Measurements and conclusion
Contents
We measured the Plixir Elite BAC1000e both “practically” with a Bryston power amplifier, and loaded it in “synthetic tests. For that, we used both the Prism Dscope III and the Tektronix 7104 and the Picoscope to get an idea of what this power conditioner does. To measure directly at the 230V output, we used both a differential probe and a transformer that turns 230V into a neat 10V, so we don’t blow up the input. Both methods give equivalent results.
Measurements Plixir Elite BAC1000e
What is immediately noticeable is that the Bryston does like being behind the conditioner. The spectrum from the speaker terminals is undoubtedly cleaner. In short: the conditioner works.
When we go to see how the Plixir filters, we actually see very little. Starting at 80 KHz, we only see a drop on the Picoscope. That’s well outside the audible range, in other words. And that is not surprising: it is not actually a filter: it is a balanced transformer. This measurement also shows that measuring a filter slope is not enough to show the practical operation of a conditioner. Another lesson learned.
The Tektronix has an interesting test. It measures the quality of the mains and also shows the harmonics in a spectrum. The numbers are the same as the Prism DScope, which inspires confidence. Both analyzers show the same distortion figures.
The ‘power quality’ measurement does not show very big differences, but we do see a continuous decrease in distortion at I-THD (Current) when we connect the Plixir. Spectral noise also drops a bit.
Looks very similar to the old isotek Qube that use to have.