[Big Red Machine]

This is exactly what I have done (although for other reasons which aren't yet realized). I also would recommend this to the OP.

Long sold that unit off.  A tad too artificial in its audio supercharging and it did not reduce noise for me.  It was a very exciting unit to play with but not one I could live with.  Very happy with the BPT unit and maybe next year I'll have Dave make me a super-UberBuss!

[tarquineous]

Long sold that unit off.  A tad too artificial in its audio supercharging and it did not reduce noise for me.  It was a very exciting unit to play with but not one I could live with.  Very happy with the BPT unit and maybe next year I'll have Dave make me a super-UberBuss!

I would not sell my Powercell 10SE, because it affects some components unlike any of the other PLCs. But I do agree with you, based on the effect used on some of my components, that it "supercharges", and may not be what is needed, or desired. I would suggest get one of the smaller Powercells, and try it after the BPT, on each component.

I learned a long time ago that one type of PLC, or power cord, is not best for all components. That route is for the more naive audiophiles. Big transformers like BPT, Torus, Equitech, R. Grey, are an exception, but I hardly consider them a PLC.

If you get another UberBuss, please insist that PI Group uses premium parts. I got an earlier one that had defective Furutech duplexes. They had very little spring tension to hold the plugs, and would arc. Replacing with better duplexes solved the problem. It was a fault of Furutech, and not noticed by PI Group.

Other than that, the UberBuss is fine sounding product! 

[jtwrace]

maybe next year I'll have Dave make me a super-UberBuss!

Umm.  I've got just the unit for you!   

[ctviggen]

Yes, dedicated lines are connected "together" at the breaker panel, but there are ways to further isolate the circuits by placing them on the opposite phase from refrigerators, washer/dryer, AC, etc. etc. The only way that a piece of gear would be more isolated would be via the use of an isolation transformer, but you still (unless I've been misinformed) have an ultimate connection to the panel via the neutral connection.

Regardless of AC line conditioners/filters, whole house surge protection, isolation transformers, or other noise-reducing schemes, we are still at the mercy of the supply transformers in our neighborhoods. Some have it better than others if they live in a rural area with few end users, but we're still talking about relative noise reduction rather than true isolation.  There are the lucky few, however, that don't share a supply transformer with any neighbor, but how many of them are audiophiles concerned with dedicated circuits and common mode or differential mode noise reduction?

My advice remains for the original poster....buy another Powercell 4, and separate his digital gear from his analog gear.  It's not a perfect world.

Well, you really can't separate your audio gear from all other gear without some type of transformer, because there's 240V equipment that uses both phases.  I have my equipment on an isolated ground system in metal conduit, but this still only protects from noise from the panel to my system.  Now, if you had a transformer and used the correct wiring, you could get noise reduction for common-modes.  That would be great, but expensive. 

[Occam]

Well, you really can't separate your audio gear from all other gear without some type of transformer, because there's 240V equipment that uses both phases.  I have my equipment on an isolated ground system in metal conduit, but this still only protects from noise from the panel to my system.  Now, if you had a transformer and used the correct wiring, you could get noise reduction for common-modes.  That would be great, but expensive.

Series impedance elements, typically an inductor, also provides isolation, quite effectively. Used with appropriate parallel capacitive elements, you've got yourself a multipole low pass filter.

[tarquineous]

I recently installed a Richard Grey Substation with very good results. I have the Powercell 10 SE plugged into the Uberbuss, which is plugged into the Substation. Best sound I have heard so far out of my system.
What it did was bring low level information into better clarity and discernability. Did lots of testing, but did not try it without the Uberbuss.

The regenerators I have here, sound a little better straight into the Substation rather than into the Powercell. But that's consistent with what I have found in the past with regenerators. They perform best without extra in line filters. The Substation of course is not a filter, it is a balanced transformer. Neither is the Powercell by itself, but I did not here any improvement by plugging one of the regenerators into the Powercell.

These tests were done using 120 volts into the Substation. 240 volts in, usually gives better performance, so I will be trying that soon.

As a note, I tried two Bybee AC products in quite a few positions during the tests, and I did not prefer the sonics with them in the AC route. The possible exception is before the regenerators, but there were negatives as well as some positives.

[dBe]

I would not sell my Powercell 10SE, because it affects some components unlike any of the other PLCs. But I do agree with you, based on the effect used on some of my components, that it "supercharges", and may not be what is needed, or desired. I would suggest get one of the smaller Powercells, and try it after the BPT, on each component.

I learned a long time ago that one type of PLC, or power cord, is not best for all components. That route is for the more naive audiophiles. Big transformers like BPT, Torus, Equitech, R. Grey, are an exception, but I hardly consider them a PLC.

