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Well,

another page of my saga with APS regenerator is turned. I got the updated APS unit. It kind of “works” as I redefined the definition of word “works”. Under normal circumstances I would walk away from it but there are some moments in my “bad electricity ceremony” that I would like to point out, not as much for others who keep asking me but primary for myself.

The first thing first: the APS PurePower unit does not work against power supplies that future input choke filters. The input choke filters are “current gyroscopes”, it run cruse current and it continues to run it even if the voltage drops at inputs. Inputs choke sort of sucks out current from the wall even if the voltage are crossing zero and has no amplitude. A wall can handle it with no problem, so the PS Audio Power Plant. The PurePower APS regenerator does not handle it. The situations when current draw supersedes voltage draw severely corrupt the APS’ output wave. Listening-wise, that sinusoid corruptions (or perhaps some other things) create truly apocalyptic Sound – probably the very worst that I ever heard from my playback.

I was trying to make the APS people to make their unit to be able to drive loads with input chokes. Probably my voice was sinking in the see of other APS customers - CLC power supplies – why should the APS even care? Their technician for moths was “too busy” to built a damn input choke filter and confirm the problem himself. Also, obviously the Chinese folks who design the unit do not give a damn about driving anything else then CLC power supplies… Very very said….

Well, I kind of have accepted the idea that I will not be able with this 1 kilowatt unit to drive my power amplifiers. I do not like it and it screws me up, as I used some toroidal transformers in new Melquiades revision and if I knew that APS PurePower will not be useable on my power amps then I would make a small air-gaps in my toroids in order to enable them to handle the power line’ DC components… I do not like but what can I do now…

It left me with a chose to return the unit or to keep it only for my front end:

ADC
24-bit DAC (Lavry)
3 phonostages
CD transport
16-bit DAC (Bidat)
Tuner
DAW
Preamp

Once again I can use it on my front-end but I can not use it with 2 of my phonostages as they have input chokes on plates and on filaments Sucks!!!

Now, I have to decide if it worth to me to keep $2.5K unit, the unit as geometrically large as PurePower is in order to drive with it “the only selected” 150W of my playback. It is certainly sounds absurdish and ridicules. The only problem in that ridiculousness is that when APS PurePower does works (that is not always happens BTW) and when it drives what it is willing to drive then the APS PurePower delivers the Sound that makes me willing to write a request to Pope asking him to canonize that damn regenerator. The sonic contribution of APS unit to my Preamp+ transport+DAC is exactly what I would expect from a perfect unit – it eliminates all that I do not like and keep what I value untouched. To be honest I have to tell that I did detect some APS own coloration at top octaves. I did not research this subject further as I feel that being able to custom-tailor top response with my MF and HF channels I will be able to set the final result as it should be.

So, where does it leave me?  Sending the PurePower back would be a reasonable solution but it will open a Pandora Box for searching among similar units. There are a lot of double-conversion “on-line” regenerators on market.

http://www.goodsoundclub.com/PDF/UPS.pdf

For around $1000 it is possible to get APC unit with identical characteristics as the APS regenerator, or if to look at “smaller” names then those manufactures regenerators are available for ~$500. For $2K-$3K it possible to get a large 5kW-6kW unit, dump it in basement (it will be noisy) and to power everything from it. It would be necessary to slightly modify the commercial units (noise, alarms, etc) to accommodate them for audio application. However… This Pandora Box has a lot of negative points. Only God knows if other or more powerful units will be able to handle input choke supplies. It is also unknown if other regenerators will sound good – who know what is responsible in them for sound?  Also there is no assurance that other units with D-amps will not do the same when they are input-choke-loaded. And of course there is the major "obstacle" in this direction - my demand to have a properly performing regenerator has no desire to be frugal.

I really do not what to see myself trying other regenerator manufactures in order to save money. In fact trying different commercial regenerators and modifying them for home use will cost me more in terms of time and R&D. I would tell you something even more – if someone would offer me a devise that would address my frustrations with bad electricity, then knowing that I should not deal with it ever again…. I would pay even $10.000. Now juts would pay ….but gratefully pay!!!

The APS PurePower has problems as now. It no good for input chokes and it is very capricious even against the load that it does happen like.  ALL 3 APS generators that I tried performed differently and I found very alarming. The last time it happens with me what I had 3 identical new Equitech balanced transformer and each of them sound wrong but at the same time absolutely different from each other.  Two of my APS had own that made them semi-dysfunctional, including my current APS unit. I do not know if the Chinese manufacturing quality control should be blamed or anything else but the situation does not sound encouraging, even the APS Canada is wiling to address it.  However, the APS levels of performance when it does work properly leave no doubts that the end of the bad electricity tonal is reachable, and the APS results if not offer a perfect solution but point out the perfect direction.

As now, to get rid of the APS PurePower unit for me is to get rid is the only know to me solution that looks like does help against bad electricity. So, I will try keep using the APS PurePower for my frond-end and will be looking for other regulators to use with my power amps, or perhaps the APS will be able to resolve the problem as time goes by.

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