Features

On March 30th 2017 we posted a story called Audio Porn Experiment Part #1 and #2. The experiment's purpose was to see if listeners could hear sonic differences between two recordings of the same tune with the only variable being the power conditioner into which all of the "front end" gear had been plugged.

The experiment needed to be done twice because somehow (and it's still not clear how it happened), the second recording in experiment #1 was 2dB louder than the first recording. In #2 the levels were identical.

The power conditioners were Shunyata's new Denali 6000T ($4995) and AudioQuest's Niagara 7000 ($7999.99). The Shunyata review has now been published in the June issue of Stereophile.

In experiment #1, the first version of the Berk Kaempfert song is the Niagra, the second is the Denali. so the Denali recording was +2dB relative to the Niagara recording. Keep in mind that the sonic advantage usually goes to the loud (especially in speaker comparisons).

In experiment #2, the first version is the Niagara and the second is the Denali. If you don't hear a difference, fine! If you do and you prefer one over the other fine! If you don't think power conditioners make a sonic difference, you are incorrect! If you think if a product included a properly designed power supply, a power conditioner cannot possibly make a difference (especially a positive one), take that assertion up with either Shunyata's Caelin Gabriel or AudioQuest's Garth Powell. You make come away with a different opinion, or not!