Have now been running the Puritan 156 for a week...my verdict? Incredible... haven't stopped listening or smiling 😁 all week...the psm156 adds another entire dimension to the sonic signature of my system...best way I can describe it is that it completes my system...thank you for your video
Hi can I ask if your 156 needed some burning time, because I have mine for one day and at the moment is not good enough at all, was supposed to replace my isotek titan 2, but right now, the music has lost all the 3D magic. Thank you!
Puritan must love you, cause I just ordered one based on this video😉👌. Believable with ordinary audiophile and not biased paid reviewers. I have the PrimaLuna evo 100 dac as well.
I'm doing a mod to my current power conditioner to mimic the inside of that one. Found a good filter board for $100 and a couple of toroidal inductors. Then rewiring with up-occ in Teflon in parallel. Then adding a small filter board to each outlet. Hopefully I get good results. If you order these from a hifi store in England they are much cheaper, just might take a while to ship.
I’ve been living with the Puritan for a few years now and I still think it’s one of the best upgrades I have ever made to my hi-fi. It lowers the noise floor quite noticeably which means far more musical details shine through.
I truly wouldn't even consider my system to be my system without the Puritan! The completely natural tonality, separate and defined instruments, sounstage and imaging, dynamics, literally every aspect is improved beyond what I thought possible. And it never varies, no bad days! I have everything plugged into it, and personally noticed a big difference between integrated (with tube pre) plugged into the Puritan vs a Brickwall surge protector/line conditioner. I must have really crummy power!
Yeah thats what I though too. My home is polluting my electrical so badly that the difference with puritan is so shocking. And, it makes the amps i currently have sound more dynamic and effortless. Which many claim was the opposite for them. Many factors involved I guess.
I've had mine for about a month and the improvement was phenomenal. My Marantz cd player is on batteries. I use a Marchand tube electronic crossover feeding my 845 Chinese SE Tube amp. Innersound Eros speakers with panel upgrade. Every component was greatly improved. A total no-brainer. I used a monster cable noise sniffer to check it out and no noise was detected. Next step is to convert my room to Solar inverter. Cousin is using one in addition to another unit similar to this. Mind boggling! TT is even better than before. No dedicated ground run yet.
A friend of mine has been building mains cleaners filters, mains leads etc etc for 25 years. I have been using them for that amount of time. They DO WORK. The descriptions in this video describe the improvements made by removing noise from the mains supply. They Work
Fantastic video, really cool to see the reactions from several other people in their systems, no question that there's a big impact. I wonder how it would sound on a phono preamp....
Great video. Thanks Sounds like the Puritan unit is a winner. I suspected I had DC on the mains causing transformer buzz and hum. I built a power conditioner with basic filtering and a DC block circuit and it made a substantial improvement. Power cords are also impactful. In my experiments I found any form of inductor sucked life out of the music so I don't use the common mode inductors that see in the Puritan. Also had the same conclusion using isolation transformers. Perhaps Puritan has found just the right amount of induction and it works. I did find a ferrite clamp on the safety ground also helped and likely reduces cross component contamination. Sounds like the Puritan unit is a winner.
I have a PSM156 for about 10 weeks and i totally agree with you!!! It's even better after burning in. I have a Ultimate and a Classic+ powercords too to be perfectly happy. Your video is great cause your friends got exactly the reactions that i had with this beautyfull product. Have a nice day👋
Can I ask what kind of amp are you plugging into the Puritan? I'm curious if the Puritan will constrain my 300W solid state amp. Also, which of the Puritan power cables did you like best for plugging the PSM156 into the wall? I've heard that some people have preferred the Classics over the Ultimate.
@@Vsread21I have a 120w poweramp so I don't know for your 300w. Check Steve Huff revew if you have not already... The Ultimate is on my DAC and the Classic on my drive. I can't compare cause I did not switch the them.
The Puritan 156 is very good but you have only scratched the surface. Would you believe me you can make your digital sound like analog? Try the City Master and the puritan route master. You ground all your components with wires supplied into the route master, You run a wire to the City Master and plug into the wall. The difference is huge for digital! The Puritan City Master is an alternative to the Puritan ground master where you would hook that up to a copper rod running outsidfe your house for ground. The grounding system is cheaper than what other charge like the one from Nordos or Shunyata??? You have not heard your system until you ground your components. I am from Montreal and just installed it yesterday! For the last ounce, I would suggest getting an isolation transformer connected to the Puritan 156. Believe me...its like changing to a new component! The grounding system from Puritan really works and is cheaper!
Hi. I know it's been a long time but can you tell me how do you connect the components to the ground router? Where exactly do you connect those wires if your components don't have a dedicated ground prong? Thank you in advance!
@@covacs02 Go and check the Shunyata Altaira Road Map documentation. But in a nutshell: Measure the resistance between the third prong on the device's inlet (ground prong) and chassis screws. If it is less than 1 Ohm, you can use that screw to have a star ground system. Use exactly same length of grounding wires. This alone could make an improvement. If you connect that star ground to the Route master and that to the City master, then that is optimal as for Puritan products.
I have used one of these for a couple years and its brilliant. I quickly sold the PS Audio that often sounded worse than having the components being plugged straight into the wall.
Puritan products are highly recommended including the mains cables which are very flexible. There are three grades of cable (Classic, Classic Plus and Ultimate) but even the most reasonable Puritan Classic cable is very good and represents good value. The PSM156 has six outlets and can be fitted with USA, UK or Schuko. There is also a 12 outlet version if required.
Linear power supplies too... They do make a very real audible difference. I have three on the way, enough to handle 6 pieces of gear I have. I'm a true believer.
I just returned the Audioquest Niagara 1200. It was extremely disappointing. It actually collapsed my soundstage. Went back to my Furman. I want to try this next.
Intrigued. But, how much better can this be than say the Emotiva power strips that have both common and differential mode filtering and cost less than $200 USD? Plus, most audiophiles that go into the rabbit hole of upgrades usually have linear power supply(s) at various parts of their signal chain. So what secret sauce (if any) is in this Puritan device and is it any better than much less expensive items on the market (including Emotiva, Waudio and others)?
The DC blocker might be the main difference. Now if you do not have DC on your mains it will mean nothing. If you do or you have it certain times of day it can make a big difference.
Steve Huff reviewed and said specifically much better than the emotiva strips. My comparison was between a Brickwall surge protector and line conditioner, and it absolutely blew it put of the water. Though the difference between brickwall and nothing was also drastic!
I am really digging your channel since finding it, and did subscribe. This power conditioner, I went and visited the Puritan site, and what I saw reminded me of the filters Emotiva builds and sells. I have two of their CMX 6 units for the bulk of my gear, but they also sell a filter with DC offset and it looks darn near identical to some of this Puritan gear, their CMX-2 Precision Common Mode AC Line Filter With DC Offset Eliminator. I just ordered one, $82. I am going to give that a go with my new Denafrips Venus II 12th DAC I have sitting in the far reaches of my kitchen burning in. Just finishing up my home run to my panel for the AV gear, will have 6 dedicated 12/2 20amp circuits when finished, along with filtering on the LAN side. Again, thanks for another outstanding video! I will let you know how that Enotiva unit works out.
Great question. I did notice a difference when I had Dave + Farad3 connected to the PSM. It was slightly leaner and a bit more intricate in its portrayal. But I felt it choked up some of the low end and wasn't needed. So basically all my chain is off the PSM except for the Dave.@@ericelmore887
Hhhm. Seems like my other comment didn't go through? Dave + Farad3 into the Puritan added a bit more intricacies but lost a tiny bit of low end heft. I have my whole chain off the puritan. Left LPS to do it's thing. May change it back in the future. Its just preference at this point.@@ericelmore887
What, 3 hours and not a single troll? Slow Sunday? For what it's worth, I've tried a number of mains filters, DC blockers, and regenerators, and whoever says they can't hear a difference probably hasn't even bothered listening. Not all make a difference for the better, some actually for the worse, but to claim they make none is… Keep up the great work!
I’ve blue-tacked 20mm obsidian pyramids on the negative posts and contacts throughout my system. Yes, I believe in smooth signal transmission. Silver cables and crystal filtration also sharpens my tv image as well as my audio. Try Furutech Liquid Nano. It sweetens and smoothens the sharpness/sibilance that rhodium plugs shrill out. One more, I use a Tripp Lite Isobar (no cable) plug in unit. That filters the energy and adds lighting protection from the wall instead of just the conditioner applying the filtering. I also add obsidian crystal towers that radically reduces ground noise.
Thanks for nice video. Couple weeks ago i tested Niagara 1200. Background is black, less noise. But sound become tense. Then i understandt that i need to try higher level. Before i was tested Ps audio for 5k and i have Taga 1000. Taga i like more then Niagara 1200. On Psaudio my plasma tv shows nice but in sound i don't feel some diff. like with Niagra 1200.
Getting a 156 soon to test including their Ultimate power cable, plus they will be fitted with a C13 (EU) plug on the cable and C14 on the 156, so I can use my own cables and test the Puritan against my Furutech PowerFlux power cable !
