The ACE-515 should add absolute “clarity” of your audio signals if properly connected as directed. This unit has two power cords, one for the triggered power up delay of the two amplifier inputs and a thicker cord supplying power to all of the inlets. This is now a device that I’m not sure if ADCOM even sells anymore but from what I can personally hear it outperforms any other line conditioner that I have heard. To name a few,......I have heard Panamax, Monster, Belkin , Tripp Lite, APC and others. This may be one of the best products they have ever made and I say that with no reservations. If you can find one of these in great condition, please treat yourself to this diamond in the ruff audio would be miracle for improving the overall sound of whatever you are using. Without sounding like I know so much or too much about audio I have had the opportunity to hear every little nuance in most recordings on some of the best Hifi gear on the market. I wish more manufacturers of high end equipment would recommend some line conditioning to complement their products without feeling like their products doesn’t need AC filtering etc. To me it’s like experiencing the best food you ever had but not getting to use a fork, spoon, Chopsticks etc to fully experience it like intended. I digress, just buy one!

Age of the unit, will get passed up for newer products on the market for aesthetics and product matching etc. Some may need additional ports depending on their components.

My Adcom ACE-515 died the other day when the power dropped out. Better to sacrifice a $200 power conditioner than a $3000 amp. I figure it will cheaper to replace than repair. Are there better options than Adcom?

Switched power on, good quality outlets, low price

Could use a ground indicator and surge indicators, but what do you want for $200?

10+ years and mine is still working fine. Never noticed any treble rolloff using it either? My Adcom Amp is plugged into it. Believe me, unless you have dedicated outlets for your hi-fi rig, you will add a ton of noise to your system by not using some sort of AC filtering. My Fridge dims the lights.

Like all Adcom products, it is bulletproof. Never once, have I had to repair an Adcom product. In the same period, two NAD amps died on me.

Reliability, protects equipment as claimed, improves video performance

Poor overall audio performance, especially with amplifiers

Although this product has some benefits, it is not without it's problems. On the plus side, it did protect my equipment on numerous occasions, including when a tractor trailer got stuck in the electrical wires outside my apartment, resulting in blowing up the transformer across the street. Another plus is how the Ace-515 tremendously improved video clarity. On the downside, the audio performance of this device is a mixed bag. It does clean up the sound of digital sources, but does not work well with amplifiers. Like all Adcom products with which I'm familiar, the ACE-515 adds something very annoying in the upper midrange and treble regions.

Similar Products Used:

Tice MBF-3, Forte Model 4, AR LS3, Meridian 206

Cost Effective, Cleans up the sound.

Not enough grounded outlets, Rega 3 turntable hums loudly when placed above the unit in my rack.

I purchased the ACE-515 used. It was purchased foremost as a power conditioner and secondly as a system protector. I have LINN components. The difference between the system's sound when the conditioner is in or out is quite noticeable. With the conditioner in-line, the noise floor of the music is reduced and individual instrumental and vocal lines become more distinct within the soundstage. This all comes with no reduction in dynamic range.

There is a school of thought that says power conditioners are not required for high-end components. My experience tells me that there is an audible and qualitative difference when using a good power conditioner. The AC in some areas is very "dirty" and often needs cleaning up.

The unit is very good for the price. Having heard for myself the differences, I believe that I will eventually pursue an upgrade path of power conditioners (maybe a Chang Lightspeed) with the ACE-515 eventually ending up in my video system. Highly recommended.

Similar Products Used:

None

Best suited for the power problems here in the lightning capital of the U.S. (Orlando, FL)

Very, very subtle coloration of audio. After slight modification in power supply, became totally transparent.

Very apprehensive in this purchase. Do not like to alter the audio in any manner. Howerever, I have great respect for the team at Progressive Audio, and after hearing it on some of their demo systems and noticing that it was incorporated on much of thier equipment I was sold.
Putting it in my system, I did notice some loss of high end. This was a bit troubling. After studying circuitry for some time, I determined that it should actually operate better if converted to 220V system. With modifications, this unit works perfectly and most importantly; transparently. Every piece of gear runs through it, even PSU for computer!!
I only give four stars because I am rating unit before modifications, since most will be unable or unwilling to do so.

Similar Products Used:

None

I was interested in an affordable line conditioner a few years back. My goal:to find a product that could hold its own before my insurance would have to play its part. This little machine has found a place in my hometheater. It is a superb conditioner. I run every component thru this thing. It clamps wonderfully during electrical storms or whatever else you can throw at it(electrical storms are not pretty where I reside). I tested the 515 with different recordings to see if it truly cleans up little unwanted noises as Adcom claims it can do. To my surprise,it faired quite well. For its price you should not pass it up. However,I recommend pairing it up with a fine surge protector(such as Panamax products)for the best results. I do not want to imagine what nature is capable of doing to my beloved toys.

This is very nice unit. I use it with my whole system set up. Many audiophiles not reccomend to use AC conditioner for power AMP by many reasons. So I tried to use my amp both ways, and I was impressed when my system sounded 200% better when my amp was connected through ACE-515, like day and night. Seems like I use a different sets of amp. Same thing happened with my VCR. I didn't think that power conditioner can change a lot in it's sound quality. So I connected my Sennheiser HD-600 set to the headphones jack and tried both ways.And one more time, it's ammazingly improve sound quality of any unit you connect to it... power amp, pre-amp,cd player, tuner , dvd-player, vcr...
5 starts, no doubt, but of course if you want to spend couple tousand there are several AC conditioners on the market that will give you a better result, but I think there is nothing else on the market that comes even close.

looks professional,sounds great.

Needs a larger line wire.

I found the upper register more detailed as was the
frequency spectrum............The power lines to my
house are underground, so I don't expect a lightening
strike, but I do wish to keep hum from the refrigerator
and hair dryers from being amplified. This was accomp-
lished very well with the Adcom.

The Furman did a good job of screening interferences, but the musical detail was not improved as much as the Adcom improved it. The Furman now resides in the video system where it seems to improve the overall picture and sound.

Similar Products Used:

Furman PM-8

This power conditioner is probably the cheapest in the budget category. Seems quite similar to Rotel's without the extensive power management feature. 6 3-prong outlets, 2 amp dedicated. As for the sound performance, I notice a slight drop of noise but also uniform throughout the audio spectrum. This is fine when used with a receiver or HT system, but it has no place in a serious music dedicated setup. Still for $150, it's a good surge protector + power manager.