Audio goals & plans for 2021

[Antonmb]

Originally Posted by Charles

I think Shunyata/Dag an excellent paring and would go with the cords with the built in conditioners. No active power conditioner for Dags.



Best



Charles

The d’Agostino actually work exceptionally well plugged into the Shunyata Everest. There are few absolutes in this hobby. Dags (or most high-power amps) probably shouldn’t be plugged into most traditional current-limiting conditioners, but Shunyata conditioners are not current limiting.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by Antonmb

The d’Agostino actually work exceptionally well plugged into the Shunyata Everest. There are few absolutes in this hobby. Dags (or most high-power amps) probably shouldn’t be plugged into most traditional current-limiting conditioners, but Shunyata conditioners are not current limiting.

The problem is that most who own an Everest have other gear plugged into it that requires current. I have three 1.25KW's and three Niagara 5000's with two Dragon HC power cords per amp for the main amps and two HC Hurricanes for the sub amp. Also three dedicated 20 amp lines. One 5000 per one mono amp. Two cords, one conditioner, and one dedicated line per mono amp.

If I am going to own a Dag it would have its own Shunyata Omega QR power cord which I think retails for about 10,000.00 plugged into a dedicated 20 amp line with zero else on the line. This IMO is a far superior arrangement.

Best

Charles

p.s. Most power conditioners are not current limiting these days. I feel a current reservoir desirable for amps and the Everest doesn't have one. Because the Niagara 5000 has a current reservoir of 90 amps I would prefer it over an Everest for amps. But I would not go that route. I'd go with the Shunyata Omega QR directly into a dedicated 20 amp wall outlet.

____________________
Charles Updated System: Wilson McIntosh Audioquest
Most recent updates: AQ Diamond USB replaces AQ Coffee; Wilson Audio Specialties Alexx replaced by Wilson Audio Specialties XVX Chronosonic; new subwoofer crossover; new Galaxy Grey Thors Hammer; Wilson Pedestals
Amps: McIntosh 1.25KW’s (3) set on floor on custom made cultured marble slabs
Preamp and DAC: McIntosh D1100
Sources: McIntosh MCD1100 SACD player, MVP881 BR player, MVP851 DVD player, MR87 tuner, Marantz 510LV Laser Disc player, ASUS laptop USB (JRiver Media Center 23)
Speakers: Wilson Audio Specialties XVX Chronosonic
Sub-woofer: Wilson Audio Specialties Thor’s Hammer (1) horizontal lie and Wilson Watch Controller (abbr: WC)
Cables main system: Audioquest Wel Signature speaker cables and balanced IC (preamp to amps); Wel Signature AES/EBU balanced digital IC for CD playback; Audioquest Diamond optical (1) for tuner, (1) for BR player, and (1) for LD player for total of (3); Diamond USB cable; McIntosh MCT cable for SACD playback; Dragon power cords (5 HC cords and 3 source cords for total of 8); Thunder HC power cord for tuner; cables for DVD player not listed
Cables subwoofer system: Audioquest Redwood speaker cable (1); Wolf balanced subwoofer IC from WC to amp; Wind balanced IC from preamp to WC; Hurricane HC (2) and Dragon HC (1) power cords
Power conditioners: Audioquest Niagara 7000 (1) and Niagara 5000 (3); (4) dedicated 20-amp lines with no. 10 wire straight out of fuse box
Isolation: Wilson Pedestals
Cabinet: Double Custom Woodwork & Design (CWD) solid walnut cabinet on large casters; holds all sources and preamp; also, Niagara 7000; 11 feet minimum distance from speakers
Acoustic Treatments: Room and Echo Tunes
AC: Dedicated to this room only, an ultra-high efficiency and quiet recently installed Ruud split system 3-ton heat pump.
Room (mancave): 40’L x 15.5’W A-frame; max ceiling height 8’ min 5’; wall within wall construction built of 2 x 6’s; built over garage with custom hardwood floor with gym seal with over 40 Lowes stiffened wooden I-beams supporting floor; complete isolation from rest of house.

[Antonmb]

Charles, you are of course playing on another level and your system is much more complex than mine. I’m only using a Sigma XC to the Everest, not an Omega, and I only have one Dag amp, the Dag pre, a Boulder phonostage and Linn streamer/DAC. They all go nicely into the Everest and sound great with no issues, and sound better than plugged directly into the 20a line. I only speak from my own experience of course.

[DaveM]

The 5000 has a peak current reserve of 90 amps but only for up to 25 milliseconds. What happens to the power delivery when an amplifier's demand exceeds this timeframe? To me, this suggests that its design is current limited. My overall impression of the AQ Niagara series is that it is outdated compared to the technology being incorporated in the Shunyata Research reference power distributors. A shootout review of the each company's top product using their power cables would be very interesting. Being a recently retired Biomedical Engineer, I appreciate that SR's technology is used in the demanding medical device field. I am also biased as my system includes a Denali V2, Sigma XC, 2 Alpha V2 NR PC's and CopperConn duplex outlet.

[cleeds]

Originally Posted by DaveM

The 5000 has a peak current reserve of 90 amps but only for up to 25 milliseconds. What happens to the power delivery when an amplifier's demand exceeds this timeframe? To me, this suggests that its design is current limited ...

If it can deliver the full 20A of current from its AC line - assuming the line is capable of that - then I wouldn't consider it "current limited." I'm not aware of any amplifier that requires 90A of current. Most will perform just fine on a 15A line, even though I prefer to use 20A derated dedicated lines.

[DaveM]

Originally Posted by cleeds

If it can deliver the full 20A of current from its AC line - assuming the line is capable of that - then I wouldn't consider it "current limited." I'm not aware of any amplifier that requires 90A of current. Most will perform just fine on a 15A line, even though I prefer to use 20A derated dedicated lines.

There are many amps that are rated to provide over 90A of current including the original Parasound JC1 (135A), JC1+ (180A) and several CODA amps. It may come down to how much the amplifier's power supply can hold and provide during the peak transitions. The AQ reserve seems trivial to me.

[sandecker]

New turntable to replace my Dr. Feickert Woodpecker. Plan for a Danish brand

And test a separate DAC towards the Burmester CD player.

[Macuser]

My goals aren't too lofty this year; I'm in hopes of adding another Furutech flux50 or perhaps 2.

[prepress]

Originally Posted by cleeds

If it can deliver the full 20A of current from its AC line - assuming the line is capable of that - then I wouldn't consider it "current limited." I'm not aware of any amplifier that requires 90A of current. Most will perform just fine on a 15A line, even though I prefer to use 20A derated dedicated lines.

I have a Furman IT-Referene 15i unit with a 55A reservoir. Even before I got it or it predecessor (an Elite-15PFi with 45A current reservoir), I never needed more than what came from the wall, as my whole system never pulled more than 5A or so. I don't play that loudly (loud enough for my room, though) and the meters on my MC501s rarely go past 5A.

The Furman wasn't a 2021 goal; it just happened to get delivered in 2021.

[PHC1]

I don't know how expectations of crazy current/amperage from the wall come about in the audiophile world over the decades and before all the power conditioning craze but its not going to be from the wall.

Better stick to the tried and true method of lots of capacitive storage in your amps.

I think a good video on how fast a fuse blows is in order... Remember, your wall can deliver either 15 or 20 amps in the US... Transient current is a nice theory but look how fast a fuse blows. So it better come from the power conditioner itself then (if the amp really demands it under your listening environment)

https://youtu.be/ZtD_ZrPfXrw