Listening – Stage 1
Given the excellent results with the P10 powering only my DAC and preamp and the rest of the system still powered by my default power distributors, I decided to stick with that recipe for now and listen to the P15 and P20 under the same circumstances.
Starting with the P15, it was immediately apparent that the new model is not merely a marketing effort with a better display but an actual reworked design. The P15 sounds much smoother and massively more liquid, fluid, and refined than the P10, so much so that it makes the older model sound pretty rough and dry in comparison. Truthfully, it’s not even close, except in the way that both models clean up the power, remove hash, and allow the connected components to have much cleaner transient behavior and sound much more revealing of low-level resolution and subtle decays.
When I switched from the P15 to the P20, the soundstage grew deeper, with more distinct layering within. This was expected, but what I did not expect was that the P20 even enhanced transient behavior and low-level resolution. While the P20 also sounds considerably smoother and more relaxed than the P10, it delivers a more impactful and expressive performance than the P15. Significantly, the increased impact does not stem from a bloated bass or a boomy quality, which I had dreaded based on prior experiences with amplifiers versus power and output devices. Quite the opposite, actually, as the P20 sounds crisper and more agile than the P15. Clearly, the “small versus big power amplifier” analogy does not apply, as the P20 easily outperforms the P15 across all aspects, even when powering just two 30-watt components.
The P20 is heavy and very tall, only just about fitting my HRS rack’s bottom shelf clearance, which made me happy that I went with 12-inch struts for the rack’s bottom section. The P20 costs one-fourth more than the already mighty fine P15, but if the rack space and budget suffice, the choice is obvious: the P20 simply provides the best performance.
All improvements aside, the P15 and P20 reduced the system’s pacing and dampened the expression compared to the P10. Although both new models massively improved the sound compared to using raw power, unlike the P10, they also changed the character. This realization gave me pause. Would the new models be the equivalent of two steps forward and one step back?
Flash-Forward: In the following paragraphs, I will explain how I made a startling discovery that would lead to a very different conclusion. If you are interested in all the details, by all means, keep reading. However, if you feel I have been rambling on too long already, feel free to skip to the next chapter, “The Penny Dropped”.
Doubts and Experiments
While I admired much of what the new models achieved and recognized that they certainly exposed some flaws in the older model, I was conflicted about how differently the P15 and P20 made the system sound compared to the P10. I prepared myself to accept that my system needs all the impact it can get, even if that means the sound becomes a bit rough and harsh. It seemed inevitable that I would have to conclude that the new models improve upon the P10 in many ways, but likely suit some systems better than others. This led to a period of doubt, investigation, and experimentation, ultimately culminating in a profound realization.
One week later, the outside temperature had dropped significantly, and my friend Wouter (aka the record-cleaning master;-) dropped by with a pile of freshly cleaned LPs for our weekly analog session. We played various eighties soul LPs that we know well but had not played in a long time. With the P10 in place, all the fast-paced, rhythm-driven eighties and nineties stuff we played during this session and the previous one had sounded fantastic, incomparably better with the PowerPlant than without. However, we noticed the slower soul albums were missing a bit of liquidity, seduction, and lushness and sounded less soulful and emotional than we recalled from the past.
As a side note, my system always sounds cooler and less fluid in winter, with the relatively drier air and lower outside temperature, especially when playing LPs. This is normal behavior, but the “raw” directness of the P10 now seemed to exacerbate it. Conversely, counterintuitively, perhaps, my digital front end has always sounded smoother and more relaxed than the analog front end, although it also sounds cooler in the cold seasons.
In any case, as autumn turned to winter and the soul records lacked their essential element, I wondered if the P10 was so ideal for my system after all.
This led to the wild idea of trying the P10 in combination with one of the two new models, one for the digital components and one for the analog section. Overkill? Perhaps, but I just had to know if this could be a viable solution.
As sometimes happens with audio-related matters, coincidences can lead to important discoveries, and this would prove to be such a case.
The Penny Dropped
While my system was playing with the P10 powering the CH DAC and preamp, I also connected the P20 to a vacant wall outlet with the intention of using it to power the turntable section. But as soon as I switched on the P20, the sound changed, even though I had not connected anything to its outlets yet! Sure enough, I heard the same reduced pacing and dampened expression as when actively using the P20 for the CH DAC and preamp, but now without the P20’s advantages.
That’s when the penny dropped. What if the P15 and P20 somehow weighed on the power circuit, making life more challenging for the remaining raw AC-powered audio components?
To double-test my theory, I returned to raw AC for the entire system. Having reluctantly accustomed myself to the messy and hazy sound again, I plugged in the P15 and switched it on without using any of its outputs. Sure enough, the system’s sound took on the same relative downsides noted above. I repeated the test with the P20 and found it behaved the same way. Then, I did the same with the P10, but this time, the system’s sound hardly changed.