I tested the 156 and Ultimate power cable, and come to the same conclusions. So I ordered both 😊. In my system it had best results plugging only the digital parts in the 156 and the Musical Fidelity Nu-Vista 600 amp directly into the wall socket. NV600 into 156 gained micro details etc, but lost some dynamics and slam. So definitely try all different combinations in your system. My system: Wharfedale Elysian 2 speakers, Musical Fidelity Nu-Vista 600 integrated amp, Holo Audio Spring 3 KTE dac, REL S/510 sub, Triade Flow reference 808 speaker and XLR cables, PURA the Nautilus Power power strip, Cisco Meraki MS220-8P switch full upgrade + separate power supply, Furutech PowerFlux power cables, Pink Faun USB, Mad Scientist Black Magic ethernet, Mini Mac M1 (Audirvana) as streamer, Pink Faun LAN isolator.
I have been using an Isotek V5 Elektra for several months. To put a number on it: 20 percent improvement overall versus plugging my AVR into the wall / protective power strip. I just compared again yesterday and yes same result. Of course I am curious, whether this Puritan would yield another 20 percent over this Isotek Elektra….
well, a CD uses a DAC, so the difference will be noticeable. as for vinyl. I would need to try it. BUT, I think, considering the sensitivity of a MC cartridge and the step up transformers required to bring that very small signal to be heard by a pre and amp. I bet it makes a considerable difference to have less noise and interference. but that's an assumption.
Thanks Loic...if I am listening to your analysis properly I am concluding that none of us has truly clean power...your 3 audiophile friends all experienced significant improvements in overall sound.
@@hificave yup you convinced me...like you or your friends I have mildly dabbled with this stuff...currently run an Emotiva power strip that costs $100 and truthfully can't really notice a difference...but like you and your friends I am now $3K light in my jeans...I believe the historical issue for most audio enthusiasts is that for every Puritan designing deliverable end solutions there are many more outfits selling snake oil...same issue with cables and power cords...in the end it's all part of the audio journey...thanks for your insight and posting the video
I was a total non believer after having tried many good quality power filtering products, until I heard the Puritan. The difference is so important that you could easily do a blind test and know exactly if the Puritan is in the system or not, especially for the DAC. If I’m correct, from the pictures of the unit’s belly, it is a balanced AC, plus it seems to have DC blocker and multiple filtering stages per outlet.
@@hificave I totally agree with you! Some were referring to common mode choke as taking the life out of the music, well not with this product. In fact, this product makes it even more lifelike and enjoyable to listen to music! I've already started to ask for quotes! :)
@@Vsread21With my tests, my amplifier was connected directly into the wall, only my DAC, streamer and preamp were connected to the Purifi, and this made a huge impact on music.
Brilliant-love the way you showcased 4 different systems. I’ve already seen the vids from OCD Mickey and Steve Huff and they had similar reactions. Question: did you use whatever power cord that came with it or puritans higher priced cord? I recall they have a top line cord that sells for $800
Loic, I’m also considering getting two dedicated lines for digital source gear and tube amp. Will you say it makes sense to go the dedicated line route first before introducing something like this?
@@kamijani1 honestly, no. I changed my perception after hearing what did psm 156 did to my buddies system and they had no dedicated or any type of ground isolation or whatever, basic home outlets and the jump in audio performance and engagement was far better then compared to the improvement I have in my home just with my dedicated circuits with high end outlets. I vote a psm. However, its almost 3000$… so I get why people are nervous, but when you hear it, you understand, its not subtle. Dedicated is still subject to over all panel noise in your home and other fluctations in voltage. So its not consistent.
I have both. I also have a RGPC PRO 400. Although the Furman and RGPC do help, they can suck the soul out of the music. The Puritan blows these other conditioners away in everyway. I use a HOLO May KTE Dac and totally transformed it. I use the Puritan Ultimate cord with the conditioner. They work well together. I just order a Puritan Ground Master City. I can't wait to try it out. 🙂
Hi Guys. I am considering the 156 and I do have a dedicated line … but with a generic wall socket duplex though. My question is … has anyone found that it “darkened” the overall sonic character of your system ? Perhaps too smooth and a very slight roll off in highs? This is not necessarily a bad thing … but not something I need in my present system. Thanks.
I find, it applies to a different layer. More an emphasis on improved separation & no background noise. But it may depend on what the current noise in your system is doing… different components may react more potently than others from a noisy electrical.
Who is the female artist singing with the Fender Rhodes piano on that stellar recording? Also, woill you please tell me the name of the record? Thanks!
I just got mine and use it with a battery with pure sine wave inverter. Incredible. The battery and inverter are way cheaper too. You can make a Stromtank type device for very little. Audio Science Review tested that unit and found that it does work well at filtering higher frequencies.
Hi, you mention managing voltage drop is something that the model provides. So does it keep the voltage steady at 120 volts so that the voltage does not fluctuate? If this is a feature that this model provides then I would be very interested in adding it to my system. Thank you.
Not sure how big your transformers are but I tried class A amp with 1000vs psu. And i prefered it with. But, im sure there many more variables to this equasion…
Hey man - I just discovered your channel. Subscribed! That was perhaps THE MOST CONVINCING REVIEW I have watched. Why? Because these are guys who KNOW their systems. Then you come along and plug ONE component in and THEY ALL IMMEDIATELY NOTICE A BIG DIFFERENCE. I'm convinced. What would interest me is a comparison between Puritan Audio Labs and Inakustik solutions. I have a dedicated outlet specified while the house was being built and a medium cost audiophile power bar. Somehow I can't help thinking the PSM156 would STILL make a difference even though my system is very carefully set up, I don't know how good my power bar is and I don't know how dirty my mains is. Great video. And cool friends you have! Sounds to me like they all speak another language as well as English. Am I right? Ai-je raison? All the best, Rob in Switzerland
I had the same experience with an inexpensive power conditioner plugged into my DAC. The conditioner was an Audiolab DC Block, a $100 product, plugged into my Denafrips ARES II DAC. Noise levels went way down, bass was more clean and defined, and most of the other things you have described. BUT! There is a big but, I felt that this thing was sucking the life out of music, the listening experience was less enjoyable and the bass presence was lacking in body and extension, although improved in clarity. I ended up disconnecting it. Maybe in a much better system than mine it would have made an improvement without all the shortcomings I described.
the engagement and emotions completely improved! maybe that's some of the difference with higher levels of pricing in conditioners (quality parts, design, etc) I agree with you, in the past, it made me skeptical on conditioners. This one just changed my perception completely.
I dont think it's your system, it was probably the 100$ product..I wouldn't be surprised if just 1 of the many parts used in this product cost more then 100$.
@@hificave For the audiolab The answer is brass. Cheap Brass in the inverted IEC and fused inlet and the same with the cable. Im building a new one with a Furutech inlet integrated to a cable .I agree that it sounds less dynamic but removes a lot of noise and the center image grows 3 times its size. I just changed the fuse to a supreme3 silver and boy ,the higher mids and highs are very, very good and the dynamics are back. You lose a bit of bass though. Will receive the new fused inlet for the box and inlet for cable this week and replace the 3 prongs in the inverted IEC soon. Audionote silver solder. The dynamic issue will be gone and beautiful dynamic sound will stay. Woud be great to compare with your Puritan once 200-300$ upgrade will be done, just for kicks!
Many dealers across Canada carry the Puritan. Drop in to see a Puritan dealer when convenient - you don't have to only believe the videos, you can also visit your dealer in person for a demo. Contact the Canadian distributor for info about your nearest Puritan dealer.
So if it makes a great difference with the source (dac), so I take it should be good to plug my streamer and audiophile switch in it too, right, as both influence what goes into the dac. And the at the end, add the integrated amplifier. Right?
Important things to note: 1. price stated is in Canadian dollars I think as I paid 1.5k pounds in UK 2. makes your system sound its best any time of the day, never had a single time I thought it was sounding sub optimal like it always happens during different times/days 3. sensibly improved the image from my xiaomi ust DLP laser projector!
Fun video. Yeah, after reading the forum threads about Core Power Technologies' amazing (and very affordable) balanced conditioners, Im not surprised at all with your reactions. Though if my memory serves, people seemed to see a bigger change with their amps and preamps than what you guys experienced. I didn't see any mention of plugging the music servers in. Did you try that? That could easily be as big a change as the DAC. The influence of clean power on digital sound is in a sense, absolute. Even putting a linear power supply on the router is a big improvement for streaming quality, as an example. Im stoked to learn of these Puritan conditioners. As a musician trying to make my Rig and small PA as hi fi as possible, these are a much better form factor and weight for that purpose. It seems there's no real wattage limit on this? All 6 outputs can put out 15a /1800 watts at the same time? That seems hard to believe, but I couldn't see any other spec about it. Anyway, Enjoying your videos.
What if you wired your system directly to 24v LiPo batteries (like used in boats, RV's backup house systems) and ran it through an inverter to avoid powerline noise?
Hi Loïc thank you for this insightful video. I have been suspecting power issues where I live. Some hours of the day my system sounded great and at other times during the day my system was lifeless . I thought that my personal mood was the cause. Where did you source your Puritan unit.
