# Audio-GD Power Supply Filter Outlet



## punk_guy182

Check it out guys!   http://www.audio-gd.com/Pro/amp/Power%20filter/PowerEN.htm
  We can now give some clean power to our gear for a reasonable price!


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## kunalraiker

The price has not been mentioned and its for US users only.


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## IPodPJ

Kingwa has put the price up, only $105.  But he lists it in the price list as having 12 outlets which obviously it does not have.  It has 10.


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## kunalraiker

That is definitely cheap,waiting for someone to review it.


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## Omega17TheTrue

Very interesting, i guess you can get a discount it you buy some power cables along with.


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## haloxt

I'll be ordering it and comparing it to ac-215, which has a going price of $125, used price of ~$75. I've got 3 audio-gd power cables already so can compare with and without aftermarket power cable. I think it will be tough competition, furman put a lot of circuitry inside the ac-215 and know about the detrimental effects of surge protection circuitry and try to minimize that.
   
  I'm also going to inquire about shorter length power cables, you likely will not need 1.5m power cables.


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## stang

Quote:  





> its for US users only.


 

 I just sent an e-mail to kingwa asking about this. I have a plan that could work, but want to be 100% sure it could work before telling anyone about it.


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## kunalraiker

Quote: 





stang said:


> I just sent an e-mail to kingwa asking about this. I have a plan that could work, but want to be 100% sure it could work before telling anyone about it.


 

 I have my ears pointing toward you


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## haloxt

I plan on daisy chaining some power conditioners, do you guys know of anything more suitable than http://img3.musiciansfriend.com/dbase/pics/products/1/8/2/416182.jpg
   
  Think I could make something like that with better quality? Other option is to order a 1-2 inch power cable from audio-gd.
   
  Just placed order, also asked if they could make an adapter like the one above  or a 2" cable power cord LOL.


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## Mad Max




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## punk_guy182

Quote: 





haloxt said:


> I plan on daisy chaining some power conditioners, do you guys know of anything more suitable than http://img3.musiciansfriend.com/dbase/pics/products/1/8/2/416182.jpg
> 
> Think I could make something like that with better quality? Other option is to order a 1-2 inch power cable from audio-gd.
> 
> Just placed order, also asked if they could make an adapter like the one above  or a 2" cable power cord LOL.


 

Is there a gain is sound quality to be gained by having the shortest power cable?
Do you have to be a certified electrician to install the inwall power outlet?
I have never done this before so I don't know where to start.


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## stang

Ok I got a reply from kingwa. This will work for other countries as well, but I will be talking about Australia now. What we can do is send a good Australian power plug to Kingwa and ask him to make us a power cable that will go from the wall into the Power Supply Filter Outlet. From here, we can buy custom made US power cables (with the US plug) and go from the unit itself to your components (DAC, amp, speakers etc). The reason why I saw buy an Australian plug here and sent it all the way to kingwa because as we know Audio-GD has a great price/part ratio, so we will most likely getting huge bang for buck buying from them. 
  Probably end up costing $105us for the unit itself, $115us for the Australian power cable and $120us for each US power cable we purchase plus shipping for all of them. This is just using a cheap $35 Australian power plug. We do have Furutech one's here, but are about $90 each.


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## kunalraiker

Quote: 





stang said:


> Ok I got a reply from kingwa. This will work for other countries as well, but I will be talking about Australia now. What we can do is send a good Australian power plug to Kingwa and ask him to make us a power cable that will go from the wall into the Power Supply Filter Outlet. From here, we can buy custom made US power cables (with the US plug) and go from the unit itself to your components (DAC, amp, speakers etc). The reason why I saw buy an Australian plug here and sent it all the way to kingwa because as we know Audio-GD has a great price/part ratio, so we will most likely getting huge bang for buck buying from them.
> Probably end up costing $105us for the unit itself, $115us for the Australian power cable and $120us for each US power cable we purchase plus shipping for all of them. This is just using a cheap $35 Australian power plug. We do have Furutech one's here, but are about $90 each.


 

 I understand that, but it just doubles the total price having to buy extra cables.


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## haloxt

Quote: 





punk_guy182 said:


> Is there a gain is sound quality to be gained by having the shortest power cable?
> Do you have to be a certified electrician to install the inwall power outlet?
> I have never done this before so I don't know where to start.


 

 I don't know about length of power cable, it may actually be better to have a certain length because power cable geometry and/or shielding can reject some emf/rfi before it enters the equipment, but I want a short one to connect two power conditioners together.
   
  No... but if you are forgetful or never did any electrical DIY, I would highly recommend just getting an electrician to do it for you. If you decide to do it yourself though, remember, *turn off the power*...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ywgKSSudj4&feature=PlayList&p=F17B350B56F13920&playnext_from=PL&index=8 This is a series of videos on installing an inwall power outlet, I'd rather not do it myself because I am rather amnesiac when DIY'ing and electrocuting myself isn't out of the possibility .
   
  I asked about various lengths of cable but got no price quote on a cordless or 2" power cable. I guess I'll have to buy or make my own cableless power cable.


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## punk_guy182

Thanks for the video Halo. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



   
   
  Do you guys know if it is worth asking Kingwa to swap his fake Oyaide connectors on his power cable for some Furutech FI-50M? http://www.furutech.com/a2008/product2.asp?prodNo=282
  I was asking myself if connectors on power cables made that much of a difference. I can get those Piezo Ceramic Series Power Connectors for a good price.


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## haloxt

I never tried it myself, but I'd guess if I had to choose between spending $250 for a male power connector or hardwiring a power cable to this power filter, I'd absolutely just hardwire. I asked Kingwa and he said it is possible to make an attached/hardwire cable on the power filter, however it would prevent you from swapping cables for different sound signatures and also mess a bit with the case's cosmetics. Now that I think about it more, I think hardwiring may indeed be a worthwhile option for some circumstances. Not for me though, I need it detachable so I can experiment putting it right behind my furman conditioner.


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## brandnewgame

Hmm, hardwiring might be fun. I've always wanted to DIY a power cable.


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## haloxt

I think audio-gd could do it for you, just supply your own cable or ask for the power cable they sell to be attached. But you do lose the freedom to swap cables in the future, and imo audio-gd's power cable has a particular sound signature not everyone may find to their preference. I think it has a sort of rounding, focusing, and slight sweetening of stray harsh notes that some might associate with electric guitars.


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## Currawong

Since I've had good luck with power conditioning already and was planning to build something anyway, it's hard to argue with a cost below what I would have had doing it with local "audiophile" parts, even the cheapest ones. I've ordered mine with the two DC filter sockets replaced with -50dB sockets instead, as transformer hum isn't an issue for me.


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## punk_guy182

Quote: 





haloxt said:


> I never tried it myself, but I'd guess if I had to choose between spending $250 for a male power connector or hardwiring a power cable to this power filter, I'd absolutely just hardwire. I asked Kingwa and he said it is possible to make an attached/hardwire cable on the power filter, however it would prevent you from swapping cables for different sound signatures and also mess a bit with the case's cosmetics. Now that I think about it more, I think hardwiring may indeed be a worthwhile option for some circumstances. Not for me though, I need it detachable so I can experiment putting it right behind my furman conditioner.


 
  Why would it be a worthwhile option?
  Did Kingwa say how much he would do it for?


