PS Audio DirectStream Power Plant 12

[David A]

I'm using a P12 with a 140 Pro. The only other things powered from the P12 are a Keces p8 LPS which powers a Roon Nucleus Plus server and an ETHERRegen ethernet switch. The total system draws about 8% of the power the P12 can supply and the system sounds great but, as @Vivialet says, a good power conditioner without good cables is only a 50% solution. I don't find any loss of dynamics, I think dynamics are improved but you definitely need good cables both powering the conditioner and from the conditioner to your components in order to get the best results

The Stellar P3 would probably work with my system and you could probably run a 1000 Pro from either the P3 or P12 but you haven't said what else is running. The 1000 Pr0 is a dual amp device and you connect amps to high current outputs on the Power Plants so you need a power plant with 2 high current outlets. That rules out the P3 and the P12 because those 2 models only have 1 high current output. You would need to go to either the P15 or P20. I would think either would be fine with the 1000 Pro but how much current the rest of your system draws would determine which of those 2 would be the best.

[ICUDoc]

I run a 1000Pro from a P12 with nil problems

[jvoki]

Hi @David A
US version P12 has 2 outlet high output

[David A]

Hi @David A
US version P12 has 2 outlet high output

I'm using the Australian version, 4 outputs of which only 1 is high current. Looks like country makes a difference.

[ICUDoc]

Hi @David A
US version P12 has 2 outlet high output

I'm using the Australian version, 4 outputs of which only 1 is high current. Looks like country makes a difference.

The Australian version has ZERO "high current outlets". They are all the same (pretty high )
"HC" refers to the switchable outlet ie one that can be set to come on at a specified, delayed time after the other outlets, to avoid turn-on "thump".

[David A]

The Australian version has ZERO "high current outlets". They are all the same (pretty high )
"HC" refers to the switchable outlet ie one that can be set to come on at a specified, delayed time after the other outlets, to avoid turn-on "thump".

You are mistaken.

All inputs on the P12, and I think on all of the PS Audio regenerators, are switchable. If HC referred to the outputs being switchable as you describe then all outlets would be marked that way but only one outlet is marked as HC while the manual clearly states that all outputs are switchable. 

In addition, on the back of my P12, the Zone D outlet is clearly marked "High Current", the other 3 outlets are not. That outlet is also the only outlet that has the letters 'HC" displayed on the info screen. No actual outlets on the back of the device are marked as "HC", all are identified by their Zone, the outlets in one zone are high current and are clearly marked as "High Current",. The Australian model has only 4 outlets, one outlet per zone.

So, the Australian version clearly has 1 high current outlet, HC does not refer to switchable, and all outlets whether they are high current or not are switchable in the same way.

All P12s have 4 zones of which one is a high current zone. Depending on which country they are intended for use in, they have a varying number of physical outlets and the high current zone will have 1 or 2 outlets depending on the country it is intended for.

[ICUDoc]

Sorry, David A, you are right. They are all switchable.
And when I wrote "delayed time" I meant "slow time" ie slow increase in current to prevent turn-on "thump", which is what the HC means.
Sadly, I am pretty sure that HC does NOT mean that the outlet has a higher current capacity than the others. It did in the original PS Audio power products.
Have a look at the manual and see there is no such mention- I had to search the Internet for this (unsatisfactory) answer.
Kind regards,
David

[David A]

Take a look at the photo of the rear of the P12 on PS Audio's website: https://www.psaudio.com/products/perfect...on-903-824

Zone D is clearly marked "High Current" and the other zones are not marked that way. Why mark one zone as "High Current" and not the others if there isn't a difference between that zone and the other zones? If there is a difference, why would the difference be something other than what the marking indicates?

I know the manual does not mention it, I looked before posting my earlier reply. I bought my P12 a couple of years ago and PS Audio's website has been changed since then with new layouts and, I am positive, new descriptions of the Power Plants. I have a memory of the website referring to the high current output zone back when I initially looked at spedifications on the site before I bought my P12 but I can't find a mention of it now in their P12 information.

I'm sure that the "High Current" marking for Zone D has to mean something but now that they seem to be making no mention of it, it's hard to know w hat to make of it. Does it mean that the outlets for Zone D can actually deliver more current or does it mean that those outputs just get priority for current delivery when you're pushing the power plant hard (I never seem to go much above 8-10% of the available power on the screen's power dial) or does it mean that they've optimised something about those outlets that improves performance for devices connected to those outputs in some way? I don't know but it does not make sense that it should mean nothing at all.

[ICUDoc]

HI David,
Thanks for the inquiry. Yes you are exactly right. The HC outlets are the same as the other regenerated outlets other than a slow ramp up when the unit is turned on for amplifiers. Please let me know if you have any other questions. Have a great day!
Best,
Chris
Chris Harden | HiFi Specialist
1-800-PSAUDIO direct 720-402-3929
psaudio.com Boulder, Colorado

Sad, but true.

[David A]

Well, that definitely wasn't what I thought. Thanks for that info.