. Plus a surge protector is not going to do anything, but protect from surges. But hey atleast you're protecting your components.

I don't expect people to go out and buy $800+ power conditioners. Some people just can't wrap themselves around the idea.

[Ch@pS]

Snake oil a plenty in this thread.

A while back, a friend of mine with a fairly high end system invited me over for some good old stereo listening. He made me listen to a few of my favorite CDs on his system, then went round the back, changed something and had me listen again. After the session he asked which sounded better, and try as I might I couldn't tell the difference. Neither could he. The fiddling he did was take the system off the power conditioner he borrowed for testing to see if he should buy his own. And it's not as if we were using low end components, QED cabling throughout and B&W 683's were the two components I recognised, the rest of the equipment was Denon although I'll be damned if I can remember models.

bigKr33 - If you truly believe that a power conditioner makes a notable difference in the audio quality of your system by all means use one, I'm not here to tell you any different. But from my personal experience, they make absolutely no difference in sound quality.

I'd suggest getting a surge protector, everything in my house is surge protected and I wouldn't have it any other way, but beware of buying into something that many brand as snake oil, you may end up regretting it.

Oh, and regarding what you feed into your PSU, it's fairly true, most house holds should be perfectly fine. I've played with my fair share of equipment(I'm a hardware reviewer) and have yet to find the need for a PC power conditioner. BTW I live in South Africa and often take hardware out through to our game farm in the middle of the "Bosveld", and if I don't need a conditioner there, you sure as hell won't need one wherever you live. ;)

[bigKr33]

I will be very very honest with you. Most companies selling power conditioners don't do anything for audio performance. I really do mean most. There really are only a few legit companies. Two of which I am familar with first hand is richard gray power company, and shunyata research. Another that I haven't heard, but gets high respect in the audio community is ps audio. These three specifically specialize in power conditioning. Now obviously there may be more, but I just don't know about them. I am very familar with the speakers you metioned though. They are very good speakers. What kind of power conditioner is he using?

[Ch@pS]

They're superb speakers, I really do wish I had a pair in my setup(although to really use them I'd need to upgrade a whole bunch of other things too!) I'm not sure which conditioner he borrowed to test, I'll give him a call tomorrow and ask him for you. Either way he gave it back and ended up spending the money towards a new projector so alls well that ends well.

[bigKr33]

Cool man! Yeah I don't blame your friend for taking it back. I've demoed stuff in the past and would return things all the time. Audio can be like computers as well (addictive). You piece it together slowly until you got a beast of a system. Thats why I enjoy both these hobbies so much.

[Donnie27]

First off, I never said it will make a picture sharper. Second, who are you to judge what people do with their hobbies. Theres alot that can be said about computer guys, let me tell ya. Do I go around judging people? No. I am an audiophile, and too me you just don't understand. I do forgive you for your actions because I have respect for you and xtremesystems.

That quote "What line conditioners can't do", that is a load of garbage. A good line conditioner will result in better black levels which inturn can result in better color level. I will say that there is alot of crap in the highend audio world, but same goes for any hobbie. Man I go through this stuff time and time again on audiophile websites. All I got to say, is don't knock it until you try it. Sorry if I sound a little harsh, but I just gotta get out there.

Firsst of all what you're calling garbage is FACT! Like the other person, you're underestimating me. I lived in the Audio Club while in the Army, I have friends Germany who only get a limited time to listen to Music so they make it worthwhile, so please spare me? I have tried too much of this stuff to talk about.

I'm not judging any body! It isn't my business who blows money on whatever. I didn't take offense to folks at both AVS and Head-Fi pushing others into wasting money and I take no offense from you=P This (Digital Signals) ain't an Opinion, but a FACT! That's more absurd that Monster Cables $139 6ft Toshlink Cable LOL!


Now, I'm not saying that there's no difference between "clean" or "dirty" power. I don't pretend to be an electrical engineer. I also don't mean to say that power conditioners serve no useful purpose. My own neighborhood used to regularly suffer from power brown-outs in the summer months when everyone ran their air conditioners. This would cause serious problems with my home theater equipment, until I added a power conditioner to stabilize the signal coming into my home.:up:

However, in my experience, if you are otherwise receiving a steady power signal, fancy power cords and power conditioners will not improve your picture or sound quality to any discernible degree. A power conditioner can be a worthwhile addition to your home theater, but only if you
understand its real purpose.

I'm NOT telling folks to not buy a power conditioner, I'm saying it has no effect on a Digital signal/s at ALL=P All of the reviewers talking about Conditioners keep repeating the same thing,; use it for its intended purposes. They do a wonderful Jobs of Protecting and Prolonging the equipment's lifespan. Some have been burnt to a crisp and still mange to save the Equipment on them. They do help Analog Signals including Sound and Picture.

This picture myth is left over from Analog signals when it comes to HDTV. It can clean up noise and interference, it can't create blacker blacks, sharper images. Nothing makes better 1's and 0's LOL! Cleaner power to a Systems AMP though is a good thing!

None of those products on that Snake Links work, especially dumb S#it like Audio Rocks:rolleyes:

[Donnie27]

snake oil a plenty in this thread.

A while back, a friend of mine with a fairly high end system invited me over for some good old stereo listening. He made me listen to a few of my favorite cds on his system, then went round the back, changed something and had me listen again. After the session he asked which sounded better, and try as i might i couldn't tell the difference. Neither could he. The fiddling he did was take the system off the power conditioner he borrowed for testing to see if he should buy his own. And it's not as if we were using low end components, qed cabling throughout and b&w 683's were the two components i recognised, the rest of the equipment was denon although i'll be damned if i can remember models.

Bigkr33 - if you truly believe that a power conditioner makes a notable difference in the audio quality of your system by all means use one, i'm not here to tell you any different. But from my personal experience, they make absolutely no difference in sound quality.

I'd suggest getting a surge protector, everything in my house is surge protected and i wouldn't have it any other way, but beware of buying into something that many brand as snake oil, you may end up regretting it.

Oh, and regarding what you feed into your psu, it's fairly true, most house holds should be perfectly fine. I've played with my fair share of equipment(i'm a hardware reviewer) and have yet to find the need for a pc power conditioner. Btw i live in south africa and often take hardware out through to our game farm in the middle of the "bosveld", and if i don't need a conditioner there, you sure as hell won't need one wherever you live. ;)

qft!

[ARandomOWL]

Lead Head;4470290']You can feed a PC PSU a nasty square wave or even pure DC and it will still work.

I feel I must correct you here. A PC PSU will NOT work if given a DC input. An AC (alternating, or changing) current is needed in the primary coil to induce a current in the secondary coil in the input transformer. This is known as the transformer effect. Without a current in the secondary coil you have no output from the PSU. I feel a square wave may have a similar effect, although I couldn't tell you for sure.

/end of lesson :)