a dissection on how electricity affects your hifi system (part 1)

my only and last saviour - ps audio power plant premier

an audiophile who doesn't think electricity is important to his system can either fall into the following categories: (1) his system doesn't have the resolution (2) his ears can't tell (3) all of the above.

seriously, electricity can make or break or system; the higher you go, the more dependent it is on electricity. having installed 3-phase in my house, i now have a more complete understanding how electricity impacts my hifi system.

first, 3-phase is not the solution to all problems. even for me, i still face nights where the electricity is less than ideal, 3-phase notwithstanding. my conclusion is that loading in my area (bandar utama) is very high.

when i mean less-than-ideal electricity, i don't mean having voltage less than 240V! the voltage can be a very stable and healthy 240V but the QUALITY of the electricity can be poor. this is the common misunderstaning of many audiophiles who think that they need a voltage stabilizer to maintain at 240V. in fact, i would strongly advise you to stay away for active components like voltage regulator/stabilizer. these active devices impose their own sonic signature on the sound and their have a "strangling" effect on dynamic music passages.

now, back to loading and quality of electricity. in my case, the purest electricity is obtained from morning 8am to afternoon 2pm; the best being at 2pm when presumably there are very few people at home. the worst electricity is obtained from 7pm all the way to 12 midnight. another astute observation is that on cooler nights, the electricity is better than hotter nights, when presumably more people utilize air-conditioners, the chief culprit and sucker of electricity.

now, how to tell when the electricity is bad? again, it is not about voltage reading (ie. less than 240V). you would detect that images become bloated, larger than usual and less focused, and highs become blunt. i would advise that you develop a reference cd to detect this anomaly. if you are not a critical listener, you wouldn't even detect this deterioration!

my richard gray 600s DOES NOT HELP in situation like this. so, don't think that by having a conditioner will solve your problems. i am banking on the new line of PS audio ac regenerator, my only hope and saviour.