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Amplifier to wall ac vs surge protector

DonH56

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Hello,

For a couple of years I have been using a surge protector that also, supossedly, has noise filtering (EMI/RFI), which I think it is not crap, but not top class either (I do not belive much in cables and things like that once a minimum quality is reached):


I have been connecting here my receiver, my power amp, my streamer and some other stuff. A couple of days ago I have tried to disconnect the power amp from the surge protector and connected it directly to the wall, as many advice and I have noticed that sound is much more open, wider, less compressed, much more clear at top end. However bass is clearly less prominent. I cannot say what I like more, the crystal clear sound from the wall (though a bit fatiguing) or the sound from the surge, less detailed but with more bass and body and sometimes more pleasant

Is the surge degrading the sound or on the contrary the filters are doing their job? I woud think that the surge is degrading the sound if it were be substracting a bit of everything, and indeed it is substracting soundstage and clarity... but is adding bass. Can this happen? can it add bass?
A bad surge protector can limit current but a good one will do nothing more than allow the same current from the wall to flow with minimal additional voltage drop. RFI filtering may help if you are in a very high RFI environment and your components have very poor RFI rejection (unlikely these days). There is no way that I can imagine that a surge protector would add bass nor affect the imaging.

It is possible the power filter is reducing high-frequency noise and thus making the bass sound more prominent. But I think it far more likely that this is placebo or cognitive bias. Our perception of the sound can change randomly based upon many factors, including mood, other noise sources in the area (fans, kids, pets), and so forth. Minor changes in the position of speakers, listener, room furnishings/decorations, and such can have a large impact. I once moved a picture out of the first reflection spot and the sound got "duller" but "clearer" and appeared to have more bass due to the lack of high-frequency reflections. Once we (think we) hear a difference it is almost impossible to "unhear" without running a blind test.

Is it possible you made some other, seemingly minor, change that affected the bass or overall sound?

The best way would be to measure and confirm, but again if something else was moved it obviates the test.

The wall connection goes through a power supply designed to isolate the audio output from the wall outlet. The wall connection is rectified and filtered so any minor changes in wall power have essentially no impact on the audio output, and the internal circuits themselves typically have additional (and very high) rejection of power supply noise, making it very difficult for something like a surge protector to do anything to change the sound except in a negative way (by reducing the voltage to the component).

FWIWFM, HTH, etc. - Don
 

Chrispy

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As to the EMI/RFI thing, you've been reading too much on the sillier side of audiophilia. Now, if you said plugging into the wall rather than a surge protector, and had benefits, that might be slightly more believable.
 

fpitas

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Oh well. I think he was looking for vindication rather than discussion.
 
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