I wonder how good that would be with a chord tt2 dac, that is already considered well isolated by its supercondensators... I've a bad noise situation in my system with ground issue here and there. I'm currently still using my audioquest powerquest 2 that I bought at my beginnings and I was considering a ps audio power regenerator but this one looks very interesting. The gear that would be plugged in would be : both of my speakers audio acoustic ae1 active, hugo tt2, audio gd master 9. Maybe my internet router because it's noisy. The rest of my source chain is isolated on battery. What do you guys think? Thanks in advance!
Everywhere I tried this it made an impressive audible difference. But i cant say it will always be the case 100% as there could be types of electrical issues creating noise that maybe even this cannot correct… but I will never go without it again.
Very, very interesting - have you all already got good AC power cords in your systems? I have been having very similar improvements with both a Pine Tree Audio Iso-Power filter ($250US with 8 outlets) and their Iso-Braid AC power cables ($75US for 4' and $85US for 5'). Like you all, using these on my system was/is jaw dropping. Since you already own the Puritan, it would be great to have you compare them - please? I am thinking it is a noise thing - the background "haze" just disappears, and the instrument separation and dynamics all are just staggeringly great. The tech in the PSM156 is definitely miles more sophisticated - and for the price, it has to be. All I am saying is that I have heard the effects of clean(er) power, and it is *wonderful*!
I rewired an outlet, home run from my AV corner direct to the panel on its own 20 amp circuit. Friends and family have both commented on my new TV. It is not a new TV, it is the same one I bought in 2017. That is how much a simple dedicated circuit makes in PQ. Emotiva makes a CMX-2 DC offset filter unit, looks identical to some of this Puritan gear, just ordered one. If it works like I think it will, maybe a puritan is in my future.
@@scuffedreviews1475I have two installed, both are doing the job. I also have 3 of the CMX-6 in the mix too. I cannot complain, and no issues. I really like the fact you can use your own power cord with these. Makes a custom looking install. One thing of note, I worked very hard at cleaning things up from the panel to the gear before installing these CMX units. that is where I feel I received the most bang for the buck, that direct drop from the electrical panel to the gear.
Great review! I’m planning to get the Puritan PSM156, am doing my research and found this video review! May I ask what power cable are you using? Is it the Puritan Ultimate XX or the regular one? Thanks for the help! 🙏🏻
I tried the Plus version PC and the Ultimate PC (see my comment and system above), and the Ultimate is an improvement. It rivals or beats my Furutech PowerFlux cables that are twice the price. And I love how flexible the Ultimate cable is.
In these systems it did! But, I have experienced sibilance because of interconnects and speaker cables before as well, not all cables work well with all gear (regardless of price).
Hi Loic, I was deciding on which tube preamp to put in front of my integrated SE tube amp, elekit TU-8800 EL34. But, now you just made that decision even more difficult, LOL! I shouldn't have had clicked on this video MAN!🤣 If you were me, what would you buy as an upgrade? A tube preamp or PSM156? The rest of my system are: pontus ii dac, lii-audio F-15 in open baffle speakers and ian canada digital streamer complete kit (IRIS /HERMES DDC equivalent).
@@hificave Sweet! My PSM156 is arriving soon. Can't wait! Quick question: now with PSM 516 in your system, do you still need the external tube rectifier for your tube amp from about 6 (?) months ago?
Late comment here. Great experiment. If you were to get more bang for your buck, wouldn't it be better to buy an Ifi DC blocker just for the DAC? Or is there another phenomenon going on here?
You have selected one of the top 10 best power cleaners on the market in terms of value. The slightly cheaper Isol 8 mini sub axis is actually a bit better, and so is the Substation integra from Isol-8. (they are the most natural ones) But the PSaudio dectet for only about 900 USD can even beat the Isol-8, if you to start with having a transformer as the very first part of the system connected to the wall, and in that transformer box you then use these types of power cleaners like the Puritan 156, they will then go to a whole other level of sound. So yes in a way the DAC is the best difference. But I will actually say that, it is disguising the real culprit which most times is the SOURCE before the DAC. Because these PC streamers are usually the one component that is holding most systems back. (preventing the rest of the system to spread itś wings. Streamers create so much noise that they choke the other units) So the best thing you can do is first have a transformer for about 1-3k USD which is the most important part of the HIFI system. Then connect your fancy box which is for most things except the streamer. The streamer then goes into a very special plug in the transformer that is totally isolated from the fancy box that you have. (they usually have circa 3 totally different plugs those transformers) Plus another factor to weigh in, is the bandwidth of power which gets hugely affected once you fill up more and more into the Puritan 156 model. The reason why it does not sound so good is because the quality of power gets less and less the more units you plug into this and other similar boxes. (especially when a PC streamer with a LPSU or regular atx power supply is connected)
Hi Loic! I appreciate your HiFi interests, sensibilities, and recent videos you and Thomas have been posting. Have you yet considered the Puritan GroundMaster designed for the PSM 156?It would seem to me that would be the logical next step if you are confident in the Puritan technology. Perhaps you could reach out to Mike at Puritan (who is very responsive to communication). I also have the 156 however have yet to install my GroundMaster which I may do in the spring. The GroundMaster requires installation of 8’ earthing rods (one or more)….you may already be aware. That comparison of the 156/ plus GroundMaster vs. 156 alone might be interesting! My 156 is powering my player/DAC as you have done. Have you yet to try amps yet, including the Willsenton 300B? Any further content you produce related to any of the above will be welcomed and appreciated. Thanks!!
@@hificave Hi Loic again….sorry it’s been awhile since this video, but have you considered the Puritan GroundMaster idea since my last inquiry? With your emphasis on clean power and enthusiasm for the PSM156, I thought you might be up for the challenge as to whether the GroundMaster makes a substantial difference….Mike Lester (Puritan) seems to make a big deal of its grounding effect. Is the PSM a keeper for you or just in for review? Thanks, Mark
@@markhershberger9477 im interested in trying it the ground master. Just a question of time I guess. The psm156 I purchased. And is the key to my system now. Cant listen without it.
Hello, I have a problem with video games. There is a delay in response. The game becomes strange. I tried all the solutions. I changed the devices. I did literally everything except the electricity issue. Is there anyone you know who is a gamer who is trying the PSM156? Is there an economical solution? And with the same efficiency?
Very good video! If you want a far less expensive alternative with just one plug= Audiolab DC block. = 200$ . And its upgradable if you have soldering abilities, if not, i can do it. My jaw dropped for 200$! That has never happened before...
Nice review Loic! Want to try another something that's not too expensive and gives almost the same improvement? A gutwire ultimate ground cord for a single device at 600 canadian. At least investigate it and see reviews. Worked the treat on my intergrated amp! Your iris ddc supplier yakkin here. Cheers bud!
Thanks for very interesting stream😊I understand that Psm156 will be most effective on DACs, will it be that much effective on Turntables + Phono preamps? Also does it matter what kind of transformer like internal or external power cube? Thanks again
Any source component will improve, and thus the audiowave sent through the rest of the chain will make other components improve as well. But if you let your source pollute the electrical current flowing through, having the power conditionner only on an amp wont make that much of a difference since the amp is amplifying what the source is feeding it. (Take this with a grain of salt, my opinion based on my experience).
@@hificave Did you by chance check the impact on phono preamp? Because maybe a digital source is more effected (clock …..) than analogue like phono preamp ? I don’t know I’m just guessing….
I've heard of other audiophiles using those power conditioners (simply for protection and stability of ac power), but with mixed effects on sound systems. I genuinely would love for someone to do a TRUE blind test (this video wasn't a blind test at all), and compare the Puritan to a PS Audio Regen to a Ametek Powervar. For the money though, and for some peace of mind and great clean protected power, the Ametek is a solid, lowish cost option.
@@alanm.thornton4055 I completely agree, just like pwr cables and speaker cables, the deciding factor relies on the listener. I happened to come across PowerVar conditioner by accident. Paul from PS audio says off peak hours reveal the best out of the system, but with this transformer, the quality it’s always the same regardless how hard the grid is being loaded. It’s hard to find the big 3 at a budget price such as: Surge diverter Low impedance isolation transformer Noise filtering
Excellent video - love your channel. I’ve been waiting anxiously for this video as I ordered a PSM156 based mainly on the Steve Huff review and it should arrive soon. I’m curious, during the first tests was it the DAC only plugged into the Puritan or DAC / streamer?
In a very overinflated country. :-) I knew by saying the price in CDN dollars, would just make people smile when they realized its actually under 2k usd or in the UK.
Dynamics stayed the same, bass got tighter and more detailed. Everything cleans up. No more noise. Until you experience no noise its hard to imagine what it’s like and once you hear it, you cant go back.
@@alexjansen6282 well, my friends system had no noise either… (listen to the tweeter at high volume with no music, and dead silent) until there was really no noise in the signal path. The only experience I had after this video, (that I need to make a video on)is a system with a defective amplifier, that generated noise, no matter what I did, puritan or no puritan, cables, outlets, different sources, this bad amplifier was adding noise nullifying the benefits of the puritan. This type of issue, i am sure is making some people think “snake oil” when they change certain components when really its just something down the chain that is polluting the signal. Anyway, its hard to say. But I cannot listen to any revision of my system anymore (tube amps or solid state) without the puritan. If you can get a 30 day trial, its worth it to see if you value what it does. Even if it needs a couple weeks of break in, you hear it immediately the noise vanish from the background, in fact the background is gone. And you cannot un-hear it. Breakin just removes the slight edginess in the highs and mids that is present at first.