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## haloxt

If you had to choose between a $250 IEC connector and a possibly free hardwiring, don't you think hardwiring might be good? I don't know how much Kingwa would charge to hardwire, or if he can even do it with the current case, or if he'd have to have a new case machined. If done on this current case, I imagine it'll take some cosmetic hit .


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## punk_guy182

Quote: 





haloxt said:


> If you had to choose between a $250 IEC connector and a possibly free hardwiring, don't you think hardwiring might be good?


 

 I don't know much about power filters and cables. Can you quickly explain me what are the benefits of hardwiring? Thank you!


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## haloxt

I don't know much either, and it's all a mess of theories. But my personal take is... well, less is better . What are the theoretical drawbacks of having a power connector? More for the electricity to pass through. How to solve it? Don't have a power connector. Someone might argue that the power connector might reduce vibration, or reduce emf/rfi somewhere, but not having more for the electricity to travel through is a strong argument to overturn, especially when it means not having to buy a connector. The same holds true for wires, but more in favor of having wires than no wires. Sure special geometry can reduce vibration and emf/rfi and perhaps alter the sound to your preference, but it is more for the electricity to pass through. Minimalism taken to an extreme would mean hardwiring your gear to the grid and bypassing your home wiring  no one is going to do that, so it's all about compromise, and since we can never reach perfect with dozens of feet of 14 awg power wires running through our home wiring, I don't see why we should spend $250 on just one male IEC connector.
   
  A real argument against hardwiring is that it means no more swapping cables to your preferred sound signature. I like the audio-gd power cable's nice mids, but sometimes I miss the less tightly controlled airiness of stock cable.


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## .Sup

It doesn't seem to have any surge protection or am I wrong?


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## haloxt

That's right, no surge protection at all, just emi/rfi rejection and two sockets that remove stray dc from incoming ac power. Not sure if audio-gd's other equipment have protection against surge, I'll send them an email to ask, but my guess is no.


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## JulioCat2

I have a MajikBuss http://www.piaudiogroup.com/prod_filtration_majik.aspx very good power filtration unit, but only 4 outlets, do  you think the Audio GD Outlet after the MajikBuss will work good??


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## haloxt

You can just plug a simple power strip (not a power surge protection power strip) to the majikbuss if you would like more outlets.


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## IPodPJ

Quote: 





haloxt said:


> I plan on daisy chaining some power conditioners, do you guys know of anything more suitable than http://img3.musiciansfriend.com/dbase/pics/products/1/8/2/416182.jpg
> 
> Think I could make something like that with better quality? Other option is to order a 1-2 inch power cable from audio-gd.
> 
> Just placed order, also asked if they could make an adapter like the one above  or a 2" cable power cord LOL.


 

 Daisy chaining power conditioners is never a good idea.  Power conditioners always do some good and some harm to the sound.  The more you put in a line, the more your SQ will suffer.


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## haloxt

Still, I'm curious to try . Also plan on putting 3 ac-215's and this filter in a row, if it doesn't blow up some kitchen appliances I'll try it on my setup.


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## haloxt

Here's the reply I got:
   
   
  Quote: 





> Our gear can work on wide voltage, like 220V version, it can work at 180V to 260V, and even low than 180V can't shatter our gears.
> Owners don't need voltage protection for our gears.
> We said our filter outlet need extra protect because most house already have protect so we don't built in the outlet.
> Kingwa


 
   
  What I wanted to ask was if it would survive lightning strikes . I will likely just use this power filter in conjunction with my furman ac-215 which does have overvoltage and undervoltage protection, UNLESS there is an unacceptable degradation in sound quality, in which case I'll just use the audio-gd filter if it doesn't degrade sound quality, and leave my gear off whenever I'm not listening, or when there's a thunderstorm. This is also somewhat relevant, but I don't think it answers your question fully, I may be wrong, don't know much about the topic of protection from electrical disturbances.
   
  http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/417553/audio-gd-phoenix-balanced-headphone-amp/1065#post_5807224


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## Happy Camper

Direct lightning strikes will trump anything out there. If that is the purpose of buying a device, don't waste your money. Only plug your gear in when in use.


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## Mad Max

Lightning strikes? LOL
   
  Do you want it to survive SABOT rounds, too?


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## Trapper32

Anyone received this yet???


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## Mad Max

Yeah, I'd like to know how this compares to other stuff on the market.


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## haloxt

None shipped yet. They told me it'd ship soon.


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## punk_guy182

Quote: 





trapper32 said:


> Anyone received this yet???


 

 Mine was shipped on the 23rd due to some delay. I should receive it with some Audio-GD Exclusive power cables also by wednesday or Thursday.


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## .Sup

Is this a power strip with filter or is it really a power supply of some sort? Or its just named so as it supplies equipment with power? *newbie alert*


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## haloxt

Yes, it's just a power strip with filtering. it has a weird name . It has two kinds of filtering, noise reduction or reducing dc leaked into ac line. It does not regulate voltage or protect against overvoltage/undervoltage. Unless eqiupment transformer is humming, plug into -50dB or -70dB outlets, Kingwa recommends using -50dB for power amps, other stuff in -70dB. But you should try between -50dB, -70dB, and no filtering, because everyone's home power quality is different, and a good percentage of people think overfiltering (or filtering the wrong way) can be bad for sound quality.


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## Mad Max

It can be bad by digitizing the sound.


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## punk_guy182

Quote: 





mad max said:


> It can be bad by digitizing the sound.


 

 What do you mean?


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## Mad Max

Quote: 





punk_guy182 said:


> What do you mean?


 

 Makes it less natural and hyper-detailed, dries up the sound even making it fatiguing with edgier, peakier treble. Sterilizes the sound, too, if I remember correctly.
   
  More like a computer soundcard. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	






   
  I have only spent about a few seconds with my Compass over-filtered, I sure as hell didn't like it. Awful sound.


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## haloxt

What filter are you using btw? Also make sure to give your conditioner 100+ hours of use. I notice some things I may call negative from my power conditioner as well, but since all power conditioners and ears are different, should listen for yourself to see what setup is best.
   
  audio-gd used to host some english translations on articles written by Kingwa but now I see it only in the Chinese webpages.
   
  A paragraph on the topic, also in the article he says it is a bad idea to daisy-chain power filters  so I will avoid it except while experimenting http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&sl=zh-CN&tl=en&u=http://www.audio-gd.com/audio/new_page_16.htm&prev=_t&rurl=translate.google.com&twu=1&usg=ALkJrhh69LmpQHvZWcRGgKVPPTegu_VtXw
   
  Quote: 





> [size=x-small]No matter what kind of amplifier power supply circuit filter access to all of the amplifiers after (alter) the transient speed and dynamic impact.[/size] [size=x-small]Consequently, most experienced enthusiasts do not advocate the use of filters in the amplifier.[/size] [size=x-small]Perhaps for those who have strong personality and the amplifier with the effect of a lucky hit, it is not in the scope of the (this).[/size] [size=x-small]In short要一分为二's view merits and demerits of the power filter, over-deification or are not wise to blindly deny, how to avoid weaknesses and (be) reasonable are the smart way to play.[/size]


 
   
   
  Here's an article talking about power cable design theory and listening reviews, in case anyone is curious about whether they want to try power cords and which sound signature they want. If you are looking for more high frequency energy and open dynamics, the audio-gd exclusive power cord may not have the sound signature you want. Imo the audio-gd power cord makes the sound just like their description says, a bit sweeter with less harsh highs, and tightly controlled soundstage, a sound signature contrary to, for example, the stridency of a fuzz distorting electric guitar.
   
  http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&sl=zh-CN&tl=en&u=http://www.audio-gd.com/audio/five/new_page_2.htm&prev=_t&rurl=translate.google.com&twu=1&usg=ALkJrhirpGRfBlytgDWoyCxYhtuN5rgu9A


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## haloxt

I just got it. The power filter doesn't have a power switch, just fyi if you thought you could simultaneously turn on equipment with it. I sent audio-gd an email asking why, if they could put a switch on without posing a risk to equipment I think that would be nice. Meanwhile I have the filter chained to my furman ac-215 .
   
