Line Noise BlackHole

Mark, it's been nearly a week since all three of the components I purchased (2 Line Noise Black Holes and 1 Snub Station Zero) have been in the system and I was going to hold off longer to give you a report. . . but. . . I feel they have settled in and are "being all they can be" and. . . WOW.

First off let me explain how I am using them. Previous to their arrival I had moved from using a PS Audio P15 (with a Swiss Digital Fuse Box) to a Decware Zen Line Conditioner (with no Swiss Digital Fuse Box) as the P15 failed and will soon be on the way to PS Audio for a repair. This was not as big a "step down" as I had feared and I liked the sound. I had some hum (and I attributed it to my Decware ZROCK3 and SEWE300B, both of which seemed to have an inherent hum). Great sound. . . and then the three new components came in.

I put one of the Line Noise Black Holes in between the wall and the Zen Line Conditioner. Another I put coming out of the Zen Line Conditioner and out of that my Decware ZROCK3 (there is a Swiss Digital Fuse Box between the Line Noise Black Hole and the ZROCK3). A power cable from the Zen Line Conditioner went into the Snub Station Zero and into that I connected my Decware SEWE300B amplifier into the "Soft Start" receptacle (there is a Swiss Digital Fuse Box between the Snub Station Zero and the SEWE300B), my PS Audio NuWave Phono Converter and the Neo2 power supply for my Rega RP3 turntable with all the Groovetracer mods and an Exact2 cartridge into the two other receptacles. My PS Audio DSD DAC Mk II and my PS Audio SACD Transport were connected directly into the Zen Line Conditioner (there is a Swiss Digital Fuse box between the Zen Line Conditioner and the DSD Mk II).

Immediately there was lower noise overall in the system and as a result a bit more mid-range presence, mid-bass texture, and an increase in perceived dynamic presentation. I was very happy with the sound. What I found very interesting--and pleasing--was that over the next few days the "noise" seemed to diminish even more and on the fourth morning I was truly surprised to hear almost all the "hum" I had been experiencing (not audible from the listening chair) had almost completely disappeared: I could stand right in front of the system and barely hear any, just a tiny but from one channel, probably noise from within one of the 300B tubes. And the overall sound was just so accurate and involving, with a dynamic presentation that just had me glued to my listening chair.

I'm going to pay these components one more big compliment, perhaps the biggest: when I have my PS Audio P15 repaired it is most likely going up for sale. I prefer the sound the system is dishing out NOW with these components.

No wonder these components have been such a great success. I now have just one more planned upgrade: another Swiss Digital Fuse Box or Infinity Fuse and two 6 x 30 Graphene Sluggos to use with the Zen Line Conditioner. I'm saving up!

This Vera-Fi Audio Black Hole simply worked great with my Decware Zen Mystery amp. AC induced noise was simply gone, resulting in an exceptional level of music reproduction.

I didn’t expect much with all my power conditioning but boy right out of the box these power components improved the SQ noticeably. Volume seemed to increase, dynamics improved and 3D sound stage expanded. Thanks for the great products and amazing value. Now that the LNBH and SSZ have had some nice break-in hours, moving my Mainstream and Snubway to my modem/router roon core room and upgrading the LNBH/SSZ power cords all I can say is WOW. My system has never sounded better. Separating my Power Amp, Preamp and DAC away from all my other electrical devices and having 2 power conditioning set ups has really improved things. As an added bonus with these two devices I no longer need my Stack Audio SmoothLan, EtherRegan and external clock. They just no longer add improvement. Nice to clean up the space and simplify.

Superb component at eliminating noise.

I liked it well enough to order and keep a second one.

3 New Products: My Review:

3 New Products: My Review: The NEW Ver-Fi: Products:

1. Line Noise Black Hole (LNBH),

2. Snub Station Zero (SSZ),

3. Infinity Fuse.

Mark asked me if I would like to try a few of his new products, and as a big time Audiophile tweaker (however my wife would describe me as a nut) I couldn’t resist.

In this review I will try to show that I have tried these units everyway possible within my system (see my profile) to remove any doubts as to how they performed.

First off, using the new Infinity Fuse with a Graphene slug into my Lumin X1 was instant success. This one unit contributed to a much wider soundstage and just a general upgrade in overall sound quality. So, this item will remain, no matter how the rest of the Veri-Fi equipment performs. BTW, it replaced a Synergistic Research Master Fuse.

Then I tried the LNBH and SSZ in my “computer/streaming room”. This room includes my Modem/Router, Etherregen, AfterDark clock, AfterDark linear power supply, and some other sundry items (printer etc.). I let the system stream music for a few days, and after that time, honestly, I could not hear any additional sonic improvement or change of any sort.

So, the next day I relocated the LNBH and SSZ into my audio system. I think I read that these items should be used in Tandem. I am using an AQ Dragon source power cord (from my AQ Niagara 7000 power conditioner) that was plugged directly into my Lumin X1 but now I plugged it into the LNBH and with a short DIY jumper power cord from that unit into the SSZ. And since the Infinity Fuse unit was a definite keeper, I also added an additional short jumper DIY AC cord to plug it into the Lumin X1. I should add that the AC input and outlets are on opposite ends of the devices which made daisy chaining them difficult.

When I played the system with familiar tunes it seemed that the soundstage was pushed way back, kinda sounded like into a tunnel and not as lively as I remembered the tunes before.

So, for “Shts & Giggles” I removed the Veri-Fi previous versions of the “Snubway & Mainstream” devices from the Audio system. (My thinking was perhaps there is too much filtering of the same type). And sure enough, the liveliness returned, so make note of this: the original Snubway and Mainstream do not mesh well with these new products.