Many say no, some say maybe, some say even if it does, you are better off spending the money on a better gpu or cpu then on a power conditioner. You would get bigger gains.
@@hificave thank you, I’m demoing a audiolab dc block 6 which has helped massively, but your review has got me thinking if I should go further with the puritan
claiming that the difference with the dac is monstrous ok thats awesome but what for those how listening to vinyl as I do, will the difference be audible enough to justify that amount of cash that's the big question. some extra tests for what it does with amplifiers cd players turntables would be highly appreciated for us subscribers.
The difference with amplifiers is in the video, not as big of a jump then compared to the source, in this case the dac. But to use it with a phono stage? It will have a similar impact. A phono stage deals with such a fine low voltage signal from the stylus that in the process of scaling up that signal to a voltage can be amplified by an amp, if any noise is present in the phono stage it will be also amplified along with the sound wave and thus every component downstream from there will have that noise as part of the music. I have experienced 1 system, where the difference was not as monstrous, and it was because the system had a component between the source and the speakers that was defective and causing a ton of noise to be interjected from that device and completely eliminating all transparency from the sound wave going through the system.
It has surprised 4 out 4 (including very skeptical guys) so far in my circle. If it doesn’t do anything for you, you probably have amazing power already. But thats becoming rare.
thanks for this video which I highly appreciate but would it not be fair with 6 sockets to use them all so we know if it keeps it's true potential full loaded with hifi-gear IMO the reason why the difference with the Dac + Amp + Pre isn't as clearly discernible, as soon as you went listening your expectations bias was now even higher, because of that your brain assumed that it would, but now the difference was less obvious your brain takes it over. Do I think or does I hear a noticeable improvement. If so I can as well buy the cheaper PSM 136 version, hopefully somebody could shine a light on the sonic difference between both versions and maybe saving me some money Ones it's a part of your hi fi rig taken it out will make you anxious for missing something. But to wrap this up for this kind of money I admit I'm sceptic, I hope it's true potential is for real even for less money with the version 136. I hope you share more inside videos about this matter hopefully pulling me over from sceptic to a I have no doubt listener/subscriber, maybe you could lend it to Thomas & Stereo I'm also curious of his opinion as well.
I’m not going to proclaim that power strips, mains conditioners or power regenerators don’t make a difference. Surely any electronic components you add into the equation are going to change the outcome. Whether you consider that change an improvement or detriment is down to personal taste. What to my mind blows this whole concept out of the water is:- There is a highly regarded manufacturer of ‘high end’ components that also manufacture mains regenerators. These devices take the incoming mains power. Convert it to DC. Reconvert that DC power to AC, insuring the AC output is clean, smooth and constant. In other words, has low noise, a steady and reliable 60HZ and a steady voltage. All well and good and praiseworthy, but! When you take the time and trouble to read the user manual, it clearly states that the performance of the device can be significantly improved by replacing the stock mains cable for a more expensive and exotic cable. Excuse me??? If this Device is taking the incoming mains power and then breaking it down, before rebuilding it? Then surely the mains cable transporting that incoming power is of little or no consequence. Pushing all of that to one side. Take any hifi component, regardless of how the mains is delivered to it, the first thing that component will do, is convert that incoming AC mains power and convert it to usable DC power, ignoring any conditioning or regeneration done to the mains prior to it reaching the component. You people talk of a notable reduction in noise. I’ve spent many many years of blood, sweat and tears, trial and error, experimentation, making mistakes and making good choices. I’ve built a premium hifi rig which reproduces music the way I like to hear It. I guess it’s current value is about the same as a premium family car. I don’t employ any form of mains conditioning or regeneration but, I have a totally silent background. Take my advice. Spend that extra $3000 you were planning on investing in ‘clean power’ and use it to upgrade your electronics. It will pay dividends. Ultimately, if you are certain these clean power devices make a unquestionable improvement? Then perform a live, on air, blind test. If the difference is as you say, ‘night and day’, then in a blind test you should get it right 100% of the time. Like many other aspects of the audio industry, and many other industries, I feel that power conditioners and regenerators have been marketed as taking hifi to the next level. Where as in reality, they are fabricated, costly solutions to non existent, or trivial problems. Please, do that blind test and prove me wrong.
@@hificave yes, my own journey has driven me to my current conclusion. But, I’m open to rational persuasion. I used to be religious. I’ve grown out of religion due to powerful persuasion by rational intellectuals. I’ve stated my current thinking on clean power devices. That doesn’t mean I’m narrow minded. That doesn’t mean that my opinion is gospel. I issue the challenge once more. If, anyone claims that clean power products makes a night and day improvement to a hifi system, then validate those claims, in a live, controlled, blind test.
Why does someone always request the blind test instead of just testing it for themselves? Always so sure they are correct, but won't actually try it out. They always know better, even though they have ZERO experience with the product. They will tell you a bunch of BS why it won't make a difference, even though everyone that has actually tried the product can tell that there's a difference. These people need to start their own double blind test channel.
@@Pete.across.the.street psycho acoustics! If you are given a tablet to cure your headache, it likely will. Even though that tablet may be a placebo. That’s why there is virtue in, blind testing!
Have now been running the Puritan 156 for a week...my verdict? Incredible... haven't stopped listening or smiling 😁 all week...the psm156 adds another entire dimension to the sonic signature of my system...best way I can describe it is that it completes my system...thank you for your video
Amazing!
I'm ordering mine!
Hi can I ask if your 156 needed some burning time, because I have mine for one day and at the moment is not good enough at all, was supposed to replace my isotek titan 2, but right now, the music has lost all the 3D magic.
Thank you!
@@pablodepeche yes...2 weeks is recommended burn in time from manufacturer
When I connected it up I felt an instant widening of the soundstage. Plus TV picture was improved, along with whole system sound.
Puritan must love you, cause I just ordered one based on this video😉👌. Believable with ordinary audiophile and not biased paid reviewers. I have the PrimaLuna evo 100 dac as well.
Best video from Loic. Now I need to go over and steal his Psm to try.
Only condition is I film your reaction. Your not camera shy right?
@@hificave 😆
Please Thomas go for it
I'm doing a mod to my current power conditioner to mimic the inside of that one. Found a good filter board for $100 and a couple of toroidal inductors. Then rewiring with up-occ in Teflon in parallel. Then adding a small filter board to each outlet. Hopefully I get good results. If you order these from a hifi store in England they are much cheaper, just might take a while to ship.
I’ve been living with the Puritan for a few years now and I still think it’s one of the best upgrades I have ever made to my hi-fi. It lowers the noise floor quite noticeably which means far more musical details shine through.
Oh I had to come back and say Dude that was one of the coolest reviews I’ve seen. I dig your style my man
I truly wouldn't even consider my system to be my system without the Puritan! The completely natural tonality, separate and defined instruments, sounstage and imaging, dynamics, literally every aspect is improved beyond what I thought possible. And it never varies, no bad days! I have everything plugged into it, and personally noticed a big difference between integrated (with tube pre) plugged into the Puritan vs a Brickwall surge protector/line conditioner. I must have really crummy power!
Yeah thats what I though too. My home is polluting my electrical so badly that the difference with puritan is so shocking. And, it makes the amps i currently have sound more dynamic and effortless. Which many claim was the opposite for them. Many factors involved I guess.
Can I ask what kind of amp are you plugging into the Puritan? I'm curious if the Puritan will constrain my 300W solid state amp
@@Vsread21 Vincent SV-237MK, 150w, and I don't believe the Puritan restricts power at all :)
It was fun watching these guys have their Enid Lumley moments, realizing that the source is the most important part of your system.
I've had mine for about a month and the improvement was phenomenal. My Marantz cd player is on batteries. I use a Marchand tube electronic crossover feeding my 845 Chinese SE Tube amp. Innersound Eros speakers with panel upgrade. Every component was greatly improved. A total no-brainer. I used a monster cable noise sniffer to check it out and no noise was detected. Next step is to convert my room to Solar inverter. Cousin is using one in addition to another unit similar to this. Mind boggling! TT is even better than before. No dedicated ground run yet.
A friend of mine has been building mains cleaners filters, mains leads etc etc for 25 years. I have been using them for that amount of time. They DO WORK. The descriptions in this video describe the improvements made by removing noise from the mains supply. They Work
Fantastic video, really cool to see the reactions from several other people in their systems, no question that there's a big impact. I wonder how it would sound on a phono preamp....
Great video. Thanks Sounds like the Puritan unit is a winner.
I suspected I had DC on the mains causing transformer buzz and hum.
I built a power conditioner with basic filtering and a DC block circuit and it made a substantial improvement. Power cords are also impactful.
In my experiments I found any form of inductor sucked life out of the music so I don't use the common mode inductors that see in the Puritan. Also had the same conclusion using isolation transformers. Perhaps Puritan has found just the right amount of induction and it works. I did find a ferrite clamp on the safety ground also helped and likely reduces cross component contamination.
Sounds like the Puritan unit is a winner.
I have a PSM156 for about 10 weeks and i totally agree with you!!! It's even better after burning in.
