Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Audioquest Niagara Series - Power Conditioners
#1
http://www.audioquest.com/niagara-series

Anybody heard/owned/compared them with other brands ?

[Image: niagara-7000-front2.png]
Mac Mini ----> Audioquest Diamond USB ---> Devialet Expert 250 ---> AudioQuest Meteor ---> Focal Scala Utopia
Reply
#2
(20-Feb-2017, 06:04)Emerald Wrote: http://www.audioquest.com/niagara-series

Anybody heard/owned/compared them with other brands ?

[Image: niagara-7000-front2.png]

Audioquest is one company that consistently makes some of the best sounding products. All my setup is wired with Audioquest cables from interconnects to power cables. Recently I purchased an Audioquest Yosemite interconnect, and what a difference it made. Apologies for getting off topic. The designer of the Niagara power conditioner is Garth Powell the same guy who was working as the cheif designer for furman. I saw a Youtube presentation by Mr Powell on the Niagara and it seemed like he truly is passionate about designing an audiophile product. If we go by how much research and development Audioquest puts into their cables, I am sure this product will truly be sensational. Just my 2 cents...
Reply
#3
Looks like about 9k euros for the 7000 model. Well out of my league.

Get a bit of a look behind the scenes here. Definitely nicely built.
https://parttimeaudiophile.com/2016/12/3...ditioning/

>>> 1st Place Award: Devialet, last decades most disappointing technology purchase.  <<<

Reply
#4
(20-Feb-2017, 14:46)Hifi_swlon Wrote: Looks like about 9k euros for the 7000 model. Well out of my league.

Get a bit of a look behind the scenes here. Definitely nicely built.
https://parttimeaudiophile.com/2016/12/3...ditioning/

They do offer a product in the range at about 1k and I remember reading a review saying it gave about 85% of the benefits. ..
Devialet 200 -- Roon Nucleus-- Sonus Faber Olympica 2 -- Tellurium Q Black Speaker Cables --
Chord Qutest -- Niimbus US5 Pro Headphone amp —HifiMan HEK, Abyss 1266TC
Newcastle upon Tyne, England
Reply
#5
At a friend's place, we compared it to PS Audio P10 (default settings) and Isotek Serius Evo 3. The last one was clearly the best value for money but if money is no object Audioquest was definitely better than PS Audio. The only downside was that it emitted some buzz/hum which was audible from 3-4 metres when music was not playing. It's in the manual, saying that it's normal but still annoying. The place where we tested was in a huge apartment building where all sorts of AC noise must have been present, so the AQ did a good job but it might have caused it to hum. Perhaps a PS Audio Humbuster before the AQ could get rid of this but it should really be built in the AQ. Maybe in MkII in the future. It was not a Devialet based system, the amp was top of the range Plinius. The rest was a custom made computer based audio source with a custom made DAC.
Win10/HQPlayer / Roon - Uptone Audio Etherregen switch / SOtM-SMS-200 ultra with clock input - Mutec REF 10 clock for the switch and the streamer - Denafrips GAIA DCC - Devialet D800 - YG Acoustics Carmel - Dual Elac SUB-2090 
power supplies: Uptone JS-2, SOtM SPS-500
Reply
#6
(20-Feb-2017, 20:05)zdenes Wrote: At a friend's place, we compared it to PS Audio P10 (default settings) and Isotek Serius Evo 3. The last one was clearly the best value for money but if money is no object Audioquest was definitely better than PS Audio. The only downside was that it emitted some buzz/hum which was audible from 3-4 metres when music was not playing. It's in the manual, saying that it's normal but still annoying. The place where we tested was in a huge apartment building where all sorts of AC noise must have been present, so the AQ did a good job but it might have caused it to hum. Perhaps a PS Audio Humbuster before the AQ could get rid of this but it should really be built in the AQ. Maybe in MkII in the future. It was not a Devialet based system, the amp was top of the range Plinius. The rest was a custom made computer based audio source with a custom made DAC.

When a power conditioner hums/buzzes, it's usually because of DC on the power lines.  I've got a PI Audio UberBuss power conditioner that works amazingly well on my Devialet.   But, during during hot summer months when there is a big demand on the grid for air conditioning, it will occasionally hum a bit.  The PS Audio Humbusters may help (are they even still made?).   I've had very good luck with an Emotiva CMX-2.
Devialet 440 Pro (two 220s)- Oracle CD transport - Kuzma Stabi S/Stogi S turntable - Von Schweikert VR-35 speakers - JPS SC3 SCs - PI Audio power conditioning -
Triode Wire Labs ICs and PCs - Roon on NUC 8i7beh running ROCK
Durham, NC USA
Reply
#7
Stereophile has reviewed the Shunyata, Audioquest, and PS Audio power conditioners. Michael Fremer directly compared the Audioquest and Shunyata at http://www.stereophile.com/content/audio...tem-page-2:
"The Shunyatas' sound is either exceptionally velvet-pure and free of artifacts, with jet-"black" backgrounds—or the price paid for those undeniably silent backgrounds are somewhat blunted transients, and high frequencies that are somewhat veiled and not fully extended. Or the Niagara 7000 sounded more transparent overall and more wide open on top, with fast, well-defined transients—or somewhat "zippy" on top, with over-sharp transients."

Personally the Devialet power supply buzz annoys me enough, I wouldn't want a power conditioner adding a hum. Also, the Audioquest has active circuitry that is advertised to use more power than my Devialet 400, which seems unnecessary.

I will say, from personal experience, that my Devialet greatly benefit from upgraded power cords and Shunyata power conditioners (but not from a Furman conditioner).
Reply
#8
I've directly compared the Niagra 1000 with an Isotek Titan G2.
With just a Shunyata Venom HC direct to the wall the sound was warm, rich and a little loose in the bass with rolled-off highs.
With the Shunyata and the Niagra 1000 the soundstage opened up and little, while the overall profile stayed much the same.
The Isotek Titan blew it away comprehensively, massively opening the soundstage, the bass tightened and the highs jumped back into with all the air, detail and resolution the Devialet does so well.

Isotek have newer models that are way better again.
1Gb Fiber/Comcast WiFi6 router with Linear Power Supply- Wireworld Platinum 8 Ethernet - Intel NUC817BEH with linear power supply and silver cabling - Wireworld Platinum 8 Ethernet - Etherregen - Wireworld Platinum 8 Ethernet - Goal Zero Yeti 1400 lithium power generator - Devialet D400 with Synergistic Research Galileo UEF power cables on self-designed three-stage isolation stand - Stealth Audio Sextet V14 digital RCA - Synergistic Research Atmosphere X Euphoria speaker cables - Magico S5 - Pair JL Audio Fathom F112 and Stealth Audio M7000 Power Cables, Synergistic Research Sub cable - 7mx9m room, treated with acoustic panels, Synergistic Research HFT on speakers and walls (stage3), Synergistic Research Black Box,  All cables on wooden block risers

Yes - everything matters!
Reply


Forum Jump:


Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)