Isotek Polaris V5 Power Conditioner $900
Polaris comes with the:
Initium Power Cable:
Initium runs $175 a la carte
In 2009 at the Rocky Mountain Hi-Fi Show, Harry Pearson of The Absolute Sound magazine was interviewed. One of the questions asked of him was, “Where is the biggest improvement apt to come in our biz? Speakers? Amps? Sources?”
Without hesitation he said, “Power.” And son of a gun, he was right! Harry went on to say that one of his early writers, Enid Lumley, was ahead of the pack on the topic of power and accessories to help improve what’s coming out of the wall. “We thought she was just crazy. In fact, she was ahead of the rest of us.”
Polaris is a $900 “bar” with six outlets. It’s a heavy, substantial device. It filters airborne and AC RFI by approximately 35dB which provides a noticeable improvement in your SOUND. We have measured many outlets in many homes. The typical level of distortion on our meter is 800-1000 units.
Polaris strips it down to single digits, and often ZERO. Think of watching TV with a snowy picture. When you eliminate the snow, the picture is cleaner. This is what Polaris does for your music. It protects as well.
Polaris comes with a quality, heavy duty power cable called Initium, which enables Polaris to reach the level of effectiveness that it does. With a $5 black power cable Polaris wouldn’t be nearly as effective. We’ve compared.
Polaris filters debris from the wall by using VDRs instead of MOVs. VDRs are voltage dependent resistors and do not quash current/dynamic range the way MOVs do.
We can measure the filtration rate of conditioners. Polaris is very effective, diminishing wall distortion of approximately 800 units down to single digits. More importantly, Polaris improves the SOUND or your system in the process. Dynamic range is stronger. Bass clarity is more taut. Transients are cleaner and faster. The improvement is surprisingly apparent.
I hear it first in the bass. Fingers on a stand up bass have attack and weight. A piano improves in percussive attack of hammers against cords. Guitar finger work is more clearly displayed. Vocals POP out of the speakers more. Without an Isotek, the music is more drab. Isotek allows music to come from a blacker, less intrusive background.
Most competitors are heavy handed in their filtration. They use MOVs which limit current and dynamic range in their protection efforts. Most don’t come with any power cable, much less a GOOD ONE like Initium.
Literally every system needs a mains conditioner to help achieve a level of clarity that simply isn’t possible without it. Polaris puts you in the ballgame at an affordable price tag and comes with an outstanding Initium cable. You’re all in for $900, Polaris with Initium.
It makes sense that if you buy a Polaris, you should get an Initium for each of your other main components, CD, preamp, amp etc. If you don’t have an Isotek conditioner, I wouldn’t bother with better power cables because you’re listening through the equivalent of snow in your TV picture.
Now, I’m not saying nobody else can make a good conditioner. But I’ve been on the quest to find something better for $900. The other guys for $900 don’t even filter the higher powered outlets, and don’t come with a decent power cable. Polaris does it right- made in Europe (not China) at a great price point.