My recent met up with the ‘Audio Playboy‘ from Thailand, Mr. Vattana Prasertnasung landed me with some very potent and effective audio tweaks to review. This instalment will be on his POWERSTATION 10 (PS 10) that comes in two models, the SUN and the other, the MOON. The difference between them is the materials used. Both models of the POWERSTATION 10 are, in simplification, power cleaners that also act as a drainage/ ground for the unwanted noise from the connected audio system and/or audio component(s).
MANUFACTURER’S DESCRIPTION
“Power Station 10 (PS-10 SUN & MOON) Power Station 10 is the easy way to optimize the power condition to enhance wide open bandwidth. Different grades of aluminum alloy are carefully selected to make the outer shell and inner shell to create beautiful resonance.
Key features
1. Power enrichment through a Neodymium magnet to the power cable diverts pole to enhance electron flow of Line, Neutral and Ground.
2. Power clean feature to create a quiet and clear background
3. Special terminal made from ebony wood and tellurium copper used in developing this connector. This ground connection will become a gateway to release a noise in electronic devices for the earth interface.
Different electronic design in PS-10 to create different sound effect”.
‘Supposedly Well Powered and Grounded?!’
I have been a believer in clean and stable power, and grounding one’s audio components and system since day one I started building my audio den. Therefore, I have installed power conditioners from 1) SHUNYATA (multiple models), 2) FRANK ACOUSTICS (Voltage Regulators, PowerBanks, UltraBanks), 3) sinewave power conditioner (bespoke), and 4) dedicated main grounding for the power supply coming into the audio den (solely for the audio system), 5) passive grounding system from ENTREQ (multiple models) and 6) from the audio engineering mind of Mr.YF FONG (MALAYSIA), and 7) active grounding system from TELOS AUDIO (TAIWAN) [multiple models].
In my experience, each power conditioner or grounding unit, whether it be passive or active added to my audio system yeilded some positive difference in sound quality.
The quieter the noise, the more ‘actual recording’ be heard.
However, not all audiophile have the same hearing or appreciate the same “value” in ‘actual recording’…thus the subjectivity of musicality (and that I leave it to the listener/ audiophile to decide).
For me, my audio system was ‘supposedly well powered and grounded‘…or so I thought. I plugged the TOMBO AUDIO PS 10 (The Moon) into one of the first main outlets at the main sinewave power conditioner (bespoke) to the audio den. I was not expecting ‘day and night’ difference upon plugging in a small device,…and sure enough, I did not get that difference. Patiently, I went back to my seat to enjoy my music and video.
After ‘Half an hour or so’…
I realised the guitar strings sounded cleaner, more vibrant and a slight energised. Later, I started to hear a clearer vibrancy of the skin at the snare drums,…music as a whole was a slight livelier and energised.
Even the video projection from my SONY VPL-VW870ES 4K LASER PROJECTOR looked crispier, clearer and a slight brighter (…am I seeing it?).
Later, (enthusiatically) I added the TOMBO AUDIO PS 10 (The Sun) into the same outlet. I noticed the above improvements gained further clarity, and with added clarity in dimensions, bloom and with slight weight. I found that the vocal has improved clarity and extention (and/or out reached that went nearer to my listening position).
(And again) the picture quality from my SONY VPL-VW870ES 4K LASER PROJECTOR enjoyed another notch of clarity.
I was questioning myself then, ‘am I jumping into conclusion, or hearing and seeing what I wanted to hear and see?’.
Thus, I decided to unplug both the TOMBO AUDIO PS 10s from the outlets and went back to listen at the same music, and watch the same video.
(please be careful not to touch the ground pin at the TOMBO AUDIO PS 10 upon unplugging…I got a slight shock by touching it!).
Believed me they were gone…all the positive effects were gone (almost immediately). For my audio system, the TOMBO AUDIO PS 10s took about ‘half an hour or so‘ to come to positive effects, and lose that effects almost upon unplugging…?! That proved to me their effectiveness and/ or potency, even in my ‘supposedly well powered and grounded’ audio system!
Fluidity of Power Quality.
The addition of the Mighty TELOS AUDIO ‘MONSTER’ Active Grounding System in my ‘supposedly well powered and grounded’ audio system has yielded the most significant positive effects in sound quality! I would never thought that the TOMBO AUDIO POWERSTATION 10 which was almost insignificant in comparison to size, weight, components and cost-wise of the Mighty TELOS AUDIO ‘MONSTER‘ would still be able to bring in (even) slight improvement.
To my understanding, “the fluidity (constant fluatuation) of the power quality which co-relate with grounding maybe why there be never enough power conditioning and thus grounding for any (proper) audio system“…the Constant Battle with Noise…to quiet or lower the unwanted noise level, the more transparency to the actual recording be heard.
The TOMBO AUDIO POWERSTATION 10 might not be the last word in ‘power conditioning or grounding’ in a ‘supposedly well powered and grounded’ audio system, but it sure could be a ‘Final Touch‘ to them…likened a step closer to the actual recording.