| Miscellaneous: Isotek Cleanline | |||
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| 2 days ago I plugged a mains filter (an Isotek 'Cleanline') into my hifi chain. I've always been sceptical about mains filters and conditioners and have never really been interested in purchasing one. Unfortunately I'm an impulsive guy, and after a recent visit to the Heathrow Hifi show (at which EVERY exhibitor was using a mains filter of one sort or another) decided to get me one! Irrationally I sourced the cheapest rack width silver fascia filter (for an aesthetic match with my MuFi kit) I could find - a second hand Isotek Cleanline on 'ebay'. And placed a bid without ever having auditioned any mains filter, let alone the Isotek Cleanline itself. After winning the item I had that sort of sinking feeling of regret and stupidity that one gets when one realises that one has made an entirely impulse buy. Nevertheless I honoured my bid, stumped up the cash and waited for the package to arrive. Once the postie had fulfilled his part of the process I quickly fitted the Cleanline into my system. "At least it looks good" I mumbled resigning my self to a post-facto justification of the purchase based around its pretty blue LED. I stuck in a CD and hit play. To say I was surprised would be an understatement. I was gobsmacked: The difference to the sound of my hifi was NOT subtle. Indeed, I would say that only amp and speaker upgrades have benefitted the sound of my system more. In a nut shell the Isotek did exactly what it says on the tin - it cleaned the sound, lending instruments and voices far greater definition. The trebble was more detailed but at the same time midrange was more pleasantly present. The bass had more gravitas and the sound stage was really phat(?!). I would go as far to say that the Cleanline (£185 SH) has been, pound for the pound the most cost affective addition to my hifi that I have ever made. Whether the Cleanline is in itself a great piece of kit, or whether it was simply the final missing link in my hifi chain I don't know. I guess I'll have to switch other bits of kit (DAC, X10 v3, cables, ect.,...) in out to see if the improvements they bring are now more apparent with that filthy mains purified! I would be very interested to hear from anyone else who has anything o say about mains filters generally, and especially from anyone who has experience of other Isotek filters that I could consider as future upgrades. Cheers DocFoster |
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