confusion over mains cables and blocks :-S

[admin_exported]

I am thinking of getting an Isotek Gemini 6way block . I already have a Tacima CS929 6way mains conditioner and it definately made a difference , would the Isotek make the same difference again????? Would it also be worthwhile getting mains cables to use in conjunction with these conditioners , or is the point of the conditioners so that you don't need cables ???? any advice on the situation would be gratefully appreciated

 

[Anonymous]

the whole concept of whether mains conditioners and leads actually affect the sound of your setup is a very hotly contested one on this forum - i am in the same camp as you in as much as i believe it does make a difference (however please be prepared for the non-believers!)
as for you dilema - the Isotek is a far-superior product to the Tacima and you should see a noticeable improvement (again) over the Tacima. As for using aftermarket mains leads in addition to the Isotek - i believe you would be best off buying just one lead to start with and testing it with various components. depending on your results you can then decide whether it is worth purchasing additional leads! IMO it would be best for you to get a friend to help you with the tests so you can do "double-blind" tests.

 

[Anonymous]

thx i went looking around the forums and did notice i could have opened a can of worms here , i suppose it all depends or could depend on the quality of household circuits as to why some people notice a difference and some dont . Surely they are just like interconnects and speaker cables really as it will be a better cable with better housing and wire!Thx anyway for your opinion it has helped me towards deciding

 

[Anonymous]

your welcome! and remember when it comes to spending your money the only thing you need to remember is that you are the only person that needs to be able to hear a difference!

 

[Anonymous]

v tru

 

[JoelSim]

I have and I believe

 

[Anonymous]

just for the record- science cannot measure or explain everything - that does not mean these things do not exist. trust your ears - they are all that matter!!!

 

[Anonymous]

i have to agree , altho i dont have much experience in this field , from what little i have heard i:e tacima mains block then i can definately tell a difference , the sound seemed much clearer and more defined albeit not much but there was a definate audio difference . So maybe all these people who frown upon the phenonima , maybe it is themselves who they should look upon as not having a full sense of hearing and are actually missin something or just refuse to acknowledge what they are hearing !

 

[Anonymous]

Does the placebo affect work both ways? Actually yes, apparently it does, it's called a nocebo affect. Something to ponder perhaps.

Anyway it's all moot because the poster we're debating admits that mains conditioners can have an affect if the power supply in a component is imperfect, admits that not all components have perfect power supplies, and still argues that mains conditioners can have no affect. It's a genuine shame because he has much to give that is genuinely worthwhile. He chooses instead consistently to argue the same old point on what everybody else on this forum tries to tell him is rather dodgy ground. Many of us don't actually disagree with him on very much at all apart from his rigid adherence to a debating policy premised not upon actual evidence but rather upon aggression and the belittlement of the direct actual experience of his opponents. He isn't ever going to be prepared actually to put the theory he espouses to experimental test. So his theory will always remain just that, a theory, and will never become fact.

In short, he is, most assuredly, a bit of a plonker.

 

[JoelSim]

This time next year he'll be a miwillionaire

 

[Anonymous]

Certain pseudo-scientists say it's phooey. Noise creeps into the circuit path through a variety of sources both electro-mechanical and through radio frequency interference. Aftermarket mains blocks and leads attempt to address some of thse issues. It's all about lowering the noise floor which in turn improves the dynamic capability of your system.

I don't use Isotek although the stuff of theirs I have heard is rather good, I use Music Works because I heard what it did and trusted my ears.

Some folks will hide behind their limited knowledge of science when they don't wish to leave their comfort zones. Expectation bias can certainly work both ways...

 

[Anonymous]

Genuine scientists keep an open mind when faced with evidence that doesn't fit their theory. They don't just keep shouting their theory louder and louder and hope the evidence will go away. They go and test the evidence for themselves. You might like to try that, and when you have, come back and tell us the results. If you're not prepared to, then you are not quite the scientist you like to think you are.

