Audioquest Niagara 1200 Review AC Surge Protector and Filter

Review and measurements of the Audioquest Niagra 1200 AC Filter and Surge protection.
Text review and discussion: www.audiosciencereview.com/fo...

[@manuelnatividad4778]

Great analysis. You’re approach to the hobby is appreciated. It makes us think twice about spending extravagant amount of money towards misleading claims. Thank you.

[@vigneshkarthikeyan8174]

Kill it for us Amir. Represent the people who want to stop the anti-intellectualism in the industry.

[@davidstein9129]

Thank You for another informative non-biased review! Your work is of great service to home audio enthusiasts like me.

[@iamroberty]

I read this review and hoped you would make a video to go along with it. I love when you debunk this stuff!

[@DonnieMulligan]

Welcome back! We missed you.

[@sergejschuurman2633]

Couldn’t be happier with my 1200! 😊🎉

[@mopnem]

Yeah, the people who know, know. The others can't seem to stop talking about their "objectivity" lol - likely 98% of them haven't even used the gear they type about.

[@tarquineous]

Most people like the sonic improvement. There are a few who say it made no difference, and even less that say there was a degradation.

[@CyberBeep_kenshi]

Thank you. Finally some real data instead of woo talk. Seeing how aggressive they push their products it really wasn't a surprise, but the fans play a shame game too. They get angry when you start asking difficult questions. Currently i have a german box with a surge protector and apparently a netfilter, for 40 euros.... didn't hear any difference either, but this was to protect the toys against surges

[@danielgeiger7739]

Wonderful! Thanks. I use one of those surge protectors (from Furman, but same idea) as it came free with the house. The only thing that actually. makes a difference for me is a voltage regulator. My mains voltage drops to below 90 Volts in summer, and some audio equipment goes on strike. Bumping 90 up to 110 lets me listen to my stereo in summer! Yes, I can hear that in 10/10 cases. Love the "generic cord sounds better" confirmation bias note. Absolutely precious!

[@edwardbalboa5528]

Yes they're great for that ....big Capacitor banks ..

[@yooanto9465]

can you send me a link please? the weather is hot most of the year here, do they have 240v version?

[@Antoon55]

Good to have you back ;)

[@GingerAmberLynn]

Audio Science Review is the 20/20 vision among the blind.

[@dannybos7024]

Too bad he listens at dangerously high volumes, which basically means his impressions will be insanely unreliable within a couple of months or years.

[@editorjuno]

@@dannybos7024 -- Amir is an audio professional who knows how to take care of his hearing. Stand down from alert.

[@dannybos7024]

@@editorjuno Have you ever even read one of his reviews? He listens at 90dB minimum, and even then he considers that low volume. This dude is fucking up his hearing.

[@editorjuno]

@@dannybos7024 -- That's just nonsense. Like most wannabe ASR critics, it's pretty clear that you have no idea of Amir's methods -- he certainly doesn't do his listening "at 90dB minimum," which BTW is about as loud as a typical gasoline-fueled lawn mower and only harmful with repeated and/or lengthy exposure. He may drive speakers that hard for automated measurements to find out their SPL limitations, but his listening tests are not done at ear-splitting volumes. The guy was an executive-level engineering manager at two of the biggest names in the business and was regarded by both peers and subordinates as "The Golden Ear" of the operations he ran -- this is not someone who would put his hearing in harm's way.

[@hanslim7]

@@dannybos7024 kzbin.info/www/bejne/sIWogqCjfJuHsKc he literally addresses it here

[@JesusMartinez-mk6fc]

Another great video Amir. Another hit on my favorite snake oil audio company. 🤑

[@Audiorevue]

You know I'm so glad that your videos and reviews on your website come up when I'm actually looking for real legitimate reviews of products. I only really have one thing to say and that is go look up the philosophical concept of Pascals wager.

[@mikrophonie5633]

But...Darko is a self-professed audio "expert" and released a video telling people not to question "experts" 🤣🤣🤣

[@Mrch33ky]

Some call him Darkness.

[@BogdanWeiss]

Darko likes whatever equipment manufacturer supplies him & his kickback - one day he likes “organic” the next day he’s pigging out on “junk food” no discernment & no consistency in his “reviews” & he comes across as a pompous & pretentious tosser

[@edwardbalboa5528]

The truth destroys darkos business model !

[@njm1971nyc]

@@BogdanWeiss Tosser is the *perfect* word for him (and, frankly, all of those other so-called "experts", too).

[@peterphan227]

Darko puts weights on his equipment 🤦🏽

[@MolodoiOtets]

Thanks! Very interesting approach, treating AC as sound signal

[@jasonw6993]

Hopefully we'll see more power conditioners tested!

