Scottish Mafia get together last weekend...

[Gazjam]

Get together near Glasgow last weekend with the troops.
Write up over on AOS, happy to hang around here and shoot the breeze...

http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?t=24897


Highly recommended, good fun and always good to get together with like minded bods.
Need more posts on this board - get out some more!

Gaz.

[Gazjam]

Will be able to do a comparison between power inspired 500 and an Airlink balanced transformer soon... Keep posted.
The massive improvement we heard at mine was with a DIY balanced trannie, so be an interesting one!

Don't have access to a megabucks RA one or one if the others..P10 is it?

[Dr Bunsen Honeydew]

Yes MartinT's continual shill job (probably not a real shill, but it has just gone on sooooo long) PS Audio P10, £5k of rip off IMO.

What I don't understand is why the man is so unwilling to let cheaper solutions bake-off against his overpriced Yank.

[Gazjam]

Have to take a rain check on the power unit comparison.
Have the opportunity of a Dac upgrade and its too good to miss out on.

Balanced transformer is my next upgrade, will post comparisons when I get it.

[Dr Bunsen Honeydew]

I see one of the Scottish Mafia has ordered an AG500, we (none here) have tried the comparison between AG500 and AG1500, so there is a bit of an unknown there.

But good to see the subject going up the discussion list, it should be discussed and compared more. I have always felt it was the weak link in Hi-End (for want of a better expression) Hi-Fi. Naim originally approached it with internal active power amp regulators, but that caused as many problems as it solved.

What we are talking about with all this is basically regulating the mains.

At the moment my mind is moving to balanced as probably the best solution, anyway definitely more cost effective than that PS Audio regenerator rip-off.

[Gazjam]

Cant disagree with you there Richard about importance of the mains.
Its only when you realise how crap yours are and hear the improvement a balanced transformer can make that you realise.
Haven't heard a regen unit, looking forward to hearing one.

I tell you, fitting a balanced PS in my system is the biggest obvious change to a system Ive ever heard. The rest of the troops in attendance were gomsmacked as well.
One of them ordered on e that night!

Couldn't pass up the dac upgrade though, money saved compared to money spent (after selling my Rega Dac and Vlink 192) is too good to ignore, especially as the new Dac doesn't come up for sale much.
Thinking of system upgrades in the long term, so taking a hit on the balanced transformer just now.


Would it be ok to post my ad on here Richard, just thought of that!

[Dr Bunsen Honeydew]

You are a member so that is what the room is for.

[Dr Bunsen Honeydew]

There seems to be some confusion at AoS about using a power regenerator in series with balancing transformers - no problem - but if the power regen has a phase indicator it could show phase inversions, which is no problem. Put balanced transformers first followed by power regen unit. Now I really don't know if the benefit is accumulative, perhaps your bake off can tell us.

[Gazjam]

Good tip about what goes in first, always good to try it and see what your ears tell you; but if there's a reason NOT to fit a certain way (pahse inversion) then best leave it at that.
I'll pass this on to the guys over there Richard, cheers.

Hearing a Power Insprired 500 over at Brians gaff Monday, he's as happy as a pig in brown stuff with his.
From his description though it sounds as though it does something different "overall" from what the balanced trannie does

He's took note of how much power his kit draws from the regenerator (server, valve amp, tv etc) and posted his finding.
Maybe useful info for the Power Inspired guys over on the other thread?

Interesting.
Lets see how good my aural memory is on Monday, I reckon I remember what Ali's BT did to the systems sound.

Took a short rain check on my own balanced transformer (had a chance to get a billy bargain on a Dac upgrade) so no dorect comparison coming soon, but its next on my list.

Brian's keeping his Power Inspired so it will be there for the direct comparison.
Will compare in both our systems and report back.

best
Gaz.

[Dr Bunsen Honeydew]

Well at least the subject is now being discussed, up until now it has only been Martin T trying to convince people to fork out over £5k on a PS Audio. I am not that happy with all the bullshit flying around about mains leads, and for MCRU (with MartinT's shilling) trying to sell one costing nearly £1k is beyond daft to the level of fraud and criminal. Yes mains leads can make a difference, but it is not a deal breaker it is a tweak. Hard wiring solves all these problems, but using Class 1 regs you have to use an IEC socket and if you bypass it you lose manufacturers guarantee and in theory if you sell it on you will be liable to be sued if someone gets hurt or it causes a fire or damage. Though the chances are so small it really can be dismissed. The way to legally hard wire is to change to Class 2 regs, which means double insulate everything, it is a lot easier to use a non conducting case to double insulate as there is one of the insulators already. You can also do it with anodised alluminium as the anodising is an insulator but then you mustn't use screws, the case must be glued as glues are an insulator as well.

This is what I recommend you do with your new product, but then if double insulated it is then illegal according to the regs to use an IEC socket or fuse holder as they are single insulated items. Pick a good cable and then you can forget about all this stupidity. Though just to show you how daft some people are I have had my mains leads cut a few inches from the amp and a line IEC socket inserted so they can waste their money on external leads. Some people allow themselves to be so brainwashed into sheep they don't deserve good hi-fi.