Audioquest Niagara

Hi-Fi Corner
21

I will let you know @Markush8; thanks for the guidance

22

I have a 1000 feeding a Star and Meridian 556 power. On the nudge of this thread, I unplugged the Niagara and plugged the others into the wall. In comparison the sound went one dimensional, the stage shrank And dynamics were muted. This wasn’t subtle. It went straight back in.

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23

hi, i am using the Niagra on the SN2 and NDX2. Was hesitating in the beginning because of all the messages concerning bad match of Naim and power conditioners. But after trying it for a week, My opinion was that the Niagra 1000 improved the sound: larger sound stage, bit more detail. Prat and dynamics will stay, i noticed Even a bit more boogy with the Niagra. Combination with audioquest power cables did also have a similar effect. I
Also own an Powerline. Was not happy with this power cord with the Niagra 1000. So i kept the Niagra 1000.

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24

Great to see you enjoying the Niagara. When trying a 3000 or even 5000 the effects / improvements will be even bigger. Looking forward to hear more of your experiences.

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25

And another recommendation (not just only for those using a power conditioner but in general) I’d really suggest using an optimized wall socket like the Furutech rhodium.
Anyone in the meantime was already able to test the Niagara?

26

Are you looking for Surge protection and power conditioning or correct power distribution, which is different?

It is not a popular brand on this forum but ansuz Mainz power distribution boxes are wonderfully designed and do the job.

Scott

27

Personally I’m not keen on ‘power conditioners’. However, I do use a simple isolating transformer (with no conditioning circuitry) and that does seem to lift the SQ.

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28

not been able to sort my mains yet unfortunately

i used a unfiltered balanced power supply from air link transformers which made a good improvement to SQ for a very reasonable outlay

29

I’m trying a Niagara 1200 at home for a few days with my ATC Actives. It’s brand new so I’ll delay judgment but first impressions positive. It’s a Noise dissipating system not a power conditioner apparently…

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30

I have been using a Niagara 1200 with Audioquest power cables for about 7 months with my SN3/NDX2. I live in a multi-tenant condo complex. I immediately noticed a significant improvement in the ‘noise floor’ which resulted in improved soundstage and imaging. The system also sounds a bit more ‘dynamic’. I know these are all subjective impressions, but the improvement is quite noticeable when compared to removing the Niagara 1200 and AQ power cables.

I like using a ‘shared power strip’ that allows for the use of a single house power outlet, provides a common ground to all of my audio equipment (includes my Cisco switch, a Naim Core and a Sony SACD player). I also like the peace of mind that the Niagara provides lightning surge protection.

I highly recommend this upgrade.

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31

Hi @Pete.T, very interested in your observations and experience. Pls keep us posted.
Iver

32

Will do .

33

I A/B’d (separately) an Audioquest conditioner against a Shunyata. Both improved things significantly. I went with the Shunyata. Power conditioners can definitely benefit Naim gear in certain conditions. They are routinely used by many US dealers to demo Naim equipment. These two companies are way ahead of others with the technology (IMO). Shunyata also has a large commercial business selling specialized units to hospitals. It’s not voodoo.

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34

If I had big pockets, I would go for top Anzus or Kharma powerblocks, which no filtering at all.

35

Very early days and unfortunately I have to go away for a couple of days but the Niagara 1200 is having what seems to be a distinct and positive effect . There is always a worry of losing Dynamics with conditioners which is why I’ve always avoided them . If anything the Dynamics have increased and the Noise floor has certainly dropped . Noise dissipation rather than conditioning seems to be very effective and I do have a dedicated supply .
I’ll have a proper listen on the weekend but at the moment it feels a bit like I’ve added a PS .

36

Hi @joc6812, which Shunyata model did you go for?
Iver

37

IvdZ: Hydra Delta D6.

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38

FWIW, I have recently purchased an iFi AC purifier for a trial period, fully expecting to return it, because from previous experience the mains conditioner block from Tacima I bought a few years back, doesn’t have any noticeable beneficial effect on sound and I expected the same outcome, tbh. I also use Devolo mains plug internet distribution to run Netflix to my TV in the same room as my hi-fi and I was aware that might cause problems with additional mains noise when doing this, so I thought I’d give the iFi unit a go to see what changes it might bring.
I plug my Nova straight into the wall socket without filtering because of the potential “throttling” effect of the mains conditioner and the spare socket is used to run all my other devices off, including my CD player and laptop chargers etc via the Tacima mains conditioner block. To my great surprise, when I plugged the iFi unit into the mains conditioner block, not only did I get a subtle improvement in the sound from the Nova, but CD playback of my Cambridge Audio player via the optical input into my Nova improved in a way I wouldn’t describe as subtle. It really opened up the soundstage, improved dynamics and gave instruments room to breathe. Needless to say, I was suitably impressed and it won’t be going back. I know that the mains cable/conditioner/power block thing can sometimes be such a subtle change that one probably convinces oneself there is a change when, in fact, there isn’t one. However, in this case, the change was night and day. What is interesting for me, is that it made far more of a difference to the playback of my CD player, which is a cheapo in the grand scheme of things, than streaming playback via the Nova SD card server option. I’d guess the power supply in the CD player will be way less in quality to that in my Nova and consequently, more susceptible to mains effects. That’s the only reason I can think of.

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39

I’d be interested in how these compare to an (isolating) balanced power supply. The AirLink we bought was one of the best value improvements we’ve made. Lower noise floor and a ‘cleaner’ sound in a more of the same way.

Russ

41

Here in the US I’ve been using an Equi=Core balanced transformer power supply for a few years with good results on a 272/250 based system. Unfortunately the company has gone out of business. I now have an Niagara 1200 on order and will report back on the difference in a couple of weeks.

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