I have a Ultimate and a Classic+ powercords too to be perfectly happy.
Your video is great cause your friends got exactly the reactions that i had with this beautyfull product.
Have a nice day👋
Can I ask what kind of amp are you plugging into the Puritan? I'm curious if the Puritan will constrain my 300W solid state amp.
Also, which of the Puritan power cables did you like best for plugging the PSM156 into the wall? I've heard that some people have preferred the Classics over the Ultimate.
@@Vsread21I have a 120w poweramp so I don't know for your 300w. Check Steve Huff revew if you have not already...
The Ultimate is on my DAC and the Classic on my drive. I can't compare cause I did not switch the them.
P.S. : the cable between the wall and the Puritan is send in the box.
Do you have to use the chassis ground to get most of the benefit from the 156??
I don't use it and never tryed 🤷♂️
The Puritan 156 is very good but you have only scratched the surface. Would you believe me you can make your digital sound like analog? Try the City Master and the puritan route master. You ground all your components with wires supplied into the route master, You run a wire to the City Master and plug into the wall. The difference is huge for digital! The Puritan City Master is an alternative to the Puritan ground master where you would hook that up to a copper rod running outsidfe your house for ground. The grounding system is cheaper than what other charge like the one from Nordos or Shunyata??? You have not heard your system until you ground your components. I am from Montreal and just installed it yesterday! For the last ounce, I would suggest getting an isolation transformer connected to the Puritan 156. Believe me...its like changing to a new component! The grounding system from Puritan really works and is cheaper!
Hi. I know it's been a long time but can you tell me how do you connect the components to the ground router? Where exactly do you connect those wires if your components don't have a dedicated ground prong?
Thank you in advance!
@@covacs02 Go and check the Shunyata Altaira Road Map documentation. But in a nutshell: Measure the resistance between the third prong on the device's inlet (ground prong) and chassis screws. If it is less than 1 Ohm, you can use that screw to have a star ground system. Use exactly same length of grounding wires. This alone could make an improvement. If you connect that star ground to the Route master and that to the City master, then that is optimal as for Puritan products.
I have used one of these for a couple years and its brilliant. I quickly sold the PS Audio that often sounded worse than having the components being plugged straight into the wall.
Puritan products are highly recommended including the mains cables which are very flexible. There are three grades of cable (Classic, Classic Plus and Ultimate) but even the most reasonable Puritan Classic cable is very good and represents good value. The PSM156 has six outlets and can be fitted with USA, UK or Schuko. There is also a 12 outlet version if required.
Great for TVs
Loved the video! Would have loved to have been a double blind test.
Linear power supplies too... They do make a very real audible difference. I have three on the way, enough to handle 6 pieces of gear I have. I'm a true believer.
Yes they do! completely agree.
I just returned the Audioquest Niagara 1200. It was extremely disappointing. It actually collapsed my soundstage. Went back to my Furman. I want to try this next.
I love mine. It works like you say here for sure. All transformer hum is gone.
This is fascinating. Great review!
Is it a review tho? Hmmm.
@@hificave Multiple, frank reviews perhaps?
@@thebostonaudiophile hehe. Or sharing experiences. :-)
@@hificave well said.
Intrigued. But, how much better can this be than say the Emotiva power strips that have both common and differential mode filtering and cost less than $200 USD? Plus, most audiophiles that go into the rabbit hole of upgrades usually have linear power supply(s) at various parts of their signal chain. So what secret sauce (if any) is in this Puritan device and is it any better than much less expensive items on the market (including Emotiva, Waudio and others)?
The DC blocker might be the main difference. Now if you do not have DC on your mains it will mean nothing. If you do or you have it certain times of day it can make a big difference.
Steve Huff reviewed and said specifically much better than the emotiva strips. My comparison was between a Brickwall surge protector and line conditioner, and it absolutely blew it put of the water. Though the difference between brickwall and nothing was also drastic!
Great video!!!! It's amazing how clean power makes a difference!!!!
I am really digging your channel since finding it, and did subscribe. This power conditioner, I went and visited the Puritan site, and what I saw reminded me of the filters Emotiva builds and sells. I have two of their CMX 6 units for the bulk of my gear, but they also sell a filter with DC offset and it looks darn near identical to some of this Puritan gear, their CMX-2 Precision Common Mode AC Line Filter With DC Offset Eliminator. I just ordered one, $82. I am going to give that a go with my new Denafrips Venus II 12th DAC I have sitting in the far reaches of my kitchen burning in. Just finishing up my home run to my panel for the AV gear, will have 6 dedicated 12/2 20amp circuits when finished, along with filtering on the LAN side. Again, thanks for another outstanding video! I will let you know how that Enotiva unit works out.
I have a Chord Dave with custom LPS Farad3. The effect is huge. But unsure adding the PSM1512 will help in this case. Thanks.
I bought the PSM1512. We shall see :)
@@N02tradamusdid you notice a difference with your chord Dave with LPS PLUGGED into the PSM1511
Great question. I did notice a difference when I had Dave + Farad3 connected to the PSM. It was slightly leaner and a bit more intricate in its portrayal. But I felt it choked up some of the low end and wasn't needed. So basically all my chain is off the PSM except for the Dave.@@ericelmore887
You can go either way though. It more of a preference thing.
Hhhm. Seems like my other comment didn't go through? Dave + Farad3 into the Puritan added a bit more intricacies but lost a tiny bit of low end heft. I have my whole chain off the puritan. Left LPS to do it's thing. May change it back in the future. Its just preference at this point.@@ericelmore887
Can we get a video on Dom's diy wilson's / rig, and what dacs are being used in this video?
Prima Luma evo 100
Holo May kte
Denafrips pontus2 and venus2.
What, 3 hours and not a single troll? Slow Sunday? For what it's worth, I've tried a number of mains filters, DC blockers, and regenerators, and whoever says they can't hear a difference probably hasn't even bothered listening. Not all make a difference for the better, some actually for the worse, but to claim they make none is… Keep up the great work!
HAHA, almost 2 days now, and hardly any trolls.
I’ve blue-tacked 20mm obsidian pyramids on the negative posts and contacts throughout my system.
Yes, I believe in smooth signal transmission.
Silver cables and crystal filtration also sharpens my tv image as well as my audio.
Try Furutech Liquid Nano. It sweetens and smoothens the sharpness/sibilance that rhodium plugs shrill out.
One more, I use a Tripp Lite Isobar (no cable) plug in unit. That filters the energy and adds lighting protection from the wall instead of just the conditioner applying the filtering.
I also add obsidian crystal towers that radically reduces ground noise.
Thank you!! Great advice.
Thanks for nice video.
Couple weeks ago i tested Niagara 1200. Background is black, less noise. But sound become tense. Then i understandt that i need to try higher level. Before i was tested Ps audio for 5k and i have Taga 1000. Taga i like more then Niagara 1200. On Psaudio my plasma tv shows nice but in sound i don't feel some diff. like with Niagra 1200.
Thanks, please share your testing too!
Will do!
Getting a 156 soon to test including their Ultimate power cable, plus they will be fitted with a C13 (EU) plug on the cable and C14 on the 156, so I can use my own cables and test the Puritan against my Furutech PowerFlux power cable !
I tested the 156 and Ultimate power cable, and come to the same conclusions. So I ordered both 😊. In my system it had best results plugging only the digital parts in the 156 and the Musical Fidelity Nu-Vista 600 amp directly into the wall socket. NV600 into 156 gained micro details etc, but lost some dynamics and slam. So definitely try all different combinations in your system.
My system: Wharfedale Elysian 2 speakers, Musical Fidelity Nu-Vista 600 integrated amp, Holo Audio Spring 3 KTE dac, REL S/510 sub, Triade Flow reference 808 speaker and XLR cables, PURA the Nautilus Power power strip, Cisco Meraki MS220-8P switch full upgrade + separate power supply, Furutech PowerFlux power cables, Pink Faun USB, Mad Scientist Black Magic ethernet, Mini Mac M1 (Audirvana) as streamer, Pink Faun LAN isolator.
Nice Job Loki - Thanks for the Video
Have any of your buddies previously used any other kind of power conditioner/filter??
Awesome stuff👍 all three we had the same reactions.The Puritan is just amazing we can’t deny that🤷🏻♂️
Did you notice any reduction in sibilance? Really curious. Thanks
I have been using an Isotek V5 Elektra for several months. To put a number on it: 20 percent improvement overall versus plugging my AVR into the wall / protective power strip. I just compared again yesterday and yes same result. Of course I am curious, whether this Puritan would yield another 20 percent over this Isotek Elektra….
So, I would be interested how much it improves the sound if you are using CDs or Vinyl as your source?
well, a CD uses a DAC, so the difference will be noticeable. as for vinyl. I would need to try it. BUT, I think, considering the sensitivity of a MC cartridge and the step up transformers required to bring that very small signal to be heard by a pre and amp. I bet it makes a considerable difference to have less noise and interference. but that's an assumption.
Thank for the video, Im curious about all of the source gear that feed all those DACs. Can you please share more info about them,thanks.
Thanks Loic...if I am listening to your analysis properly I am concluding that none of us has truly clean power...your 3 audiophile friends all experienced significant improvements in overall sound.
