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PS Audio PowerPlant 3 Review

Rate this AC Regenerator

  • 1. Poor (headless panther)

    Votes: 260 91.9%
  • 2. Not terrible (postman panther)

    Votes: 11 3.9%
  • 3. Fine (happy panther)

    Votes: 4 1.4%
  • 4. Great (golfing panther)

    Votes: 8 2.8%

  • Total voters
    283

solderdude

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Flattering a sine wave will have some immediate effects for sure. Lower PP voltage = lower power supply rail voltage and perhaps issues with equipment power transformers, reducing their efficiency and creating more heat. Any “flat part of a wave is essentially DC. Transformers don’t care much for DC.

I worded it incorrectly perhaps. It is still AC so there is no 'DC component' there and the frequency does not become lower, there will be slightly higher frequencies in fact.
No transformer is troubled by this nor any DCDC converter.
The top is basically widened a bit put peak-peak is still 340V.

Personally I don't see any advantages other than a slightly lower peak current when caps are charged.
Also not defending it either. I don't see any benefits in using this device other than creating a mindset for the owner that his mains is 'stable'. That mindset could be enough for people to hear an improvement even when there isn't any. The only improvement is in the PS Audio bank-account.
 
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Spkrdctr

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Personally I don't see any advantages other than a slightly lower peak current when caps are charged.
Also not defending it either. I don't see any benefits in using this device other than creating a mindset for the owner that his mains is 'stable'. That mindset could be enough for people to hear an improvement even when there isn't any. The only improvement is in the PS Audio bank-account.
Pure gold wisdom right there! Facts are facts. Solderdude just keeps it real on ASR, good job sir.
 
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I badly want to see PS Audio's latest flagship speaker aspen FR30 measured & reviewed on ASR! I love the attempt at something a little different although for $28K there are a few other choices out there. I mean, it should at least be as good as any of the Wilson or Magico products out there, right?
Amir should continue to expose PSaudio for what it is, snake oil.

At this point, it doesn't even matter if any 1 of their products measure well, because it's clear that the company is headed by a con-man, Paul is openly committing fraud, why would you trust him with ANY amount of your money.

As for future amps, Why should hypex, or purify do business with this person, it would only blow back and damage their reputation. In fact Hypex/Purify/ICEpower should outright BOYCOTT working with PSaudio. It could only end badly. Paul has absolutely no integrity, ripping people off on products such as the powerplants.

Reputation is everything in this business, working with Paul is taking your hard earned reputation and smearing it in doo doo.
 

Speedskater

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While it doesn't apply in this case.
Note that supplying a big power amp with a SMPS (Switch Mode Power Supply) from some regenerators or UPS's can cause instability.
Because a SMPS acts like a negative resistor, it will fight with the regenerator for voltage control.
 

DonR

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While it doesn't apply in this case.
Note that supplying a big power amp with a SMPS (Switch Mode Power Supply) from some regenerators or UPS's can cause instability.
Because a SMPS acts like a negative resistor, it will fight with the regenerator for voltage control.
Given how an SMPS operates I would see absolutely no benefit to using a regenerator in front of it regardless of how dirty or variable one's power is.
 

fpitas

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Given how an SMPS operates I would see absolutely no benefit to using a regenerator in front of it regardless of how dirty or variable one's power is.
Agreed, unless the power cuts out briefly, and you need something more like a UPS.
 

DonR

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Agreed, unless the power cuts out briefly, and you need something more like a UPS.
Yes but then fidelity won't be on the top of my priority list when that happens. :)

Our PVR, router and PC are all on UPSs but the audio gear is subject to the whims of the power company. I lost power for two hours yesterday evening and the PVR almost made it to the end. I think the money spent on a PP would be better served on a whole-house battery and inverter backup. Would be interesting to see if a Tesla Powerwall or similar inverter would be as clean as a PP.
 

fpitas

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Yes but then fidelity won't be on the top of my priority list when that happens. :)

Our PVR, router and PC are all on UPSs but the audio gear is subject to the whims of the power company. I lost power for two hours yesterday evening and the PVR almost made it to the end. I think the money spent on a PP would be better served on a whole-house battery and inverter backup. Would be interesting to see if a Tesla Powerwall or similar inverter would be as clean as a PP.
True, and no power filter or UPS will have some magic effect to improve the sound. You just won't get line noises, or power dips.
 