Presumably, the new PowerPlant models have much stronger input filtering, or their power supplies influence the power circuit differently than the P10. Either way, this effect in itself is not new, as I have heard it before with some of my components, albeit never in such an influential and profound manner.
However, this could explain why I initially thought the new PowerPlants provided improvements as well as detractive qualities when powering only the two CH components. If this thesis was correct, it could be proven by connecting more components to the P20 to get them on the regenerated side of the power circuit.
As a side note, all audio components have the potential to “load” the mains power in a manner that, to a more or lesser effect, affects other components. Notorious are switched power supplies, and I can confirm the worst offenders induce a kind of hash, blur, or even high-pitched sharpness into the sound. The latter can also be mistaken for a desirable treble accentuation, enhancing the perceived level of detail. However, the same supplies feed noise components back onto the AC, causing blur and smearing into the rest of the system. However, switched technology has improved massively, and the best designs impact the mains power even less than linear designs. Some of my audio components and some cables have a similar damping effect on the raw mains as the P15 and P20, albeit more minor. This is why disconnecting any unused components is usually beneficial.
Next: Listening Stage 2 and Conclusion
If I am not mistaken, the power amplifier outlets on these units do not provide regenerated power, that is only for the lower power outlets (as confirmed in a phone call some year ago to PS Audio’s technical department). The older PS Audio regenerators fifteen years did provide regenerated power for all connected units, but those regenerators were massive, much bigger and heavier than the P20 tested here. PS Audio discontinued those models since they were utterly impractical from a marketing point of view.
Hi Ronnie, as I understand it, all outlets provide regenerated power. The difference for the power amp outputs is that they are prepared for high current inrush. I found an old post by Paul on a forum where he also mentioned that the power amp outlets were different, but he rectified that later on the same forum. This is substantiated by the difference I heard when connecting the A1.5 to the P20’s power amp outlets (the same benefits as with the other outlets).
Hi Ronnie, I double-checked with PS Audio, and they just confirmed the following:
“The “high current” outlets on both the P15 and P20 are definitely regenerated. The difference is the high current outputs have a slow start feature that permits the turn on of big power amplifiers without kicking your circuit breaker off (but only if started via the P20). The commenter might be thinking of the Stellar P3 PowerPlant and that, definitely, has power amplifier outlets that are NOT regenerated, but rather they are conditioned.”
“Incidentally, the Stellar P3 is the only PowerPlant that has the ability to send non-regenerated power to the HC zone. However, if you flip the switch to “regen” the power will go through its active circuit and be regenerated just like all other zones. This is only applicable for the P3 though. The P12, P15 and P20 are always regenerate through all of the zones, no matter what. Lastly, the P20 is one of the largest regens we have ever made. It is capable of powering the largest load as well.”
Great review, Christiaan! I had here for my stereo system many power conditioners from TMR, Audio Agile, Burmester and Shunyata. All changed the sound but finally I had them remove them from my system. They finally all reduced punch and dynamics and connection to a power amp was a no-go. I then got two PS Audio PPPs and one PS Audio Quintessence – the latter set in series with a PPP. However the balun in the Quintessence created some strange results (including a shift of phantom images) and had to leave the system. And again: the power amp preferred the direct connection to the wall outlet. With increasing number of digital audio components a PPP was replaced by a P10. However my power amps didn’t like to get their power from this power regenerator. Obviously, according your findings, a P20 seems to able to deliver a better performance for connecting power amps. But there is one point in your review which doesn’t seem to be logical: if a power regenerator has a negative effect on the quality of the mains power supply as do have SMPSs and to a lesser degree every LPs (backward RFI created by the diode bridge rectifier) I wonder why you do not use specific filtering between the P20 and each component? The power conditioning concept of TMR emphasized this aspect.
Kind regards
Michael
Hi Michael, thanks for the feedback. I do not use passive filtering between the P20 and each component, or in general, because I have consistently found passive filtering solutions to reduce the transient sharpness, dynamics, expression, and pacing. The PowerPlants are the first devices I heard that clean the AC without introducing other detractive qualities.
Indeed, Christiaan, that’s what I concluded from your review too. Does this also mean that you no longer use the Ansuz Mainz power distributor reviewed earlier? Regards, Michael
Hi Michael, the Ansuz was on loan and was returned again after the review.
Interesting and confirms once again that component changes downstream of the power base quality can only do so much. Perhaps you can also review Stromtank Audio Power, which is off grid battery-based. I love what it has done for my system’s sound quality.
Hi Christiaan, great review! I was wondering, did you notice that main cables do perform different when fed by the powerplant? In other words, when fed decent current, do they still show the big differences we normaly hear when comparing the main cables or are they behaving more alike and could we settle for cheaper man cables instead?
Kind regards,
Hi Serge, To some extent, power cables do become less pivotal and they do not tend to make or break the sound quite as “severely” as without a PowerPlant, but their respective characteristics are still clearly audible. The sound can still be tuned using, for instance, warmer or crisper sounding cables.