Until this experience, all the trials with cables, and conditioners, was mediocre in differences compared to what I heard this time.
@@hificave yup you convinced me...like you or your friends I have mildly dabbled with this stuff...currently run an Emotiva power strip that costs $100 and truthfully can't really notice a difference...but like you and your friends I am now $3K light in my jeans...I believe the historical issue for most audio enthusiasts is that for every Puritan designing deliverable end solutions there are many more outfits selling snake oil...same issue with cables and power cords...in the end it's all part of the audio journey...thanks for your insight and posting the video
I was a total non believer after having tried many good quality power filtering products, until I heard the Puritan. The difference is so important that you could easily do a blind test and know exactly if the Puritan is in the system or not, especially for the DAC. If I’m correct, from the pictures of the unit’s belly, it is a balanced AC, plus it seems to have DC blocker and multiple filtering stages per outlet.
there must be a level of "quality" in those filters or its the whole design that makes it so clean and still dynamic.
@@hificave I totally agree with you! Some were referring to common mode choke as taking the life out of the music, well not with this product. In fact, this product makes it even more lifelike and enjoyable to listen to music! I've already started to ask for quotes! :)
@@dominicvalois i need one for my beer fridge….
Can I ask what kind of amp are you plugging into the Puritan? I'm curious if the Puritan will constrain my 300W solid state amp
@@Vsread21With my tests, my amplifier was connected directly into the wall, only my DAC, streamer and preamp were connected to the Purifi, and this made a huge impact on music.
Brilliant-love the way you showcased 4 different systems. I’ve already seen the vids from OCD Mickey and Steve Huff and they had similar reactions. Question: did you use whatever power cord that came with it or puritans higher priced cord? I recall they have a top line cord that sells for $800
I have the classic cord. not the 800$ ultimate.
Loic, I’m also considering getting two dedicated lines for digital source gear and tube amp. Will you say it makes sense to go the dedicated line route first before introducing something like this?
@@kamijani1 honestly, no. I changed my perception after hearing what did psm 156 did to my buddies system and they had no dedicated or any type of ground isolation or whatever, basic home outlets and the jump in audio performance and engagement was far better then compared to the improvement I have in my home just with my dedicated circuits with high end outlets.
I vote a psm. However, its almost 3000$… so I get why people are nervous, but when you hear it, you understand, its not subtle. Dedicated is still subject to over all panel noise in your home and other fluctations in voltage. So its not consistent.
Wonder how does it compare with the Furman 20Pfi Elite, another $3k conditioner… that I’m using. Has anyone compared these? Just wondering…
I have both. I also have a RGPC PRO 400. Although the Furman and RGPC do help, they can suck the soul out of the music. The Puritan blows these other conditioners away in everyway. I use a HOLO May KTE Dac and totally transformed it. I use the Puritan Ultimate cord with the conditioner. They work well together. I just order a Puritan Ground Master City. I can't wait to try it out. 🙂
@@robgallos4669thanks for sharing Rob
Hi Guys. I am considering the 156 and I do have a dedicated line … but with a generic wall socket duplex though.
My question is … has anyone found that it “darkened” the overall sonic character of your system ? Perhaps too smooth and a very slight roll off in highs? This is not necessarily a bad thing … but not something I need in my present system.
Thanks.
I find, it applies to a different layer. More an emphasis on improved separation & no background noise. But it may depend on what the current noise in your system is doing… different components may react more potently than others from a noisy electrical.
So DAC with the regenerative power supply is probably enough..Thx for the video
honestly, yes, it makes a huge difference just on the source.
Who is the female artist singing with the Fender Rhodes piano on that stellar recording?
Also, woill you please tell me the name of the record?
Thanks!
Freya ridings? Track lost without you… ?
I just got mine and use it with a battery with pure sine wave inverter. Incredible. The battery and inverter are way cheaper too. You can make a Stromtank type device for very little. Audio Science Review tested that unit and found that it does work well at filtering higher frequencies.
ASR is not listening to music, they just measure gear. This is not the same and their measurements can’t be translated to actual human hearing.
Hi, you mention managing voltage drop is something that the model provides. So does it keep the voltage steady at 120 volts so that the voltage does not fluctuate? If this is a feature that this model provides then I would be very interested in adding it to my system. Thank you.
Q: did any of these systems have other power filters or regenerators before this test?
No.
Hello! Has anyone here plugged a current-hungry amp into their Puritan PSM156? I'm curious if the Puritan will constrain my 300W solid state amp
Not sure how big your transformers are but I tried class A amp with 1000vs psu. And i prefered it with. But, im sure there many more variables to this equasion…
Impressive! How does a Transparent Powerbank 6 compare to it?
Hey man - I just discovered your channel. Subscribed! That was perhaps THE MOST CONVINCING REVIEW I have watched. Why? Because these are guys who KNOW their systems. Then you come along and plug ONE component in and THEY ALL IMMEDIATELY NOTICE A BIG DIFFERENCE. I'm convinced. What would interest me is a comparison between Puritan Audio Labs and Inakustik solutions.
I have a dedicated outlet specified while the house was being built and a medium cost audiophile power bar. Somehow I can't help thinking the PSM156 would STILL make a difference even though my system is very carefully set up, I don't know how good my power bar is and I don't know how dirty my mains is. Great video. And cool friends you have! Sounds to me like they all speak another language as well as English. Am I right? Ai-je raison? All the best, Rob in Switzerland
Spot on! Oui.
I had the same experience with an inexpensive power conditioner plugged into my DAC. The conditioner was an Audiolab DC Block, a $100 product, plugged into my Denafrips ARES II DAC. Noise levels went way down, bass was more clean and defined, and most of the other things you have described. BUT! There is a big but, I felt that this thing was sucking the life out of music, the listening experience was less enjoyable and the bass presence was lacking in body and extension, although improved in clarity. I ended up disconnecting it. Maybe in a much better system than mine it would have made an improvement without all the shortcomings I described.
the engagement and emotions completely improved! maybe that's some of the difference with higher levels of pricing in conditioners (quality parts, design, etc) I agree with you, in the past, it made me skeptical on conditioners. This one just changed my perception completely.
I dont think it's your system, it was probably the 100$ product..I wouldn't be surprised if just 1 of the many parts used in this product cost more then 100$.
@@hificave For the audiolab The answer is brass. Cheap Brass in the inverted IEC and fused inlet and the same with the cable. Im building a new one with a Furutech inlet integrated to a cable .I agree that it sounds less dynamic but removes a lot of noise and the center image grows 3 times its size. I just changed the fuse to a supreme3 silver and boy ,the higher mids and highs are very, very good and the dynamics are back. You lose a bit of bass though. Will receive the new fused inlet for the box and inlet for cable this week and replace the 3 prongs in the inverted IEC soon. Audionote silver solder. The dynamic issue will be gone and beautiful dynamic sound will stay. Woud be great to compare with your Puritan once 200-300$ upgrade will be done, just for kicks!
Many dealers across Canada carry the Puritan. Drop in to see a Puritan dealer when convenient - you don't have to only believe the videos, you can also visit your dealer in person for a demo. Contact the Canadian distributor for info about your nearest Puritan dealer.
mr have you tried the younger brother of the group the Puritan PB104-DC ، Can you try it?
I wish I could. I would need to buy it. :-)
So if it makes a great difference with the source (dac), so I take it should be good to plug my streamer and audiophile switch in it too, right, as both influence what goes into the dac. And the at the end, add the integrated amplifier. Right?
Try one first, then add another, listen, then add another.. and see where it makes the biggest difference for you.
Does the puritans have the polarity marked on the device
Important things to note:
1. price stated is in Canadian dollars I think as I paid 1.5k pounds in UK
2. makes your system sound its best any time of the day, never had a single time I thought it was sounding sub optimal like it always happens during different times/days
3. sensibly improved the image from my xiaomi ust DLP laser projector!
Hi… thanks for the review! Quick question did you use the 2M classic cord or the upgraded ultimate power cable? Thanks again!
The classic one.
Fun video. Yeah, after reading the forum threads about Core Power Technologies' amazing (and very affordable) balanced conditioners, Im not surprised at all with your reactions. Though if my memory serves, people seemed to see a bigger change with their amps and preamps than what you guys experienced. I didn't see any mention of plugging the music servers in. Did you try that? That could easily be as big a change as the DAC. The influence of clean power on digital sound is in a sense, absolute. Even putting a linear power supply on the router is a big improvement for streaming quality, as an example.
Im stoked to learn of these Puritan conditioners. As a musician trying to make my Rig and small PA as hi fi as possible, these are a much better form factor and weight for that purpose. It seems there's no real wattage limit on this? All 6 outputs can put out 15a /1800 watts at the same time? That seems hard to believe, but I couldn't see any other spec about it. Anyway, Enjoying your videos.
Do you have your amp , preamp , and subwoofer plugged in to the 156 as well?
yep. But no subwoofers.
This is your best video. Excellent work. Now if I could only try this. Too bad you're not in Toronto.
Im there sometimes. ;-)
@@hificave Your more than welcome to bring over any toys
Is-it better with dedicated line + fututech gtx-ncf inlet or the box do all ?
What if you wired your system directly to 24v LiPo batteries (like used in boats, RV's backup house systems) and ran it through an inverter to avoid powerline noise?
