WARNING AND DISCLAIMER: Working with high voltages can cause serious injury or death. You may read the following project description for entertainment only, which is the intended purpose.
The Audience Adept Response aR2p-TO High Resolution Power Conditioner is the latest in a product line of well received power conditioners which are priced from $695 to $8,600. The $1,600 aR2p-TO model differs from the basic $695 aR2p in its use of expensive Teflon-dielectric "Aura-T" capacitors with OHNO (mono crystal, oxygen-free) copper leads. I did not experience the basic non-Teflon equipped model.
Fuse "upgrades" never really turned me on (pun intended). I have tried aftermarket fuses from AMR, Audio Magic, and Synergistics and each was an improvement over stock fuses.
Many turntables today include an electronic speed controller for the motor that drives the platter that makes the records go round and round. The purpose of these controllers is to make sure that the motor sees a very constant signal to maintain a very constant speed. The ear is more sensitive to variations in speed than to small inaccuracies in the exact frequency.
The PS Audio AV Power Center 5000 is a remarkable device with an extensive list of features that places it at the very forefront of this product category. From the PS Audio Web site:
I am always reticent about recommending power products such as power cords and power conditioners. Their effects in my own environment vary greatly with different equipment and even with the time of day. Many components’ basic characters can change dramatically with different cords and conditioners, while with some other components, the differences are small or negligible.
The Pro Thunder power cable is a great product that provides a noticeable and very cost effective system upgrade which has increased my enjoyment of and connection to the music. Thank you, Straight Wire!
The first thing one hears from the Teatro is nothing. This cartridge, possibly due to the complex shape of the titanium body, has the quietest backgrounds that this listener has ever not heard.
The VPI Prime is a turntable that looks great, has some very effective technology, and is a well-executed design that simply sounds very good. Very good, indeed.
At this level of performance, it is almost a waste of time to discuss the sound in standard audiophile terms, dissecting the bass, midrange, treble, and soundstage.
I thought about turning the system off and going to bed, but just wanted to hear one more song, and then another. The level of musical satisfaction with the Cary SA-200.2 amplifier is very high.
"Laboratory-grade" means that the component is true to the source. This is a step above "reference-grade", which is simply the current state-of-the-art.
"Possibly the most valuable aspect of live, acoustic music for the evaluating the truthfulness of an audio system is the feeling one often gets of the music's purity, sweetness, dynamics, and transparency. "
Fuse "upgrades" never really turned me on (pun intended). I have tried aftermarket fuses from AMR, Audio Magic, and Synergistics and each was an improvement over stock fuses.
