Hello Bruno,

I just happened to see this newsgroup today while setting up my browser's
news program and found your comments so tempting and looking right at me.
I'm Martin Glasband of Equi=Tech and author of Art. 647 NEC 2002 Ed. which
addresses noise in sensitive electronics (in the National Electrical Code.)
Perhaps my comments here will interest Arthur as well.

I do agree that balanced audio connections will clean up audio very well but
I really think that you would do yourself right to read up on some power and
noise related material at Equi=Tech's website http://www.equitech.com. My
contention is that it takes BOTH a well balanced audio design and cabling as
well as a rational approach to power issues to cover all the bases properly.
Short of that,I would be careful of expecting much from most power
treatments with any sort of audio. Like a ground lifter, it's really no
more than just a band-aid approach that has limited value. I'll explain
why in just a bit.

I'm not quite sure where I plan to do this as of now, but I will write
another white paper soon for a magazine that explains precisely how AC noise
is propagated and exactly how it affects audio. It will explain
"differential" and "common mode" noise in AC lines and how ALL audio power
supplies react to AC power thus creating noise in one mode or another. It
will be the sequel to the "Lifting the Grounding Enigma" article which I
wrote for MIX Magazine back in 1994 but with an extra 10 years of refinement
and sophistication to show for myself. "Lifting the Grounding Enigma" would
be a good place to start if you feel like reading.

I am in agreement with you about conventional power conditioners because
they generally don't compare to well balanced audio as far as having a
positive impact on sonic quality is concerned... but not all power
treatments. You see, I've made the study of AC power and noise and how they
affect sensitive electronics the focus of my electrical engineering career
for the past 12 years. I am genuinely pleased with the progress I have made
in the field over that period.

Except in the worst locations, AC power is pretty much mostly AC power
anyway you want to cut it. You can condition it any way you like on the
supply side, but what happens when you switch on your audio components? Then
what? You get AC load harmonics. This is "normal" noise that shows up ONLY
when you run your audio equipment. Whether you are using balanced or
unbalanced audio, the load-generated harmonic currents are still going to be
there.

The solution is to effectively NULL the AC harmonics created by each and
every power supply in an audio system. How is this done? It's very similar
to the balanced audio wiring principle -- common mode phase cancellation.
Common mode noise is easily attenuated in transformers and most power ...
but not differential or direct mode noise. Once this form of noise gets
into the ground, there is no known way to get it out. All of your audio
signal circuitry requires a common audio reference point so putting any
potential on or across the ground means you are putting vurrent through it
and your audio's signal integrity will suffer for it.

Here's where it gets interesting... any transformer guy or any (legit) power
quality engineer will tell you that differential or direct mode noise is
created by asymmetry somewhere in a loaded AC circuit. The more precise the
symmetry, the more common mode (easily attenuated) noise you will have and
less differential mode noise. Conversely, the more asymmetry, the more
differential noise. This is the noise that's to blame for degrading audio
quality the most. Heretofor it has never been studied because we have been
taking our purely asymmetrical 110-volt AC power for granted for almost a
century. When you add symmetry into the AC equation, just as it is done
with balanced audio, noise simply disappears. AC harmonics created by the
load reacting to the AC waveform is the stuff that indiscriminately affects
every sort of sensitive electronic apparatus that runs on AC. It's exactly
the same with the US Navy's state-of-the-art low frequency sonar imagery as
it is with your high end audio.

OK, you can tell I'm itching to write my next white paper and at last lay
waste to all the "asymmetrical knock-off renditions" and some "sorta
symmetrical" versions out there once and for all. In so doing, maybe I will
successfully raise the bar for everyone and enlighten a few minds while I do
much better than that for a few ears.

The bottom line is: "the most accurate symmetry possible means everything,"
and I mean that in the broadest sense of the word -- from the seat of EMF
(power source) to the balanced ins on your monoblocks, all of it should be
balanced and perfectly symmetrical. That's how you effectively cover all
the bases and PRESERVE the purest audio signal. Unbalanced audio gear still
benefits too, even with only partial design symmetry (balanced AC system and
power supply) you will still attenuate differential mode noise in unbalanced
audio grounds.

I can't promise you that EVERYONE'S system will sonically benefit from this
approach. Needless to say, there is much left to be desired in some
"asymmetrical" power supplies and other front end power circuits in some
audio gear. But fortunately, it's not very common to see this. Often it's
just a matter of servicing the power supply caps and all will be well.

I would appreciate any input or questions as I build the new white paper.
You can either e-mail me or go to the website and get more contact
information there.

Best wishes,
Martin Glasband,
President, Equi=Tech

Original Message -----
From: "Bruno Putzeys"
Newsgroups: rec.audio.high-end
Sent: Wednesday, December 17, 2003 9:38 AM
Subject: Line Conditioner Question

The wiring in your house is unlikely to be a significant cause of
disturbances. Noisy devices (computers, VCRs, TVs or large motors) are.
Because of this, line conditioners can make a difference when the system
is
wired in unbalanced mode. If you can afford, migrate to balanced
connections. It will clean up your system in a way no conditioner ever
can.
Another solution taking the same angle is to use transformers to cut
ground
loops (such as sold by http://www.q-audio.com/ ).

"Arthur Bates , Jr." wrote in message
news:QzRDb.410745$275.1288847@attbi_s53...
A friend suggested that I look into getting a Richard Gray's power
line condtioner to improve the overall sound of my system.How much
difference , if any will a line conditioner make ? How much difference
is there between the Richard Gray's conditioner as opposed to any
other line condtioner? I live in a brownstone with old electric
running through it.My system consists of ARC SP16 pre , 100.2 amp,
Vandersteen 2CE SIGS. I listen to a lot of vinyl and some CD's.
Any advice would be appreciated.