PS Audio Discussion Forum

PWD Discrete Codes?

2010-03-15T09:20:31-07:00

Hi there -
Can you provide me with the discrete codes for the PWD so I can automate some of the features and control them with my MX-3000? Thanks.

GCPH sounds excellent, but with a hum - Any ideas or tips?

2010-03-15T02:54:23-07:00

Hello,
I’ve got a GCPH phono stage on audition from my dealer. He’s right - it’s a wonderfully neutral and resolving phono stage. It sounds excellent and solves a nasty treble peak/harshness I had with my previous favorite phono stage (Benz PP-1 with a 100-ohm loading box). However, there is a nasty hum from the GCPH that’s quite audible at my seating. None of the other phono stages I’ve tried have hummed like this.

The hum is volume dependent - it goes up/down when adjusting the volume on either the GCPH, my preamp, or the GCPH gain settings. By the time I get to my “moderately/somewhat loud” preferred level, the hum is audible during quiet segments of music (through the vinyl noise floor). I’ve tried various gain combinations from the GCPH settings to no avail - I can either listen to quiet music with no hum, or at my preferred levels with the hum.

Here’s the gist of my setup:
* Ortofon Kontrapunkt “c” low output MC cart ~0.5mV
* I reckon I’m setting the GCPH for about 66dB of gain.
* Rogue Hera tube preamp
* Rogue Atlas tube amp
* Tannoy Kensington speakers (93dB/Watt)
* Using balanced outputs into my balanced preamp
* All cables are shielded (audioquest)
* Other than the GCPH, the preamp is the only component in this system using a 3-prong PC.
* Using a Belkin PureAV strip (have a Duet on order)

I’ve tried removing the ground pin from a cheap power cord - no effect.
I’ve tried with/without the grounding wire from my phono cable attached to the GCPH’s grounding lug - no effect.
I’ve tried moving the GCPH to a different location (obviously range is limited due to phono cable), different orientations, and moving the cables around - no effect.

At this point I’m not sure whether the hot treble of the Benz or the hum of the GCPH is the bigger deal-breaker. I’d really like to make this decision easy with an acceptably quiet GCPH! Any ideas or tips to try?

Mike

Hong Kong Statement SC Cables On eBay

2010-03-12T13:07:13-07:00

I bought a bunch of 2 meter Statement SC cords from an eBay seller in Hong Kong. I had some concern about these being fakes, but the seller had a long positive feedback history and they offered a money back return policy, so if I got them and they weren’t as advertised, all I would be out was time and return shipping. Another point of concern was that the Hong Kong cables came without manufacturer packaging.

Prior to buying off eBay, I sent an email to PS Audio’s customer service and sales departments asking about all the Statement SC’s that were popping up on eBay, but I did not receive a reply.

When I compared the Hong Kong Statements to a 2 meter Statement that I purchased directly from PS Audio, both cords looked, smelled, and weighed the same. Also, the noise signature of the Hong Kong Statements (as measured by an oscilloscope) was the same as my domestically purchased cables. The Hong Kong Statements also had the sonic signature of the domestically purchased Statements that I describe here:

http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=70869

So, I had no concerns about receiving fake product.

Question:

I know the Statements SC’s were made in China. Is the Chinese factory “dumping” these discontinued Statements in Hong Kong for clearance?

Newbie… from Norway (Power condtioner for PC based system?)

2010-03-12T17:37:03-07:00

Hello All..I have just joined your forum after being adviced to take a look at PS~AUDIOS Mains conditioners?

I am English but live in Norway…I have already received some top advice from some top guys in the good old US of A,for which I am very thankful.

My system can in no way be Audiophile..but I am trying to create a acceptable sound system using my DEll Studio 17 (32bit) Laptop as the music file (Flac) source.

I am buying the HRT Musicstreamer II+ the Audioengine A5s (Bamboo) a USB cable from http://www.locus-design.com who were highly recommended by a leading rewiewer who as being kindly advicing me

I asked these guys if they had any thoughts on mains conditioning even in a sytem like mine? as I had received advice on audio forums to look at PSU unit? but better if it is not to costl;y…. so any advcie appreciated

all the best Steve

PPP 230V and Phase

2010-03-14T13:24:16-07:00

Hi,
I’d like to know if the direction of a Schuko plugs in one of the 5 PPP intakes matters, or being the AC regenerated there is no such thing as ‘intake phase lookup’ with the PPP.

Best regards,
Fabrizio

Input and output THD of the PPP is the same

2010-03-11T18:15:21-07:00

I have a 3 months old PPP which normally has a Input THD of about 4% and a Output THD of about 0.5%. Starting yesterday, both the Input and Output THD are running between 1.3% to 1.6% all the time. Unplugged the PPP for 10 hours and the has the same reading, even if there is nothing plugged into the PPP.

Is that normal?

Status of upgrades to 230V PPPs

2009-12-06T19:44:21-07:00

Hi Paul and all the good folks at PS,

I’ve recently been looking over some of the forum discussions and thought it would be a good time to get an overview of the situation with the 230V PPPs… known issues, what’s changed, what changes are coming and when.

