Scottish Mafia get together last weekend...

[Sovereign]

I have borrowed Jerry's 1500BPS and last night was the first chance I had to listen to any possible differences it would make. I already have the Power Inspired AG1500, the AG 1500 made a good and beneficial improvement to the sound of my hifi, as the mains to my hifi was now 'clean' and a constant 230v I was not expecting much from the BPS.
Using normal T&E I hardwired the BPS to the ring main, again with T&E I wired the BPS to the AG1500, after the AG1500 is my hifi.
At about 11:00 last night I sat down with a familiar jazz album and hit play. I would say the difference was fairly substantial, contrary to my expectations. The first thing I noticed was a bigger and much tighter bass performance, timing was better and everything had a lot more impact and weight to it. Acoustic guitars had more body and substance and the whole musical performance has better speed, weight, timing and impact.
I left it there, I didn't manage to try putting the BPS after the AG1500, I was enjoying myself too much last night.

[Dr Bunsen Honeydew]

I am seriously considering building in balanced mains transformers into the PSU box of Statement amps.

[Gazjam]

You should mate, at least see what the fuss is about.
Thing is that depending on the KVA rating you need, the transformers can get pretty big.
I've heard both power regen and balanced mains in my system and balanced mains is the real deal imo.

As you say there are different things that can bring there own improvements, but not like this can.
I'm expecting better again actually when I install my hard wired unit.
(No wanky cable used either, just solid no brand name 6mm x2 copper )

The whole mains thing we've been doing up north has really hit home to me just how much mains quality is overlooked.
My mains is crap, so i wonder if in my own system I have a clear view on how effective different methods of mains cleaning can be.

Good point was raised over on AOS and i agree 100% than mains is the "fuel" that drives your system...
Its almost like taking Ivor T's famous "Source first" quote a step further back.

[terrybooth]

Good point was raised over on AOS and i agree 100% than mains is the "fuel" that drives your system...
Its almost like taking Ivor T's famous "Source first" quote a step further back.

I'd just be a little concerned about people getting carried away with the simile. Electricity is electricity, not petrol, deisel, coal, gas or wood. It behaves in a very different way.

If I were to pick a simile, I'd say it's energy, more specifically a flow of energy. So the better and quicker the energy can flow, the better the sound you get. Or to put it into my ignorant 'fat wire' theory: fat wires are better because they can transmit more energy and that's important for all the little transients and for the dynamics in the music, they might be on the source and transcribed into the system but unless the rest of the system can pull enough energy quickly enough to get them out through the speakers, they just get smeared or lost completely.
So those things that let the energy flow freely are good, those things that restrict (fuses, connections, especially poor connections) are bad.

I'm being picky here. I absolutely agree that mains is important. Thanks to yourself and Sov for sharing your experiences and experiments.

BTW Sov - standard T&E cable - I'm assuming that you used 2.5mm cable?

[terrybooth]

I am seriously considering building in balanced mains transformers into the PSU box of Statement amps.

Are you sure you'll be able to shift 'em if you do that. Better build 'em on a pallet, then at least you can fork-lift 'em out.

[Sovereign]

Yes 2.5 T&E
What is this 6x2 cable that is also being used?

[Dr Bunsen Honeydew]

Terry - I can do it, and by building into the case then all the safety stuff I say is unnecessary will be 100% unnecessary, as no balanced mains will come outside of the box. Yes you will need two people to carry it, but that is the same now. I cannot ship them anyway, they will have to be collected or delivered.

[terrybooth]

Terry - I can do it, and by building into the case then all the safety stuff I say is unnecessary will be 100% unnecessary, as no balanced mains will come outside of the box. Yes you will need two people to carry it, but that is the same now. I cannot ship them anyway, they will have to be collected or delivered.

So the power supply box of the TDS/TSS would be the same size as it is now? Heavier?

[terrybooth]

Yes 2.5 T&E
What is this 6x2 cable that is also being used?

Ta and, Gaz, is that 6x2 cable a multi-strand flex cable.

[Dr Bunsen Honeydew]

Terry - I can do it, and by building into the case then all the safety stuff I say is unnecessary will be 100% unnecessary, as no balanced mains will come outside of the box. Yes you will need two people to carry it, but that is the same now. I cannot ship them anyway, they will have to be collected or delivered.

So the power supply box of the TDS/TSS would be the same size as it is now? Heavier?

Yes same size, just heavier. I have checked I have room in the box with a bit of twiddling.