Question:

Should I plug all of this directly into the AC wall outlet instead of the AQ Niagara power conditioner 7000?

To answer that question, I then went ahead and plugged the daisy chained trio directly into the dedicated wall outlet. And at first listen, I thought, hmm not bad. But after several back-and-forth trials, I decided that having these units plugged into the AQ 7000 is better. Perhaps different power conditioners may react differently. So, experiment is the word.

After a week of listening to the trio as above, the last and final test would be to return to the beginning, that is; removing the LNBH and SSZ from the system. Note: I have already determined that the Infinity/graphene fuse was a definite instant plus, so it will always remain.

Conclusion:

Well first, I can conclude that that a week of burn/breakin was helpful, as it does for most new equipment, and it may improve further with more use. Then, I have found in the past that using a new item for a period of time, that “new” sound, becomes the standard, (you get used to it) and only after removing it can it be judged on the effectiveness, (if any) good or bad. Do I miss it?

So, after a week of playing my favorite tunes with the LNBH and SSZ devices connected, I then disconnected them and went back to my original set up, (but, again with the Infinity Fuse and the Graphene slug still installed).

At first, I thought the midrange was richer but as I continued listening, I began to realize that the music had lost that “sparkle”. By that I mean, the feeling of extreme openness with images clean and deep with a liveliness that I guess I would say, it no longer sounded “live”.

I then re-connected the LNBH and SSZ devices and ahh, that very open sound returned.

The Downside?

Several short power cord jumpers are needed and as mentioned, daisy chaining them can be difficult.

Sound Quality Wise?

So, my conclusion is that, yes, these devices are a Definite Plus and with whatever is inside them, improved the sound for this old Audiophile. Your music will be released into your room and sparkle the soundstage, enjoy the new performance!

Wow! My system has never sounded better! Highly Recommended!

BTW, my wife still thinks I’m nuts…

ozzy

I replaced a more expensive piece from a well-known audio manufacturer and got a noticeable improvement. Job well done!

The Line Noise BlackHole (LNBH) sets the new industry standard for AC line noise elimination. In both my systems, the LNBH in combination with the Snub Station Zero easily bested the AudioQuest Niagara equipment that occupied both systems. If you can manage with a combined amperage total of less than 10 amps (that's much easier than most might imagine), these devices will shock you with the goodness they bring to your listening sessions. Yes, they eliminate AC-borne line noise, but the opens an entirely new listening experience, with incredible transparency and clarity, whether you listen to analog or digital sources. Very highly recommended, and maybe the most important product launch from Vera-Fi Audio yet!

For the first time, I'm hearing big band jazz and orchestral fortissimos without the congestion I thought I'd never get rid of! The LNBH works well teamed up with the SDFB on transient dynamic peaks. As the peaks strike, the SDFB lets them punch through loud and clear. As the peaks fall back down, the LNBH allows subtle, previously unheard sounds to emerge from the silence. When the music pauses abruptly, the silence that follows is more startling than before. Metallic percussion is where the improvement is most noticeable - it's smoother, with a rich resonant ring, and lighter, more delicate overtones. It's amazing how much closer you get to the music when that little bit of noise is no longer there...

Hi there, Mark.

Hope you & yours are doing well. I had told you previously that the Mainstream, simply plugged into a wall outlet on the same circuit as most of my equipment, was revelatory the moment I plugged it in. Basically everything was clearer and the soundstage opened up with a new, blacker background. I have since added a Snubway on a dual plug with the Mainstream and plugged the cord from my Nagara 1200 into the same outlet. Since I did this concomitantly with adding two LNBH’s running off the Niagara (one powering the Pass INT-60 integrated and the other leading to my CD player and DAC) it's difficult to say what is doing what, but every tme I’ve added something here the results have been almost immediately perceptible. The bottom line is that it’s like havng a new system, which is interesting because I thought things were pretty good before! The individual instruments are clearer and more pin-point located, the highs are where they weren’t before (cymbals are a good indicator) and the bass is deeper and more well-defined. The soundstage has gotten deeper and more lateral. You can hear the wood in a cello. Female vocals, especially, are shockingly present. This is almost like the first tme I can say, like other people do, that’s it is like having the players in the room with you. Of course, this is not going to happen with a full symphony orchestra, but with a small group it’s close, and it wasn’t like this before. I will say, however, that positioning the LNBH’s was complicated, both by finding space on my racks and by the fact that, as light as they are, heavy power cords tend to flip them around. It made me wish I still had those old wooden/steel blocks I used to use to minimize vibration on equipment. I left those in Tennessee when I moved to Texas last summer. Isoblocks, I think they were called back in the 80’s. I’m gonna send a couple photos of my setup where you can see one LNBH atop the Niagara on the middle stand under the amp and one on the bottom of the right rack. The Mainstream/Snubway is plugged into the wall behind the right KEF speaker.

Since all that got plugged in together, it was hard to tell what the Snubway was doing, but I got another one to use in the living room where the TV (and the wireless modem) are hooked up. I plugged it into the wall about 6-8 feet away from the outlet (on the same circuit) those other things were hooked up to. I didn’t see much difference in picture quality, but the next evenng I came back and discovered my 15 yr-old OLED TV had somehow been replaced by a new one with deeper, more vibrant colors and blacker backgrounds. I’m not a big video guy, but I’m imjpressed at that result, especially since I didn’t want to pull everything out from the wall and move all the furniture there to get to the power strip.

Thank you, Mark!! The whole shebang was about $1100. It’s amazng to find value like this, and no way am I going to describe the results as “tweaks”!
Best wishes