[@jponsie]

The two Downvotes by John and Herb? 😉

[@njm1971nyc]

😂

[@njm1971nyc]

The SHAME! LOL 😆 So, do you think Darko & co. are just more victims of the placebo effect, or just plain fraudsters?

[@warrenec]

Thanks for saving me a $1000! I was on the fence about purchasing this and your review stopped me in my tracks.

[@Adream-lf3mw]

Amir, have you ever considered doing a KZbin vid debunking audio equipment burn-in? Over the years, we have heard that burn-in affects speakers, cables, speaker wire, amplifiers, etc. I would guess a test like this would be easiest to do with headphones, interconnects and/or speaker wire because those are the cheapest and easiest to ship? You could perform the test on the new equipment, ship it back to the person who lent it to you, so they can use it in their system for a period of time (30 days, 60 days, etc.) and then have them ship it back to you, so you could retest and compare to the original results. Thanks for all the videos. I appreciate them.

[@AudioScienceReview]

Yes, the topic has come up recently in the context of speaker break in. I have offered to do the testing if someone builds a box with a woofer in it. Would do it myself but finding the time is hard. As to break in of cables and such, there is no effect as is so hard to then try to figure it out post break in. I can also do the break in by running stuff as long as it is not a really long time. If there are specific ideas, let me know and I will consider them.

[@giriprasadkotte9876]

I suspect mechanical systems do have break in. Probably chemical systems too (capacitors and batteries) but to a lesser extent.

[@davidlong1786]

The speaker surround and spider can change their stiffness if pushed far enough in excursion for a set amount of time but from what I have read those changes usually revert back to the original parameters once the signal is reduced or removed. Simply measuring the T/S parameters before and after "break-in" will show if there are any permanent changes. From what I can recall reading about this, it very rarely changes at all and when it does it's due to the spider stiffness changing due to excessive flexing where the chemical coating of the spider cracks slightly allowing the spider to become less stiff. This would apply to woofers only since midrange and tweeter diaphragms don't move much excursion wise. As far as "burn-in" for the speaker driver having to be a set time such as an hour to two weeks, that's bogus. To "break-in" a woofers spider just carefully push in the cone back and forth a few times and that would be enough to flex the spider. I do not recommend you do this though and take no responsibility for any damage that may happen.

[@Mrch33ky]

@@giriprasadkotte9876 And do you also suspect that The Fairies are real as well? I shan't blame you if you do.

[@giriprasadkotte9876]

@@Mrch33ky As a qualified practicing mechanical engineering professional, what would you think I think?

[@randycook6500]

I purchased this device not for any sound quality improvements but as protection for a very expensive integrated amplifier. Is the conditioner expensive? Yes, but the non-sacrificial ability to open up the circuit if ever needed brings me peace of mind. I decided that at this price point it was worth it to me. PS I felt it was time to update this comment. Ended up canceling the order and going with a Furman DM 15i. When I really thought about it all I care about is the non sacrificial search protection aspect. I got the Furman on a special price promotion and save myself $600. I've been running it now for about 3 weeks and I'm very happy with. My sister still sounds incredible to me like it always did

[@royramdeen8864]

I did the same on the info given to me at the audiophile store. This informative review makes me feel like I got royally ripped off. My very expensive tube preamp and amp cost thousands. Even went with the suggested power cords to each unit. Did I get taken maybe, do I hear a difference.. yes, remarkably I can. So it depends what quality of power you have at your mains, data don't lie, but also a good ear for sound and definition can't be beat. The single most important improvement one can make is putting your HiFi on its own breaker with its own run and outlet receptacle.

[@bradleypaoli1953]

Mmmm yes I can get on the screw John Darko train

[@henni1964]

Nice one! Thanks alot. An eye opener par excellence. 🙂

[@vicentemonsalve5884]

My store loaned me this power conditioner, at the beginning I was a bit skeptical having watched Amir’s measurements, but the guy in the store insisted how good it was and that I could take it home without any compromise and listen for myself, so I took it home, and all I can say is WOW!, my sound system sounds like it’s on steroids!: I get more bass, body, dynamics and the soundstage is bigger, instruments separation is awesome, I’m very happy with this Niagara 1200, couldn’t be happier with the results, I highly recommend give it a try you won’t regret it, I think what this Niagara does besides filtering is improve the disponilility for electric current so the sound system can perform without any restriction and reach its real potential.

[@MrsZambezi]

The measurements show that you are mistaken.

[@vicentemonsalve5884]

@@MrsZambezi Measurements say a part of the story, but not the whole story, I hear a clear difference with the Niagara powering my amplifier, no placebo effect on my side, I’ve been listening to for almost 2 weeks, every day, comparing and there is a clear difference, at least in my sound system, I also contrasted what I hear with other opinions and they are very similar to mine. Maybe Amir can do a test on a better audio system and get other opinions , but I repeat I can hear a clear difference, this power conditioner is not snake oil. I also tested my streamer+CD but didn't hear a difference, but connecting the amplifier does make a difference.

