[Truder]

I did make some video's from my mueserment, so if someone likes to see that, send me an email or pm.
I also have talked to a guy who did compare puritan with niagara 5000.

[Truder]

This is what a guy wrote to me about his experience and comparison.

Hi Truder, it was hard work today. The PSM 156 is really 2 classes better than the Niagara 5000. And then the Gigawatt PC-3, very strange, but apparently it contains a not very good DC blocker. The PSM gets my dac really quiet, but with the PC-3 the transformer keeps buzzing on and off. The sound and depth image of the PC3 is really great and it is very close to the PSm, but if you listen to them directly one after the other, you will notice that the PC3 tightens the bass a bit more and allows voices to come out better. The PSM is slightly more restless in direct comparison. In terms of sound quality, the PC3 would be my preference, but not if the direct current is not properly clean. My dealer, is now talking to Gigawatt to see if there is anything that can be done about it, I will hear that next week. In terms of price-quality ratio, puritan is well ahead, really great what they know to do for this money, fine power cables too. I wonder what will happen next week, it could be that I will end up with the PSM as the best all-rounder. Good weekend,

addition:
He bought the psm 156 anyway becaurse of the sound was almost the same and dc blocking was better from the psm 156.

Prices here:
Niagara 5000 5000€ plus price power cable.
Gigawatt pc3 evo+ with cable 5565€
Puritan psm 156 1550€ wirth cable.

[debjit.g]

Does anyone connect high power tube amps (like 845/805) to the Puritan ?

Yes I do. My Hegel H590 is connected and it can deliver 2x 300watt /8 ohm (600 watt /4 ohm) .
My dynaudio are 4 ohm speakers.
Dynamics are fantastic.

well, I was specifically talking about tube amps.

 

[debjit.g]

So no one uses tube amps with their Puritan ?

I am quiet happy with the performance of the PSM156. So far I had tube DAC and preamp and other solid state components (amps, servers, etc) all connected to it without issues. I hear all the audible benefits that others have described. I am not going into the details but suffices to say that the improvements has been quiet substantial in my system.

However, recently I got a Line Magnetic integrated amp and when I connect to the Puritan, I hear a nasty buzz out of the Puritan. The buzz is quiet loud and can be heard from couple of feet away. There is also transformer buzz out of the LM as well. There is also a big hum/buzz out of the speaker. Apparently it looks like a ground loop issue but I can't figure out what would cause it as everything connects to the Puritan. Lifting the ground out of the DAC seems to solve the hum/buzz from the speaker but the Puritan still buzzes like crazy when the LM is connected. The only way to make it work is to connect the LM straight to the wall duplex where the Puritan is also connected.

I am wondering if anyone has any thoughts/insight into it ?   

[EkW]

Has anyone been able to compare the Puritan products to the iFi Powerstation?  The iFi is one third the cost of the psm136. My power isn't too bad so the iFi seems like it may be a better value. According to an Alphalab Trifield EMI monitor the power coming out of my PS Audio Power Plant Premier is noisier than the input: 20 mV pp in to 50 out.

[rareace]

So no one uses tube amps with their Puritan ?

I am quiet happy with the performance of the PSM156. So far I had tube DAC and preamp and other solid state components (amps, servers, etc) all connected to it without issues. I hear all the audible benefits that others have described. I am not going into the details but suffices to say that the improvements has been quiet substantial in my system.

However, recently I got a Line Magnetic integrated amp and when I connect to the Puritan, I hear a nasty buzz out of the Puritan. The buzz is quiet loud and can be heard from couple of feet away. There is also transformer buzz out of the LM as well. There is also a big hum/buzz out of the speaker. Apparently it looks like a ground loop issue but I can't figure out what would cause it as everything connects to the Puritan. Lifting the ground out of the DAC seems to solve the hum/buzz from the speaker but the Puritan still buzzes like crazy when the LM is connected. The only way to make it work is to connect the LM straight to the wall duplex where the Puritan is also connected.

I am wondering if anyone has any thoughts/insight into it ?

Yes I also had the same problem connecting it to my LM 805ia. The buzzing was very loud to the point that it bothered me too much. Ultimately got rid of the Puritan and kept my Inakustik AC-3500P.

[debjit.g]

So I played with this a bit and looks like the buzz is getting into the LM via ground - apparently it could be some ground contamination. The left two circular devices (not sure if they are the inductors or transformer or something else) is the source of the buzz and it get through the LM where the transformer starts buzzing and then to the speaker. I have not tried the Ground Master with the Puritan, but it’s possible that it might help in this case.

