PS Audio Stellar Power Plant 3

[JayT]

I'm considering replacing my Monster HTPC 7000 with one of these. I'm currently connecting my streamer, dac and preamp to the HTPC 7000, which is what I would do with the regenerator. My power amps and speakers are plugged into dedicated 20A circuits (one for each channel).

Anyone have experience with this PS Audio device? Do you think I'd see any improvement with the PS Audio vs my current conditioner? The HTPC has a non-detachable power cord. I've been contemplating replacing it with a DIY cord, but don't want to do this if I'm going to trade it in.

I think my power is fairly clean. The pole transformer is right outside my house and looks like it feeds three houses, one of which has been unoccupied for a couple years. But we do have occasional lightning. Voltage varies between 122 and 124 (according to the display on my HTPC 7000).

[JayT]

No one switch from a conditioner to a PS Audio Power Plant for source components?

[Cincy2]

JayT

Several years ago I switched from a Shunyata Hydra conditioner to a PS Audio power plant. I found that the backgrounds got blacker and images were better defined. I've since upgraded two different times to get to the P20 Power plant I currently employ. These are well designed, effective enhancements. How they would compare to the latest conditioner technology I do not know. That said, I don't ever see me going back to a passive conditioner from the Power Plant.

Cincy

[UltraFast69]

When I had the P10, things also got quieter in addition to what Cincy mentions above.

I also had my amps plugged in and one day tripped/reset the P10 do to power demand so ended up back at distribution.

I’m a fan of PS Audio, great products at good prices.




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[JayT]

Thanks for the feedback. Have either of you (or anyone else) used the Power Plant just for front-end components (up through pre-amp) only, with power amps directly to the wall? It looks like you both have very revealing systems - do you think the improvements you've described would be noticeable on a lower-priced system.

My power conditioner may have been ok in its day, but it's now 20 years old (although it's been in storage for much of this time), so I would think a newer device should be noticeably better.

[Cincy2]

Have either of you (or anyone else) used the Power Plant just for front-end components (up through pre-amp) only, with power amps directly to the wall?

Not exactly. At one time I used two separate smaller P5's - one for my amps and one for the front end. Each was plugged into a separate dedicated 20A circuit. I believe you would hear audible improvements in any system by cleaning up the input power.

Cincy

[Jean Sibelius]

Hi JayT,
I notice that you now have a power plant 3. Recently I experienced a PS-audio premier generator in my system and I expect a PS-Audio Stellar P3 and P15 for further evaluation. How did you experience the step between the older and newer series? I intend to use the P3 for my front gear (Trinnov, NAS, network components) and the P15 for the VACs. I am very curious to the improvements. Thanks in advance for your feedback.
Best regards, Jan

[Jean Sibelius]

Next week I will get both a P3 and P15 for a while to experience if there is an improvement in the performance of my system and if so what and how much. I will test the P3 on my front-end (Trinnov, Synology NAS, switch and router) and the P15 on my VACS. If the latter results in an significant improvement I will also try what happens when adding the front-end also to the P15. My Christmas holiday will be well spend. Hopefully I do not need to spend too much after the holiday. Will keep you informed about my experience(s)

Jan

[Jean Sibelius]

The P3 stayed, the P15 returned to the distributor. A friend of my tried the same P15 in his situation and ordered a P20. So, it really depends on your own situation if regeneration works for your front-end and/or amplifiers.

[Alrainbow]

A ps audio regen conditioner makes a positive change. Most other conditioners may help but not to the level of there’s. How ever a digital audio dac s being the operative part one must listen and observe. I use mine for all except amps and TT s. Even my headphone amps yield better noise levels. The only draw back of them Asside of some dacs is grounding isolation. As they produce there own new power one must modify there internal grounding to achieve true ground isolation.

[UltraFast69]

A ps audio regen conditioner makes a positive change. Most other conditioners may help but not to the level of there’s. How ever a digital audio dac s being the operative part one must listen and observe. I use mine for all except amps and TT s. Even my headphone amps yield better noise levels. The only draw back of them Asside of some dacs is grounding isolation. As they produce there own new power one must modify there internal grounding to achieve true ground isolation.