[@hawaiiguy1]

@@vicentemonsalve5884 agreed... I don't like this measurements ONLY matter crap ... it's like from Stereo Review Magazine of the 60s and 70s ...

[@Sinthora97]

@@vicentemonsalve5884 Unfortunately you cannot wish the placebo effect away nor can you decide to not be biased. You have to conduct controled tests. Consider watching the video about controled testing (same channel) and maybe get someone to help you conduct such a test. I don't want to catch you out. I am onestly curious about the results.

[@Sinthora97]

@@hawaiiguy1 What do you mean by "ONLY"? Amir does listening tests.

[@tarquineous]

Concerning the frequencies between 60 Hz and 3K there are two products on the market which claim to lower noise in that range. One is called the Absorber, and the other is the EP2050 made by Environmental Potentials. The first is made in the UK and the other in the US. I have the one made in the US. BTW, I see the PS Audio P-300 in your room. I have one also, which I use for source components. The box on top is a no-no. The P-300 runs hot. I keep the output under 50 watts. Thank you for the review!

[@royramdeen8864]

I did the same on the info given to me at the audiophile store. This informative review makes me feel like I got royally ripped off. My very expensive tube preamp and amp cost thousands. Even went with the suggested power cords to each unit. Did I get taken maybe, do I hear a difference.. yes, remarkably I can. So it depends what quality of power you have at your mains, data don't lie, but also a good ear for sound and definition can't be beat. The single most important improvement one can make is putting your HiFi on its own breaker with its own run and outlet receptacle.

[@dominicdiclemente8877]

I remember my first year of EE, one of the first circuit labs we had they gave us a black box and told us to figure how what components where inside.

[@Projacked1]

Wow....thank you Amir!

[@twentythreeeightyeight5260]

Thank you, sir for the work you do. You may not realize the real value of it for not very well educated people, but it’s tremendous.

[@Bob.martens]

Amir, you are an international treasure:)

[@Mrch33ky]

Hope you had a nice relaxing summer vacation. :)

[@richardoates8103]

I love that lamp in the background

[@SirMountainpass]

Brilliant review! Had plans to invest serious coin in a Niagra 3000 but now can spend the funds in a more meaningful way, thank you 😅👌

[@martytoo]

I love this video, I have a question. Does using a battery back up designed for a computer induce nose that can't be filtered by an audio gear power supply that filters the AC? Is the A.C. sign wave coming out of a battery back up so out of the normal wave form that it would cause audible problems? Battery back up devices are often the best for spike protection and thus the question.

[@thebestoffools]

One reason these companies never give you any measurements is that they assume their customers wouldn't understand most of them. They assume you are stupid. And they're right to assume it since people pay a lot of money for stuff that is basically useless. I'm good with my $50 Furman power strip. Thanks for shining a light on this.

[@mopnem]

Same as Apple never giving details yet...people buy it & their considered arguable the "best"

[@Ceko]

I bought a filter once. Thank goodness it wasn’t that expensive because ASR opened my eyes after that!

[@larsv6144]

You need to open your ears. Listen to the music and sound you prefer.

[@Ceko]

@@larsv6144 ok

[@jonlaw16]

18:03 I actually have been in the situation where I needed a AC power conditioner. I was using an old Luxman receiver and I was getting constant interference at my apartment. It didn't matter how loud I had the volume or what source I was using, the amplifier just pushed through constant popping and buzzing. As soon as I plug that receiver into an outlet at my girlfriend's home the interference went away. Something with the power at my old apartment was causing interference with the receiver. That said, I have never heard a modern (later than 1970s) piece of equipment have interference issues.

[@greggkerber3215]

Thank you for this video.

[@markhampton7559]

I love your reviews of power conditioners. I would be very interested in your analysis of the Isotek Genesis one. I bought three based on the recommendation of Pursuit Perfect System. And putting them in place, I was dubious...

[@AudioScienceReview]

I have tested the Isotek EVO3. Please see: www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/isotek-evo3-aquarius-power-conditioner-review.30223/ Unfortunately that also doesn't do anything for your sound.

[@veeracs]

Superb analysis! Can you also do a review on power regenerators?

[@sawwas4677]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z2O3aH18gayfnJI

[@imosolar]

Great review

[@MassimoTava]

I’m not sure I can trust the readings from your audio analyzer unless it uses a $200 power cord and AC conditioning box with gold stickers on the caps.

[@SteelBlueVision]

Oh and the caps better sat: Mad in Janpa

[@edwardbalboa5528]

Only with a $100 audiophile fuse ,. Could I ever trust the $15,000 audioprecision analyser ....