  Cosmetically, it is like an over-sized power strip, about twice the size of my ac-215 but about the same weight because ac-215 has thicker chassis. Very plain and utilitarian box, other than outlets and power input there is this screw protruding out of one corner of the box with two hex nuts on it, and the screw is for attaching things you want to ground. The feet are two long thin strips made out of the aluminum chassis, this same feet design is used on the sparrow. My chassis wobbles instead of being perfectly flat on all four corners, I may decide to put some felt pads underneath the power filter so it doesn't scratch up my wood platform rack. It has a pretty green led light hehe.
   
  Won't comment on sound yet though, as I've not gotten to know what my current setup sounds like without a power conditioner, and have to try swapping a lot of different things around to make sure I know what is causing what. Maybe in 1-2 weeks I'll post thoughts on sound.


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## punk_guy182

Quote: 





haloxt said:


> I just got it.


 
  I haven't received mine yet and it was shipped on the 23rd by EMS.
  What date yours was shipped?
  Which company did the delivery?
  Where are you located?


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## haloxt

I didn't get a tracking number, so a day between June 21-25. DHL was my shipping courier. Georgia, USA.


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## punk_guy182

Your name is either Brett or Wong. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			




   
http://www.audio-gd.com/ConsignmentGlobal.htm


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## haloxt

First a comment on power cables, I think they're important especially with higher end audio-gd gear, but not as important as power conditioner. It seems they seem to get smeared soundstage the thinner and longer the power cable, but power conditioner still makes the most difference to my ears. If you get audio-gd's power cables, I do highly recommend using deoxit+deoxit shield, or deoxit gold+deoxit shield to protect against oxidation as they use connectors that corrode easily..I recently made a 3 inch power cable which I like better than my 14x3 awg 3ft stock power cable. I'd like to do a first impressions ac-215 vs. AGD filter with my main setup, there are a few other setups I'd like to test the AGD filter in later and also the filter has only had 100 hours of burn-in, I will update after 400+ hours of use, or a month from now.
   
  ac-215>agd filter>dac9>phoenix, 3x audio-gd power cables, one DIY 3 inch 18x3awg power cable .

 Adding ac-215 in front of agd filter seems to contribute the same sound signature as when it is the only power conditioner used: a bit flattened soundstage height, more clean sound, speed and impact, and a distinct low mid and high separation. By chaining these two filters, the sound is like doubly cleaned background, doubly defined imaging and detail, and lifelike, but there is one big drawback everyone should be warned about if they consider daisy-chaining filtering, it doesn't have the intimacy of taking out one of the two filters because there is just too much well-formed macrodetail and impact for my taste, and this is with the laid-back, more-decay-than-normal pmd100 digital filter, so I certainly don't advise people to try daisy-chaining these two power conditioners together unless they love a clinically clean and resolving sound.
   
  ac-215
   
  To me the biggest flaw with ac-215 is that decay, although very well defined, doesn't spread out like when equipment is unfiltered or not over-filtered, although it sounds technically superior to my ears, it leads to a sense of unintimacy. Also with ac-215 the sibilance or other peaks are very well formed and sustained so it seems less warm or too controlled, even though it makes lifelike highs. Even so... I see myself alternating between one and two power conditioners, but for uncritical pleasure listening, I would just use one power conditioner.
   
  agd filter>dac9>phoenix, 3x audio-gd power cables
   
  I think improvements by ag filter is that sounds across the frequencies are lifted from the background but still meld with each other and decently improved microdetail and imaging, calmer background, and decay that is more precise and a bit softened. Personally I don't like -70dB for phoenix because it seems dynamics become too reined-in, I do like -50dB for the phoenix. And I like  -70dB for dac9mk3, -50dB I don't like because it seems this setting has more stray microdetails and some hash in the background.
   
  I like both AGD and furman ac-215 power conditioners, but would call the agd filter more mild and balanced in its improvements, ac-215 does a lot of frequency separation and forceful, lifelike peaks, but often you just want everything to meld together easily instead of being so serious and defined. One clear benefit of AGD filter is that there's a whole lot of built-in sockets, but you can go to lowe's or home depot and buy 3:1 outlet multipliers for $3 to get more outlets for the ac-215. Then there's separate filters inside the AGD filter! It may be preferable to the single transformer ac-215 if you have to plug 8 items into it in a home theatre system. But I have to admit, I have to put a lot of load (ie 500W) on my ac-215 before I think I can tell something wrong from overworking the filter, so I won't venture to test how well the AGD filter can handle more equipment. I will eventually take it downstairs and connect my tv etc to it and try to look for picture improvements  but my tv and speaker setup isn't nearly as revealing as my headphone setup. Sound signature-wise, I would say AGD filter is safer than AC-215 as the only possible sound signature deviate from neutral I hear is an easier, slightly softer bloom and a little more dynamic drive, however, if your setup majorly lacks dynamics and impact (may actually be pretty common to many setups with neutral gear), you may prefer the AC-215 sound signature. It seems AGD filter improves more mildly but in a balanced way across different aspects of sound, whereas ac-215 improves mostly in raw detail performance. I think both power conditioners are good buys, especially since you can occasionally pick up an ac-215 for $75-100 shipped on ebay, but you must be careful selecting the ac-215 as it does impart a big change in sound, which may or may not be to your liking.
   
  I've used the power conditioners with the sparrow, and it seems it may be more improved by power conditioners than more expensive audio-gd gear.
   
  edit: Just wanted to show off my 3 inch cable  I know I should've used heatshrink, but this moisture barrier and insulating tape will have to do as this is just a temporary test cable.
   
  http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/8977/cimg0548l.jpg
   
  And here's the AC-215 internals to show it's not just an empty box with a big pricetag , especially if you are able to find it for ~$85 shipped on ebay. Furman is well-respected in studios for electrical protection.
   
  http://img823.imageshack.us/img823/4149/cimg0424.jpg


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## punk_guy182

That's a very interesting review haloxt.
  I haven't received my filter and cables yet so I unfortunately I cannot comment on the the sonic performance of the filter.
  There hasn't been any updates on the EMS tracking website since the 24th and Edwin at Audio-GD told me to keep waiting.


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## haloxt

:O that's terrible. Does it say on EMS that it is at customs? I have heard some people say by contacting customs they sped up the process because they like to let packages sit there, assuming this is your case I would do the same.


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## Trapper32

Thanks Haloxt !!  for your impressions.  Looking forward to more...