Al, what do you mean by, “one must modify their internal grounding to achieve true ground isolation”?


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[Alrainbow]

Since the ps audio is a true regen it’s power is a new source and as such is not in phase or in anyway attached to the power grid in our homes.
so if one intends to have a true isolation grounding system it needs to modified by removing the input to output ground bonding. In this was it’s now off the grid power in relation to ground achieving true ground isolation from your home.

[UltraFast69]

Since the ps audio is a true regen it’s power is a new source and as such is not in phase or in anyway attached to the power grid in our homes.
so if one intends to have a true isolation grounding system it needs to modified by removing the input to output ground bonding. In this was it’s now off the grid power in relation to ground achieving true ground isolation from your home.

Al, are you saying the regenerator would need its own ground separate from the main ground of the home, like a direct earth connection?


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[Speedskater]

Al, are you saying the regenerator would need its own ground separate from the main ground of the home, like a direct earth connection?

I hope not.
That's not permitted anywhere.
and it's very dangerous.

[Alrainbow]

Al, are you saying the regenerator would need its own ground separate from the main ground of the home, like a direct earth connection?


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yes exactly. The ground needs to be removed from the output side
it’s simple done from inside. This allows the regen to be a true power plant on its own.
All products fail on this simple need. Yes it’s not NEC code compliant and yes ima lisc electrical contractor and PE as well. But no matter what you do to power it’s always tied back to your power grid and home. If any of the products made just did as I post many ground hum and dynamics woujd be fixed. But this is just how I know it should be as I did for myself.

[Alrainbow]

I hope not.
That's not permitted anywhere.
and it's very dangerous.

Really explain how it’s dangerous ? I’m curios

[Speedskater]

Really explain how it’s dangerous ? I’m curios

Post a schematic of exactly what you are doing.
the word 'ground' has way too many meanings.

in the US/CAN there is a:
EGC system (Equipment Grounding Conductor) aka: Safety Ground
GEC system (Grounding Electrode Conductor) the connection to Planet Earth (often ground rods)

[Alrainbow]

Here look at attached it’s fast drawing don’t judge my drawing skills lol.

[Alrainbow]

[Alrainbow]

[Alrainbow]

https://share.icloud.com/photos/0cOp...WTadpZFHcaJeng
damn mike stop being so cheap on the upload file size hahaha just kidding

[Alrainbow]

If you can follow my very bad drawing take not it’s still grounded but has only 1 ground path to follow. Unlike typical homes thst have many this in a big way causes ground loops.
also note it’s still grounded. but the ground is not tied to the ground plain of ur home.

[Speedskater]

Thanks, that turned out to be a bigger challenge then either of us expected.
208 Volts, is this part of a 3 phase power system?
* * * * * * * * * *
from an old Middle Atlantic white paper:


also from that paper:

Middle Atlantic on Ground Myths

Myth #1) An “Isolated Ground” system is not connected to ground.
MYTH BUSTED! “Isolated ground” systems connect to “ground” at the neutral-ground bond point in the main circuit panel, and must be insulated from any other ground connections. If equipment is mounted in a rack, to conductive rack rails, the rack itself must also be insulated from any other grounds, including concrete or conduit, to function as designed.
Myth #2) A supplemental (auxiliary) ground rod is a place where “noise” wants to go.
MYTH BUSTED! Noise will always flow back to the source; noise does not want to flow to earth. In addition, the NEC mandates that any supplemental (auxiliary) ground rod be bonded to the neutral-ground bond of a separately derived system, the main service neutral-ground bond or the grounding electrode system. Improper bonding of a supplemental (auxiliary) ground rod is dangerous! Any attempt to use a supplemental (auxiliary) ground rod as a magical sink for “noise” will most likely fail, and result in circulating currents flowing in the ground wires, most likely
Myth #3) The earth’s soil is an effective safety grounding point.
MYTH BUSTED! Earth ground is not a substitute for safety ground. Driving independent, un-bonded ground rods into the earth does not provide a low enough impedance to trip circuit breakers, is a violation of the National Electrical Code, and can be life threatening when used as a safety ground.