What if indeed….
Batteries have very poor discharge rates.
The only time a battery sounds better is when the mains is really bad.
@@joshua43214 not with modern 24v LiPo batteries. People run entire houses off these systems. They are steady down to 5% of charge.
As Teddy Pardo states - batteries are also noisy.
Hi Loïc thank you for this insightful video. I have been suspecting power issues where I live. Some hours of the day my system sounded great and at other times during the day my system was lifeless . I thought that my personal mood was the cause. Where did you source your Puritan unit.
Parts Connexion near Toronto. Chris over there gave solid service.
being the cheap skate that I am... would the Puritan Audio PS106DC Power Purifier Strip offer similar performance at a reduced cost for the DAC only?
Haven’t used it. Cant say.
I wonder how good that would be with a chord tt2 dac, that is already considered well isolated by its supercondensators...
I've a bad noise situation in my system with ground issue here and there. I'm currently still using my audioquest powerquest 2 that I bought at my beginnings and I was considering a ps audio power regenerator but this one looks very interesting.
The gear that would be plugged in would be : both of my speakers audio acoustic ae1 active, hugo tt2, audio gd master 9. Maybe my internet router because it's noisy. The rest of my source chain is isolated on battery.
What do you guys think? Thanks in advance!
Everywhere I tried this it made an impressive audible difference. But i cant say it will always be the case 100% as there could be types of electrical issues creating noise that maybe even this cannot correct… but I will never go without it again.
I have ifi DC blocks. Could these be used with this? Or would they be superfluous?
Very, very interesting - have you all already got good AC power cords in your systems? I have been having very similar improvements with both a Pine Tree Audio Iso-Power filter ($250US with 8 outlets) and their Iso-Braid AC power cables ($75US for 4' and $85US for 5'). Like you all, using these on my system was/is jaw dropping. Since you already own the Puritan, it would be great to have you compare them - please?
I am thinking it is a noise thing - the background "haze" just disappears, and the instrument separation and dynamics all are just staggeringly great. The tech in the PSM156 is definitely miles more sophisticated - and for the price, it has to be. All I am saying is that I have heard the effects of clean(er) power, and it is *wonderful*!
With clean power comes clean responsibility
👆🤪
Try it on your TV, see if you get a better picture. I've heard it works.
I heard it makes a difference on projectors too
I rewired an outlet, home run from my AV corner direct to the panel on its own 20 amp circuit. Friends and family have both commented on my new TV. It is not a new TV, it is the same one I bought in 2017. That is how much a simple dedicated circuit makes in PQ. Emotiva makes a CMX-2 DC offset filter unit, looks identical to some of this Puritan gear, just ordered one. If it works like I think it will, maybe a puritan is in my future.
@@michaelwright1602how is the CMX ?
@@scuffedreviews1475I have two installed, both are doing the job. I also have 3 of the CMX-6 in the mix too. I cannot complain, and no issues. I really like the fact you can use your own power cord with these. Makes a custom looking install. One thing of note, I worked very hard at cleaning things up from the panel to the gear before installing these CMX units. that is where I feel I received the most bang for the buck, that direct drop from the electrical panel to the gear.
Great review! I’m planning to get the Puritan PSM156, am doing my research and found this video review! May I ask what power cable are you using? Is it the Puritan Ultimate XX or the regular one? Thanks for the help! 🙏🏻
Regular
I tried the Plus version PC and the Ultimate PC (see my comment and system above), and the Ultimate is an improvement. It rivals or beats my Furutech PowerFlux cables that are twice the price. And I love how flexible the Ultimate cable is.
Will the Puritan contribute to reduce sibilance in vocals? Thanks and great video!
In these systems it did! But, I have experienced sibilance because of interconnects and speaker cables before as well, not all cables work well with all gear (regardless of price).
Hi Loic, I was deciding on which tube preamp to put in front of my integrated SE tube amp, elekit TU-8800 EL34. But, now you just made that decision even more difficult, LOL! I shouldn't have had clicked on this video MAN!🤣 If you were me, what would you buy as an upgrade? A tube preamp or PSM156? The rest of my system are: pontus ii dac, lii-audio F-15 in open baffle speakers and ian canada digital streamer complete kit (IRIS /HERMES DDC equivalent).
Hard to say. Depends on the preamp, and what amp you will use. But I am sure Your jaw will drop when you plug in your pontus into the Puritan.
@@hificave Sweet! My PSM156 is arriving soon. Can't wait! Quick question: now with PSM 516 in your system, do you still need the external tube rectifier for your tube amp from about 6 (?) months ago?
Late comment here.
Great experiment.
If you were to get more bang for your buck, wouldn't it be better to buy an Ifi DC blocker just for the DAC? Or is there another phenomenon going on here?
You have selected one of the top 10 best power cleaners on the market in terms of value. The slightly cheaper Isol 8 mini sub axis is actually a bit better, and so is the Substation integra from Isol-8. (they are the most natural ones)
But the PSaudio dectet for only about 900 USD can even beat the Isol-8, if you to start with having a transformer as the very first part of the system connected to the wall, and in that transformer box you then use these types of power cleaners like the Puritan 156, they will then go to a whole other level of sound.
So yes in a way the DAC is the best difference. But I will actually say that, it is disguising the real culprit which most times is the SOURCE before the DAC. Because these PC streamers are usually the one component that is holding most systems back. (preventing the rest of the system to spread itś wings. Streamers create so much noise that they choke the other units)
So the best thing you can do is first have a transformer for about 1-3k USD which is the most important part of the HIFI system. Then connect your fancy box which is for most things except the streamer. The streamer then goes into a very special plug in the transformer that is totally isolated from the fancy box that you have. (they usually have circa 3 totally different plugs those transformers)
Plus another factor to weigh in, is the bandwidth of power which gets hugely affected once you fill up more and more into the Puritan 156 model. The reason why it does not sound so good is because the quality of power gets less and less the more units you plug into this and other similar boxes. (especially when a PC streamer with a LPSU or regular atx power supply is connected)
Hi Loic! I appreciate your HiFi interests, sensibilities, and recent videos you and Thomas have been posting. Have you yet considered the Puritan GroundMaster designed for the PSM 156?It would seem to me that would be the logical next step if you are confident in the Puritan technology. Perhaps you could reach out to Mike at Puritan (who is very responsive to communication). I also have the 156 however have yet to install my GroundMaster which I may do in the spring. The GroundMaster requires installation of 8’ earthing rods (one or more)….you may already be aware. That comparison of the 156/ plus GroundMaster vs. 156 alone might be interesting! My 156 is powering my player/DAC as you have done. Have you yet to try amps yet, including the Willsenton 300B? Any further content you produce related to any of the above will be welcomed and appreciated. Thanks!!
in my system, I prefer the willsenton R300 in the PSM 156. It has a bit of transformer buzz if directly in my wall.
@@hificave Hi Loic again….sorry it’s been awhile since this video, but have you considered the Puritan GroundMaster idea since my last inquiry? With your emphasis on clean power and enthusiasm for the PSM156, I thought you might be up for the challenge as to whether the GroundMaster makes a substantial difference….Mike Lester (Puritan) seems to make a big deal of its grounding effect. Is the PSM a keeper for you or just in for review? Thanks, Mark
@@markhershberger9477 im interested in trying it the ground master. Just a question of time I guess. The psm156 I purchased. And is the key to my system now. Cant listen without it.
Hello, I have a problem with video games. There is a delay in response. The game becomes strange. I tried all the solutions. I changed the devices. I did literally everything except the electricity issue. Is there anyone you know who is a gamer who is trying the PSM156? Is there an economical solution? And with the same efficiency?
I dont know… interesting
@hificave hi can you help me... What is the difference between psm156 and PB104 Power Brick? Because the scanned Cheaper
Very good video! If you want a far less expensive alternative with just one plug= Audiolab DC block. = 200$ . And its upgradable if you have soldering abilities, if not, i can do it. My jaw dropped for 200$! That has never happened before...
Nice review Loic! Want to try another something that's not too expensive and gives almost the same improvement? A gutwire ultimate ground cord for a single device at 600 canadian. At least investigate it and see reviews. Worked the treat on my intergrated amp! Your iris ddc supplier yakkin here. Cheers bud!
Cheers Mike!!
Thanks for very interesting stream😊I understand that Psm156 will be most effective on DACs, will it be that much effective on Turntables + Phono preamps? Also does it matter what kind of transformer like internal or external power cube? Thanks again
Any source component will improve, and thus the audiowave sent through the rest of the chain will make other components improve as well. But if you let your source pollute the electrical current flowing through, having the power conditionner only on an amp wont make that much of a difference since the amp is amplifying what the source is feeding it. (Take this with a grain of salt, my opinion based on my experience).
@@hificave Did you by chance check the impact on phono preamp? Because maybe a digital source is more effected (clock …..) than analogue like phono preamp ? I don’t know I’m just guessing….
@@yanivshef i have not. But I will try and get acces to a vinyl rig and try it.
@@hificave wow that would be great thanks 🙏
Ametek Powervar makes medical grade pwr conditioners.
