Boxa Posted June 23, 2021 Share Posted June 23, 2021 Hi Guys, Just chasing opinions (either positive or negative) on using one of these Power conditioners. I've read recently that you should plug your amp into the unfiltered outlet of the power board to avoid it hindering dynamics? Any other thoughts? Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
44maloo Posted June 25, 2021 Share Posted June 25, 2021 I had a Krell power amp and plugged into this about 10 years ago and destroyed the sound. Amps to wall works best for me. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boxa Posted June 25, 2021 Author Share Posted June 25, 2021 10 minutes ago, 44maloo said: I had a Krell power amp and plugged into this about 10 years ago and destroyed the sound. Amps to wall works best for me. Thanks for feedback mate. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aechmea Posted June 25, 2021 Share Posted June 25, 2021 The collective wisdom is that devices needing reasonable quantities of current in a reduced time frame (ie power amps) do better plugged into the wall. The manufacturer of my power amp says plug it directly into the wall; but he is in the USA so things power related may be different there. These days all of my stuff is just plugged into the wall. There should be no problem with source devices, pre amps etc. which, I should imagine, have a steady current draw. I used to have a Thor, but to be honest I didn't notice any difference for the brief time that I had a power amp plugged into it; it never even illuminated the "amp" light (2 amp??). The Thor self-destructed after about 10 years. I don't miss it; bit of a shoulder shrug really. The one thing that the Thor did do was to save the system (at various times) from a dropped phase, a street transformer explosion and consistent very low and fluctuating voltage coming in from the street. My street has shiny new transformers now. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doogie44 Posted June 26, 2021 Share Posted June 26, 2021 On 25/06/2021 at 11:43 AM, aechmea said: The one thing that the Thor did do was to save the system (at various times) from a dropped phase, a street transformer explosion and consistent very low and fluctuating voltage coming in from the street. My street has shiny new transformers now. My experience too. I have plugged different amps into the wall OR into the Thor. I didn't notice much difference. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gibbo9000 Posted June 26, 2021 Share Posted June 26, 2021 The collective wisdom is as set out above. In my active setup I have moved between Thor and direct (and also its smart power board) and can't tell any significant difference. Just note the Thor itself has servo driven voltage adjustment so does make some noise - so mine got banished to a different room with power cables through the wall. Gibbo 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyr Posted June 26, 2021 Share Posted June 26, 2021 9 hours ago, doogie44 said: I have plugged different amps into the wall OR into the Thor. I didn't notice much difference. That means it's doing its job - which is to: keep the output voltage going to your components, constant. and not limiting the current flow. Which says to me that, for safety's sake, you should continue to use the Thor to power your hifi. However, don't use the Thor power board - these are known to reduce SQ. (However, what else to use is problematic! I can suggest I build you a "distribution box" - aka a Kambrook but a. built more ruggedly, with as many mains output sockets as you desire (subject to the 10a total limit) and b. without any filtering. However, this would not be cheap.) Andy 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginman Posted June 28, 2021 Share Posted June 28, 2021 I have my Krell Vanguard integrated amp plugged into the unfiltered plug of the Thor power board supplied with the PS10. I also tried the plugging the Krell into the wall too. Never noticed any change in dynamics. For me, the biggest difference is in the hum produced by the large toroidal transformer in the amp. Without the PS10, the hum is audible from my sitting position but with the PS10, the hum is barely audible. At first, I thought it was DC but after adding the Holton DC blocker to my system, this did not reduce the hum. So for me, I have no issue with my amp plugged into the unfiltered plug of the power board with the PS10 as it has quieted the hum without any apparent loss of dynamic details for me. It seems my Krell is sensitive to the voltage variation. My PS10 is set to 240v and according to the PS10, the raw voltage does vary from 235v to 255v but generally is about 246v. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikk Posted July 15, 2021 Share Posted July 15, 2021 I had a Thor PS10 for a short while, and sold it within a few weeks. It reduced the sound quality of everything going through it, although as Andyr states, the power board seemed responsible for a lot of this. I also took exception to their lack of specifications for the unit, and their claim of providing a ‘pure/pristine sine wave’ even though the small print states that the outgoing THD is the same as the incoming THD. Unless you are trying to solve a particular power problem (ie, under/over voltage etc) I’d avoid this one, personally. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikk Posted July 19, 2021 Share Posted July 19, 2021 @andyr With regards to your suggestion to build a power board to suit the Thor, might I suggest that this power board would be a good starting point for someone suitably skilled/qualified to make a few minor changes? https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/294254385746 https://powerquality.eaton.com/australia/products-services/surge-protection/au-sf8rm.asp?act=smtc&id=&key=&Quest_user_id=&leadg_Q_QRequired=&site=&menu=&cx=22&x=10&y=4 It's an 8 way PDU that features surge protection & noise filtering. As such, it's still not great for power amps, though it would be very simple to bypass/remove the surge/filter inside and have a straight power board. The outlets are all individually wired (ie, don't use flimsy busbars) and the enclosure quality is outstanding. The power outlets themselves are PW1-0W items the same as this https://www.wagneronline.com.au/mains-panel-gpo-socket/power-240vac/power-lighting/pw1-0w-35241/973869/pd/ but still easily upgradeable/changeable if needed. Better still, and probably for use without the Thor, some wiring changes inside will allow the power outlets to be split as required- ie, 6 outlets using the surge/filtering protection, and 2 outlets fed directly. Alternatively, Schaffner filters should also fit within the unit enabling any degree of custom filtering. Just thought it worth adding this info to the thread in order to be constructive rather than just bashing the Thor! