Alan Maher's Power Enhancer

Paul_Bui · « **Reply #500 on:** 16 May 2008, 04:44 pm »

Reference One looks exactly like a PE picture on Alan's website, with 3 prong AC case. Of course, actual PE has 2 prongs. I beta tested a Ref One and liked it I have ordered two more. I placed it on a non-audio, non-PE treated circuit. It started sounding good after one hour and stabilized after 3 days. As soon as the additional two Ref One filters arrive, I will place them on treated circuits to extend the circuit balance frequency above and below the PE max limits of 120KHz and 1.5GHz. Ref One also routes noise between DC and 10GHz to earth.

What did I hear after adding the Ref One? With more basic PE design (PE, PE II, PE III, PE IV network) I got richer warmer sound. With the more sophisticated V Pro Custom the effect of one Ref One filter has been more subtle, hence more Ref One's are coming. Ref One is another good tuning tool for music lovers who prefer a tad warm side of the neutral music reproduction provided by PE designs.

michaelv · « **Reply #501 on:** 16 May 2008, 05:04 pm »

Sounds like a good try for me. I mainly want this to treat another video circuit ( not in the same phase with my 2 channels circuit)

Jen,
I'll send you email for the filter.
thanks.

JenMaher · « **Reply #502 on:** 17 May 2008, 08:47 am »

Hubby called this morning to wish me Happy Anniversary, during the call he authorized me to offer the PE V S/AC for $250 while supplies last. I have 8 available, but I just ordered parts and can accept pre-orders for Steve to do in the next couple of weeks. I will hold the price at $250 until the end of the month, after that it goes back to normal price and we'll start accepting pre-orders for Alan starting 15 June.

Paul_Bui · « **Reply #503 on:** 17 May 2008, 10:08 pm »

Happy Anniversary to Alan & Jen!

It's until today that I can confidently and enthusiastically recommend the V Pro Custom, both on video and audio performance. It takes no less than 24 days to reach a solidity or wholeness in music that I had heard with the original PE network. Improvements in video are much easier and earlier to be observed, and the visual benefits are not contained within the same circuit where the V Pro Custom/Reference 8 power strip installed; it shows on every TV in the house plugged in any circuit.

While I hope the V will still improve further beyond 30 days, I feel it's stabilized enough to be compared with the day before its arrival when I was in love with the sound of the original PE design. First off, the original PE network was fully broken in, and the current V Pro Custom is about 75% of its full potential. Second, there's no comparison in video quality between the "traditional" PE's and the V Pro Custom; the latter is simply superior. Third, the basic PE's still benefit greatly in tuning the entire phase circuits, thus making it a virtual "near perfect" power cord to anything plugged in the wall AC.

Those conditions aside, here's the comparison. My 2CH music system, with amp and preamp plugged in directly to the wall, with no PE on the audio circuit, with 14 various PE's placed strategically around the house on individual circuits, sounded a bit warmer, richer, a bit more mid-range emphasized. It also took less time for those PE's to stabilize. Video was very good but not as clearly and consistently superb as V Pro Custom.

V Pro Custom and Ref 8: breaking in these beasts has been sick, literally. It's a PITA with a reward: Not only does it make watching TV a sheer pleasure, on day 24 (today) it's beginning to show me the same oneness and almost the same musical warmth that I missed. Its bass may be not be as solid and strong as the basic PE's, but the frequency spectrum seems flatter with good extensions on both ends.

I hope there will be more to report in a week or two.

JenMaher · « **Reply #504 on:** 18 May 2008, 08:11 am »

Bass can be improved by readjusting the PE combination around the home after the V settles for another couple of weeks. Bass can also be improved by interlocking a Surge Interrupter in the Pro Custom chain. Increased bass dynamics can be added by our Studio Reference line. Realistic "true to life" reproduction, as my husband puts it, can be added by installing our Plasma power cord per component. The Studio Reference and Plasma series work very well with each other in a single system.

Here is our latest set up:

PE V Surge Interrupter > PE V Pro Custom > PE V Pro Custom > PE V Pro Custom > Studio Reference

We still use the step transformer and balanced transformer in combination after the V set up. The step transformer splits the a/c down from 230v to 115v max and he uses the balance transformer to split and increase the cable wire size to lower voltage drops. If you have any questions he can go into more detail when he gets home. No filtering, except the V B/AC is used to filter the transformers.

Each main component (HTPC, Media Server, DAC, LCD TV) is filtered with a Plasma cord. The satellite receiver is powered by our SR Jr. power cord and the HTPC external hard drives are powered with our Reference cord. He custom built two a/c boxes with the V locking connector to make it easy to run minimal cabling to the hard drive section (total of 10 external drives, router, and network switch).

All cabling now includes our new Reference interconnect and speaker series. We use Ray Kimber's USB cable for all the computer connections.

Additional PE arrangements are used on all non-audio/video circuits. Additional Pro Customs are used to add a/v filtering in each bedroom (2) and the classroom (1).

Paul_Bui · « **Reply #505 on:** 18 May 2008, 03:47 pm »

Jen, how would I add a Surge Interrupter in the Pro Custom chain? I guess I would plug the V Pro AC plug into the Surge Interrupter instead of the wall.

michaelv · « **Reply #506 on:** 18 May 2008, 03:51 pm »

In my case, bass is way better than before adding PE V pro/custom. However, it may be that my ht room which 2 PEs, 1 PE IV , Choke 193L that is in different circuit , but in the same phase with my 2 channels room.

