Thanks for the info. John. In fact, I've been using a BPT w/a Brick Wall for everything but my amps. Improvement is subtle at best; I recognize the Shunyata and Exact as alternate approaches.
Had a PS regenerator some years ago at a different location that did little as well. Guess the message is make sure you have a return policy.
Interesting path, rblnr, the exact same as mine on power conditioning.
My first experience was with the PS Audio PP300 Power Plant....with the Ultimate Outlet cascaded in front of it. Tho helpful in some areas, overall, it had negative impact on the music.
It could have been my inexperience with it however.....I had my 100watt SS amp plugged into the Power Plant, then tried on the UO (standard current). The stridency I heard may have been but current limiting in my system.
I now have Brickwall unit (the hi-current 2AUD product) cascaded in front of the BPT-2 (upgraded with silver wire, ZSleeve, Auricaps, ERS, hi frequency filter). My DAC, transport and TT are plugged into it, the amp (van Alstine) and preamp (Odyssey Tempest Extreme) are plugged only into the Brickwall (actually, a homebrew power strip with 2 hospital grade duplex outlets).
The difference is more than subtle - it's terrific.
You don't mention your preamp, but I found the Odyssey was best NOT into the BPT. It has to be treated more like a power amp in that regard. But, my Dynaco PAS-4 tube pre is much better run right into the BPT. The Odyssey has a large-ish transformer; the PAS an small, old style 'E' core. I think too many transformers on a transformer based conditioner has substantial ill effects. I don't know the scientific reasons why, nor where to start, but this is what I have found.
I don't know which BPT you have, or enhancements to it, but the ZSleeve and ERS in mine might be helping quite a bit to improve things. You can't add a ZSleeve to it if it ain't already built in (without much effort), but running ERS along the length of all wires within, the outlet backplates, on the top cover/inside and around the transformer is an hour job for $60 or so.
Interestingly, running the 30watt Tripath based TEAC into the BPT (with the Odyssey still on the Brickwall) is amazing
Having the Brickwall cascaded in front of it seems to have stopped the digital grunge backflowing into the system. When I added a ZSleeve to the
fixed cord of the TEAC, everthing improved dramatically (I assume removing the last little bit of RFI/EMI contamination before it reaches the overtaxed switch mode power supply).
I am not in the camp of believers that thing that only linear power supplies are superior...the switch modes are excellent if they are given a clear path to work (as the many NuForce amp-ista's can attest to
)
Anyhow, I went a little further than I had planned on this topic....the main points are:
1. Add ERS to your BPT if not already in there
2. Try your preamp on the Brickwall, not in the BPT.
Then, see if you need to invest mucho dollars in yet another power conditioner solution.
Good luck
