General Asylum: REVIEW: Monster Cable HTS 1000 Power Conditioner/Surge Protector by Jules

I live in an apartment in the city, so let me start off with that. I have a
Marantz cd5000 to an msb link dac, to a Carver integrated to Infinity qe
bookshelf speakers.
The HTS1000 made a huge improvement. I think the horrible outlets in my apartment with all the rf interference of the city coupled with the flourescent lights and halogen lamps most all apartments have (I'm talking me as well as everyone else in the building) was really keeping me from appreciating my DAC and transport.

My soundstage was still muddy, even after the link dac. In a/b tests when I first bought the dac, I could discern a better soundstage and more air in the instruments, but everything was still bunched together. The hts1000
really spread out each instrument so it could be heard clearly. Everything had more focus, the soundstage focused in to a smaller area instead of being hazy as it was before. The biggest improvement however was the increase of dynamics which really made everything sound more lifelike. I also noticed a more refined mid-range, more accurate bass and less upper brightness.

I first listened to Money Jungle because of the piano's midrange and bass which I thought would easily exhibit any of the improvements the unit was supposed to make. The piano was much clearer and when Duke banged on the keys, due to the dynamics, it was really evident as the notes just jumped out at you. The bass was much clearer and less hazy, which I appreciated as well. I've since listened to about 15 other albums, some pop, some jazz and continue to be impressed.

I could write a longer review, but much has been said about the unit already. To Summarize, it lifted a veil I hadn't known was there, focused the sounstage, increased dynamic range, midrange and bass clarity and removed some upper brightness while still increasing the frequency range slightly. I would recommend it to anyone who lives in an apartment, or the city, especially those with a DAC and cd player. It really helped my system attain its full potential.

REVIEW: Monster Cable HTS 1000 Power Conditioner/Surge Protector Review by Jules at Audio Asylum