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#1
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Caution concerning home generators
I don't know if anybody read of Mike Fremer's plight in Analog Corner in the previous two issues of Stereophile. If you have a high end system it is worth reading. I use a GE whole house generator and Transguard TG60 whole house surge protector. My generator system works perfectly and my sound improved after the installation. The Transguard has an ultrasonic filter and the transfer switch and generator does not introduce noise into the wiring of the house. Mike will have to employ a bypass switch and new fuse box to remove the generator and transfer switch from his high end system. Very expensive and leaves his system unprotected from massive power surges. When the power goes out his system has no power. Generator installation is very complex and can introduce tremendous noise into the wiring of your house if you are not careful. Had Mike not had such a high resolution low noise system his new generator would have worked "perfectly" I am sure.
Best Charles I use three AQ Niagara 5000's for the amps. Black box is a Niagara 7000 for sources. Last edited by Charles; 03-21-2021 at 12:19 PM. |
#2
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Wow! This is a timely thread. Between now and June or so (start of hurricane season), a lot of whole-home stand-by generators are going to installed in homes on the South, Southeast and Gulf coasts- including mine! I would certainly appreciate it if those of you who have installed whole-house generators that did not create problems for your audio, or that did cause problems and you found solutions would share your insights so those of us just now starting on the generator journey can hopefully avoid Mr. Fremer’s unfortunate situation and costs, and enjoy a successful installation like Charles (even if it doesn’t otherwise elevate my system to the level of Charles’ incredible system.
Thank you for starting this thread, Charles. Robert
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Office/Music Room Dynaudio Heritage Special. Uptone Audio EtherRegen Ethernet Switch. Akasa NUC 10i7 with Roon Rock. Bryston BDP-3 Digital Music Player (with 4 Tb Internal SSD and Synology DS920+ NAS)-->Holo Audio May Kitsune Edition DAC-->Shunyata Sigma USB—>Gryphon Diablo 120 Integreted Amp w Transpatent XL PC. Oppo BDP-105D and BDP-203. Power: Shunyata Hydra Sigma S12 PD. Additional Cabling: WW Silver Electra PC, WW Electra PC, Shunyata Venom 3 PC. Digital: WW Starlight Ethernet, WW Gold Starlight AES-EBU, WW Platinum Starlight USB. IC and Speaker: WW Eclipse 8. Bedroom System Ipad with MusicStreamer App-->Schiit Jotunheim DAC/Amp—>Audeze LCD-XC, Focal for Bentley Radiance HO, Massdrop E-MU Teak HP. AK SE 200 DAP. Mobile Survival Kit Astell & Kern SP1000M. Noble Kaiser Encore IEM with Double Helix Balanced cable, Westone W80 IEM w ALOaudio Ref 8 cable, Westone W60 IEM, Shure se535 Ltd with Westone Bluetooth Wireless cable-amp. Mark Levinson No. 5909 Wireless HP. |
#3
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Stereo: Hegel H590, Grimm Audio MU1, Mola Mola Tambaqui, Burmester 948 - V3 & V6 racks, Vivid Audio G2 Giyas, REL Carbon Special (pair), Silent Angel Bonn N8 Ethernet Switch & Forester F1, Wireworld Platinum Eclipse IC and SE SC, Furutech Digiflux AV: Hegel C-53, Marantz AV8802A, Oppo BDP-203EU, Pioneer Kuro 60", Vivid Audio C1 & V1w's, Wireworld Platinum Eclipse, SE & E Second system (veranda): Halgorythme preamp and monoblocks, Burmester 061, Avalon Avatar, Sharkwire & Wireworld cables |
#4
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There are many of us who do not agree with Mikey and his results. I have had my whole home back-up unit for several years now and there are no deleterious effects. Not under normal operating times when the unit is out of the loop, nor when it has automatically kicked in during a power outage.
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#5
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Quote:
Best Charles |
#6
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I do not doubt that in certain circumstances, the presence and wiring of a whole house generator could affect SQ, but in mine, it had no effect on SQ. I do not play the rig when the generator is on, as I generally have other things to worry about if we are living off of a generator for an extended period of time. I have tested it a couple of times with the generator on though, and it sounded fine. Perhaps I just got lucky this time (which basically never happens to me in the audio world).
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#7
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I also have a whole-home with auto transfer switch and have had no problems. Frankly I wasn’t listening for a change in sound, but have not been aware of any degradation. I don’t of course have as resolving a system as Mikey does.
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Tony D'Agostino Momentum S250 MxV & HD pre; Linn Klimax Organik DSM, SonicTransporter, EtherRegen; Acoustic Signature Typhoon Neo, Koetsu RSP, Boulder 1108; Sf Il Cremonese; Shunyata Everest, Altaira, Sigma & Alpha v2 |
#8
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We are considering a whole house generator as well, and reading Fremer's pieces last month and this one have given a bit of pause to re-think, so this thread is very timely and I expect helpful as more of us chime in. Fremer did mention that the top-of-the-line PS Audio conditioner mostly solved the issue before the bypass will be installed, so if someone hears a difference, there is more than one way to skin the cat, although probably not a cheap solution. Thanks Charles!
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Sources: Vinyl: Clearaudio Innovation Wood turntable with 9" Universal tonearm, Da Vinci V2 cartridge, Stillpoints SS & Stillpoints clamp, McIntosh MVP 901, Apple Mac mini via Benchmark DAC 1, Aurender N100C via Schiit Yggdrasil Control: McIntosh C1100, Mcintosh MX151 Power: Mcintosh MC2301s (front), McIntosh MC501 (center), Mcintosh MC402 (rear) Speakers: Sonus Faber Amati Futura (front and back), SF Vox center Power/connections: PS Audio Power Port receptacles, RGPC 400 pro (2) WireWorld interconnects and speaker cable |
#9
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My generator was working perfectly. There are many ways to wire a generator and I do not believe that not during power outages some generators are "out of the loop". The fellow that installed mine is an expert. Does nothing but generators. Ten years later I have his cell and we are good friends. I am sure mine would have worked perfectly but I wanted mine passing codes. Keep in mind not all codes inspectors are generator experts either. Before codes those trunks weren't there. There are different ways to wire a generator and different generators. Mine is a GE which is a very expensive GM V8 engine NG whole house generator. Most go with cheaper generators as did Mike. The final thing done to pass codes was the ground. Case was then closed.
Last edited by Charles; 03-22-2021 at 12:05 AM. |
#10
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Generac 25KW stand-by generator for me. Zero sound degradation under normal circumstances. I do not use my system during an outage. I encourage anyone who is considering one to do it for peace of mind.
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Main System Basis 2200 Signature/Vector 4/Transfiguration Proteus Ortofon Cadenza Black Allnic H3000/CJ ET5/Mcintosh 501's Thiel CS3.6 Thiel CS6 MIT EVO 2 IC Straightwire Maestro II SC Shunyata Denali SV2 Shunyata Sigma XC Wywires Juice PC’s Kubala Sosna PC’s Dedicated 20 amp lines Porter Ports Arcici Ref Suspense Stand Rives acoustically designed room Shore House Basis 1400 Signature/Hadcock 228/Ortofon Jubilee ARC PH 5/Meridian 200/Meridian 263 DAC CJ Premier 14/Classe CA200/Thiel 3.6 Wywires Silver IC/Stereolab Diablo SC/MIT Z cord II |
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