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## punk_guy182

Quote: 





haloxt said:


> :O that's terrible. Does it say on EMS that it is at customs? I have heard some people say by contacting customs they sped up the process because they like to let packages sit there, assuming this is your case I would do the same.


 

 This is the latest info that I have on the EMS tracking website:  2010-06-24 00:23:00     GUANGZHOU        Despatch from Sorting Center  
   
  I emailed Edwin a couple of times but he keeps saying to wait as there could be some delay with EMS. From experience, the longest it took me for a package to get from a Chinese aiport to a Canadian aiport was 36 hours. I emailed Kingwa this time to ask him to file an update request to EMS. Canada Post told me on the phone that they never received the package and I suspect that it is still on Chinese soil.
   
  I can't wait to try this filter out.
   
*UPDATE*: The package finaly arrived in Canada and it is being reviewd by customs so I should receive it by Thursday.


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## Mad Max




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## haloxt

That's a relief, hope you enjoy it.
   
  I finally got a reply on the lack of a switch on the filter, they said it was done on purpose to try not to lower SQ with a switch. Can always connect to a wall outlet connected to a lightswitch .


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## punk_guy182

I just received my filter and cables. Woohoo! 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



  So far I like the sound! I have more bass and dynamics. The highs are also a bit more rolled off and defined.
  I'll have to de a better evaluation once I have a better source and after the gear is fully burned in.


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## Currawong

Mine has arrived, and so far, my unqualified feeling is that it's doing more of the Juice Box Jr was, which is bringing out the colour in the music.  A problem I was having before in my rig was feeling that everything sounded a bit flat and dull, and I didn't know why. It was only apparent when I pulled the Juice Box Jr. out to test something (the Ref 3 and 1 were plugged into it) and the music wasn't as lively.  So far I'm using the -70 dB sockets, with the Phoenix in a -50 dB socket, which is working brilliantly.  Now the music feels as if it's engaging me more and listening, even to music I've listened to a lot, is becoming extremely pleasurable.  The filter seems to be the icing on the cake in a manner of speaking.  I've got to experiment though to find out what gets the best results and how everything is affected.


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## sonance

Anyone with PS Audio power conditioning gear able to compare their passive solutions with the Audio-gd products?


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## tim3320070

Any more comments?


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## haloxt

I've still been trying to find out what sound difference is caused by what, but my opinions are still about the same, I'd just add I think the best benefit of audio-gd's power filter is primarily in soundstage, more focused and natural bloom and decay, but it does benefit many other areas, just more mildly. Although I have very limited experience with different cables and filters, to me it seems they work in conjunction with each other so I have to retract my statement about power conditioners being more important. Power cables enable more dynamic drive and controlled imaging, and power conditioner shapes sound to be more continuous and more natural/easy. When I use power conditioner with stock 18 awg 6 ft power cables, I get a choked-off sound. Use thick power cables with a $15 power surge protector or sometimes out of the wall and I get a distant sound and a feeling of hazy emptiness in the background. It seems to me the phoenix particularly suffers from thin power cable, and dac (particularly my dac19mk3) suffers most from no power filtering. Take these impressions with a big grain of salt, there's still some variations I've yet to try and I'm having a difficult time trying to get a handle of the differences I think I may be hearing as I try out different things. Not even my boring pro 900 is making this easy for me.
   
  Tomorrow I'm receiving some AP-810 power cables, which is a 14 awg 3 ft shielded power cable.  I don't know how many this store has left, but I purchased 6 for a total of $27.50 a good deal if you ask me. The main reason I am testing out power cables is that I am rather torn that audio-gd's power cables are a bit on the expensive side. Although I like the sound, I suspect they may be overkill for low-current draw gear. For a power amp I'd definitely use their monster-size power cable, but maybe audio-gd should make a cheaper one for their low-mid tier gear and low-current draw gear. Link to the power cables I'm getting if you are interested , right now $3.09 each with $9 shipping if you get 6, but they have limited stock.
   
  http://www.mcmelectronics.com/product/58-13630


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## haloxt

I am using 5 of the ap-810's in my audio chain . From first 30 minutes of use it sounds dynamic and quick but without much soundstage depth and ambience, especially clear in the highs, mids are are neutral and not very engaging, and bass is clear but untextured and not so full-bodied. Even if it doesn't improve with burn-in it is still quite interesting and a good contrast from the somewhat warm audio-gd power cable, and a part of me hopes it doesn't improve bass because my pro 900 have way overboosted bass anyway and it sounds quite flat FR now.
   
  Before I tried talking Kingwa into hardwiring a power cable into the power filter, but now I see it is much better to keep the flexibility of detachable cable.


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## realmassy

I've just placed an order for the power filter and two power cables.
  Now I'm wondering if plugging the mac mini's brick PSU into the the power filter...what do you think? Will it add additional noise and create problems for the DAC and the amp?
  Thanks


----------



## volume

Quote: 





realmassy said:


> I've just placed an order for the power filter and two power cables.
> Now I'm wondering if plugging the mac mini's brick PSU into the the power filter...what do you think? Will it add additional noise and create problems for the DAC and the amp?
> Thanks


 

 It would for sure.
  I would only plugin my audio rig into the power filter.


----------



## Currawong

Try it and see.


----------



## realmassy

Got the filter yesterday, as well as two audio-gd power cables.
  Problem is I got back my Halide Bridge too and I plugged everything so I don't know the actual improvement (if any) of the power filter.
  The power cables are very firm, I had some problems to bend them.


----------



## tim3320070

Quote: 





realmassy said:


> Got the filter yesterday, as well as two audio-gd power cables.
> Problem is I got back my Halide Bridge too and I plugged everything so I don't know the actual improvement (if any) of the power filter.
> The power cables are very firm, I had some problems to bend them.


 

 I had one for a while but it was very flexible- maybe he is using new wire now.


----------



## realmassy

Silly question here: I have an *unearthed* UK to US plug adapter: any problem use it to plug the power cable of my mini into the filter?


----------



## Currawong

I don't have any earthed sockets here and things are fine.  I used to have a ground wire going to a grounding point for my air-conditioner, but I moved my rig to another room, so can no longer do that without using 15m of wire.
   
  I had to re-arrange my rig yesterday so I could both easily experiment with changing the gain on the Phoenix as well as switch power sockets.  I tried the Phoenix for the first time in a while without filtering, then again in the -70dB.  The improvement is subtle, but results in a smoother sound IMO.  I'd say the gear I own or have owned that had the least comprehensive inbuilt power supplies were most affected by filtering, whereas Audio-gd gear seems the least affected as there is already serious power filtering built in.


----------



## haloxt

Quote: 





realmassy said:


> I've just placed an order for the power filter and two power cables.
> Now I'm wondering if plugging the mac mini's brick PSU into the the power filter...what do you think? Will it add additional noise and create problems for the DAC and the amp?
> Thanks


 

 Power conditioner on my computer (outputting digital) helps with sound quality imo. I would even connect  cable box, tv, etc into the power filter. There may be detrimental effects from putting too much on the power filter but only your own ears can decide whether it is better to connect or not connect to a power conditioner. Preferably test over long listening times, I believe sound degradation from too much gear is not instantly audible.


----------



## realmassy

Yesterday I did some tests with the power filter: I can't honestly hear any difference when plugging the Roc into the 70db or the 50db outlet. I'm not even sure I could hear differences plugging into the wall.
   