I’ve had my unit for some time now (could it be three years, or more?). Mine would have been one of the first to come to Australia. It took three units to get a stable PPP and I think some of my posts at the time contributed to the discussion around reversing the connections to the auto-transformer for UK and Oz units. Over the time since I’ve developed a love/hate relationship with the PPP. I know I need it, and my system would be simply unlistenable without it, but rarely (maybe once every few months, when incoming mains happens to be relatively good) does it provide me with what I really want, that is, power which lets my system deliver total satisfaction.

First off, I have never seen distortion improvements in the order of 85%. The best I have seen would be about 65% when the input/output voltage differential is zero. A more normal situation would be about 50% improvement with input at 248V and output at 241V. I managed to get an assessment from the power company about a year ago. They monitored the three phases coming into the house for a week - two phases were typically 1-2% distortion, the third was 4-5% and this was the phase serving the hi-fi (and causing me so much anguish over so many years). They switched the phases and I enjoyed a period of much better sound that was less variable night by night. During this time, I often observed output THD at 0.6 - 0.7% and in this zone my system finally sounded like it should (i.e. worth its cost, and jeez it sounded good). Unfortunately I think more junk has crept onto this phase because I haven’t seen such low THD readings (in or out)in the last 6 months.

Secondly, I get bursts of erratic behviour at seemingly random periods through an evening. This gives the impression of being mains driven, and might run for 5 minutes with variable length on/off behaviour indicated by either the relay click/clack noise, or by a sort of chugging hum noise (hard to describe, a bit like the noise of a small electric motor that is on but not allowed to work - imagine a childrens toy electric car that is on but the wheel is prevented from moving). While these noises are annoying and don’t sound particularly good for the PPP, they don’t seem to cause any lasting after effects.

Thirdly, internal hum from the PPP and my components still bothers me. I have finally ordered a humbuster to try, but it is slow to come - is there any delay in supplying humbusters at the moment?

So, it would be great to know what developments are underway for the 230V PPPs, and what benefit we might expect from them. In particular, will any improvements be available purchase as upgrades to existing units. I have seen some brief discussion about ‘beefier output stages’ and ‘several different “fixes” that we’re implementing in the UK’. Will these be applicable to, and available in, Australia? What issues will they address?

What is the standard that should be expected from the regenerator in terms of THD improvement? I get the impression that other nasties, not necessarily encompassed under ‘THD’ have a significant impact on sound - I sometimes observe sound, good or bad, that doesn’t reflect what I normally expect from the PPP readings. Could it be possible to purchase improved regenerators, or units that are independently tested to meet a certain performance level, as upgrades to PPPs?

I would also like to be able to get an auto-transformer that knocks 15V off the incoming power, rather than the current 4V. I know it is built into the whole power supply unit and so not an upgrade that is likely to become available, but the current solution seems rather clunky when voltage differential has such a large impact upon the THD improvement.

Finally, is there any new, or significantly revised, powerplants in the planning? Alternatively, have serial minor revisions built up to the point where a current 230V PPP (especially with forthcoming improvements) would significantly outperform one of the earlier units, especially in a poor mains environment. In a nutshell, my PPP seems to make OK mains great, and crap mains OK, but I really need a unit that makes crap mains great. After all, life’s too short… I have a vision of a future power plant that runs, not off mains, but off a dedicated fuel cell, which, given no moving parts etc, I’ve always assumed (but not checked) should supply a very clean DC power.

Sorry this got so wordy.

cheers,
Paul

PPP service question

2010-03-14T17:07:15-07:00

I just picked up a Power Plant Premier. Works nicely, except… one zone is already out!

Before I turned it off for the first time, I flicked the jumper for Zone 5 (where my Halcro MC70 amp was plugged in) to “Delayed” as recommended in the manual, to try the sequenced on-off feature. Turned the PPP off, amp went off first—everything seemed normal. But when I tried to turn everything back on, that zone gave me nothing. I’ve tried plugging in different devices to that zone, and both outlets seem completely dead. The amp and everything else still work fine in other zones of the PPP.

I’ve tried resetting by unplugging everything including the PPP for two hours– no change. I pressed the circuit breaker but I’m pretty sure it wasn’t tripped, so it had no effect. Are there any other resets to try, or do I have a manufacturing defect?

Tim

Statement SC, Premier SC vs AC-10 & AC-12

2010-02-28T17:27:29-07:00

Hi to all. Thanks for participating.

For those who have changed from either of the cables listed, I am sure by now, the Inaugural Ball is over. I would like to hear from you guys, in all honesty, what was given up and what was gained, as I have heard a lot about 3-dimension sound increase, bass weight increase, but not much has been discussed about mid-range, snap or rhythmic pace. Which leads me to believe that the new AC’s are a warm sounding cable. I am sure it has to be one of the 3, warm, neutral or cool. If this is the new Lexus of PS Audio, (I have a new AC-3(tad warm) for now and Statement SC’s(neutral), looking to get an AC-10 or 12) a Toyota still shows hints of a Lexus because they are both manufactured by Toyota. (Still great cars). Is this true of the rest of the AC Series?

If you guys could please list what you liked about the old cables that might be missing from the new and what you like about the new that the old just couldn’t do.

Thanks in advance!

PWD driving headphones

2010-03-13T23:21:12-07:00

Can the PWD alone drive a Sennheiser HD800?

If so, would using a balanced cable be better than an RCA?

Thanks.