[@billtownsend3272]

I assume it's plugged-in to a RED outlet...

[@Daaell]

Ohh Mr. Darko, you are better blocking comments on your youtube videos ONCE AGAIN. Funny how some objective measurements can make someone a clown. In general, my personal opinion is that DO NOT BUY audio gear based on reviews that are done on FREE review samples. Wait for the users reviews, because those people spent they own money on it.

[@joentell]

Sometimes it's worse when people spend their own money on it because they WANT it to work.

[@njm1971nyc]

@@joentell SO true. Especially when it comes to anything "audiophile". The majority of them are drinking the Placebo-flavored Kool-Aid!

[@wh0tube]

You have so little faith! It’s not placebo flavoured kool-aid! It’s lipidium serpentine infused with pure silver 😉

[@michaelbeckerman7532]

You always want to be a little skeptical of anyone that has a KZbin channel out there that never mentions ANY negative aspects of ANY products they review. If someone is trying to make a living off of the videos that they post up on KZbin, then the very first thing they likely want to do is not piss anyone off in that process (especially not the manufacturers of the products that they are reviewing).

[@Edward135i]

Good to have you back Amir! A test I'd like to see you debunk is I watched a review on SpareChange on the Niagara 3000 & 5000 where he pugged a Powerline Noise Analyzer into his mains and was able to pick up radio stations then he plugged it into the Niagara and their was nothing. I looked up this "Powerline Noise Analyzer" he used and it happened to be made by Monster so go figure, I'm sure sales people at Hi-Fi shops used it back in the day on their Monster Power conditioners to sell them to people like my dad who fell for it and bought one. anyways from what I understand anything with a power supply in it has this build in nose filtering in the device it's self so powerline conditions are completely irrelevant in needing them to provide "clean power".

[@notthatperson8179]

That’s bs... my plasma screen had terrible noise in the image back in 2006. I bought a Monster power conditioner and the picture was perfect. If you have super clean power they won’t do anything.

[@Projacked1]

Could you do the PS Audio power re-generator?

[@SteelBlueVision]

This will be the ULTIMATE test!!

[@Eigengrau608]

Paul McGowan is a shill

[@makimomoo]

Love your channel Amir. Measurements play an important role to obtain the true nature of a product. These products are a waste of good aluminium and copper.

[@1Aquadon]

Thanks Amir!!

[@jasoncaleno9910]

Do you listen to any of the equipment you review?

[@chadlejeune9834]

Could you experiment whether a surge protector impacts audio performance, and if so, in what way? Where I live, a surge protector is necessary, but everyone says that surge protector can either introduce noise or restrict amps from being as dynamic as possible (by restricting current I think?). Would love to see some actual measurements and analysis.

[@exponentmantissa5598]

That is all BS. I am an electrical engineer and the purpose of power supplies in your amp is to regulate the DC supply, provide filtering and provide reserves for dynamic loads.Buying surge protectors is simply paying twice for the same functionality. once in the device/amp and then again externally.

[@FOH3663]

@@exponentmantissa5598 In the area of surge protection, isn't a multi-tiered approach recommended for an effective surge protection scheme?

[@rokiedecentra9656]

@@FOH3663 its better to have multiple methods of protection, the components like MOVs in surge protectors are rated to absorb only a certain amount of energy beyond which they don't protect and that would happen silently so if you had known surges such as lightning taking out other equipment then replace it or have more fail safes. I have seen surge protectors that you can install at the electrical panel in line with breakers, chaining multiple extension cords might not be a great idea as the losses go up.....

[@TimbreDynamics]

I sent mine back after 20 minutes of listening. I thought it collapsed my soundstage. 😂 interesting since i was excited to receive it. I guess the moon’s gravitational pull was affecting my perception that night.

[@vigneshkarthikeyan8174]

Coul you do a video on how to use DSP? i've got the klipsch fives + a sub and wanted to know how to take the PEQ settings from the forum and wether or not i want to room correct on top of that, why too please.

[@Burevestnik9M730]

Is there a chance some class action lawyer can get involved, I'm wondering. After all, thete is a law against false advertisement .

[@Nobobs62]

Great video but my opinion and experience has been that some things can and do make a difference. I started trying things awhile back with the first being a supposedly a better power cord. I was shocked that I could hear a noticeable improvement in the bass. To see If it was a placebo or not. I had my son and neighbors listen. They also noted the change. Granted I’m not talking about WOW holy crap changes but still noticeable. After this I started experimenting with interconnects and power conditioners. Somethings were noticeable a lot weren’t. The biggest point I wanted to make is you may not be able to measure it but try some things out, if it doesn’t change simply send it back, there’s a lot of places you can do that. I relate this to trying new audio pieces like phono preamp’s and amplifiers preamplifiers etc. Does it change the sound and do I like the changes? If you try some of these things and they make no difference sweet you save money, if you try some new things and it makes a difference and you like it Sweet, either way it’s a win-win.