@rareace, apart from buzzing, is the Inakustik AC-3500P an improvement over the Puritan in terms of sound quality ? folks here seems to think otherwise.

[rareace]

So I played with this a bit and looks like the buzz is getting into the LM via ground - apparently it could be some ground contamination. The left two circular devices (not sure if they are the inductors or transformer or something else) is the source of the buzz and it get through the LM where the transformer starts buzzing and then to the speaker. I have not tried the Ground Master with the Puritan, but it’s possible that it might help in this case.

@rareace, apart from buzzing, is the Inakustik AC-3500P an improvement over the Puritan in terms of sound quality ? folks here seems to think otherwise.

I didn't notice much of a difference but also didn't spend enough time a/b'ing against each other.
-Alex

[veloaudio2]

Here’s a list of conditioners I can remember owning:

Torus CS
Shunyata
SR Can’t remember model
Audience TS6
Running Springs Jaco
Core Power 1200 with Furutech NCF Outlets, rewired with Duelund 600V Poly, home runs to each outlet eliminating the stock piggy-back config and Audience XO Cap on each outlet and all modified by me.
Inakustik 3500P

The Puritan blows away all of the conditioners I mentioned above with ease.

Wig

Going back a bit in the thread, I was about to pull the trigger on a Core Power Deep Core and Equi=Core 600 and then I found this thread. I can get both a 136 and the Core Power “set” for the same price but it looks like you had the Core Power and prefer the Puritan.

My guess is the filtering is similar but the Core Power uses a balanced transformer.

I’m powering a smaller headphone system and I do not have a dedicated circuit. My thought is the transformer would help with isolation better. Or I could crazy and go with a Torus AVR that has voltage regulation (at 2-3x the price of the 136).

Any thoughts on these two option is appreciated.

[Early B.]

My thought is the transformer would help with isolation better.

Avoid transformers in your power conditioners. They can potentially rob you of dynamics and introduce noise that you're attempting to eliminate.

[veloaudio2]

Avoid transformers in your power conditioners. They can potentially rob you of dynamics and introduce noise that you're attempting to eliminate.

So you recommend going with more filtering, like the Puritan?

[genjamon]

I don't think Wig had the Deep Core - only the Equi=Core if I recall correctly.  So that comparison might not be completely informative to your question.

[Early B.]

So you recommend going with more filtering, like the Puritan?

Someday soon I'm gonna grab a Puritan.

[Wig]

Yes, I had the Deep Core as well after a year of waiting but Underwood took care of us. I did not discern any differences with the DC and my highly modified EC, EC transformer still buzzed regardless of settings.

The Puritan is a different animal and just makes everything sounds better but do understand that if any of your components that have any internal multi-stage, small value filtering could cause some type of resonance with the Puritan but the difference easily noticeable. 

Wig

I don't think Wig had the Deep Core - only the Equi=Core if I recall correctly.  So that comparison might not be completely informative to your question.

[debjit.g]

@wig, do you know what is your wattage consumed when everything is powered on from Puritan ? I hear buzz from Puritan whenever a high power component is connected to it. Turn the component off and the buzz stop. So far two components created a buzz and both are tube gear. The higher the power the bigger the buzz. It looks like the Puritan doesn’t play well with some tube gear. I have heard similar buzz issues with Audioquest Niagara 5000.

[veloaudio2]

Thanks all. I pulled the trigger on a 156. Should be here next week.

[Early B.]

Thanks all. I pulled the trigger on a 156. Should be here next week.

Where did you purchase it?

[Truder]

Thanks all. I pulled the trigger on a 156. Should be here next week.

Good choice! I do use the 136 and its very good in my rig .

[veloaudio2]

Where did you purchase it?

I was going to purchase a 136 from Audio Archon but then a 156 posted on Audiogon and I snagged it.

On a related note, I had a good email exchange with Mike from Puritan. Nice guy.

[Wig]

I just plugged my entire system into a Kill A Watt Meter and just idle with no music playing with my KT88 Amp, Tube Pre, Tube Dac, sound bar, TV and satellite receiver and it read 400 Watts into my PSM 156.

Wig 

@wig, do you know what is your wattage consumed when everything is powered on from Puritan ? I hear buzz from Puritan whenever a high power component is connected to it. Turn the component off and the buzz stop. So far two components created a buzz and both are tube gear. The higher the power the bigger the buzz. It looks like the Puritan doesn’t play well with some tube gear. I have heard similar buzz issues with Audioquest Niagara 5000.