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Ok, it is a lot of information on my plate and I am trying to make sense of it. Below I will share my observations about the new Pure Power 3000+.

The first thing first.  In the post I made a few days back:

http://www.GoodSoundClub.com/TreeItem.aspx?PostID=19457   

I expressed the VERY exuberant feeling about the new PP3000+. The feelings were justifiable as it was truly spectacular result but unfortunately it was an erroneous observation. How little I knew that the unit I got was stuck in bypass mode and in fact was not regenerating anything – it juts sent the wall electivity to outputs. Next day when I put a scope to the outputs it I realized that it has identical voltage profile before en after the regenerator and activating/deactivating manual bypass did not make the unit to click. So, the wonderful, truly phenomenal sound that I experienced that day was the sound of the “super electricity day” (I have them a few times a year) and the PP3000+ WAS NOT responsible for that Sound. I do feel like an idiot. An interesting observation that does count: the sound of the naked electricity directly from the wall during the “super electricity day” was way more interesting than the sound of old PP3000. I did not have the new unit operation at that day and I can’t say how it would behave during the “super electricity day”.   A few audio folks around me did note that these few days electivity was spectacular for Sound.

Ok, back to the PP3000+. I called to Pure Power and they were very surprised. They claimed that among many of PP+ units they sold they never had a problem with apparent stuck relay or anything like this. I do not know how many among the new PP+ units they had 3000W units. It is possible that the relay they use across the board in the new  PP+  units is too flimsy for   3000W model but it might be juts an accidental fluke.  Furthermore the very same unit that I have they did flip back and forth at a customer before me and it was perfectly operational. Well, possible, the shit happens. They requested to return the unit and they informed me that they will hold the shipping of new units unit they inspect the unit I have and figure out why the relay stuck in bypass. I find this is a commendable behavior, perhaps they are begun to take the quality control more serious. Manville they sent me another unit that I spent time to listening it last night.

Last night the electrify was not even close to perfect and it was very auditable when I plug the whole system in the wall. It was not good at all and it had all symptoms if ill electricity. The sound of the naked way was not something that I cared.  I was wondering how the sound of new PP3000+ would stand against the older model PP3000. Beside the general curiosity if the new unit worthy sonically I would be considering to get the PP3000+ for myself. The deal on the table is ugly: no upgrade, not trade in – buy if you like it. So, naturally I was very much interested to see what the new unit does against the older one.

First thing - the mechanics.  The old 3000 unit is huge and heavy, the new is two boxed and highly manageable. This is a big plus. The unit has in addition to normal 10 or so power outlets 2 twist locks. Only God in his infinite wisdom knows what why Pure Power desired to do it. Instead to add 4 more normal power outlets they made the stupid twist locks. They promised to send the twist locks power cords, I wonder if they want to enter the business of power cords making? I hope they not. I truly wish they did not do the twist locks but they for whatever reasons are very proud of their twist locks. I never seen people complain that power receptacle is disconnect itself from the wall but I have seen a lot of people who do not have enough power receptacles – I am one of them. It is not to mention that most people will lift the grounds on the PP’s output – how will you do it with the twist locks connectors? I think that the twist locks was a big shoot themselves in foot.

Next: the Operation. This was a bit strange. The new unit claimed to be much powerful then the old one but it does not feel this way and the auto-bypass kick in the new unit sooner than old one.  When the Melquiades PS are charged it take LOT of current to saturate the huge Milq’s input chokes.  As the choke begin to charge it has virtually shorted and the inrush currant is huge a first view periods.  Considering the amount of the input chokes in Milq the inrush current is very high but as soon the chokes are charged the amp draws very stable and constant current. The old 3000 unit NEVER switched to bypass while it was charging the Milq’s input chokes. The new unit does switching itself to bypass for a second as apparently the Milq’s startup current is too much for its peak current. This is very strange as the new unit shall be more powerful and shall have might higher tolerance for peak current. The old and new units both indicate 50% load as the whole system is up, so where I do not see any excessive power of the new units.