  Different story with the Ref.5: it definitely sounds smoother (blacker background e instrument separation) plugged into the filter, but I'm not sure yet which outlet is better.
  I haven't plugged yet the Mini into the filter: I tried to do that yesterday, using the UK to US adapter, but I've seen sparkles coming from the filter :-O


----------



## haloxt

Just the normal crackle you might get when plugging in power plugs right?
   
  If not, you better stop playing with the adapter until you find out what is wrong. Link the adapter and test with a multimeter if you have one, make sure all three conductors on the adapter are working properly, especially make sure neither of the three conductors are shorting into each other.


----------



## realmassy

Thanks haloxt.
  It doesn't look normal...I've never seen those sparkles before.
  I have a multimeter but I'm not entirely sure how to use it in this case...sorry  I'll do some research and possibly shoot a PM if I can't find any info.


----------



## Uri Cohen

My dorm room that I'm moving in has a pretty dirty power supply.  I want to use the Audio GD on my Analog rig (VPI Scout TT with either a Marantz or Fisher receiver for phono and headphone amp).  Will geting the Audio GD can lead to an improvement in TT performance?  The Power to the VPI goes to the motor only.


----------



## haloxt

Just in case you don't get an answer, ask audio-gd, they have probably had experience using the filter on turntables.
   
  Dirty power at a dorm? I'd be more worried whether the dorm has mold problems and looking at air filters .


----------



## Uri Cohen

Why you little.........  
	

	
	
		
		

		
			




   
   
   
  Joking aside I will email him right now.


----------



## Currawong

An update on my experiments: The Phoenix doesn't like -70dB, sounding strained, so it's on -50dB. I've put the Ref 1 on -50dB and the Ref 3 on -70dB.


----------



## tim3320070

You had me look into what I had where on my AGD filter- had the Phoenix on the 50db- I put everything (Digital Interface, Phoenix, Ref-8, Emotia XPA-2 amp, BD player, and tuner) based on the more powerful, the less filtering. One thing I can say for sure, I am hearing better than ever sound with this setup. Placebo possibly, don't care.


----------



## Uri Cohen

Sadly Audio-GD don't have any TT to see if this outlet has any affect on it.  Maybe I'll buy it to try out the receiver power.


----------



## JulioCat2

Just a question, Does the Audio-GD Power Supply produces some kind of electric sound?? some kind of trasformer noise, that sound doesn't affect the equipment connected to it, is this normal???


----------



## JulioCat2

I found the problem, i have connected my LCD TV to the 70 db filter outlet and that's causing the humm, i put in the direct ouput and everything is working perfectly!!!!


----------



## Pacha

Guys, do any of you who own the plant has tried it successfully with adapters on its stock US outlets (I would need France to US adapters for my power cables) ?


----------



## dura

I would order this right away if Kingwa would make a version with Europian outlets. Can't be that difficult...he says they are hardly available in China, but seeing the enormous amount of electronics coming from China I think this shouldn't be an unovercomable problem.

 I'm considering converterplugs, but hate to add complexity to my beautiful minimalistic system.


----------



## .Sup

I would get one or two too but I don't see myself buying US power cables that I can only use with this strip.


----------



## Pacha

I've just asked Kingwa if they ever experienced with adapters or if they plan to release models with other outlets and Edwin replied that they didn't tried adapters and currently still don't have other outlets available to build other plants though they would consider it if they could find some.
   
  So still no upcoming news and hopes about the plant with european outlets.
   
  Anyway, does anybody have an experience to share with adapters on the plant?


----------



## haloxt

European solid copper power plugs and outlets are more expensive and harder to find. I am sure audio-gd can find less expensive outlets to put in the power filter, but I don't know if they would do it.


----------



## .Sup

why does everything European have to be more expensive :€


----------



## udailey

Probably no one needs another review but I have an opinion.
  I did not expect this power supply filter to help at all, but I am an open minded skeptic 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





 and at $105 why not try? So I called Pacific Valve and got them to order it for me along with the $89 power cable on sale for $32. I recently got 2 PSAudio Plasma power cables for $8 total. When everything arrived I plugged my amp, pre and CDP into the filter and used the Audio-GD power cable to plug in the power filter. I plugged it into my APC power conditioner. Yeah, redundant in a sense but they are there to do different things. APC is for protection. Filter is for noise, which to this point I had not noticed. Anyway, then the CDP and Pre got plugged to the filter via the PS Audio cables. The amp is hardwired to its power cable so nothing to special there. Still its a massive cable.
  To get to the point: Yep, it makes a difference. It was instantly obvious that the soundstage was not any bigger but more 'in focus' and the sound was a tad bit more pleasing. It was a minor improvement to be sure but I dont believe I get caught up in psychoacoustics and I was seriously skeptical that there would be ANY difference especially behind my APC. Cheap investment for a small gain but I am definitely pleased with the purchase.
  Uriah


----------



## haloxt

Surge protection is good, but I would also try to experiment a little plugging the audio-gd filter directly to the wall. I have looked inside the power filter and my immediate impression was that it tries to minimize components for the power to go through, and having a surge protector in front of it somewhat defeats the purpose. I think the audio-gd filter was designed to 1. minimally degrade sound from unnecessary components or overfiltering and 2. be a low cost hi-fi power strip with multiple solid copper outlets.
   
  Imo the ideal place for the audio-gd filter would be in a home theater system where there is need for so many outlets.


----------



## Pacha

I ordered one also so I'll post some impressions as well.


----------



## udailey

Just got the REF5 from UPS and plugged it in. This is ONLY on topic because I plugged it into the filter. LOL
  Holy God! The DAC is incredible. I have been slackjawed for about an hour. Completely and totally blown away. I went to RMAF and didnt hear ANY DAC that came close to this thing. OMG...
  Seriously. Better than the CARY audio DACs from Moon Audio that I listened to. Better than Benchmark DAC1. Better than Isabellina. Better than Ayre or was it W4S? Anyway, freaking great.


----------



## .Sup

what DAC did you have before?


----------



## udailey

Well, as its OT I'll just give the short end of it.
  Used to have a Tranquility DAC. Not thrilled with how much money you have to pour into it to get it sounding good. Dont recall it approaching the REF5.
  Other than that I have only had CDP's and my Cambridge Audio 640C has been a standby for a long time. Reliable, good sounding. I feel like it just left the music alone. This REF5 though... sheeesh. I am very very pleased.


----------



## .Sup

do you find the sound darker than with CA 640c?


----------



## Pacha

I've received my power filter today.
   
  Which plug do you guys use for DAC and HP amp? -70dB or -50dB?


----------



## .Sup

Quote: 





pacha said:


> I've received my power filter today.
> 
> Which plug do you guys use for DAC and HP amp? -70dB or -50dB?


 


  Did you get US power cables?


----------



## Currawong

You should experiment, but so far, -50dB for amps and -70dB for sources seemed to work best for me.  Filtering amps too much can result in harsh sound.


----------



## FauDrei

Yes, you should experiment.
   
  My experiments have f.e. revealed pre/hp amp was too "polite" on -70dB and even -50dB, while DAC was most resoving at -70dB.


----------



## Pacha

Quote:


.sup said:


> Quote:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
   

  
  I bought Audio-gd power cables with France plugs, but I ordered Furutech FI-11M Cu US power connectors so I'll have the possibility to swap and could also resell the power filter plant if I don't like it.