I've heard of other audiophiles using those power conditioners (simply for protection and stability of ac power), but with mixed effects on sound systems. I genuinely would love for someone to do a TRUE blind test (this video wasn't a blind test at all), and compare the Puritan to a PS Audio Regen to a Ametek Powervar. For the money though, and for some peace of mind and great clean protected power, the Ametek is a solid, lowish cost option.
@@alanm.thornton4055 I completely agree, just like pwr cables and speaker cables, the deciding factor relies on the listener.
I happened to come across PowerVar conditioner by accident. Paul from PS audio says off peak hours reveal the best out of the system, but with this transformer, the quality it’s always the same regardless how hard the grid is being loaded. It’s hard to find the big 3 at a budget price such as:
Surge diverter
Low impedance isolation transformer
Noise filtering
Excellent video - love your channel. I’ve been waiting anxiously for this video as I ordered a PSM156 based mainly on the Steve Huff review and it should arrive soon. I’m curious, during the first tests was it the DAC only plugged into the Puritan or DAC / streamer?
Dac only
@@hificave Wow
@@HeDidItAllForYou thats what I said too!
Where are you located? These are $1800 in the US.
Best money I’ve ever spent on my system.
In a very overinflated country. :-) I knew by saying the price in CDN dollars, would just make people smile when they realized its actually under 2k usd or in the UK.
@@hificave ugh that’s horrible! For a small fee I’ll help people smuggle lol
@@cameronrector178 lol
Good point Loic, make it 1K or less and we have a winner! Thank you Loic, interesting finding!
Did you try everything but the amplifier plugged into the Puritan?
Yes. Depends on the amplifier. In many cases amplifier in direct feed in the wall and all the digital and pre in the puritan is Great!!
Not sure if I believe it Loic, send me the unit to test and I'll let you know 😉
if i plug my router to the puritan will my internet run faster? im sure voltage drops make my internet slower
Cpu has built error correction to account for it.
You think plugging in a turntable, phono amp with a dac, streamer, and preamp is ok?
Yes sir.
@Hifi Cave coo. People have told me turntables shouldn't go into a conditioner, but none have really told me why.
@@backrack01 try it. If it sucks, un plug it. :-)
did the Puritan affect dynamics? bass?
Dynamics stayed the same, bass got tighter and more detailed. Everything cleans up. No more noise. Until you experience no noise its hard to imagine what it’s like and once you hear it, you cant go back.
@@hificave tks a lot! nice video by the way - funny too - good idea to try it in different man's cave, - I mean, systems ;-)
@@hificave I have no noise whatsoever on my system today, not from the amp, not from the speakers - even at loud volume. Will it still be benefical?
@@alexjansen6282 well, my friends system had no noise either… (listen to the tweeter at high volume with no music, and dead silent) until there was really no noise in the signal path. The only experience I had after this video, (that I need to make a video on)is a system with a defective amplifier, that generated noise, no matter what I did, puritan or no puritan, cables, outlets, different sources, this bad amplifier was adding noise nullifying the benefits of the puritan. This type of issue, i am sure is making some people think “snake oil” when they change certain components when really its just something down the chain that is polluting the signal. Anyway, its hard to say. But I cannot listen to any revision of my system anymore (tube amps or solid state) without the puritan. If you can get a 30 day trial, its worth it to see if you value what it does. Even if it needs a couple weeks of break in, you hear it immediately the noise vanish from the background, in fact the background is gone. And you cannot un-hear it. Breakin just removes the slight edginess in the highs and mids that is present at first.
Can this "clean Power" affect/alter video (GPU) and computing performances?
Many say no, some say maybe, some say even if it does, you are better off spending the money on a better gpu or cpu then on a power conditioner. You would get bigger gains.
please bring on Thomas from Thomas & Stereo
Who?
@@hificavehe shows no interest
Which power cable did you use? The classic or ultimate?
Classic
@@hificave thank you, I’m demoing a audiolab dc block 6 which has helped massively, but your review has got me thinking if I should go further with the puritan
claiming that the difference with the dac is monstrous ok thats awesome but what for those how listening to vinyl as I do, will the difference be audible enough to justify that amount of cash that's the big question.
some extra tests for what it does with amplifiers cd players turntables would be highly appreciated for us subscribers.
The difference with amplifiers is in the video, not as big of a jump then compared to the source, in this case the dac. But to use it with a phono stage? It will have a similar impact. A phono stage deals with such a fine low voltage signal from the stylus that in the process of scaling up that signal to a voltage can be amplified by an amp, if any noise is present in the phono stage it will be also amplified along with the sound wave and thus every component downstream from there will have that noise as part of the music. I have experienced 1 system, where the difference was not as monstrous, and it was because the system had a component between the source and the speakers that was defective and causing a ton of noise to be interjected from that device and completely eliminating all transparency from the sound wave going through the system.
Thank u. Ordered one already. I hope it wont disappoint me.
It has surprised 4 out 4 (including very skeptical guys) so far in my circle. If it doesn’t do anything for you, you probably have amazing power already. But thats becoming rare.
Which power cable were you using with this?
Puritan stock
thanks for this video which I highly appreciate but would it not be fair with 6 sockets to use them all so we know if it keeps it's true potential full loaded with hifi-gear
IMO the reason why the difference with the Dac + Amp + Pre isn't as clearly discernible, as soon as you went listening your expectations bias was now even higher, because of that your brain assumed that it would, but now the difference was less obvious your brain takes it over. Do I think or does I hear a noticeable improvement.
If so I can as well buy the cheaper PSM 136 version, hopefully somebody could shine a light on the sonic difference between both versions and maybe saving me some money
Ones it's a part of your hi fi rig taken it out will make you anxious for missing something.
But to wrap this up for this kind of money I admit I'm sceptic, I hope it's true potential is for real even for less money with the version
136.
I hope you share more inside videos about this matter hopefully pulling me over from sceptic to a I have no doubt listener/subscriber, maybe you could lend it to Thomas & Stereo I'm also curious of his opinion as well.
This Puritan device is anyhow not helping on a Voltage drop, it is just a Filter of Noises and distortion.
What does clean power cost?
Thats the trick question. This one is ~1600 usd.
Why not just put the dac on batteries.... 😅
why not
I’m not going to proclaim that power strips, mains conditioners or power regenerators don’t make a difference. Surely any electronic components you add into the equation are going to change the outcome. Whether you consider that change an improvement or detriment is down to personal taste. What to my mind blows this whole concept out of the water is:-
There is a highly regarded manufacturer of ‘high end’ components that also manufacture mains regenerators. These devices take the incoming mains power. Convert it to DC. Reconvert that DC power to AC, insuring the AC output is clean, smooth and constant. In other words, has low noise, a steady and reliable 60HZ and a steady voltage. All well and good and praiseworthy, but! When you take the time and trouble to read the user manual, it clearly states that the performance of the device can be significantly improved by replacing the stock mains cable for a more expensive and exotic cable. Excuse me??? If this Device is taking the incoming mains power and then breaking it down, before rebuilding it? Then surely the mains cable transporting that incoming power is of little or no consequence.
Pushing all of that to one side. Take any hifi component, regardless of how the mains is delivered to it, the first thing that component will do, is convert that incoming AC mains power and convert it to usable DC power, ignoring any conditioning or regeneration done to the mains prior to it reaching the component.
You people talk of a notable reduction in noise. I’ve spent many many years of blood, sweat and tears, trial and error, experimentation, making mistakes and making good choices. I’ve built a premium hifi rig which reproduces music the way I like to hear It. I guess it’s current value is about the same as a premium family car. I don’t employ any form of mains conditioning or regeneration but, I have a totally silent background.
Take my advice. Spend that extra $3000 you were planning on investing in ‘clean power’ and use it to upgrade your electronics. It will pay dividends.
Ultimately, if you are certain these clean power devices make a unquestionable improvement? Then perform a live, on air, blind test. If the difference is as you say, ‘night and day’, then in a blind test you should get it right 100% of the time.
Like many other aspects of the audio industry, and many other industries, I feel that power conditioners and regenerators have been marketed as taking hifi to the next level. Where as in reality, they are fabricated, costly solutions to non existent, or trivial problems. Please, do that blind test and prove me wrong.
Nah. You dont need me to prove anything to you. You have made up your mind through your journey and thats all good.
@@hificave yes, my own journey has driven me to my current conclusion. But, I’m open to rational persuasion. I used to be religious. I’ve grown out of religion due to powerful persuasion by rational intellectuals. I’ve stated my current thinking on clean power devices. That doesn’t mean I’m narrow minded. That doesn’t mean that my opinion is gospel. I issue the challenge once more. If, anyone claims that clean power products makes a night and day improvement to a hifi system, then validate those claims, in a live, controlled, blind test.
Why does someone always request the blind test instead of just testing it for themselves? Always so sure they are correct, but won't actually try it out. They always know better, even though they have ZERO experience with the product. They will tell you a bunch of BS why it won't make a difference, even though everyone that has actually tried the product can tell that there's a difference. These people need to start their own double blind test channel.
@@Pete.across.the.street psycho acoustics!
If you are given a tablet to cure your headache, it likely will. Even though that tablet may be a placebo. That’s why there is virtue in, blind testing!
@@howardskeivys4184 blind test it then and let us know otherwise.