PS Audio Noise Harvester Video Review

[thepiecesfit]

I guess if nothing else one can have some blinking lights illuminate the path to the toilet at night. Seems rather functional albeit expensive.

 

[Audio Techniques]

I just moved house and in the new house, which is old and has older wiring, my subwoofer has a noticeable hum that unaffected by if it's connected to my amp or anything I do with the grounding etc. I must confess I was considering trying something like this to try and fix the issue.

Do not waste your time or money with this or any filter. Your problem is more likely to be a failing power supply ripple filter inside your subwoofer. Is is very old?

 

[Audio Techniques]

Why doesn’t the chart at 3 mins....
View attachment 115052

...have its effect on the chart at 6 mins...
View attachment 115053

I mean, why doesn’t it have a -20 dB effect at 6.8 kHz? Looks more like 2 dB.

cheers

Because the noise harvester is only in parallel with the power company's transformer which is a very low impedance, therefore a tiny filter with relatively high impedance placed across the line such as the noise harvester has essentially no effect.

 

[Doodski]

Because the noise harvester is only in parallel with the power company's transformer which is a very low impedance, therefore a tiny filter with relatively high impedance placed across the line such as the noise harvester has essentially no effect.

Yes, there is simply nowhere for the energy to go/be dissipated in such a little device as the noise harvester rubbish.

 

[Audio Techniques]

This graph is only helpfully if source resistance is also defined.

Impedance of the device vs frequency would actually be better.

@amirm
I kindly suggest you stop wasting your time and energy on BS Snake Oil products like this.
If your enjoining doing this as a fun and relaxing alternative, or what ever. More power to you.

The believers want to believ and produkts like this don't deserve (your) attention.

I have to disagree with you.Amir is doing a great service to the audio community with these kind of videos. Besides debunking the snake oil BS and possibly saving some people some money, the knowledge he imparts helps people understand the what is going on with audio technology and better still, understanding when any measurable differences make a difference in the resulting sound.

 

[Audio Techniques]

I wonder why they call it a harvester? Does it remove noise and store it somewhere else?

Yeah, it "stores" it in the LED. So you get to "see it being stored" and feel good after giving PS Audio $99 for nothing, except your good feeling. Better than a therapist I suppose.

 

[Audio Techniques]

Because that *IS* the use case.

The harmonics are produced by the transformer. You don't put the noise harvester after the transformer.

And once you realize that, you will understand why people with understanding of i.r.l. power supplies groan at this product.

Actually it is after the transformer, along with everything else on that leg of the transformer. But the only way it stands a chance of helping at all is if it were in series with the load like an inductor to filter noise and harmonics. But that is all filtered by the equipment power supply like Amir said.

 

[egellings]

Most of the alternative medicine "docs" do sell useless products (think homeopathic remedies which, by definition, can have no active ingredient in them); consumers buy them and they think that the products help them. Call the remedies "imagined illness harvesters". Maybe a sideline business PS Audio might want to look into.

 

[SaltyCDogg]

Do not waste your time or money with this or any filter. Your problem is more likely to be a failing power supply ripple filter inside your subwoofer. Is is very old?

It is yeah. It's a Vandersteen V2W that's probably over 20 years old now.
https://www.vandersteen.com/products/model-v2w-subwoofer

I think all the drivers are fine (it uses 3x 8 woofers in combination with one 12 inch radiator). But the capacitors are wearing out I think as it used to be that after you turned it off it would make an audible 'woomp' over a minute later, but now it's more like 15 seconds. I was considering seeing if I could find a competent local shop to check its components and replace the capacitors. Is a ripple filter likely replaceable? Live in the UK. Many Thanks!

 

[Plcamp]

I see Danny just did a YouTube stating how critical a super expensive power cable is.

That made me search YouTube for videos claiming cables are critical. There are dozens of them. The comments underneath praise them. Profound thanks are heaped upon the posers making the claim. Never any measurement, never any evidence.

it is a societal disease. Not confined to audio of course, because the primary property of snake oil is that it can solve any problem in any discipline ... snake oil changes the laws of physics to match your desires. Just look at Laetril, it can cure cancer, right?

People like being in control of what’s in the laws of physics I guess, Danny and Paul McGowan know that, and make big bucks taking advantage of it.

 

[diddley]

You create a video, make some fake accounts with glory and praise and the buzz starts.

 

[Audio Techniques]

It is yeah. It's a Vandersteen V2W that's probably over 20 years old now.
https://www.vandersteen.com/products/model-v2w-subwoofer

I think all the drivers are fine (it uses 3x 8 woofers in combination with one 12 inch radiator). But the capacitors are wearing out I think as it used to be that after you turned it off it would make an audible 'woomp' over a minute later, but now it's more like 15 seconds. I was considering seeing if I could find a competent local shop to check its components and replace the capacitors. Is a ripple filter likely replaceable? Live in the UK. Many Thanks!

Yes, they are the big electrolytic capacitors that filter the rectified power from the power transformer, all part of the power supply. They are notorious for going bad with time.

 

[SaltyCDogg]

Yes, they are the big electrolytic capacitors that filter the rectified power from the power transformer, all part of the power supply. They are notorious for going bad with time.

Perfect, thanks!

 

[red_kk]

I made a comment yesterday on PS Audio's youtube video of Noise harvester and they have taken the video down soon after. This is a great news!
This is not just a waste of money but also bad for environment, manufacturing useless products.

I hope they take down the product as well.

 

[red_kk]

this is the comment I made "Audiosciencereview just proved this to be a snake oil. I had great respect for Paul but now that I see clearly he is peddling snake oil and fake products that don't do anything i've lost it. i'm not going to purchase any PS Audio product"

 

[red_kk]

I don't get it people actually pay $99 for this piece of junk, even if it works it's too much price for what I can see from the pictures is a very ugly looking brick with poor build quality.

 

[egellings]

I view PS Audio as selling competent products and the occasional bit of snake oil, like excessively fancy expensive power cords.

 

[Plcamp]

I view PS Audio as selling competent products and the occasional bit of snake oil, like excessively fancy expensive power cords.

Question is, for any particular product, do you have reason to believe their claims? The few Paul videos I have watched don’t include anything beyond handwaiving.

 

[red_kk]

Yes all it takes is one fake product to lose credibility on entire product line. You don't see legit companies like Apple selling fake products so why should PS Audio get a pass?

 

[JSmith]

Yes all it takes is one fake product to lose credibility on entire product line. You don't see legit companies like Apple selling fake products so why should PS Audio get a pass?

Yeah tend to agree here, best to keep ones nose clean and not sell obvious snake oil like this.

This product is not fit for purpose.



JSmith