  Quote: 





currawong said:


> You should experiment, but so far, -50dB for amps and -70dB for sources seemed to work best for me.  Filtering amps too much can result in harsh sound.


 


  Thank you. Do you use -50dB for headphones amps also?


----------



## IPodPJ

Quote: 





udailey said:


> Just got the REF5 from UPS and plugged it in. This is ONLY on topic because I plugged it into the filter. LOL
> Holy God! The DAC is incredible. I have been slackjawed for about an hour. Completely and totally blown away. I went to RMAF and didnt hear ANY DAC that came close to this thing. OMG...
> Seriously. Better than the CARY audio DACs from Moon Audio that I listened to. Better than Benchmark DAC1. Better than Isabellina. Better than Ayre or was it W4S? Anyway, freaking great.


 

 Sounds like you're hooked.  Soon you'll probably sell the Ref5 and get the Ref7.


----------



## Pacha

Quote:


faudrei said:


> Yes, you should experiment.
> 
> My experiments have f.e. revealed pre/hp amp was too "polite" on -70dB and even -50dB, while DAC was most resoving at -70dB.


 


   That's interesting, thanks. I'll experiment with no filtering, -50 and -70 also for the preamp/hp amp.


----------



## FauDrei

To be more specific - my pre/hp is on DC blocker socket and uses A-GD power cable.
   
  RE-1-7 sounds best to me on -70dB with self-made 5x 2,5mm wire cable (+ A-GD US and IEC connectors).
   
  As a (ex) power cable non believer I was amazed with realization that I DO HEAR differences between power cables.


----------



## Pacha

Ok, so I'll try the DC filter output as well.


----------



## Currawong

I had my DC filter outlets made into -50dB sockets.  I did indeed mean headphone amps when I was referring to the sockets.  Kingwa seems to recommend this as well.


----------



## haloxt

FauDrei, glad you like power cables. I would suggest entirely replacing stock power cables with ~12-14 awg ones, from my experience, and just my opinion , upper tier audio-gd gear really deserve it. When I experiment and put 6 ft 18 awg power cables on everything (needs like 4 power cables), my face turns into a frown and I have to restrain myself from switching back to thick cables. Those who don't want to spend much money on power cables, I highly recommend just buying something like 4-6 14 awg 3 ft power cables from monoprice for like $20-25 shipped and be done with it. Monoprice has incredibly cheap but thick cables good for other parts of the audio chain btw .
   
  http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10228&cs_id=1022801&p_id=5291&seq=1&format=2


----------



## FauDrei

currawong said:


> I had my DC filter outlets made into -50dB sockets.


 
   
  He... I had DC filter added to all of my sockets (pair of just DC filters; two pairs of -50dB AND DC filters; two pairs of -70dB AND DC filters). 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			




  


haloxt said:


> FauDrei, glad you like power cables. I would suggest entirely replacing stock power cables with ~12-14 awg ones, from my experience, and just my opinion , upper tier audio-gd gear really deserve it.


 

 And I just did that: I have a couple of A-GD power cables and I DIY-ed a couple more AC power cables constructed with a cable that contains five AWG13 wires. A-GD cable "gives more dynamics" to my HPA, while my DIY cable works best with DAC (still can't believe I'm writing this).


----------



## Pacha

Quote: 





faudrei said:


> currawong said:
> 
> 
> > I had my DC filter outlets made into -50dB sockets.
> ...


   
   
  Seems like I've missed something again 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



  I maybe should have asked for DC filters in all the sockets as well. What improvements could have been expected?


----------



## Pacha

BTW, does anybody know which wire color is what on the Audio-gd power cable wires?
  I've received the Furutech US plugs but I don't want to mess everything up.


----------



## FauDrei

pacha said:


> Seems like I've missed something again
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
   
  Perhaps you haven't.
   
  In my place I do have a problem with DC presence on AC sockets - my RE-1 transformers were humming... quietly but still humming. Because of that I asked A-GD to put DC blocking on all sockets. And it works - no humming anymore.
   


pacha said:


> BTW, does anybody know which wire color is what on the Audio-gd power cable wires?


 
   
  There are 5 very thick & stiff wires in A-GD power cable: 2x white, 2x reddish, 1x red.

 2x whites are supposed to be Neutral
 2x reddish ones are supposed to be Line/Live
 1x red are supposed to be Ground/Earth


----------



## Pacha

Thanks FauDrei.
   
  I have indeed 5 thick wires, 2 white, 2 light red ones, one black.
   
  My idea was : two red ones : line, two white ones : neutral, black : ground.
   
  Except the ground color, which is one big wire and not two anyway, so I was correct.
   
  Thank you again for support.


----------



## Pacha

I've just finished with the Furutech plugs, what a mess assembling these things!
   
  The wires from Audio-gd are very big and barely goes into the 3 holes of the Furutech power connector. The problem also is that the ground wire of is not aligned for the US plug, it was making a triangle with the two others for the French plug, and I needed reverse side triangle for the US plug, but I couldn't move the ground wire to the other side easily so that was tough.
  Other issue was that the 3 plug's holes for the cables are barely big enough for the Audio-gd cables so when trying to put all the cables in the same time in the holes of the plug, that was epic. I had trouble with one of the tightening screws, on one power connector the screw for the line went bad and I now cannot use this connector, so I now only have two US plugs and not 3 as I wanted.
   
  I guess I'll order directly an Audio-gd US power cable to replace the device on French plug that will stay unfiltered (HP amp).
   
  I'll experiment at least with the DAC-19 on the -70dB plug and see how it performs.
   
   
   
   
  BTW, what plug do you guys choose for Digital Interface if you have one?


----------



## .Sup

Audio devices have filters in the power supply section right?


----------



## FauDrei

Pacha,
   
  Do not sweat over A-GD cable... Go to your favourite/closest store with electric HW and get yourself a selection of copper cables you fancy most. I'm pretty sure they will be thinner than A-GD one. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 Perhaps you can reuse your Furutech connector with those cables and experiment with your selection?
   
  I do prefer those thinner "starquint" ("starquad" geometry cable with five instead of four wires) that I've found in local store for both RE-1/7 and DI (both on -70dB). But for Roc I use A-GD cable on DC blocker without any additional filtering - my cable is "too polite" in that application.
   
  ...but, of course - you might discover and/or prefer something completely different. Just report afterwards what were your findings.
   
  Cheers


----------



## Pacha

Well I now have two Audio-gd cables with Furutech plugs, assembling is quite ok. I need to experiment with the -70dB socket. If I really find an improvement then I guess finding a solution for the broken connector would make sense so that I could plug the HP amp to DC filter outlet or -50dB socket. Otherwise it may end up plugged to the wall outlet.
   
  I will figure if DI benefits from connection to filtered socket also.


----------



## Amarphael

What's the weight of this unit i wonder? Got quite a hefty shipment quote with a couple of power cables.


----------



## haloxt

The device is not that heavy, maybe 3-5 pounds. How many power cables? Those are very heavy and thick power cables, 4.5 ft each as well unless you specify a different length.


----------



## reiserFS

Does Audio-Gd only offer it with US outlets? I'd really like one with European outlets.


----------



## haloxt

They only have it for US plugs.


