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Lx_ wrote:

The effects on sound can be described either globally or in details. Globally the music flows less, the sense of musical phrasing is diminished, sound tends to tighten, feel constricted, dynamics are also reduced. When trying to analyze what is wrong, one notices that timbres are less accurate, dynamics suffer and transients are handled less favorably. The effect is similar to a reduction of clock quality. Yes it has occurred to me that the clocks in my soundcard may be subject to noise and that may explain the problem, but since the PC is plugged to PP which is supposed to filter noise out it does not explain where the noise comes from except through PP.

I need to say that Lx’s post above a few days back made me uncomfortable. From one side I made many experiments and insist that PP3000 (I made those experiments with PP2000 in fact) does not effected by my dimmer/s. From another side Lx made a seldom intelligent post with reasonable description of sonic effect that in my book always give credit. I referred the Lx’s finding to the possible fault of his PP2000, to the fact that he runs 220V unit and in entire 220V topology. However, it still left in me some itch to go to the bottom of it.

So, today I decided to redo my experiment with my dimmers. So I did and the result was not what I reported before. To be honest the result is not exactly what Lx reported as well. However I am not in the business to make conclusions and all that I can do is just to describe my experiments and what I witnessed.  If you care about the electricity problem and particularly if you use PurePower Units then read on- it will be VERY interesting, hugely educational; at least it was for me.

So, whatever I did was with today electricity, whatever it was. My estimation is that electricity was not bad today. I do have means to hear it and to measure it, not only with scope but with PS Audio Noise Harvester. The Noise Harvester is phenomenal little tool. It does not improve sound as PS Audio foolishly claim, in fact it destroys it but it act as very good indicator if current noise, similar to the Noise Sniffer. I plug it in, to see the noise and then plug it off. So, from what I know and hear the electricity today is not bad and the sound of playback is fine, something that I call “my default sound”. I need to note that my “default sound” in evening imply to use at least one of 5x75W lights dimmed to perhaps 15-20W.

I slide the dimmer up and down and was not able to detect any significant change in sound. It felt that with dimmer at full power (bypass mode) the sound got a bit zippy but to a very minor degree. The PP3000 is plugged in dedicated line, the better sounding phase split (where 9 oft of my 11 dimmers sit). Then I walked around the house and turned off all lights off, all 3 computers off (except servers that run from own UPS) and the PS of laptops.

When I sat to listen I was VERY surprised. The sound was too zippy. Not even zippy but like it was SET amp driving a speaker with too much idle output tube. The transients were a bit faster then need to be and the dynamics was a bit to barbaric. It was in way like a bad SS amp, not laterally but it was very much not the sound that I am accustomed. Then I turned my default SS listening light dimmer all the way up and begin to lower the light. As I reach my 70-80% of attenuation I noted that sound got very little softer. I would never be able to detect it blindly – it was extremely small and I still do not know if it was not wishful sensing. Then I took another dimmer and begin to do the same. I felt that the effect was the same it got a bit softer but nowhere near what I like.   Then I took portable lamp, pit in there 300W bulb, handheld portable dimmer and plugged into in the same power outlet where my PP3000 was plugged. As I got ~50% of attenuation my sound got fixed. There was no lost in bass or anything else but there was a very nice and balance softening sound, it was like a drop of very fine oil in the perfectly operational by dry gears. It just got all connected and smooth.

Then I turn all of my 11 dimmers and not only turned then but tuned them by my scope in-phase, or made their distortions to be the worst possible in the scope. The sound literally died. It was what Lx described but to the much meaner degree. It was dry, with much less defined bass and with eaten all details and colors. In other word it was exactly what I would like to have – it was the predictable and repeatable REASON.

Making more experiments I concluded that 4-5 dimmers in-phase do fuck up sound. The 7-8 dimmer in random attention do not fuck up sound, however, two dimmers in-phase with powerful load if then sit in the dedicated like do impact sound. Again, in this case the “in-phase” means that their distortions from attenuation compliment each other in scope.

So, I do not set the dimmers before “in-phase” and I never use more then 2-3 dimmer at the same time during listening, so it was probably why I did not recognized that dimmers might affect my Sound through the PurePower units. 

Then I asked myself why I had with no dimmers that zippy sound. Eventually it hit me: I have another PP2000 powering my DAW in basement. I went there and shut down the PP2000. As I got back, and with no might in house I immediately witnessed glories sound, it was absolutely perfect.  I begin to slide one dimmer from my “default listening light”. I practically recognized no difference. Even with the heaviest attenuation I was not able to hear that sound softening effect. I also was not able to see the contribution of this one dimmer in scope, even though the Noise Harvester did pick it up very distinctly. I did another 3 dimmers, with no care of them to be “in-phase”. I would say that I did detect some move of contrast but it was VERY minor, to the point of be negligible. The use of one 300W dimmer on the dedicated line was more effective and was noticeable.

So, what I learned? I got rid of my 5x75W lights in my default listening light and replaced then with 5X15W and I got rid of the dimmer on this light. It was not necessary but I gave me the option to use one or two dimmers in my house with no danger the I will fuck up Sound. I learned the there is no way for me to use my PP2000 anywhere in my house, unless in my Opera Room as when I am in there I do not care how my audio system sounds. I also learned that my dedicated line does work very effectively, slightly attuning the nose coming into PP3000. Another thing that I have learn the dimmer are much more devastating in the same phase-spit and less devastating on another phase-spit. The biggest learning that I did was recognition the need to use some power discipline in my house if I would like to maintain good sound for Audio; lucky me I do not live in apartments and it would not be difficult for me. The PP3000 certainly a great protector again the dimmers but it apparently has a degree of electricity nastiness beyond which is can’t do a lot anymore. I will try sometimes to put a large isolation transformer before the PP3000 and to see how it works.

All above are not concussions that pretend to be universal but my private lessons that I learn. You might have different outcome as the condition are too different in my and your case. Still, I felt that I owe this disclosure to LX, to myself and to some Truth and Reasons that we all looking for.

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