[@wesselingaudiodesign5031]

There's is no difference, It was explained in the video - Turn your back and have your son swap between power cords and you wont hear it.

[@njm1971nyc]

Placebo effect. It's a very real thing. Even placebo medicines often produce remarkable improvements in a patient's condition. It's simply not *possible* for an AC power cord to affect the bass response of your system. (Unless you're using the AC power cord as speaker cable! THEN it might have a (subtle) effect!

[@stevenbun8016]

100% agree with you

[@iowaudioreviews]

My brother-in-law engineers GPS and radio communication systems for automated farm equipment. Also has been a musician and has played several instruments for 30 years and mixes masters his own music. He just laughs when I show him equipment like this. Its all a scam and its to easy to convince idiots their hearing a difference. "It's easier to fool people than convince them they have been fooled".

[@Edward135i]

My best friend is a telecommunications engineer he has no interest in Hi-Fi, I started showing him Snake oil products by Audioquest and he told me that the people who run that company should be in jail for false advertising and robbery 🤣.

[@janknudsen815]

Is the measured damping common mode CM or differential mode DM? I'm engineer designing filter for electronics daily. 5db is almost nothing. It could easy be 30 to 50 dB in DM. Yeah a lot of relegion and crab stories. Before go buy expensive power cable. Exchange all cables from the power plant to you power socket. Of cause it does not help. Thank you for really good analysis. You are totally right. BR Jan

[@luca12957]

14:23 John Darko! XD Hilarious! That Snake Oil Salesman! 🤣

[@andyrenorocks]

It’s a surge protector that shouldn’t muffle the sound and do any harm. You should have a listen to it and let us know if it makes a difference compared to other surge protectors.

[@WeeWeeJumbo]

i wish i could get some of my gamer friends into audio, because they would *LOVE* the drama. you don't even know, how much they would love the drama that's to be found in home audio

[@gioponti6359]

I have questions: the measurements show a low pass filter with ca 5dB from 5kHz up to 100kHz, yet the filtered output of the UUT has -5dB only around 5 to 20kHz, while the ugly 60kHz peak remains unattenuated. - which of the 3 measurements is wrong? A German, highly regarded developer says (if i summarize that correctly) the importance (and thus the success) of AC connections of v low impedance & inductance arises from the use of (integrated) amplifiers with large caps and extremely short charging duration, which alters the requirements for hifi transformers and supply power cord .. distributor.., vs general EE standards. As a consequence, also line level ground potential differences would occur between source and amp (no good for SQ!) if ac supply is suboptimal ie not of very low impedance. So, this would make your chosen subjective test arrangement (headphones only) not sensitive to what a good distributor can or cannot do. And explain the results you got. I agree on the technical descriptions given by AQ, AQ seem to have departed from earlier more understandable and technically less controversial approaches of marketing information. Zero Impedance is a nice word.

[@GBatya]

Current flows only for short time in the rectifier that's the problem to charge the caps. I would say power factor correction is good because lowers the current in average.

[@daviddelossantos6075]

I'm going to design and sell a beautiful aluminum chassis with a small blue LED light on the front and inside it's just going to be a surge protector. Going to chart $5,000. Gonna make me rich.

[@garygrice921]

So do you mean one unit? Or are you going to make thousands of units?

[@steveodian6008]

Thanks again Amir. Bill Low continues to laugh all the way to the bank.

[@bradleykay]

So what do I do to get rid of the hum coming from the transformers in my tube amp? Dedicated line?

[@dejanpopovic1138]

Hello, Im on 230v 50hz AC i thought of buying Niagara 1200 for my pc but after the video im not so sure , is Niagara 1200 okay or is there something better ?

[@bigcjm]

It's crazy how the world of audio has been neglected generally from objective measurements for so long. We have tons of hard core PC channels chalk full of down in the weeds data. Audio not so much. The worst part of about it is in audio there so much nonsense. The hype trains rarely back to good products.

[@kieronkelly959]

Great work Amir🤛Is there any degradation in sound quality using just a basic surge protector from Amazon etc

[@AudioScienceReview]

No, I have never measured any degradation no matter how basic the surge protector is. If you have a super powerful amp though, I would plug it into the wall direct.

[@Aaron-dl2wg]

Hello, can you compare the sound output/THD with and without the Niagra 1200 using a mainstream amplifier with passive speakers to measure the difference in sound output/THC from the speakers? Maybe the device you were using already filters sound so well that the power conditioner wasn't needed, whereas if you compare results with an amplifier that has a higher THD there might be a more noticeable difference?

