Interesting PPP Experiment

[hkval]

Originally Posted by jdandy

Howard.......I plugged my two MC501's into the back of the Power Plant Premier this evening at the encouragement of this thread. WOW is right. I now agree with your comment, "Just plugging in the front is 50% of the way there and adding the Amps is 100%." It is amazing to me, and eye opening, how each incremental advance that is made on a high-end sound system can yield audible improvements, when only moments before you were asking yourself how could it get any better than this. I was truly skeptical that adding the two power amps to the PPP would actually produce an additional improve over what has already been delivered from the sources being plugged into the PPP. Then the music began, Yellowjackets - Blue Hats, "Capetown". The drum snaps and skin vibrations were noticeably more gripping and detailed, the bass was thicker, warmer, and richer without becoming bloated. The horns were stage center, crisp and dynamic. Everything about the entire musical experience glistened with life, breath, impact, imaging, and details conformed to the highest standards. Very, very impressive, indeed. I am thankful I did not miss your thread.

After I plugged the MC501's into the PPP, I installed the Kill-A-Watt meter into the dedicated wall outlet, then plugged the Power Plant Premier's power cord, a Wireworld Silver Electra, into the meter, setting the meter to read amps. After being thoroughly blown away by the first two tracks on the Yellowjackets CD, I began watching the amp meter. The meter's readings rise and fall based on two events, the volume setting, and the intensity of the dynamics at any given moment. I raised the C1000P volume to read 50 on the display, the MC501's meters were peaking at 50 watts output, and the volume level in the room was typical of the level I enjoy when not trying to converse over music. The Kill-A-Watt meter showed 3.5 to 3.9 amperes of current demand. I raised the volume to read 60 on the preamp's display, and now the 501's meters were peaking in the area of 250 watts output. The music was still perfect, but considerably louder. The Kill-A-Watt meter was showing peaks to 7.9 amperes of current demand at that volume level. That's 948 watts of peak load demand, and well within the PPP's capacity to deliver 1500 watts continuously. Very interesting. I would have thought at that volume the current demand would have been greater, but not so, and that was with all the racks components energized.

I let the music continue to play at the increased level of 250 watt peaks on the MC501's meters for the remainder of the Yellowjacks CD, and the music was amazingly 3 dimensional, perfectly detailed, gorgeous sound stage, and dynamics that command your attention. When the CD was stopped, and all was quiet again for a few minutes, I noticed the fan on the PPP came on. The fan is variable speed, and ran at a higher rpm for about twenty seconds before slowing down to a lower rpm, then within another fifteen seconds it shut off. Now I know my PPP cooling fans work. The fan noise level was barley perceptable. I was impressed with how quiet they are, and how short a time they remained on. I put my hand on top of the PPP , and the grill felt warm to the touch, but not hot.

Once again I find myself in awe of a very well engineered audio product, designed for a very specific purpose, and delivering on its promise in spades. I still want another Power Plant Premier for the amps, even though I have measured the real current demand of the system, and know that this single PPP can handle it. I want my power amps on their own dedicated circuit, seperate from the preamplifier and sources. Call me foolish, but thats just how I like it.

Curiousity motivated me to try this experiment and I was fascinated with the results. It was reassuring for me to do it but your reaction and testing "MAKES MY DAY". Thanks Dan.