ok, well my original inquiry was the difference between using just a power cable, or using just a power conditioner. Or using both together.

I mean, the whole idea of using a conditioner for electricity sounds strange to me. I mean i have a couple servers running in my house 24/7 + wifi from them but how much noise is my gear going to pick up from that?

By getting a power regenerator like the PPP, will this have the same effect as having a dedicated line? Basically removing the imperfections that a system can pick up?

My brickwall did make a good change in the sound on my M3 to me.

I've heard a lot about using an isolated circuit coming from the main because switching power supplies can dump noise into your house's electrical system and create sag from things such as a refrigerator's compressor coming on. I haven't tested any of that, so I can't tell you if that is true or not.

I don't see any value above getting any power cord above a hospital grade at their price for the improvements that can almost always be done elsewhere with that money.

Computers and flat screens are some of the worst polluters you can find.

what do you mean by dedicated line?

A separate circuit from the breaker box which just feeds the audio gear.

spritzer, are you still enjoying that APL modded Denon?

It's still here but I don't have an amp to use it with yet. It's a brilliant source though and has worked flawlessly after I got some new tubes for it.

Great, you must be quite happy with it then. When my amp comes im going to try and audition some sources. Esoteric seems interesting to me as im looking for a player that is transparent/fairly neutral and has strong dynamics. Andys APL modded Esoteric sounded like this to me, but im not as rich as he probably is, so im hoping that a stock unit will give me close to that defined/dynamic sound from the O2s. Also hopefully the BHSE driving the O2s will wake it up and make it truly come alive.

The stock Esoteric is nothing like the APL "sound", at least when compared to the 3910 version of the "mods". Not surprising really as there is nothing stock left after the transport.

Edited March 11, 200917 yr by spritzer

i was looking on audiogon the other day, and there were a couple apl denon 3910's for sale. On one of them the owner described the player as only being able to play 70% of redbook cds(i guess only able to read 70%?). So im not too sure about the reliability of the player. But used they seem to go for reasonable prices.

If you decide to upgrade anytime soon...

Don't buy the one that only plays 70% of cds. That's a broken player . Or buy it and replace the transport.

That's probably just the transport acting up so it could be a good deal. Denon sold a lot of these players so it shouldn't he hard to source a replacement drive or just send it back to APL and have them do it.

As for my player, I can't see that I will be upgrading any time soon as the player has everything I could ever want, CD/SACD/DVD-A capability, built in volume control and a digital input. It uses a tube which is excellent and in current production so there is no tuberolling non-sense. I do wish it was silver (I may gut one later on and swap panels) and I need to find a good, yet small 230v/117v transformer that can fit inside it but that's all. While writing this up it looks like Plitron may have some 100VA units that will do the trick...

Grawk, yeah thanks for the lookout. I emailed him a couple questions on the player, and he never responded. The ad just dissappeared a couple days after i inquired about the player.

As for my player, I can't see that I will be upgrading any time soon as the player has everything I could ever want, CD/SACD/DVD-A capability, built in volume control and a digital input.

Wat? Which player do you have? I've been looking for exactly that. WANT. NOW.

Is that the APL 3910 in your sig?

Yup and add to that a transformer coupled tube output...

You're leaving out the best part- AKM DAC

The stock Esoteric is nothing like the APL "sound", at least when compared to the 3910 version of the "mods". Not surprising really as there is nothing stock left after the transport.

Ahh, okay i didnt know that APL guts everything except for the transport. Makes sense to me now that they would sound different.

Is the AKM dacs that are in the NWO 3.0 and apl 3910 the same ones used in esoteric stacked dacs like the D05? I wonder if the D05 then would sound similar to the APL units?

They are the same DAC chips but they are only a small part of the puzzle. Never heard the D-05 so I don't know how they would compare.