[@heathwirt8919]

Another great test Amir, I really get a kick out of these overpriced superfluous devices that add nothing to the performance of audio gear or the listening experience.

[@andrewskaterrr]

The Niagara didn't sound as good because your brain heard burning money lol

[@phillipmorris9847]

Have you found anything that works ? except for on the weekends, during the day some of the high frequencies can be a little harsh after about 8pm everything is silky smooth, would be really nice to resolve this. thanx

[@alcamacho1844]

Now, would a conditioner that does provide a better sound listening experience. For example a larger more transparrent sound stage but measured badly or strange, be accepted as a Real power conditioner? Or should it be classified as a sonic exciter? Since it measured badly, but was lovely to the ears. Its a serious question, would like your opinion... tnks!

[@MrsZambezi]

A power conditioner makes no difference to sound quality.

[@skumflum3768]

I was that guy… snake oil by the truckloads like worrying about cables not touching the ground etc. it’s a relief to finally open my eyes and look at the science.

[@WeeWeeJumbo]

(...do you still have your cable lifters? ...would you sell them?)

[@WeeWeeJumbo]

(...do you still have your cable lifters? ...would you sell them?)

[@skumflum3768]

@@WeeWeeJumbo it was a diy contraption and it’s gone

[@paran0ia7]

Only slightly related but I've got a nice Furman unit I've used for years now, and the ONLY reason I've kept it around is that it solved one very specific problem I'd had for awhile; every single other conditioner or simple power strip I tried would result in crazy mechanical transformer hum audible from across the room. A fault of my power amps perhaps, or some ground loop shenanigans (never did fully sus it out, to be honest), but when I got that Furman unit by god it finally disappeared. Did it change the actual sound quality? Not really, and if anything it degraded it a little, but it was worth every penny to be rid of that noise. Plus it looks pretty cool, which is never a bad thing.

[@AudioScienceReview]

That's perfectly fine application when you have a known problem and a box fixes it. Sadly 99% of audio power conditioners are sold people with no audible problems. They plug them in and talk about all kinds of imaginary improvements....

[@questionableidentity1]

Interesting how it degraded sound quality. I read some other user say you lose 10 percent head room which is absolutely wild to me

[@paran0ia7]

@@questionableidentity1 Well, like I said "if anything" it degraded things a little. Not really possible to do a proper A/B with a component like that of course, but I did find it to be (very) slightly "darker" upon first using it. That being said I went into it having read similar stories, so I chalked it up to confirmation bias and never thought much of it. Whether that's all it was or I just got used to it, I have been nothing but pleased with the performance since. I have a "Furman ELITE15 DM i", for reference.

[@questionableidentity1]

@@paran0ia7 I'm looking to solve some noise with microphone Amp and compressors. I placed an order for a Furman 1800 AR. So let's see how that goes

[@paran0ia7]

@@questionableidentity1 Nice, I'd be very interested to hear how that works out for you. If there really is any audible benefit (or degradation) with power conditioners, I feel like the recording/production level is definitely where it would be the most obvious.

[@denis4072]

Many people back in the days say Monster products are crap and Audioquest is the sheet. Those are same fools that say $100 hdmi cable made by audioquest is better than $10.

[@blanchbacker]

Yay!!! Thanks Amir

[@daviddelossantos6075]

God those comments by Darko and Reichert are just so freakin' annoying.

[@njm1971nyc]

Annoying, frustrating, maddening, and quite pathetic, too. Hopefully they are now also EMBARRASSING for Darko & Co.!!! The SHAME!! 😆

[@RennieAsh]

@@njm1971nyc They'll just delete comments from their channels if people mention it ;p

[@thespotlightkid1011]

Just as I suspected. I heard glowing reports of this very unit online by accident & curiosity, tho i've never gone hunting a power conditioner or ac-dc-ac regenerater, mainly from what i heard about them via a friend & an acquaintance who used to work in a hi-fi shop & once told me something like: "These are for when you've got nothing left to improve upon by replacing or upgrading gear, so then you buy one" ..like "get 1 if you love spending money" & as confirmed on this site, they do diddly-...(maybe dogs or bats can pick out the 5'db less distortion at 20k ...between tracks) ..-squat as proved in the graphs. I think it's like you say, we test a new stereo product & choose music we are intimately familiar with, maybe for many years & so much so we believe our memory already knows all the hi-fi related qualities of that music, & if we feel we need to even hear the 'test music' without the review unit in place, we're still more inclined to concentrate much more on the hi-fi sound qualities with the review sample in the chain & maybe revert to our longer term memory of the chosen test music for comparisons sake, but whatever, i agree only 100%-blind testing with not even "tone of speach" clues, just the switcher anouncing & later asking "A" or "B" will tell the truth. Reviews of this unit to me imply a 90 to 95% blind discernment capability. I'd expect a true-blind 50/50 average to prevail long-term for preference of A & B, even from those who praised it highly.

