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I recently bought three of these Power Enhancers from Alan Maher and I'm amazed at how these are working to clean the AC. I live in a rental home, (temporarily, I hope) so I'm having to work with non-dedicated lines. For the last year or so, I have been going through a tweaking of my system by replacing cheap outlets to better quality ones, trying out different interconnects and power cords, fine-tuning my room acoustics, to get that last nth degree of subtleness, transparency and palpability from my system and I thought that I had gotten my system to sound the best that it could without getting dedicated lines,etc. I started thinking about how I had read that no matter how good the components in your system are, if you don't address the AC you are missing out on so much better sound. A few years ago, I went through a variety of power conditioners, filters, and surge suppressors, and I never was satisfied with them in my system. They seemed to either add or subtract( more subtraction) and out they came, so I was convinced that straight into the wall for all components was the best way for me. Then, on a whim, I decided to try out one of these inexpensive( $75.00) Power Enhancers and I've been very much pleased with the results. The simple addition of just one of these units was the equivalent or more of any tweak or upgraded outlet or cable. What really surprised me the most was that dynamics have actually increased for me, something I wasn't prepared for and a welcome addition to my listening pleasure. I'm no technician, so I'm still not quite sure what these power enhancers are doing to the line( I've read Alan's technical explanations, but it goes over my head), but I have actually been able to reduce my preamp volume control, yet I'm getting a perceived increase in both volume and dynamics, both micro and macro. I have since added one more PE to my main system and a final third to my bedroom system on the other side of the wall. It seems that the two only at this point in my main system have enough attributes to reach that point of diminishing return for me. I just have to say that this little walwart has turned out to be not only one of the most cost-effective tweaks for my system but a necessary component that will remain in my system for now.
Follow Ups:
hello, i have a pe on order and already know which outlet in my room that will benefit the most. has anyone used other noise devices in conjunction with the pe? i was thinking abut some audioprism quietline filters @$34.99 ea. to go along with the pe.
I have a PE (Special Edition), and I am wondering if anyone can comment on how the Power Enhancer compares to the Power Enhancer II?
In my system and on the A/V circuit (which is a dedicated line) I have one PE-II, one PE-III and six PEs. The PEs I have are not the SE. As I understand from Alan, the SE is going to be a tad warmer for audio and video then the PE. The PE-II I have plugged in the circuit after all the audio gear. To my ears, the PE-II extends (not add hash) the hf a bit more then the PE, which makes the PE-II effect/tilt the system about 1/4 - 1/2 a notch toward the neutral side. At the same time, I also experienced a bit more inner depth or detail in the hf, especially with higher resolution source material. I have not experienced the SE version of the PE, but from what Alan has shared with me, if I were to guess, an SE PE should work well with a PE-II.
Chris
cdc - What is the 3. I haven't seen it listed. Thanks Paul
I have a lot of Alan's products and creations. I have had the PE-III for about 2 1/2 or so weeks. As Alan mentioned, I am beta testing the PE-III. What is interesting is I have the PE-III plugged into a Furutech FP-20 Gold outlet that is filtered with a PE and a choke (actually the 193L is star clustered with 3 other 193Ls).
I will have to wait another 3 weeks to confirm this but...it really does seem that the following products work extremely well together: PE, PE-II, PE-III, 193L chokes, Shakti Stone and On-Lines (28 in the system so far), Studio Reference Power cords and QuickSilver Gold contact enhancer. More settling in and tweaking of the above is required but all is looking extremely good.
Chris
The PE II has 5 wide band filters installed, and the PE III, which is more expensive, only has 4 wide band filters installed. Seems like it should be the other way around. Any thoughts on this?
------------------------
Recovering Audiophile
Born again music lover.
Very simple answer, 14k gold wiring costs a lot more than 4N silver. The gold wire offers new dimensions to the tonal quality of the PE series.
Best,
Jen Maher
The PE III is out for beta testing....
Alan
Sherod,
Interesting. I had the same results with two dedicated outlets. What is really interesting to me is the improvement to the equi=tech balanced power unit I use for my digital source only. I plugged one PE into the equi=tech, using the outlet (specifically for digital) that my source is plugged into. Balanced power works very well for the midrange and HF but both the HF and LF improved with the PE plugged into the unit itself. The midrange seems to have become a bit more natural too.
Some HF hash was causing listening fatigue and the PEs eliminated the problem. I'm listening to LOTS of music lately. Worth every penny.
P
I started with one and it was excellent. I would echo the comments in these other posts.
Decided to add two more and it enhanced the positive effects even more.
I have a dedicated line and also use higher end Furutech and P&S outlets on the circuit.
They do take a week or so to settle in and I have noticed there is a reorganizing of sorts that occurs when new cables or components are changed.
Definitely works on a systemic level.
This is an excellent product.
I agree, for the money they are a must try. Curious, when you received the PEs from Alan, did you polish the contacts before installing them?
