Customer Comments:
First a disclaimer. I am not involved with the company or related and submit this review as one happy customer with the sole aim of expressing my pleasure in using and listening to these remarkable products.
I've been on the tweak merry-go-round for as long as I've been involved in HiFi with some success and some failures. My only criteria is, if it sounds good to me then it must be doing something right. Usually I verify this by removing the tweak months later. If the sound worsens then I put the tweak back. If it improves then the tweak is dubious and may only have produced a change in sound rather than an improvement. Simple, but it works for me.
I believe I have a resolving system and can hear improvements such as capacitor changes in my amps (Sonicap Platinum caps are wonderful along with V-Caps) and have added three dedicated circuits and breaker box to the system. I also use VH Audio Airsine cables throughout. I mention this because I believe these are tweaks that are easily heard and could not live without in my system.
My search for ever more presence, body and an organic nature to the sound led me, after much internet searching and reviews, to Alan Maher's product range. I felt I had to give it a go and as the price of admission to the range was within my grasp, unlike the Bybee products or Nordost Quantum products, I took the plunge. Power regenerators and the like have never swayed me always prefering the raw main feed, something a few other respected component designers agree with.
After a few emails to Alan he recommended I start with a Quantum IEC for my CD player (Audio Aero Prestige Signature) in order to combat the digital nasties thrown back into the system and increase the power factor. A Reference II for overall system enhancement and an Infinity Circuit Breaker Filter. PE V Pro. IECs were also recommended but more on those later.
Delivery to the UK was swift and the Infinity was cable-tied to the incoming mains wire to the breaker box. The Quantum IEC inserted directly at the IEC of the CD Player and power cord attached to the Quantum. Luckily I had a spare socket on the VH Audio Hot Box in which to plug the Reference II. These are all on one of the dedicated lines. The other two lines are direct to each of the subwoofers of my Avantgarde Duos.
What was I hoping to get? A little improvement in resolution due to a lower noise-floor and maybe a bit more naturalism to vocals. What did I get? A sudden drop of all extraneous noise, something you don't notice until it's gone. Lifelike vocals and a sense of being able to see around a vocalist as though they were holographic. I was gobsmacked! Disc after disc was tried and all revealed an increase in detail and naturalism.
However all was not well, the dreaded roller-coaster of break-in began very quickly and one day the bass was missing another the treble and I believe it only settled down after 4 weeks. Alan told me the components will break-in without having to play music as long as they are powered. Finally, I had a better sounding system and to test myself I removed the items to revert back to a much smaller soundstage, less realism and what I hadn't noticed before, a bloated bass. The bass is now taut but not too lean. Which brings me on to the PE V Professional IECs.
Alan's recommendation for the PE Vs was for my monoblock amps (Welborne labs Starchief). I thought that if the lower priced components can do this much then what would the PE Vs bring. Off my money went and within the week came the latest addition. Could I live with the roller-coaster ride again by installing them on my amps? No, I couldn't, so I decided to put them on each of my subwoofers for break-in and then move them to my amps. I also took this decision as I may not have gone the whole hog and added two more for my subs at a later date. This way I could hear what they may bring to the overall presentation. After another 3 weeks I could detect a quicker bass, deeper bass and felt vocals had added strength and body.
Time to play around I thought. The PE Vs were moved to the amps and I was astonished by the impact they had.....all negative!! What happened? Did I break one or both? The bass almost disappeared and even most of the mid-bass. Was I going to have to break them in again? A quick email to Alan and he suggested that indeed the bass could be thinned out too much in some applications and again all very system dependent. I couldn't live with this so back they went onto the subs and all was well after a few hours.
I'd got hooked on these, I no longer call them tweaks, components and asked Alan what could I do to improve, if at all, the spectacular sound I now have. I wanted the resolution, tick, the bass, tick, the body/presence, tick,tick and now wanted an organic feel to the whole sound-stage. The only option left was to add a Quantum Studio to the source/amp line as this still had an IEC between the dedicated line and the Hot Box cord. So today I added the final component and would you believe the sound-stage exploded. Those quiet background or far off sounds now have their own presence and air around them and brought out in all their detail. The bass is as full and deep as it's ever been and yet there are no room related problems, just clean and clear. I believe I have what I am looking for and expect a few weeks of ups and downs but I am amazed at the changes brought by these products. I don't know how they work or understand the explanations on Alan's website but work they do and unlike any other tweak I have tried. Bloody amazing.
Alan tells me there is still more I can do by addressing the house wiring and filtering other components around the house, microwaves and refrigerators being some of the worse, but that will have to wait until funds allow.
For now, I am extremely happy to settle back and wallow in this new found luxurious sound. Give them a try, you may get hooked like me.
Barry Black
This is follow-up to my 2007 review of Alan Maher?s PE (http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=45312.0)
After recently upgrading ICs and speaker cables, I started to hear noise in my system (and that started driving my crazy because I started to focus on the noise and not the music). I have long used an equitech balanced power unit for my source/preamp and have two dedicated lines. In addition to other tweaks meant to reduce EMI/RFI (both inside and outside of equipment), I had seven of Alan's PEs installed (one in each dedicated outlet and five in non-audio circuits). So, I wasn't sure if a new filter would solve my problem. I contacted Alan, ordered a Quantum AC filter and replaced the PE that shared the equitech's outlet.
Five weeks later I'm in awe of this filter. The noise is long gone. In its place is music. Big, expansive music with a level of micro detail that is surprising. This filter obviously lowers the noise floor substantially and places a very solid image of the musicians in the room. Compared to the PE it replaces, this filter is in a different league. The changes are far from subtle. Every disc sounds new. A quantum change indeed.