[@DJURBANBG]

Thank you very much , you just saved me 1500 dollars ! Can you please recoomend a good and affordable device that can actually improve the sound of the system ? i heard good things about the Surgex power conditioner .. thanks

[@Justin-fy7xk]

Power conditioners will not improove sound. Listen to amir

[@rokiedecentra9656]

Your money is better spent on the actual audio equipment like speakers, headphones amplifiers that actually and measurably sound different, sometimes better or worse. I still do recommend getting a basic surge protector as the last thing you want is a electrical surge damaging the badly designed line circuits....

[@JakeGreygoose]

There's a reason why John Darko has comments turned off on his videos.

[@JakeGreygoose]

He's a shill.

[@gioponti6359]

they were active for long time and are active again now. so what is your conclusion now?

[@banditman142536]

I bet you roll around on the floor laughing when you do these tests. I do when you tell us just how many people buy into it. If you want perfect audio mains voltage. Then all you have to do is hang some garlic on all your wall sockets. Keeps Dracula out of your home as well. Sleep in a metal pyramid bed pointing south. So the microwaves do not get you. Keep up the good work. Love these videos.

[@matthewjoy1864]

I auditioned the Niagra 1200 2 nights ago in my system that feeds the latest Vandersteen 2ce...the difference was immediately apparent...

[@AudioScienceReview]

It always is when you change something in your system. Your brain operates differently so identical sound will seem different. Please run the test blind and repeat it a few times per this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rIOqaYeXrayWmLc

[@erics.4113]

Enlightened. I'm still finding it hard to shed the belief that these things work as we want them to (improve sound quality). I guess like all beliefs, it is hard to walk away from them once you've been indoctrinated.

[@VegasVaron]

Notwithstanding its claims audiophile business is the least science based industry that I can think of, this video supports my statement.

[@jimmycake7143]

Maybe you could check the New EMP Shield product?

[@70grade37]

What would you recommend if anything??

[@klepp19]

You should also do review of iFi power station $500 making incredible claims!

[@AudioScienceReview]

I tested that AC Purifi that is in it. It gets warm but doesn't do anything for your audio system based on my measurements.

[@klepp19]

@@AudioScienceReview Great to know! Thanks for keeping the community honest!😀

[@cornerliston]

How is it possible for companies like Audioquest to claim these things without showing any proof? Don't you have any marketing laws in USA this works against?

[@rokiedecentra9656]

i assume too few people buy to make it a problem and too many people believe in it.....

[@drdyna]

If AQ wants to do something good, maybe they should just sell that pretty chassis, I have a couple of icepower modules and a dsp board that would look pretty sassy in there.

[@christiaanteunis2167]

Niagara 1200 for sale here....

[@20puskinas1992]

Hello Amir, Its understandable it cant improve dac or amp noise figures, but maybe it can help clean up usb output comming from PC? My topping dac sound a lot cleaner out of My s20phone than out of my Pc. Thanks.

[@RennieAsh]

I know that PC noise can transfer into the audio system; I'm not entirely sure why, probably a ground loop issue - it is not present when not using the PC as a source, or when using optical cable :)

[@rokiedecentra9656]

@@RennieAsh if you are really worried about noise then optical is a good way to reduce it as there isn't a direct electrical connection and it is a common input on dacs

[@len9518]

Very expensive surge protector.

[@happycamper4416]

They use isolation transformers for medical equipment. My impression is that it cleans the noise and to some extent regulate the voltage. I don’t know if in medical situations it makes a difference but not in audio.

[@sakusaaristo191]

Well, for example diagnostic ultrasound probes (transducers) use frequncies way up from 20kHz, often in GHz range. In that kind of application it is sensible to use these kind of filters as those work at frequencies where it really does enhance the quality and we are able to perceive it by looking at the formed picture through a monitor. So there it's not just hocus pocus give me your money type of shit like it is in the audio business.