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyr Posted July 19, 2021 Share Posted July 19, 2021 27 minutes ago, mikk said: @andyr With regards to your suggestion to build a power board to suit the Thor, might I suggest that this power board would be a good starting point for someone suitably skilled/qualified to make a few minor changes? https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/294254385746 https://powerquality.eaton.com/australia/products-services/surge-protection/au-sf8rm.asp?act=smtc&id=&key=&Quest_user_id=&leadg_Q_QRequired=&site=&menu=&cx=22&x=10&y=4 It's an 8 way PDU that features surge protection & noise filtering. As such, it's still not great for power amps, though it would be very simple to bypass/remove the surge/filter inside and have a straight power board. A very excellent device, mikk. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lumholtzii Posted July 20, 2021 Share Posted July 20, 2021 For a while I tried out 2 x rack mounted pdus similar to those linked by @mikk - they were different brands, both unfiltered but had surge protectors fitted. One of them was this one. https://www.i-tech.com.au/1ru-6-way-gpo-rack-mount-pdu-power-rail-pdu-6whgpo-10a.html I also noticed that they sounded different to each other. I checked out the insides of both and they were similar build quality / wiring but different sockets .... I guessed that was underlying difference for the sound. I then took a punt and bought a Consonance PW3 unfiltered pdu although I was a little wary that the universal sockets were were not going to provide enough contact / grip. I needn't of worried as there was plenty of grip, perhaps more than normal and a big improvement in SQ. Sure it was twice the price of a rackmounted pdu but I thought was worth it and I could use my own input cable https://www.osbornloudspeakers.com.au/power-boards YMMV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikk Posted July 20, 2021 Share Posted July 20, 2021 13 hours ago, lumholtzii said: For a while I tried out 2 x rack mounted pdus similar to those linked by @mikk - they were different brands, both unfiltered but had surge protectors fitted. One of them was this one. https://www.i-tech.com.au/1ru-6-way-gpo-rack-mount-pdu-power-rail-pdu-6whgpo-10a.html I also noticed that they sounded different to each other. I checked out the insides of both and they were similar build quality / wiring but different sockets .... I guessed that was underlying difference for the sound. I then took a punt and bought a Consonance PW3 unfiltered pdu although I was a little wary that the universal sockets were were not going to provide enough contact / grip. I needn't of worried as there was plenty of grip, perhaps more than normal and a big improvement in SQ. Sure it was twice the price of a rackmounted pdu but I thought was worth it and I could use my own input cable https://www.osbornloudspeakers.com.au/power-boards YMMV Don’t suppose you took any photos of the insides of your power boards for posterity?! I haven’t seen many of the moulded plastic power boards to have much quality inside, though I think Eichmann might have sold a decent (rebranded) one some time ago. Metal enclosure with individually wired outlets seems a reasonable expectation for any manufacturer asking for higher prices... Photos show the insides of the Eaton unit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lumholtzii Posted July 21, 2021 Share Posted July 21, 2021 9 minutes ago, mikk said: Don’t suppose you took any photos of the insides of your power boards for posterity?! I haven’t seen many of the moulded plastic power boards to have much quality inside, though I think Eichmann might have sold a decent (rebranded) one some time ago. Metal enclosure with individually wired outlets seems a reasonable expectation for any manufacturer asking for higher prices... Photos show the insides of the Eaton unit. I didn't, sorry at the time but they sitting right behind my covid office desk ..... one of these days I'll get around to selling them ! How about some displacement behaviour rather than writing that report !! So I've opened one up for you. Similar guaged wiring with the active going via the surge protector and then daisy chained along to each socket. A really tight fit inside an aluminium housing. The top is the sockets on a sliding rail system which look / feel pretty low grade. ... but hey they work. The Eaton that you've shown looks much better. ... i hope that helps. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikk Posted July 21, 2021 Share Posted July 21, 2021 Thanks for that. I’m always curious to see the difference between different parts like these. I’ve attached some more photos for anyone curious as to the internals of the Eaton... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boxa Posted July 23, 2021 Author Share Posted July 23, 2021 Thanks to everyone for providing feedback/advice, much appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathon L Posted November 9, 2021 Share Posted November 9, 2021 I mentioned the Thor PS10 to an electrician and the issue of power variations affecting hi fi performance. He suggested a 'double conversion (online') UPS ( eg https://www.cyberpowersystems.com/blog/how-does-a-ups-work/) could help. Does anyone have any experience of these devices and understand how they differ from the many HiFi 'power conditioners' on the market? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Assisi Posted November 10, 2021 Share Posted November 10, 2021 It is my understanding that the Thor is produced in WA. That state supposedly has a reputation for the worst "quality" power in Australia. Maybe there is reason for the Thor. In terms of power quality in the past there were many posts on SNA that said that the east coast power had no issues. I have pursued the matter of power treatment over some years. I have in that time spoken to several people regarding power quality. The responses have been that the quality of the east coast power is not too good either. So treatment is an option. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doogie44 Posted November 10, 2021 Share Posted November 10, 2021 One thing the THOR will do immediately is show you on the display what 'standard' voltage is coming in to your equipment, before the THOR converts it to 230-240V. Get ready for some numbers that might turn your hair grey! No wonder some kitchen gear is fried overnight, tubes suddenly give up the ghost, or that the house lights pulsate or that the TV crackles unmercifully...it's a miracle that some things can work at all, in my opinion. Peace of mind in these cases won't be simple. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Full Range Posted November 10, 2021 Share Posted November 10, 2021 On 23/6/21 at 11:46 AM, Boxa said: Hi Guys, Just chasing opinions (either positive or negative) on using one of these Power conditioners. I've read recently that you should plug your amp into the unfiltered outlet of the power board to avoid it hindering dynamics? Any other thoughts? Cheers I have a Thor PS10 Recently it has developed a fault and is now unplugged Because you are in Brisbane If you want to have it repaired - Then I’m happy to pass it forward and give it to you for free Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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