Talking about video, I am more than happy so that i don't dare to adjust anything in video circuit anymore. I have ordered two reference one filters and i hope it will increase the good more

I will use Reference One mainly for the plasma. This is in different circuit too.

JenMaher · « **Reply #507 on:** 18 May 2008, 05:30 pm »

The main power cord for the V will plug into the surge unit. The surge unit comes with a 18" jumper of the same cable quality to link the surge to the Pro Custom filter. We use the same jumper to link all our V's together.

Michael-
The bass difference between the two filters is the Hammond option you decided to order. Paul does not have the Hammond option on his filter. The choke helps to maintain a more solid bass response. Paul might want to try installing all the components into the power strip and experiment with different choke models to see if he can increase and firm up the bass output of the system.

Paul_Bui · « **Reply #508 on:** 20 May 2008, 09:18 pm »

Thanks Jen.

I replaced more stock Leviton receptacles with HBL5262s (10) yesterday, and one simplex in garage with an HBL5261 today. A Ref One has been moved to only duplex in attic. Nice improvements can be easily heard: details pop up from left and right channels with startling clarity, tight bass, more transparent soundstage.

michaelv · « **Reply #509 on:** 22 May 2008, 06:12 pm »

My PE V custom/pro is fully break-in now. The sound is awesome, bass, mid, high... you name it. Some of the CDs i've rarely heard before, now i must accept that the cd is so good since i can hear much of details from the recording.

Anyway, i include link to the pic of PE V pro/custom http://cgim.audiogon.com/i/vs/s/f/1211479059.jpg

thanks.

JenMaher · « **Reply #510 on:** 24 May 2008, 07:39 am »

Michael-
Report back after 30, 60, and 90 days and see if you still feel the same about the unit being settled after a few weeks. I bet the unit continues to refine over the next couple of months. The PE V Pro Custom, Plasma power cord, and Studio Reference v2 power cord is the gift that keeps on giving.

If you think this is cool just wait to you try the Studio Reference interconnects. The Studio Reference isolate the circuit (say bye bye to ground loop problems), actively lower the noise floor (-21db per channel), and electrically charge the circuit for additional passive filtering using our Reference One design (dc to 10GHz). These are going to quickly become one of the best interconnects ever released. I think he will have them ready for special order in July. It is available in XLR and RCA (price: $530.00).

I will be out of town for most of next week, so don't think I'm ignoring your emails, I just won't have the available time to chit chat until I get home on Thursday. Keep up the product reports.

Have a safe holiday weekend.

Paul_Bui · « **Reply #511 on:** 24 May 2008, 01:54 pm »

My next will be SR2.

At this 30 day point, music is flowing from speakers pleasantly: vocals sweet like honey floating over sledgehammer like bass and detailed fluid highs. It's so tempting to keep turn up the volume, because the louder the better it sounds.

JenMaher · « **Reply #512 on:** 24 May 2008, 07:22 pm »

Paul-
I still have to update the web site for the new v2 information. The page has the Master information and pricing. I just took a picture this morning of the cable, I will try to update the page info next weekend.

After the v2 purchase you should really consider the SR interconnects. Alan is also working on a speaker cable design to compliment the interconnect, the interconnect is very cool.

HumanMedia · « **Reply #513 on:** 25 May 2008, 03:01 am »

Any chance of putting a text label next to each image of the PEVs on the site, so that its easy to tell which is which?

Thanks

kbuzz3 · « **Reply #514 on:** 25 May 2008, 03:08 am »

i agree, sites a bit confusing

JenMaher · « **Reply #515 on:** 25 May 2008, 10:08 am »

What do you find confusing? I'm not a web master so any tips you can offer would be helpful.

Carl-
I put the text in but it throws the page off. There is only so much I can do with the Microsoft offering. We would like to keep this type of stuff as low budget as possible to be able to pass the part quality and savings on to the customer.

kbuzz3 · « **Reply #516 on:** 25 May 2008, 03:36 pm »

sorry i was not clear. To me, it tough to tell from the pages with the multiple pictures what product is what. While the PEs 1-5 each have pics, i cant really tell what other products line up to their name. for example, which product is the "power strip"? What is the plasma cord?

HumanMedia · « **Reply #517 on:** 26 May 2008, 02:57 am »

Exactly. If attaching actual text to the graphic is tricky, then maybe you could put the text description in the graphic itself.

Paul_Bui · « **Reply #518 on:** 26 May 2008, 07:21 pm »

After re-reading page #7 of this thread (back inNovember 7, 2007), Alan's message, "All wiring must be installed in the bottom screws if you want to achieve series filtering." got me realize that most of my receptacles had been installed incorrectly, neutral wire went to upper screw while hot wire lower screw. For the last few days I have been re-installing the new better receptables (HBL5262, HBL8200, FIM), a total of over 30 duplexes. The sound seems to take another notch or two toward more clarity and dynamics.

JenMaher · « **Reply #519 on:** 28 May 2008, 09:57 pm »

Correct wire orientation can make all the difference when tuning a circuit using the PE method.