An Electricity Upgrade From the Roof to My Room Produced Major Sonic Benefits
do this before adding a power conditioner
I used to have major ground noise issues and other problems with my electrical service that I tried to solve as most audio enthusiasts do, with power conditioners and dedicated lines. Those produced some improvements, but there still were issues.
The proverbial "straw that broke the camel's back" was the installation of an auxiliary whole house generator and its transfer switch, that when power goes out, removes the house from the grid and connects it to the generator. Following the installation, I was shocked to hear the unexpected sonic deterioration to my system—it was like a milky, gauzy film had been overlayed upon the music. I wrote about it and two guys came to the rescue, volunteering their time and expertise: Rex Hungerford of https://www.kingrexelectric.com and Ed DeVito of https://audio-ultra.com.
They were working together at the time this video was shot, but since then they've gone their separate ways. My local electrician Craig Bradley did much of the work since Rex is licensed in the state of Washington and I'm in New Jersey. I also got a great deal of support and help from Garth Powell at AudioQuest. I thank them all.
As you'll see in the video, much of the improvement was the result of a big upgrade to the house ground, which previously was kind of a mess. The sonic improvement made by this "from the roof" upgrade caused more than a few industry veterans who visited to exclaim "This is the quietest system I've ever heard." That's not how it used to be! If you live in a private home, I urge you to consider this kind of upgrade, which admittedly will cost thousands of dollars, before you invest heavily in in-room power conditioners. Those may also help depending upon the situation but first start with a firm electrical foundation!
