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REVIEW: Chang Lightspeed 3200 Power Conditioner/Surge Protector Review by Jeff B at Audio Asylum

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Well, the local dealer has let me try out the 3200 unit. He asked that I break it in for 72 hours before any critical listening, then give it about a week. After that, go back to what I usually do and see if I hear a difference.

Well, today, I finally switched back to my computer surge protector. "Do I notice a difference?," I asked myself. It didn't seem profound, by there seemed to be a little bit of a difference at first comparison. The CDs sounded a bit less metallic, a bit fuller. The LPs sounded like they had a bit deeper bass, but I wasn't sure. If there was a difference it was subtle.

"I'm going to have to A/B them," I said to myself. I then went and kept switching back and forth between the computer surge protector and the Chang 3200. I was using two CDs, one a rock Xmas album, and the other, an extremely well recorded Xmas Cabaret album (very intimate -- often voice, piano, and bass). For the LP comparison, I was using Vince Guaraldi's "A Charlie Brown Christmas." (And I'm Jewish!!)

In short, in spite of no filtering on the digital outlets, the background was blacker. The electric guitar had more body and cut through the air more. With the computer surge protector, the music was flatter, less dynamic. With the Cabaret CD, there was less of a noticeable difference, though the vocals seemed a bit less metallic edged, so did the piano, and the bass went a bit deeper. The improvement was most dramatic, though, with the electric guitar on the other CD.

With the LP (I just used the cut "Skating"), at first I noticed that the string bass went deeper, but then I noticed that there was more weight to the piano. The piano has more weight and was more dynamic, like I could feel the piano more. And even a piano solo which went into the mid-register, the percussive edge to the piano was more dynamic. I kept going back and forth between the two units and while the difference was relatively subtle, I found the music sounding less flat in comparison. Instruments had a teeny bit fuller body, but there was more life to them.

Anyway, interesting first exposure to power line conditioners. It definitely has me intrigued. On the other hand, there's a cost/return on investment issue here. If I had to put it quantitatively, I'd say that there was a 5 - 10% improvement. I am certainly curious to hear the 6400 ($450) as well as the Monster Cable hts-2500 (I found a dealer that sells it for $189 before shipping!). The Monster Cable does filter the digital as well as isolate it with this particular unit (the highly reviewed hts-2000 does not isolate the digital nor filter it separately while the hts-2500 has a separate digital section and a separate set of filters for the digital section).

One last thing. Just for the heck of it, I plugged the TV into one of the analogue outlets. Sure enough, colors were a bit more vivid and the blacks were more black. This latter aspect I noticed between commercials when there is that second of blank screen. Interesting.


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Topic - REVIEW: Chang Lightspeed 3200 Power Conditioner/Surge Protector Review by Jeff B at Audio Asylum - Jeff B 12:50:59 12/29/99 ( 3)