The measurements.  I did not do a lot – just put the scope to the new and old unit with identical load. I was VERY surprised. The new unit claims significantly lower distortions and the Pure Power folks assured me that the “fuzziness” atop of the wave will be much smoother. This is very much NOT what I saw. With all problems that the older unit had it had more or less textbook sinusoid (if they were properly operating) but it is not how the new unit look at the scope.  My estimation that the new unit has at least 5-6 MORE harmonic distortions as the wave does not look nice at all. I might post the pictures of old vs. new but trust me – there is nothing to look in there, the older unit has way better sinusoid. The sinusoid crossing-zero corruption when the PP drives input choke is identical to the old units. I hope PP would be able to address it in new model but they did not.

Ergonomics. This is not good from my perspective. The display button that flips the display mode is something the people would use once or twice during the whole life of the unit. The Bypass Mode button in contrary is something the any people would use a few time a day.  You are home, listening your playback and you run the regenerator. You stopped listening and you switch the unit in Bypass Mode – to save the electricity and do not waste the regenerator to keep hot your transports, DACs, computers and the rest SS audio gear - why you do not need good power if you are not listening.  As now you need to hold two PP3000+ buttons for 5 seconds to engage and disengage the Bypass Mode – VERY uncomfortable and the indication of Bypass Mode is hardly visible from more than 3 feet. It need to be a separate bright light indicating that for Bypass Mode is On, a separate stand alone button for Bypass Mode and IR or RF remote control for Bypass Mode. This Bypass Mode button is the ONY button that user will be interacting with. BTW, it sound like the switching the unit in Bypass Mode not only does bypass but also kill the regeneration. I do not know if that is correct, PP folks need to confirm that, but as the unit runs regeneration I can hear a minor HF noise coming from most likely the  pulse transformers. In bypass Mode this noise is gone, which means the DC/DC convertor is not running

Sound. It is no brainer: the new unit does sound notably better then old one. It is across the board: bass, dynamics, HF noise, in any audible characteristic. I have no idea why the new PP+ measures so ugly and sound still better. It was very interesting to switch the new unit to operate from wall to battery (with no bypass mode). The sound is virtually the same BUT when the unit runs from battery I feel that sound is slightly less loud. I have absolutely no explanation for it.

So, it is interesting all together and I will continue to play with it for a few more days. Despite the apparent good sound that the new unit demonstrates I have to admit a very unpleasant fact: the sound of “super electricity day” was significantly more stimulating then the sound of all regenerators combined.  Saying that I need also admit that during the “super electricity day” I did not have the new PP3000+ operational. It might be, juts might be that even the “super electricity day” the PP3000+ still might be shining doing own regeneration.  This experience however was lost for now…

To summarized everything. Pure Power after the famous Chinese accident have to come up with own version made in Canada. They did. If the PP+ would be identical to older Chinese-made units then Pure Power world have logical problems. Luckily for  Pure Power, intentionally or accidently, the new PP+ units are sonically more advance then the older Pure Power units. It shall give to new PP+ some momentum. I think the main attention for Pure Power shall be functionality, stability of operation and quality control. The do have a good product in my view and I hope then would not screw it up with running away QC.

I personally feel that if Pure Power get grip over stability of own predation then they would need to come up with next version of PP+ that would lock all aspects of measurable stability across a wide range of loads. The same version has to have a luxury options. The Pure Power nit has not been look and feel like a tank that was making in 1930s. It has to have remote option (in room and IP), it has to show the operational parameters more elegantly. This is 21 century and all of those bells and whistles cost nothing nowadays. The USB plug-in with wireless IP costs now $20 and pretty much nothing in wholesale. The main issue with such devises - the Sound- looks like Pure Power got control. Now is the time to indulge the Pure Power customers with friendly and respectable operational functionality. Also, if the Pure Power feel that they know why their unit sound so good (I believe that it is accident but they insists the they know) then I would like Pure Power to try making own SS amplifier for a 150-300W, employing their PP+ power technology. It will be more then compatible on market with any another SS amps the do not use Pure Power regenerators.

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