Every PE that I have installed I polished the contacts first. I used ProGold 100% solution with polishing (00 or 000) steel wool. Then I will re-apply the ProGold and polish with a cotton pad. The contact surface goes from a dull color to a shiny reflective mirror like finish. Alot of brownish (oxidation?) crud come off the contacts. Alan actually taught me this trick.
Polished contacts will make the PE more sensitive to contact enhancement treatment, should you want to experiment. The polished contact should also allow the PE to work better and delay oxidation. I must say though, I have not tried installing a PE without polishing the contacts first. My experience is that the cleaner the contact, the better the connection.
Peace out...
Chris
I just ordered a couple more PE. I think it has got to be at the top of the list for biggest bang for the $$$.
I didn't polish the contacts on the first one, but will try this when I get the new ones. Need to buy some more Pro gold, I was wondering how long that little tube would last, goes along way..
...
Chris,
I didn't polish the contacts as you did, but I did clean them thoroughly with some Caig De-oxit Gold followed by another cleaning with Caig R5 contact enhancer. Once I get the full measure of these PE's after a couple of weeks or so, I might take them out and polish them as you suggest and then apply a thin coat of Xtreme Gold contact enhancer. I dread going through the week's circuit break-in again( even though it is minor), so I'm thoroughly enjoying them as they are for now. I'm still amazed at how important it is to clean the AC. Lowering the noise floor,etc. is amazing when it comes down to hearing those small microdynamics,etc.
Yes, interesting isn't it. I have been aiming at getting as much at the AC done correctly and then moving upstream. The better the AC gets, the more sensitive my system gets when tweaking the rest of the system.
I agree the break-in for the PE is no fun. Wait until you polish the contacts on one of the PEs, I think you will go back and polish the others. I wish I would have compared a PE with and without polished contacts. But it just did not make any sense to me to install the PE without polishing it first. Please post or email me with your findings if you do compare a PE with and without polished contacts. I would love to know the difference.
Chris
...I am presently evaluating some new power cords and they still have another week or so to break-in. Once I get the full measure of these new cords, I'll pull the one PE and give them a good polish and we'll see what differences there are after the circuit re-breaks in.
...
Will do. You might have to remind me...old age, you know.
I think we all suffer from a little C.R.S from time to time :-)
Keep me posted I would be intestered in your QSG treatment results so I can compare them with mine. Brian makes a fantastic product.
Alan
I have his QSG on all my power cords, interconnects and speaker cables, and it has raised the sound another level. The QSG takes as long or longer to break-in than Alan's PE. Initially, the sound of QSG is a reduction in volume and dynamics with shreeky highs and bloated bass. After a few days, though, it all comes back into focus but will improve even more so after a week. The PE's are the only units that need the QSG in my system.
I use the QSG on the power cords, as you know, and I find it continues to improve 3 to 4 weeks later. In my set up the improvements are small after the first 12 to 14 days, but I can still hear continued improvement weeks later...great stuff.
Alan
I will be adding a polishing technique to the tweaks section on the web site very soon. I wanted to do it earlier, but I ran out of #0000 steel wool and just got around to ordering it this morning. Hopefully it will arrive before I go out on the road at the end of the month.
Alan
Sherod, et al,
Sherod, you hit all of the main points of the PE's effects. I like them quite a bit.... no sonic negatives that I've been able to discern yet. The difference in my system was immediate and after about 5-7 days things just got better. I'll probably buy some more PEs (2-more, maybe?) when my wallet grows fat enough once again. Presently I own 2 PEs and 4-193Ls as well as 3-193Ms (Chokes are connected into the IEC end of just about each power cord). The combo seems to be very good stuff, IMHO, though I started with the chokes and then added the PEs....the chokes sounded quite good, but the "jump" in performance from just the chokes to the combo of PEs + chokes was impressive. Bang for the buck, this combo Rocks-the-Mic!
Also, Alan, I did remove the Auricaps (across L-N) after I installed the PEs ....they definitely were mucking things up after the pair of PEs joined the system (my clue was when my sat TV sounded better than CDs!?!), but w/just the chokes, the Auricaps still sounded good on the secondaries of my iso-tran feed my CDP..to my ears at least....After removing the Auris th CDP sang once again.....so anyways, you and Chris (cdc) were right! Thanks once again!
Regards,
Doug
or just an addition to the choke ( i have two connect to PLC - 2 channel only)? I am thinking of adding either more Choke or PE to the system.
Is it best to add PE a the wall outlet (Oyaide SWO-XXX) or it does not matter?
thanks.
If you like what the Hammond 193L chokes do, you will most likely appreciate what the PE will do. The PE effects the AC circuit differently then the 193L choke. The two work well together. I have ten 193Ls on my A/V circuit and fourteen PE products in my house. One PE-II, one PE-III and five PEs are on my A/V circuit and I have yet to notice any negative effects using them all together.
Chris
It depends....all circuits are wired differently. I supply a good set of instructions to help with set up. The instructions are a good tool for any kind of parallel filter, including the choke. Placing the choke in series will offer the best sound it can provide.