Timbre is uncanny. The bass is deeper and better defined. The mid-bass is much more solid. The piano is finally portrayed in its full range. The midrange is simply magical -- vocal nuance is greatly enhanced without any kind of artificial boost. Highs are more extended and airy. This is the first time I have truly enjoyed trumpet playback from a CD. The sum total of all of these improvements is a much more nuanced, dynamic and exciting presentation -- closer to live music. You just don't listen to this music you are embraced by it.
I'd recommend the Quantum for anyone considering a new piece of gear because it doesn't seem to do what they expected as well as someone who wants to get the most out of the gear they love. Info here: http://alanmaherdesigns.com/PEQ.aspx"
Philip Lemanski
Hi Alan;
I wanted to let you know how much I am enjoying the addition of the Quantum Studio PLC to my system. Now that I am comfortably past 200 hours I can tell you my initial impressions have been confirmed. The system already has a PE V Pro-IEC and PE 1 on a dedicated 20 amp circuit. I have the Quantum Studio PLC plugged into the wall next to the PE V. The PE 1 is plugged into the balanced side of my balanced power conditioner.
The first impression I had was one of larger scale; the entire presentation seemed to physically extend farther in all directions. The sound stage was higher, wider, closer and deeper. At the same time the low end felt more solid and better defined. I am seated pretty close to a fairly large powerful system and the increased immersion impact was very noticeable.
The 2nd significant impression was that I was listening to more of what was on the disk. Voices and brass could be heard more clearly. The highs felt more extended as well, with more ability to hear the initial strike of a cymbal, bell or synth sound and then the final decay of that sound. I also appreciated a greater "floating in space" character of some of the notes that didn't "float" quite the same way before the Studio.
As I listened to some standard favorite recordings I was caught by surprise by subtle sounds and effects that had been intended by the engineer that I had never heard so clearly. My system was already pretty revealing. But if I put on an old disk to hear one cut it was never enough, I had to hear more...and that's why I have my system, to enjoy music.
While I use the system almost exclusively for music, my wife watches movies frequently. She just finished one of her spy adventure films and made very positive comments. She said the picture on our old Elite RP looked better than ever, something I hadn't expected. I tried it for myself and had to agree with her. And she loved the improvements in the sound. So Alan, thanks again!
In the interest of total disclosure I should say that I have been using Alan as my "system power guide" since we met on the Internet in 1999. He has helped me understand and control the use of electricity in my system in very thoughtful and practical ways. I have had great success with the numerous power cords, interconnects and cables and filtering devices that he has provided over the years. Of course, Alan's very best feature, as we all know, is Jen!
To obtain full benefit of Alan's products I suggest making sure your room's acoustic issues are addressed first.
Bob Pachner
Hi Alan;
I have had the Qantum IEC in my system for a few days and am still waiting for the adjustment to complete. While that is happening some characteristics of it are clear; its a mini-Studio directed to a single component. Many of the same improvements I heard from the Studio are present in the IEC and when they are focused on the source it makes a real difference.
Most interestingly I have been hearing a more full sounding presentation with a fuller bass foundation, clearer fuller and way more natural sounding mid-range and upper mids so that the class d amps sound totally like they should on voices and horns! Highs still present with a bit more hit float. This is some of what happened with the Studio (which, btw, had the biggest impact on the entire system of any filter I have bought from you over the years).
Robert Pachner
Dear Alan,
One month ago, I purchased from you a Quantum/IEC filter, and connected this to my SACD player,having previously connected PE V/IEC's to both my amplifiers, and a PEV/AC to the wall outlet serving the system. Previous to this I had placed various PE's in the different circuits, as well as also adding a PCR v2.
With each addition, there had been delightful increments, which had enhanced the musical experience, but despite or because of these improvements, I did not in any way expect the quality and the extent of the changes created by the Quantum. The improvement was not just in the degree of change, it was something new,something special, and something holistic.
After inserting the Quantum/IEC into my system, I was overwhelmed by the wonderful tapestry of music,but as expected, after some four hours, it all collapsed. But now, some four weeks later,I find that the magic has returned. The rebirth began about two weeks ago, when one afternoon, I sat down to listen to Rachmaninoff's Etudes-Tableux. The swell of the music was almost wall to wall, extending beyond the speaker boundaries. There was a richness in the music, and a blossoming of both the macro- and micro-dynamics, with a 3-D effect.
As well, there is an added transparency and involvement that creates a feeling of being drawn into the music. The presence of my large Duntech speakers, and indeed all the components do not intrude into the experience, they appear irrelevant. In a sense, there really is no soundstage but there is a concert hall stage.
For me, the cardinal change has been a richness of music, but of course not all discs are created equal.
Many thanks for the opportunity to have this experience.
Abie Kessell
UNBELIEVABLE!!! After approximately 3-4 weeks of the Quantum IEC and PE Quantum filters going through a sonic stabilization and condition phase, the end result was well worth the wait. The Quantum filters dramatically transformed my system from subtle into a BEAST! The end result was a substantial upgrade in dynamics, much better defined bass reproduction (the lower bass now sounds similar to a good subwoofer box), and there was a noticeable drop in the noise floor. The difference in audio quality was astonishing! The system was profoundly improved on every level - tonal pitch, timing (musical pace, speed), inner detail, upper and lower extension, pitch definition, soundstage size, imaging, vocal dynamics and especially the bass output. This innovation lent a fabulous realism to the sound that brought it to an exciting new level of excellence. I couldn’t hear any hint of negativity at all with the Quantum filters on my system. There was simply no comparison before and after … especially in the lower bass reproduction and dynamics. It was like I ended up purchasing a more expensive system. BTW, my Pioneer Elite 60-inch Plasma Display also noticeably improved in picture quality. Alan, kudos!
Will Chow (Vancouver, BC)
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