Vitus Audio & AudioQuest Niagara Equipment

johndoe21ro

johndoe21ro

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I've recently replaced my BAT VK-655SE with a Vitus Audio SS-010 power amp and I was curious about what the owners use for power conditioning! Did anyone experiment with their Vitus Audio amplification & AudioQuest Niagara power conditioning equipment? Thanks!
 
I have the same question. Whats best? PS Audio P20 or Audioquest Niagara 7000? I only tried the LAB 12 Gordian. Blacker background, but dynamics are not that great.
 
Since my last post I've succeded in testing a Niagara 5000 in my sistem along the Vitus amp. Unfortunately it didn't work out for me. Niagara does a very good job at lowering the noisefloor (quite a lot, actually) and as a consequence the system's sound has an increased separation, is airier and you can hear a tad more microdetails. It's a nice surprise to find out that Niagara doesn't affect the macrodynamics at all. The bass is exactly as before (without extra extension, more punch, detail or texture). What the Niagara 5000 does wrong (I've already sent it back) is that it eats some microdynamics... The voices, the instruments just pick up some tension with the AQ power conditioner. They don't sound as natural or organic as they sounded with the Vitus fed directly from the wall. This comes from an AQ fan that wanted and needed a power conditioner to rule them all. I really think that the Niagara is one hell of a conditioner but it doesn't seem to get along with my Vitus.
 
Vitus Audio & AudioQuest Niagara Equipment

In our AQ system, we prefer to always run the amps into the wall and preamp/sources/Phonostage/etc into the conditioners. The Niagara works great on sources/preamp/etc.


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With my system (MSB and Vandersteen) and the Niagara 7000, I experienced a significant drop in noise which brought out a lot more subtleties and nuance in the recordings. I did not notice any loss in micro or macro dynamics. I significantly prefer the sound of the low current outlets on the 7000 vs. the 5000. The high current outlets sound identical because they have identical circuitry. YMMV with Vitus.

Best,
Ken
 
Alpinist said:
With my system (MSB and Vandersteen) and the Niagara 7000, I experienced a significant drop in noise which brought out a lot more subtleties and nuance in the recordings. I did not notice any loss in micro or macro dynamics. I significantly prefer the sound of the low current outlets on the 7000 vs. the 5000. The high current outlets sound identical because they have identical circuitry. YMMV with Vitus.

Best,
Ken
Click to expand...

My IsoTek did wonders with my BAT VK-655SE. I'm sure Niagara would have done the same. But it seems that Vitus plays differently cause it doesn't work with neither IsoTek nor AQ Niagara.
 
Re: Vitus Audio & AudioQuest Niagara Equipment

Mike said:
In our AQ system, we prefer to always run the amps into the wall and preamp/sources/Phonostage/etc into the conditioners. The Niagara works great on sources/preamp/etc.


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Click to expand...

I'm interested to understand what you are hearing that is causing you to skip using the high current outlets for the amp(s). Could you provide some insight here Mike? Thanks!
 
Re: Vitus Audio & AudioQuest Niagara Equipment

MPW said:
I'm interested to understand what you are hearing that is causing you to skip using the high current outlets for the amp(s). Could you provide some insight here Mike? Thanks!
Click to expand...

Lack of dynamics. Don’t strangle the amp(s). Give them a dedicated outlet and they will sing. The noise really comes through the sources and preamp and that’s where, IMO, a great conditioner pays huge dividends. There are exceptions to this: like some SET amps. They can benefit from being plugged into a power conditioner. People just need to experiment. Of course, some may prefer the added noise reduction to greater dynamics. Just need to experiment.


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Re: Vitus Audio & AudioQuest Niagara Equipment

Mike said:
In our AQ system, we prefer to always run the amps into the wall and preamp/sources/Phonostage/etc into the conditioners. The Niagara works great on sources/preamp/etc.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
What about when you have an integrated amp?
 
Re: Vitus Audio & AudioQuest Niagara Equipment

GSOphile said:
What about when you have an integrated amp?
Click to expand...

Try the wall and conditioner. Experiment. I would guess you’ll prefer the wall. Just a guess.


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Re: Vitus Audio & AudioQuest Niagara Equipment

Mike said:
Lack of dynamics. Don’t strangle the amp(s). Give them a dedicated outlet and they will sing. The noise really comes through the sources and preamp and that’s where, IMO, a great conditioner pays huge dividends. There are exceptions to this: like some SET amps. They can benefit from being plugged into a power conditioner. People just need to experiment. Of course, some may prefer the added noise reduction to greater dynamics. Just need to experiment.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Soooooo, this weekend I did an experiment to see if I preferred the amps directly into the wall or into the high current outlets of the AQ Niagara 5000. I only have one dedicated line feeding my entire system so I took my PrimaLuna monoblocks and ran one into the dedicated line as a stereo amp (these amps allow both stereo and mono operation) and let the other sit idle. I plugged the rest of the system into the Niagara 5000. What I heard was a reduction in what I would call glare. The sound was more open and natural with a reduction in listening fatigue by removal of some harshness in the high frequencies. I am able to run some additional lines so my plan is to have three dedicated lines (20 amp, 10 gauge, equal length). One running the front end with the Niagara 5000 and one for each monoblock plugged directly into the wall.

This really highlights the importance of getting the power squared away in order to maximize system performance. I'm not sure anything is more important other than room acoustics which is still #1 by a large margin.
 
Re: Vitus Audio & AudioQuest Niagara Equipment

MPW said:
Soooooo, this weekend I did an experiment to see if I preferred the amps directly into the wall or into the high current outlets of the AQ Niagara 5000. I only have one dedicated line feeding my entire system so I took my PrimaLuna monoblocks and ran one into the dedicated line as a stereo amp (these amps allow both stereo and mono operation) and let the other sit idle. I plugged the rest of the system into the Niagara 5000. What I heard was a reduction in what I would call glare. The sound was more open and natural with a reduction in listening fatigue by removal of some harshness in the high frequencies. I am able to run some additional lines so my plan is to have three dedicated lines (20 amp, 10 gauge, equal length). One running the front end with the Niagara 5000 and one for each monoblock plugged directly into the wall.

This really highlights the importance of getting the power squared away in order to maximize system performance. I'm not sure anything is more important other than room acoustics which is still #1 by a large margin.
Click to expand...

Glad to hear it. I thought that might be the case.


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