Alan
Howdy
I deleted all of the responses from Alan Maher on this thread since he wasn't being asked a direct question and also he was putting his URL (or email address) into each response, both being direct violations of the rules.
-Ted
It's basically what he explains in his website. From a layman's point of view, I can understand this. What boggles my mind is how this all translates into better sound, but that is what it does.I especially appreciate the fact in my system that the PE doesn't appear to leave a sonic signature, something that every conditioner or filter has added to my system:
"Jen is correct, the PE does not break in. The leakage from the PE charges the magnetic field along the length of the in wall wiring, and changes the harmonic ringing character of each duplex wired on the circuit, component power supply, etc. At the same time the PE rings to control the harmonics on the line. In some cases it cuts off the heads of peak harmonics, and in other cases it fills in the gaps of dip harmonics. In order to experience the ringing enhancement, the PE must be placed in series with the audio / video system. That means any location wired prior to the a/v system on the circuit or sub panel. Series filtering will provide a very dynamic and extended reproduction. Parallel filtering, anything wired after the system duplex or circuit, only provides CMR and RFI/EMI filtering. You loose the harmonic ringing enhancement. In parallel the PE will sound warm, lifeless in some applications, maybe subtle, or nothing at all. The Parallel application is still useful for noise rejection, but a series filter should be added to balance the harmonic ringing of that particular circuit. You might also discover the distance in a two PE application plays a small role. Think of each duplex outlet in a daisy chain as a power cord ringing node. That is exactly what the in wall wiring is, one giantic power cord. Do you remember those devices you slide on the cable back and forth to alter the ringing character? That is what you are trying to achieve with the PE. Each duplex outlet, including the system, has a different ringing frequency in the grand scheme of the electrical circuit. The PE can be used to spot test and correct the ringing frequencies if the user takes the time to test each location. The PE is no different than any other parallel device. They can all sound good if the user takes the time to test each location. Locate the outlet with the brightest sound quality on the a/v circuit or sub panel if you have a dedicated circuit. This is excellent advice for a 1 to 3 PE application. As the PE's start to increase in the home you will discover spot testing is no longer required. Each PE filter will couple to the other on the same phase and will work in concert with one another to increase S/N ratio and allow the user to dial in the ultimate PLC at the sub panel. I have clients with 25+ in their homes that continue to purchase more. The uses of the PE are unlimited if the user takes the time to tune the PE's location.
With all that said, each time you disconnect the PE from the wall you will disrupt the magnetic build up along the house wiring. Allow the PE 5 minutes to first establish the new location. Next, allow the PE 10 to 15 minutes to set up the ringing node of the circuit location. After you decide which is the brightest location on the circuit, allow the PE 4 to 5 days of a roller coaster ride of harmonic swings as the magnetic field in the wire sets up. The field will expand and collapse over that time until it becomes stable. Once the swing stops and the sound quality snaps back together, the circuit can take up to 2 weeks to refine. Everything from the size of in wall wire, to the length of the circuit, to the amount of staples used per beam to hold the wire in place will determine how long the refining process will take. Keep in mind, each staple that pushes against the wire to hold it in place is another harmonic frequency that needs to be addressed. I have never experienced anything past 2 weeks, but there is always a first time for everything."
It may have been added to the wrong part of this thread, but I am sure appreciative you posted it.
You're quite welcome. And I thank our beloved moderator Ted for allowing it to remain here.
Howdy
Not that it's a big deal, but I scold Alan for playing fast and loose with the rules and you reply with a quote from him about his product(s)?
Did you mean to post this as a response elsewhere on this thread for example?
I have no personal experience with his product and hence no opinion about them, my only point was that he needs to honor the rules.
-Ted
... I should have placed this post elsewhere in the thread. It was not directed at you. It was meant for all. I realize that you are just doing your job with the reminder to Alan about the rules. Maybe you should try a PE in your system. You'd be surprised just how much better it makes those Shunyatas sing in your system.
It has indeed done good things to my system...
I was skeptical, but willing to give it a whirl...glad I did.
Experience is a dim lamp, which only lights the one who bears it.
--Celine
Hi Sherod,
I have four PE in my system and two on the way. For my system it has decresed the overall noise floor by two to three notches. This has resulted in improvement in the transparency, the dynamic and better spread of the soundstage. Instruments, vocals all becoming more palpable. I am also using two of the sudio reference power cords which also seems to have cumulative effects. Great stuff.
Brian
that I no longer use the Running Springs Haley in my system. If you like the PEs all I can say is try a PE-IV. I just received mine a couple weeks ago and after the usual break in the noise floor is even lower than with the previous PE configuration I was using (3 on my A/V circuit and 2 more on other circuits in the house).
Dear Sherod, I just received mine today and listened to it for about an hour. It improved the separation, clarified the lyrics, improved the bass, and to "coin a phrase", heard new instruments on the discs. I'll be purchasing a few more as soon as funds permit. Worth the investment. Thank you, Alan. JKwinn
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