----------



## reiserFS

Aww, truly a shame. Guess I'll look around then.
  Quote: 





haloxt said:


> They only have it for US plugs.


----------



## Pacha

Quote:


reiserfs said:


> Aww, truly a shame. Guess I'll look around then.
> Quote:
> 
> 
> ...


 


  You can mod your EU plugs to US plugs just by buying US power connectors from Furutech, Oyaide, etc... I've modded two A-GD power cables with Furutech FI-11M Cu and used them in the A-GD power filter and it does pretty good. And this way you can put your EU connector back in place when needed.
  I broke one connector so I directly ordered another A-GD US cable within another order, it was missing for the C2. I'll try it out in each socket to find the best match.
  -70dB socket is very nice for the DAC-19.


----------



## somestranger26

Does anyone know how much power this thing can filter? I'm thinking about getting one to connect my receiver, power hungry gaming computer (for USB), and NFB-10 so it'd need to handle in excess of 500W for me to fully utilize it.
   
  Also, has anyone compared the DC filter sockets with the unfiltered? I've only seen comparisons between the DC and -70/-50 in this thread. I'm curious what sort of effect it would have, as I'm pretty sure DC in the power supply is causing my receiver's transformer to buzz.
   
  Thanks in advance for any responses.


----------



## haloxt

It can handle 500W. If I recall correctly, Kingwa told me it could handle up to 45 amps (nevermind, read post below ). My yahoo mail search is messed up so can't bring it up without some manual searching though. I've compared DC filter vs directly from the wall, the sound changes slightly, becomes a bit more "natural", or slightly better texture, but the same amount of background hash as unfiltered.


----------



## somestranger26

Thanks for your impressions of the DC filter haloxt.

 I got a response from Kingwa about the power handling ability if anyone else is wondering, looks like I'll be getting one soon.

 "The Filter outlet can output 3000W at 240V or 2500W at 120V. "


----------



## haloxt

Just keep in mind the improvement is going to be subtle, it's primarily a hi-fi power outlet with expensive solid copper outlets and thick wave soldering to reduce resistance, secondarily a power filter, with three different filters for subtle changes to sound. Kind  of cool you can put a power cable  in front of the power filter outlet for imparting a single power cable's sound signature to multiple equipment though, someone with a lot of different cables and a lot of equipment to connect to the device would appreciate this most.


----------



## somestranger26

I can handle a subtle improvement, I found one for only $80 so it's not much of a wallet breaker and I could get all of my money back selling it. I think it might have a bit more though, my dorm's power supply is horribly dirty (I've never had issues with transformer buzzing or anything before). I think I might try one of the Pangea Audio AC-9 cords from the wall to the filter, and then use the Audio-GD one I'm getting for the NFB-10 and stock cords for everything else right now.


----------



## somestranger26

Quote: 





haloxt said:


> Just keep in mind the improvement is going to be subtle, it's primarily a hi-fi power outlet with expensive solid copper outlets and thick wave soldering to reduce resistance, secondarily a power filter, with three different filters for subtle changes to sound. Kind  of cool you can put a power cable  in front of the power filter outlet for imparting a single power cable's sound signature to multiple equipment though, someone with a lot of different cables and a lot of equipment to connect to the device would appreciate this most.


 

  
  Haha you liar, you said subtle improvements. The difference even between the -70 and -50db with my nfb-10 is pretty large, I immediately noticed microdetails jumping out from the background with the -70. Now to try with my computer to see if it makes a difference. For the $80 I paid I doubt I could get such an increase spending elsewhere in my system. I'm rather skeptical about cables in general but I can certainly believe power filters can have a large effect after hearing this one.


----------



## haloxt

I think subtle improvements become more important as you get closer and closer to faithful reproduction. I think cables are likewise subtle yet can be important, but since you already have good cables I won't push the issue .


----------



## Pacha

-70dB socket brought a good quantity of micro details on the DAC to me also, which I wasn't even expecting.


----------



## kr0gg

got mail from Audio-gd:
  [size=10.5pt]"Sorry,the [/size][size=10.5pt]Power Supply Filter Outlet[/size][size=10.5pt] already is out of stock and sidcontinued,"[/size]

  
  [size=10.5pt]that sux. that sux a lot.[/size]


----------



## Currawong

That's a shame. Hopefully he'll produce it again.  Maybe there wasn't enough interest.


----------



## haloxt

I'd like to see audio-gd make a power filter in the $300-500 price range. Something between this and their 80lb dynamo d350 power regenerator.
   
  http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/436265/audio-gd-dynamo-d350-power-regenerator


----------



## Baird GoW

Quote: 





kr0gg said:


> got mail from Audio-gd:
> [size=10.5pt]"Sorry,the [/size][size=10.5pt]Power Supply Filter Outlet[/size][size=10.5pt] already is out of stock and sidcontinued,"[/size]
> 
> 
> [size=10.5pt]that sux. that sux a lot.[/size]


 




   Sorry. I took the last one.


----------



## somestranger26

Hmm I didn't really notice a difference using the filter with my computer but it did seem to be causing the filter to buzz so now I have my subwoofer and receiver in -50db and nfb-10 in -70db. All three seemed to show an improvement over direct from the wall, mainly the bass and how well defined the soundstage is (especially with speakers). I love this thing, I think I'm going to order a Pangea AC-9 this week to accompany it and see if it makes any difference.
   
  Too bad it's discontinued now, it seems like a great product that didn't get the attention it deserves. It would be cool and cruel if Kingwa came out with a new power filter like that dynamo, maybe something a little smaller lol. On one hand I would want to buy it and my gasping wallet may not live another day, on the other it would probably be another amazing product that blows away its price competitors.


----------



## haloxt

With power filtering, sometimes "too much is bad", especially when there's a budget. At the $125 price range, audio-gd could choose between 1. hi-fi outlets with mild filtering that only mildly improves sound but won't detrimentally affect it or 2. low quality outlets with better filtering but at the same time some current limiting resulting in reduced dynamics. Audio-gd chose option 1.
   
  In the $300-600 price range, they could make a filter, more filtering than the power filter outlet yet without increasing impedance and resistance, but more conventional, cheaper and lighter than their power regenerating d350.
   
  Imo, power filtering is not a big thing for most head-fiers, so I think audio-gd releasing this minimalistic filter (but hi-fi outlet) was a good foray into the market. If they release a mid-tier power filter I think it would do well. Likely I wouldn't buy it though, am satisfied with this power filter outlet already , I think the improvement is mild but I cannot in any way say I dislike any of the effects it has on the sound, so it is certainly a keeper.


----------



## Pacha

I didn't find a big improvement in sound with the HP amp using the power filter compared to wall outlet, honestly I even didn't find any except reducing a bit the impact and maybe dynamics when using -50 or -70dB.
   
  Though, the improvements in micro details when plugging the DAC-19 DSP in the -70dB outlet was really worth buying this power filter.
   
  I'm eager to know what Kingwa is preparing if he hasn't quitted the power filters business totally.


----------



## Sganzerla

So is this Bada LB-5500 a good alternative to this product?


----------



## Currawong

Quote: 





sganzerla said:


> So is this Bada LB-5500 a good alternative to this product?