If you get another UberBuss, please insist that PI Group uses premium parts. I got an earlier one that had defective Furutech duplexes. They had very little spring tension to hold the plugs, and would arc. Replacing with better duplexes solved the problem. It was a fault of Furutech, and not noticed by PI Group.

Other than that, the UberBuss is fine sounding product!

Yeah, that was a bummer on the Furutech.  It turned out that they made a run of improperly heat treated contacts and you were unfortunate enough to get receptacles from that run... me, too 

The new Furutech N-1 receptacles have a bodacious grip on blades and the overall quality of Furutech is topnotch.  Sorry you went through the hassle of iffy product.  It's that whole imperfect world scenario, I guess.

Dave

[tarquineous]

I'd like everyone to know you took care of the problem right away. Excellent customer service !

Earlier today, coincidentally, I took apart an Oyaide duplex for the same reason; loose tension. The Oyaides can be taken apart with a screw in the back, unlike most of the other brands. I was able to bend the metal prongs, so that they are tight now. Never though I would be messing with outlets like this, but yes, not a perfect world.

This leads to today's listening test. I had replaced the faulty Furutechs with a PS Audio Primere duplex and a Synergistic Teslaplex, in the UberBuss. Trying the Powercell into each one and listening, revealed my preference for the PS Audio duplex. The Teslaplex was just a little mellowed and veiled by comparison.

Now's the question: Would zapping the PS Audio outlet with 2 million volts improve it ??

[rw@cn]

Yeah, that was a bummer on the Furutech.  It turned out that they made a run of improperly heat treated contacts and you were unfortunate enough to get receptacles from that run... me, too 

The new Furutech N-1 receptacles have a bodacious grip on blades and the overall quality of Furutech is topnotch.  Sorry you went through the hassle of iffy product.  It's that whole imperfect world scenario, I guess.

Dave

Dave,

How did you resolve this problem for the folks that bought your products with the bad Furutechs installed?

rw

[jtwrace]

Dave,

How did you resolve this problem for the folks that bought your products with the bad Furutechs installed?

rw

Knowing Dave he replaced them.   

[dBe]

Dave,

How did you resolve this problem for the folks that bought your products with the bad Furutechs installed?

rw

Jason is correct.  I replaced them no question.  All of my gear has a lifetime guarantee for parts and workmanship.  Running over them with a car "might" void the warrantee if the case cracked.

An interesting note about the older Furutech receptacles.  They were relatively low tension to avoid galling the gold plating on Edison plug blades of their products.  The idea was to use close fitting highly polished surfaces instead of high tension to make the connection.  The problem came about when the older receptacles were used with unpolished blades.  They could arc.  The part I really didn't like was that heavy cables would not stay inserted.

I'll try to dig up the pictures of electrical connections under high magnification that I think I have around here.  They were on a HDD that died.  I'll try to get the data off.  A regular receptacle/plug combo looks like a high intensity electrical storm.  Polished connectors have a purple coronal glow around the mating surface - quite a difference.

Dave


Dave

[rw@cn]

Thanks for the information.

[tarquineous]

That seems to be an elusive goal for AC plugs, but nonetheless, another factor in sound quality.

Gutwire makes a wall plate named The Lock, which clamps onto the cord plug. A very good idea, but their product is very expensive... like $700.00 !

Here is some pictures:

http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/gutwire4/hero_cant.jpg

[dBe]

That seems to be an elusive goal for AC plugs, but nonetheless, another factor in sound quality.

Gutwire makes a wall plate named The Lock, which clamps onto the cord plug. A very good idea, but their product is very expensive... like $700.00 !

Here is some pictures:

http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/gutwire4/hero_cant.jpg

Call me crazy, but I'm seeing Medex or MDF stack glued and drilled with forstner bit and then epoxied on top of a stainless steel receptacle cover for a whole helluva lot less than $700.00.  You could glue ERS cloth inside the hole to make a friction fit for the plug body, too... or set screws.

Don't get me wrong.  As an independent businessman in tha audio fiel I am all about someone making a buck, but $700.00???   

Dave

[dBe]

Call me crazy, but I'm seeing Medex or MDF stack glued and drilled with forstner bit and then epoxied on top of a stainless steel receptacle cover for a whole helluva lot less than $700.00.  You could glue ERS cloth inside the hole to make a friction fit for the plug body, too... or set screws.

Don't get me wrong.  As an independent businessman in tha audio field I am all about someone making a buck, but $700.00???   

Dave

[tarquineous]

Yes, that's why I said it was a good idea (what it does). Not a good idea to buy one, unless a person is wondering how to spend a large inheritance.