NAD Masters M33 -- first review

[David A]

Are you trying by intention to get me wrong here?! Of course a power supply won‘t change at all any room acoustics or modes. But the thing is it makes a huge difference of a Devialet is run with it’s switching power supply to the overall perception. Booming bass, which is also overlying mids etc can be solved for example with it. As I said just try them with a Devialet - also some friends having a 220 Pro or 440 Pro couldn’t believe it first and were really excited.

I'm going to be picky here.

In your original post, which was in response to a specific reference to the M3 and it's ability to apply digital room correction, you said "If you got room problems - try a Niagara 3000 or up and you will be blown away what it does." You specifically suggested that the Niagara 3000 or higher models are effective against "room problems".

Now you say, correctly, that that it won't impact on "room acoustics or modes" but that it makes a difference on a Devialet with it's switching power supply and that "Booming bass, which is also overlying mids etc can be solved for example with it".

Well, if the Niagara can't change room acoustics or modes, then it won't do anything for room problems  and you originally said it would. Now you refer to the Devialet's switch mode power supply, definitely not a room problem, and that the Niagara can solve booming bass problems but there's no mention of how the Devialet's power supply can cause booming bass.

I think power conditioning is a good idea, and I think addressing room modal behaviour is a good idea—look at the system in my signature and you'll see I'm among the converted because my system includes both a power conditioner and acoustic room treatments. My problem is not that you're asserting that power conditioning is beneficial because I agree with that. My problem is that you first linked it to room problems which it does not and cannot address, and now you're suggesting that it can address "booming bass" without any explanation of how booming base can be solved with power conditioning. Any claims I can rememvber seeing from manufacturers of power conditioners has never stated that booming bass is a problem power conditioners can address, they talk about cleaning up the sound generally through a reduction in electrical noise and I can also never remember ever seeing any suggestion that there is something about the Devialet's switch mode power supply or about switch mode power supplies in general that has ever lined a switch mode power supply to booming bass problems.

Please explain how a power conditioner can affect booming bass, what connection the Devialet's switch mode power supply has to booming bass problems, and whether Audioquest recommend their Niagara power conditi0ners as a remedy for booming bass. I will add that we are all familiar with manufacturers making claims for their products which are not borne out in practice but I doubt that any of us have seen manufacturers being reluctant or slow to publicise claims for things their products actually do deliver.