Myth #4) More grounds = quieter systems.
MYTH BUSTED! Ground only where required for safety. Any additional grounds may provide or create additional paths for ground loops and increase system noise.

[Alrainbow]

Yes
but it does not have to be as I showed it.
a iso of 120 in and 120 out is still isolated
but we all suffer from sign wave distortion. Some call this dc on the lines.
I’ll post more later.
For now am I still dangerous lol.

[Speedskater]

Three phase to single phase often has additional problems.
for a permanently installed big isolation transformer, a 240V or 208V primary is a better plan.
much of that 'sign wave distortion' is generated by the audio amplifier.
the so called 'DC offset' is actually asymmetry of AC power wave.
it's only a problem when the line voltage is higher than the component design voltage or the power transformer was poorly chosen.

[Alrainbow]

To be honest dc or sign wave distortion is a big issue in audio but more so in post amps having a larger then 500 watt. The reason for the sizing is due to its inherent higher a resistance of the windings.
what the distortion. Does is saturate the core making it loose it’s power to the amp.
now there are products made to block dc but these limit the current. A iso like I depicted is a both phases of a typical power used in most all homes.
Nutrick and others make such a iso transformer. It’s called a balanced iso transformer. Now this effectively greatly lowers the input distortion. The reason it does is cause most dc offset is based in our homes from switching psu
heavy resistive loads that switch on and off. While there can be some phase to phase distortion it’s far less likely
so when we use a balanced input iso scheme. This does a few great things for audio.
1- it lowers dc offset
2- lowers common mode noise on the lines again from sw psu , dimmers
many in home appliances.
3- of the ground is isolated as I showed it yields only one ground path.
now it’s true some of our audio products do produce noise it’s true
but the addition of a noise filter board using a capacitor and choke designed to be active at the high frequency noise produced and a good one works on more then one freq so it works on base and harmonic frequencies.
I’m in no way laying claim we all need this. And ps audio makes very good power products.
laslty if I gone way into the weeds here I’ll say I’m sorry now and I mean it.

[UltraFast69]

To be honest dc or sign wave distortion is a big issue in audio but more so in post amps having a larger then 500 watt. The reason for the sizing is due to its inherent higher a resistance of the windings.
what the distortion. Does is saturate the core making it loose it’s power to the amp.
now there are products made to block dc but these limit the current. A iso like I depicted is a both phases of a typical power used in most all homes.
Nutrick and others make such a iso transformer. It’s called a balanced iso transformer. Now this effectively greatly lowers the input distortion. The reason it does is cause most dc offset is based in our homes from switching psu
heavy resistive loads that switch on and off. While there can be some phase to phase distortion it’s far less likely
so when we use a balanced input iso scheme. This does a few great things for audio.
1- it lowers dc offset
2- lowers common mode noise on the lines again from sw psu , dimmers
many in home appliances.
3- of the ground is isolated as I showed it yields only one ground path.
now it’s true some of our audio products do produce noise it’s true
but the addition of a noise filter board using a capacitor and choke designed to be active at the high frequency noise produced and a good one works on more then one freq so it works on base and harmonic frequencies.
I’m in no way laying claim we all need this. And ps audio makes very good power products.
laslty if I gone way into the weeds here I’ll say I’m sorry now and I mean it.

Al, your sounding like Rex


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[Jack]

It's just not that complicated.

[Alrainbow]

Who do you think told him what to do Hahahaha Rex sounds like me ��

[UltraFast69]

Who do you think told him what to do Hahahaha Rex sounds like me í*½í¸‚

Great now I get to read you and hear him


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[Alrainbow]

HAHAHAS it’s all good in the end