srkbear

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Maybe Paul can come here to the site and explain why his power plant makes the music sound better !
God, please don’t give Paul any ideas. He already spends enough time discrediting the efforts of this site by stringing endless sciency-sounding nonsense phrases together for his devoted acolytes.
 

srkbear

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I have to admit I was one of the very few "Not terrible" voters, mainly because it doesn't seem to have a huge negative effect, either (unlike some other snake oil stuff). :)
I dunno, I think emptying wallets unnecessarily is an awfully negative effect! Think of the nice headphones one could buy with that 2+ grand…
 

srkbear

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Is there something worryingly telling for our times about the many golfing panthers for products from China, and the many headless panthers for products from America and Europe?
I don’t think it’s a function of our “times”—China has long been cheaply producing much of the components American and European manufacturers build into their flagship products at exorbitant markups. Very little technology is built entirely from American parts.

Besides, it’s mainly American and European manufacturers who are guilty of packaging low-cost components into expensive-looking chassis, and justifying outlandish price points with sham marketing language. For example, iFi Audio claims to be UK-based but most of their tech is designed and built in China.

The only serious problem with it I would argue is the deplorable wages and conditions Chinese workers endure to afford such quality products being made at such low prices. They pay a steep price for the logarithmic advances in technology we’ve enjoyed in the digital age. Plus the deluded false virtue some folks claim when they purport to only buy “American” is pretty insufferable.
 
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JPA

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Saving this image for future use...
 

SuicideSquid

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Don't understand your point? My Topping DAC may fail after a few years (although it's managed to last two years so far) but while it's working it does what it is supposed to do and does it well at a cost of £140. The device reviewed here does nothing and costs over two grand. Its build quality and longevity are therefore irrelevant.
To be charitable to restorer_john, I think he was asserting that using a device like the PS Audio Regenerator will extend the lifespan of your components by feeding them nice clean power.

I'm not aware of any testing showing this to be the case, though, and I doubt he is either - it's an assertion made without evidence that can be dismissed without further consideration.
 

srkbear

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Your sarcasm meter is broken.
Nope, Poe’s Law. I asked if you were being facetious. Sarcasm is an art form—I’m a purveyor of it myself. If I struggle to sort it out, there’s an execution problem. Anyway, I’m relieved you weren’t on the level. ;)
 

ragingspeed

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Hello all,

read this review and it reminded me of a power product brand which is being claimed out there to indeed do the good stuff at reasonable prices. I was tempted to buy one of their products. They are the British Puritan Audio Labs ( https://www.puritanaudiolabs.com/ )

Has anyone had experience with their products? Maybe a good hint for @amirm to test them? :)

Cheers,

Geoff
Malta
 
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amirm

amirm

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Hello all,

read this review and it reminded me of a power product brand which is being claimed out there to indeed do the good stuff at reasonable prices. I was tempted to buy one of their products. They are the British Puritan Audio Labs ( https://www.puritanaudiolabs.com/ )

Has anyone had experience with their products? Maybe a good hint for @amirm to test them? :)
Hi there. One step ahead of you. :) Already tested one: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/.../puritan-audio-psm156-review-ac-filter.26136/

It doesn't do anything for your audio system.
 

ragingspeed

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ah ... Thanks @amirm

let me still read it :)

then i need to do some more homework. my real target is to have good and stable power supply to my hifi equipment as in my country Malta we do have a tendency where power fluctuates. Therefore the puritan could be an overkill for this purpose in terms of price (I mean I can find another product to cater for my requirement at a better price?)
 

antcollinet

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ah ... Thanks @amirm

let me still read it :)

then i need to do some more homework. my real target is to have good and stable power supply to my hifi equipment as in my country Malta we do have a tendency where power fluctuates. Therefore the puritan could be an overkill for this purpose in terms of price (I mean I can find another product to cater for my requirement at a better price?)
Then that device is not what you need in any case. It is simply a noise filter (which - while it removes some of the noise from your mains, does nothing for your audio). But it is not intended to give you a stable supply - it has no functionality to keep the voltage stable, or to keep the supply during dropouts or cuts.

I'd suggest what you are looking for is a simple UPS (Uninterruptible power supply) as used in the IT industry.
 
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