 

 Interesting discussion about that one here: http://www.xtremeplace.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=82121.0


----------



## IPodPJ

I'm waiting to hear some reviews of the new PS Audio PerfectWave Power Plant 5 and 10.  Not that I'll be able to afford either of them as I'd only get $1K trade-in value for my Power Plant Premier, as they seem quite pricey at $3K ($3.5K for Euro version) and $4.5K ($5K for Euro version).  But I would love to have one.  How much of a difference they will make over the Premier is yet to be determined by reviewers.


----------



## SemiAudiophile

FYI, these are back in limited stock. I just received mine and I agree that it's a subtle, but nice improvement. So far I'm getting best results with source on the -50DB socket. Nice to play around with.


----------



## internethandle

Got one of these about a month ago from Pacific Valve for $105 or so - incidentally, after I bought mine, they must be running out of their stock or something because their price jumped up about $20 (!). Anyway, thought I'd give my impressions:
   
  System = Windows 7 Ultimate-based self-built PC with foobar2000 through cMP shell + Fidelizer 1.6 for playback -> Kimber Kable USB Cable -> Olimex ADuM4160 USB Isolator with 12V wall wart -> Furutech GT2 USB Cable -> Keces DA-151 MK. 1 DAC -> Blue Jeans LC-1 RCA Interconnects -> Little Dot MK III w/ GE "5 Star" tubes -> Headphile Senn V2 BlackSilver Cable -> Sennheiser HD600's
   
  I hadn't done any power conditioning or power-based tweaks prior to the purchase of the Audio-GD outlet, with the exception of some "Iron Lung Jellyfish" Hospital-grade power chords for the Keces and Little Dot, which seemed to make a subtle difference. At first I was forced to use the stock power cable that came with the power filter outlet, which really is dismal in terms of gauge and build quality. I also need to replace the actual in-wall power outlet I'm using it with, since it has terrible grip and has been painted over, one can tell, many times (I live in an apartment). The stock cable for the Audio-GD would cause some audible buzzing/electrical noise in the Audio-GD outlet itself, which, of course, is not a good thing - this only happened if I was manipulating the plugs. All of this prompted me to buy a more robust power cable, which I found on Audiogon in the form of a used Valab "Super High Current" cable which was really thick.
   
  Even with the stock power cable, when I fired up my system, I could immediately tell a difference. At first I went with the Kingwa-recommended DAC plugged into the -70DB socket, amp into the -50DB socket. I used one of the "Direct Output" sockets for the Olimex ADuM4160 USB Isolator's wall wart. It's amazing how much this thing can "color" the sound, and I've done a lot of swapping around. So far, I've settled upon the aforementioned combination of DAC into the -70DB socket and amp into the -50DB, but there have been times where I've put the amp into Direct Output. -50DB for my DAC sounds more "colored," almost fuzzy than the -70DB, so I've found that to be a bad combo. The -70DB for the amp seems to really reduce the amp's overall gain/volume, so that was also a no-go. Again, however, I kept finding myself switching around the amp between -50DB and Direct Output. At times, it seemed like -50DB was too "revealing" - lower-encoded MP3's sounded pretty awful, almost staticy, and I was getting some listening fatigue, whereas FLAC files etc. would be less noticeably inferior.
   
  With the -70DB, -50DB combo, soundstage seemed to open up really, really wide, giving recordings an almost ethereal quality, and the warmth of my Little Dot's tubes was really accentuated - most recordings sounded REALLY analog. Some negatives, besides the revealing quality, is general harshness on some recordings (again, poorer recordings were more susceptible to this) especially in the lower frequencies - which seemed odd, given how simultaneously analog/warm they sounded, and some diminishing of the "impact" and/or perceptibility of some higher frequencies. While the soundstage seems wider (and, at times, "taller"), there is also a strange sense of instruments getting "smushed" together in some recordings - I still had a sense of distinctiveness for individual instruments, but their tonality all seemed very similar - having difficulty describing this. Some dynamics would return if I plugged the amp back into Direct Output, at the expense of the soundstage, ethereal quality, and analog warmth I just mentioned - it sort of "flattened" out the sound to plug it back into Direct Output, sounding much more rounded off, but also much more forgiving of a given recording's bitrate etc. My system is incredibly sensitive/revealing with the outlet, now - weird things like changing the voltage of the Olimex isolator's wall wart to 9V from 12V, for instance, is much less subtle than before, or if I turn "Dither" off in foobar things seem to improve.
   
  When I received the Valab chord (here's a picture = http://pic3.audiogon.com/i/c/f/1305592635.jpg), many of the issues with the -50DB outelt for the amp seemed to round themselves out a bit - less listening fatigue, gain increased, cleared up some of the "grittiness" I would get on lesser quality recordings. I may have picked too high of a gauge of chord, though, as recordings are REALLY gain-y/loud now - I've gone from keeping the volume knob on my Little Dot at 9:00 to keeping it at somewhere between 8:00 and 9:00.
   
  Anyway, I'm still playing around with it - I think I'm going to use it as an opportunity to build around the outlet, maybe get some new RCA interconnects or something. Definitely worth a purchase if you want to put some new life into your system - it makes an undeniable sonic difference.


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## SemiAudiophile

I'm getting good results using the power supply filter with some DIY asylum power cables.
   
http://www.audiotweaks.com/diy/bobcrump_pc/page01.htm
   
  Currently using Black Sand Violet Z1 as mains to the filter than the asylums to my amps. One with rhodium plated IEC's and one regular. I think the rhodium plated sounds almost silver like with noticeable extension in the high and low region with perhaps larger air/soundstage and the regular brass has better tonality with a better focus on the mids. They both sound great and provide dark background with good detail. 
   
  A great alternative on the cheap, the wire is 14AWG. Best part is doesn't require any soldering or skill really, just need to follow instructions. Good bang for the buck!


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## internethandle

Have had this thing for three to four months now and have enjoyed it, but have had some odd issues. When I first got the filter, I was forced to use the stock power chord, which is obviously of a gauge and build quality unfitting for the filter, and I remember, at the time, I had an old, painted-over outlet I had to plug it into, and so the chord was getting poor grip with the outlet. Each time I'd play with the chord near the outlet to try to get it to maintain better grip, the filter would emit a buzzing/electrical noise form within its chassis. Anyway, I've since replaced the outlet AND the power chord to a very thick gauge audiophile power chord, and even an "audiophile" outlet (the "Porter Port" from Alan Porter), which have made good sonic differences and the grip is quite a bit better. However, I've been noticing lately that when I power on my headphone amp and DAC the filter is emitting a buzzing/electrical noise - in short, periodic, irregular bursts - similar to the one I experienced with the old outlet and stock power chord, but, again, quieter and shorter. My outlet (and all of the outlets in my apartment, as far as I know!) I've discovered to be ungrounded, despite being three-pronged (meaning there is no ground wire to connect to the grounding screw), so I wonder if it has to do with grounding. The noises only emit for about 2 to 5 minutes after turning on the amp and DAC, and then cease altogether. I also have to really listen to hear them (be physically on the ground with my ear next to the filter or bending over in my chair). They don't seem to happen when I turn on my M-Audio speakers only, which are usually connected to the "direct output" outlet on the filter, only if I turn on the amp and DAC (connected to the -50DB and -70DB outlets, respectively), and, again, only for a short time. Any ideas? I still have a limited warranty active with Pacific Valve, who I bought the filter from, if need be.  Anyone know, specifically, if this could be related to my not having any real grounding? Thanks.


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