MONSTER POWER HTS2600
Power conditioners
The benefits of the Monster Power HTS2600 were clearly audible - the background noise dropped down, micro and macro dynamics increased and the soundstage got more precise. Disconnecting the HTS2600 resulted into less digestible sound as we know it from unfiltered systems.
Function and form
All the status info are indicated by colourful LEDs on the HTS 2600's front panel. The LEDs shine is quite intense and in a dark room they can be pretty dazzling to the extent that I used a piece of fabric to cover them. Apart from filtering circuits the unit has a T2 microprocessor driven protection circuit monitors voltage phase, null and ground and disconnects the unit if not allowed fluctuations are detected to protect your equipment. After 15 seconds the unit reconnects, unless the voltage is not back to normal. Monster guarantees 400.000 euro liability for connected equipment. Using Monster Clean Power™ Stage 2 (v.2.0) line conditioning technology, the HTS 2600 offers three types of noise filters — ultra-high current audio, analog audio, and video.
Bass management
An amplifier should be connected to the Monster Power's "high current" outlet or to the wall. A source components (a CD player or a DAC) have more options - „CD“ (video), „Processor“ (analog), „Spare“ (another high current outlet) or the unfiltered wall outlet. This gives so many options that finding the right combination will take you a day or two.
Clarity & delicacy
The final connection diagram will be very individual as different components have different sensitivity to different filtering stages, as well as your EM noise level is very individual. The important thing is that the unit really improves the sound - I will only discuss few examples to illustrate what were the benefits.
Tonal accuracy
The amp filtered (the High Current outlet) - the CD player filtered (the CD outlet):
Saint-Saens: slightly compressed depth of image, great lateral image, improved tonality of violins, softer sound in forte.
Frigo/Pizzarelli: improved articulation of a kick drum, cymbals have too much sizzle.
Apoptygma Berzerk: the voice not entirely correcct in timbre, with some coloration.
The amp filtered (the High Current outlet) - the CD player filtered (the Processor outlet):
Saint-Saens: vague imaging, loss of microdetail, boomy bass, worse macrodynamics, no punch, sound slightly veiled.
Frigo/Pizzarelli: more bass weight but not well articulated, even more sizzle that is smeared on top.
Apoptygma Berzerk: loss of energy, soft and veiled sound, loss of resolution.
Spatial resolution
The amp filtered (the High Current outlet) - the CD player filtered (the High Current Spare outlet):
Saint-Saens: similar to the first set up with slightly softer sound.
Frigo/Pizzarelli: similar to the first set up.
Apoptygma Berzerk: voices very slightly blended together, other than that good.
The amp and the player unfiltered:
Saint-Saens: vague imaging, the harp not locked in the soundstage, the sound is "hollow", violins lost silkiness, a triangle sounded synthetic.
Frigo/Pizzarelli: loss of dynamics, loss of colours, sounded louder (dynamic compression)
Apoptygma Berzerk: no energy, unpleasant sound that was mashed together, loss of spatial focus.
Reconnecting back to the Monster was a sigh of relief.
Recommended resellers
Basys CS, Praha tel. +420 234 706 700
Manufacturer's website: http://www.monsterproducts.com
Associated components
- Sources: Pioneer PD-S904G, Accuphase DP-78
- Amplifiers: Accuphase E-210A, Accuphase A/60
- Interconnects and speaker cables: Nordost SPM, Dynaudio Ocos, Krautwire Fractal
- Loudspeakers: Dynaudio Contour 1.1 and Confidence C1
Gallery
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