[@njm1971nyc]

I'm sure the equipment is designed to work correctly with any old power source. I can't imagine any equipment being sold, be it pro audio/video, medical, scientific, etc., which only operates "correctly" on filtered power sources. I have a $100k studio VTR which goes straight into an ordinary power strip and straight to the wall outlet. And it works *perfectly*! Isolation transformers are mostly (if not solely) used to help prevent electric shocks. Very important for medical equipment which is being attached to people! 🙂👍

[@sakusaaristo191]

@@njm1971nyc I suppose you've used medical ultrasound like I have and that's why you know better, right? :D

[@njm1971nyc]

@@sakusaaristo191 I never said that. I was saying that isolation transformers are *primarily* used for safety reasons...the clue is in the name...*isolation*. If you have used the ultrasound equipment both with and without the transformer, in otherwise *identical* conditions, and found a noticeable improvement, that's great. It still begs the question why the ultrasound equipment manufacturer didn't include sufficient interference suppression in the unit's own power supply. My guess (yes, guess) is that they probably did. Unless your did an accurate A/B testing under *identical* conditions for each test, then your claims are just hot air. If you did, and/or there was a clear improvement, that's great. 🤷🏼‍♂️

[@rokiedecentra9656]

it is purely for isolation from earth ground and the medical grade is for safety and not for noise reduction, they will have lower leakage into the secondary which is important as high leakage means you are not fully isolated from earth ground and have a change of getting electrocuted

[@whiskeykilmer1866]

Thanks, Amir.

[@yvonlaurent4661]

bonjour est ce que ces mesures sont valable avec un niagara 1200 sous 220 V

[@merakrut]

I like non-believers. Fact is what counts. I am an atheist in every way.

[@run_taurus7635]

Ok hooked up to audio quest but when went back to his ..."regular" ...equipment it sounded better. My question is if the normal surge protector sounded better why not tell us what piece of equipment sounded better. don't get me wrong i think this audio quest does indeed filter sound at just above 5k to 3 db but I am not sure that is a good thing. most audio devices are ac coupled and have capacitors. These capacitors filter noise if the noise is filtered before it gets to the capacities then the capacitors filter in such a way in which the dynamics are blunted. What I mean is the audio quest niagara filters the ac mains and the capacitors in my prima luna equipment would round the leading edges. No more audio quest niagara and the leading edges are back. Same device this dude just reviewed. My problem is this person did not trust his ears he said he preferred the sound with out the Audio Quest Niagara which I know is likely because I also could tell the difference. I wish he would of shown the difference between the Audio Quest and his standard device.

[@rokiedecentra9656]

That is not how electricity works, coupling capacitors are not connected to the mains input.... they are connected in the amplifier circuit and at the output. The only job they have is to block DC from the biasing circuit from reaching the output. Those capacitors attenuate lower frequencies, not higher...... input filter capacitors won't even notice power filters being connected as they do so little.....

[@astra004]

It cleans your account.

[@michaelbeckerman7532]

That's good! Someone should actually come out with a new ultra-premium, high-end AC line-conditioner and make the (honest) marketing claim that it completely "cleans out your credit lines" for you. :)

[@sawwas4677]

so do we need to have electrical protection for our devices? and if so are there any that actually work properly?

[@andyrenorocks]

If you get a power surge that kills your equipment then that will answer your question. This one from Audioquest apparently works properly.

[@michaelbeckerman7532]

The key here is to recognize that you don't need ANY device to take "noise" off of your AC lines at all. Any pursuit of that is simply a waste of time and money. Now, spending money on good surge protection IS worthwhile because surges and spikes (whether the originate from inside or outside of your home) ARE a reality and they can do real damage to the sensitive electronics inside of your equipment. The cheap surge protectors are shunt-mode, MOV-based devices that are sacrificial. The expensive ones are series-mode, inductor-based non-sacrificial devices. The latter there is always FAR better than the former. Getting good quality power protection is worthwhile. Trying to filter out noise from AC lines is not.

[@srmitch9260]

Hello Amir, just a quick question about power strips / power blocks / mains extensions. Is it true that regular, cheap designs that use daisy chained sockets can starve one another for optimal power? For example, you have a 6 way power strip, in the first socket you plug in a high current device like a power amplifier, in the second socket you plug in a large active subwoofer, will the rest of the sockets be starved of power? I only ask, as many companies that produced HiFi power blocks etc claim that “star-wiring” eliminates / solves this problem associated with regular power strip design, essentially creating a “home run” for each individual socket? Is this accurate? Or is regular power strips just as good as one which employs star wiring? Would be very grateful to have this answered! Thanks.

[@policeman0077]

whats the bandwidth of probe, does the probe have step down transformer in it?

[@AudioScienceReview]

I have not looked what is in it. It has 25 Mhz bandwidth. I made a measurement of its distortion and noise and it is hugely better than any AC regenerator. See the start of this review: www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/ps-audio-powerplant-12-review-ac-regenerator.31298/

[@CarlVanDoren61]

Shunyata Research!!!

[@KeithCopeland778]

Interestingly, Audioquest hasn't responded to rebut your video!!! I wonder if they've watched it?

[@thanaka542]

ฉันซื้อ Audioquest จากประเทศไทย ฉันจะฟ้องด้านกฎหมาย กับ audioquest RCA victoria ได้มั่ย Audioquest มีแต่สินค้าหลอกลวง?