Jim - sorry, but post you are replying to deleted for reasons of trollage. Think this post still OK as is, but feel free to edit... - whathifi.com mods

 

[Anton90125]

[quote user="jimwall"]They don't just keep shouting their theory louder and louder and hope the evidence will go away.[/quote]

One of the greatest Scientist of our time :Stephen Hawkings Said this about what a theory is:

Quote form a Brief History of Time : "a theory is a good theory if it satisfies two requirements: It must accurately describe a large class of observations on the basis of a model which contains only a few arbitrary elements, and it must make definite predictions about the results of future observations". He goes on to state, "any physical theory is always provisional, in the sense that it is only a hypothesis; you can never prove it. No matter how many times the results of experiments agree with some theory, you can never be sure that the next time the result will not contradict the theory. On the other hand, you can disprove a theory by finding even a single observation which disagrees with the predictions of the theory".

I'll let you all draw your own conclusions.

 

[robg1976]

I have a Tacima mains block and i have noticed an improvement so i guess its down to each of us...The way i see it the tacima for £30 is a good buy and if some dont believe then you have only spent £30 i dont think i would spend lets say £500 on this matter but £30 its a bargain

 

[clearer_audio]

Hi m0172uk, If you are going for something like an Isotek Gemini then it is absolutely critical that you get shielded power cables for the output sockets. The Gemini will be working its magic removing noise from the mains supply and if you use unshielded power cables afterwards they can become recontaminated with airborne noise (such as RFI) thus undoing all the good work! Shielded cables are still advisable on something like the Tacima but its capability to remove noise is much less than the Isotek. Our award-winning power cables feature advanced shielding systems and we have many happy Isotek customers. As ifitsoundsgoodlistentoit has pointed out you should be the ultimate judge of whether a product is worthwhile in your system. To this end we offer a 60 Day Money Back Guarantee so you can try our products for yourself in your own system (even do a single blind or double blind test as suggested by ifitsoundsgoodlistentoit). Please feel free to call us on 01702 543981 (Mon-Fri 9am-6pm) should you have any further questions or queries - we will do our best to help! Kind regards, Darren Smith

 

[Anonymous]

[quote user="clearer_audio"]The Gemini will be working its magic[/quote]

Anyone believe in magic?

 

[clearer_audio]

As in removing mains noise not pulling rabbits out of hats! Rgds, Darren

 

[Anonymous]

why would anyone say they dont work? presumably someone who has not tried them out. I have a tacima mains block ,russ andrews and black rhodium mains cables and they make a difference alright. I got the black rhodium mains cables for £10 each instead of £100 each too. Bargain, and they make a big difference to the sound.

 

[Anonymous]

in my home i use this one

http://www.chongqinglongyu.com/product.asp

the sound background seems clearer and quieter ,the bass are more powerful

 

[hifikrazy]

[quote user="Keith McAlpine"][quote user="clearer_audio"]The Gemini will be working its magic[/quote]

Anyone believe in magic?[/quote]

Gosh, phrt....this is getting old.

 

[FoxJA]

[quote user="Keith McAlpine"]Anyone believe in magic?[/quote]

Anyone believe in re-incarnation?

 

[Anonymous]

My experience is that power conditioning is often not worthwhile for power or integrated amplifiers, but definitely for source or pre-amps. I would recommend you also look at some of Russ Andrew's power blocks (60 day trial is standard). Good power cables are effective upgrades for all components though.

 

[Anonymous]

guy on e bay just now selling brand new tacima mains blocks for about £23 including delivery.Bargain. I just got one and it definitely does make a difference. Its not dramatic like say an isotek cleanline or minisub ,which cost hundreds, but its definitely noticeable. The back comes off so you could connect a mains cable of your choice too and upgrade it even further.The cable thats on it is better than bog standard, as its shielded, but it still not as good as the likes of russ andrews, black rhodium,merlin etc.