Hi all,
Just thought I would post my experience with these as a data point or two for the community. I have been steadily adding bits and pieces to my system over the last few years, and at some point, I had read about power conditioning. I had a few chats with people and the message I was getting was it made a positive difference.
I decided to have a go and took the plunge with a secondhand Audioquest Niagara 1000. My thinking was if I didnt like it, I could fairly easily sell it on without too much of a hit. One Ebay transaction later a good condition 1000 turns up on my doorstep and I duly plug it in. The one other advantage of secondhand kit is generally it has already been run in and you are hearing it as it will continue to sound.
So what was the result of the experiment? I liked it! I felt I could hear more detail, and the sound overall had improved.
(OPTIONAL READING PART: At this point, an important administrative note. This is what happened in my system in my house. Changing power stuff could well be different in your set up because the quality of the power in your house is probably different to that in mine and also different to other people who have opinions on the subject. If you have brilliant power quality supply and recently installed ring mains, chances are you will have a different experience to someone in a Victorian house at the furthest point from the substation. People need to remember these other variables! Secondly, I reject around 50% of new hifi kit I try out. Didnt like the Audioquest Coffee USB, didnt like the Innuos Zenith Mk2 etc etc. I post this because people often claim confirmation bias, personally I just ask myself do I like this more? If its the same, maybe slightly different, I dont bother, if its better, I buy it.)
With that out the way, back to the hifi! I was very happy with the 1000 and ran it for a good 6 months or so. Until the upgrade bug attacked me! I happened to see a Niagara 3000 come up second hand. Reading reviews it seemed it was a better product. There were technical differences, a power reservoir type system that supposedly can deliver high current almost instantaneously to help deliver powerful punchy transients that the 1000 lacked. What to do? Silly question, I bought it!
Was it better than the 1000? Yes it was! Better clarity and detail most noticeable to me, maybe slightly better bass, but not really stand out. Anyway, it was a step up, and happy once again as my system matured with better power. Fast forward about another 9 months. Whats this itchy scratchy nagging feeling I have? Oh, its upgraditis again!
The trouble was, I still noticed differences in sound quality from day time to evening, and from week day to weekend, in my mind, this is a classic symptom of power quality variation still getting through my system. Others might disagree but that was my thought process any way. I saw a Niagara 5000 secondhand, but now we are talking £3600+ even used. This is getting serious, Im not going to take a punt on that without a demo first!
Except its hard to find one to get a demo of. Reading around how other people had tackled the problem, I starting reading about another product, the PSM 136/156 family from Puritan audio. Didn't know much about them, although seeing lots great reviews on their cheap but effective power cables (whole other story right there - staying on topic!). Anyway, I saw a 156 second hand one again for £1000 which was actually less than what I paid for the Niagara 3000. One reviewer rated the 156 as better than the 5000. Well if it was equivalent, it still would have been a step up and at a £2.5K saving.
So today I picked it up and and have just plugged it in (A job in itself with all the cable dressing!). Although second hand, it had not really been used at all, and hence still is burning in. However, I can tell straight away the difference compared to the 3000. ITS A BIG LEAP FORWARD!!!!! This thing is brilliant! A true hifi bargain. The music is just popping out of the speakers and jumping around the room, there is so much life. Bass is punchier and taughter. Detail and clarity are improved without harshness or loss of tonal balance. This thing is GREAT!!! Cant believe it. Only downside is it has 6 sockets rather than 7, but stuff it, I'll get another one and plug in the TV to it as well.
Do yourself a favour and audition one. You may not like it, but I bet you will. (I have no affiliation with any manufacturer or retailer - its just a great product) The Stereo Times rated it a most wanted product of the decade, I can see why.
Just thought I would post my experience with these as a data point or two for the community. I have been steadily adding bits and pieces to my system over the last few years, and at some point, I had read about power conditioning. I had a few chats with people and the message I was getting was it made a positive difference.
I decided to have a go and took the plunge with a secondhand Audioquest Niagara 1000. My thinking was if I didnt like it, I could fairly easily sell it on without too much of a hit. One Ebay transaction later a good condition 1000 turns up on my doorstep and I duly plug it in. The one other advantage of secondhand kit is generally it has already been run in and you are hearing it as it will continue to sound.
So what was the result of the experiment? I liked it! I felt I could hear more detail, and the sound overall had improved.
(OPTIONAL READING PART: At this point, an important administrative note. This is what happened in my system in my house. Changing power stuff could well be different in your set up because the quality of the power in your house is probably different to that in mine and also different to other people who have opinions on the subject. If you have brilliant power quality supply and recently installed ring mains, chances are you will have a different experience to someone in a Victorian house at the furthest point from the substation. People need to remember these other variables! Secondly, I reject around 50% of new hifi kit I try out. Didnt like the Audioquest Coffee USB, didnt like the Innuos Zenith Mk2 etc etc. I post this because people often claim confirmation bias, personally I just ask myself do I like this more? If its the same, maybe slightly different, I dont bother, if its better, I buy it.)
With that out the way, back to the hifi! I was very happy with the 1000 and ran it for a good 6 months or so. Until the upgrade bug attacked me! I happened to see a Niagara 3000 come up second hand. Reading reviews it seemed it was a better product. There were technical differences, a power reservoir type system that supposedly can deliver high current almost instantaneously to help deliver powerful punchy transients that the 1000 lacked. What to do? Silly question, I bought it!
Was it better than the 1000? Yes it was! Better clarity and detail most noticeable to me, maybe slightly better bass, but not really stand out. Anyway, it was a step up, and happy once again as my system matured with better power. Fast forward about another 9 months. Whats this itchy scratchy nagging feeling I have? Oh, its upgraditis again!
The trouble was, I still noticed differences in sound quality from day time to evening, and from week day to weekend, in my mind, this is a classic symptom of power quality variation still getting through my system. Others might disagree but that was my thought process any way. I saw a Niagara 5000 secondhand, but now we are talking £3600+ even used. This is getting serious, Im not going to take a punt on that without a demo first!
Except its hard to find one to get a demo of. Reading around how other people had tackled the problem, I starting reading about another product, the PSM 136/156 family from Puritan audio. Didn't know much about them, although seeing lots great reviews on their cheap but effective power cables (whole other story right there - staying on topic!). Anyway, I saw a 156 second hand one again for £1000 which was actually less than what I paid for the Niagara 3000. One reviewer rated the 156 as better than the 5000. Well if it was equivalent, it still would have been a step up and at a £2.5K saving.
So today I picked it up and and have just plugged it in (A job in itself with all the cable dressing!). Although second hand, it had not really been used at all, and hence still is burning in. However, I can tell straight away the difference compared to the 3000. ITS A BIG LEAP FORWARD!!!!! This thing is brilliant! A true hifi bargain. The music is just popping out of the speakers and jumping around the room, there is so much life. Bass is punchier and taughter. Detail and clarity are improved without harshness or loss of tonal balance. This thing is GREAT!!! Cant believe it. Only downside is it has 6 sockets rather than 7, but stuff it, I'll get another one and plug in the TV to it as well.
Do yourself a favour and audition one. You may not like it, but I bet you will. (I have no affiliation with any manufacturer or retailer - its just a great product) The Stereo Times rated it a most wanted product of the decade, I can see why.
