PS Audio DirectStream Power Plant 20 Mains Regenerator

PS Audio DirectStream Power Plant 20 Mains Regenerator

 

The DirectStream Power Plant 20 is PS Audio's most powerful AC regenerator ever with 2000 watts of pure regenerated power, and the first to accept both 20 amp and 15 amp power cables. The massive P20 is their finest expression of the art of pure power delivery, providing more than enough power for an entire system. Regardless of incoming power quality the P20 outputs clean, protected, low impedance, regulated power you can count on for the most demanding systems in the world.

The DirectStream P20 regulates both long-term fluctuations and peak dynamic without deviation, ensuring a solid foundation from which to build a state-of-the-art system. Its low output impedance and unhindered AC delivery are equivalent to less than 50 feet of 12 gauge wire connected directly to your city power source without the connecting miles of wire, the many transformers, and the multiple neighbors weakening and contaminating your power. The most demanding music systems require nothing less than the P20.

Don’t starve your music. A P20 gives you improved dynamics, far better bass and a much bigger, open soundstage.

Features

• Built in Boulder
• 2000 VA output
• Passively cooled
• 40% more power
• 3X lower impedance than any Power Plant yet
• 13 EU/UK outlets
• 10 amp AC input EU/UK
• 230 volt Regulated EU/UK
• Range 200 –285VAC EU/UK
• 100% regenerated AC
• MultiWave
• Pure Sine Wave generated through DSD (PDM) engine
• Integrated oscilloscope
• THD meter
• Improvement meter
• Power meter
• Control over LAN
• Adjustable output voltage
• Colour touchscreen
• Field upgradable

 

When it comes to regenerated AC power, PS Audio wrote the book. With two decades of engineering and a patented architecture in hand they built the biggest and best Power Plant ever. The P20 converts your home’s variable, compromised AC power into pure DC, then back again into safe, protected, regulated, perfect AC. The P20 will improve system performance like nothing else.

DirectStream Power ushers in a new world of purity with a clean, analog-like DSD generator. A Power Plant regenerator ‘s precise output is tied to its internal sine wave generator, not some coal-fired monstrosity feeding miles of noisy powerlines. The P20’s FPGA based DSD engine delivers the cleanest, lowest noise sine waves of any regenerator in the world.

System performance is improved by lowering the AC impedance, ensuring dynamic AC regulation, and providing instant, unlimited reserves of clean power of up to 70 amp peaks. The P20 does it all, with twice the output amplifier devices, twice the power supply capacity of the DirectStream P10. Its available 20 amp input circuitry and unprecedentedly low output impedance make the P20 the most powerful regenerator ever.

Legacy power conditioners

Traditional power conditioners have been widely available for several decades and range in price from a few dollars to multiple thousands.

Most power conditioners on the market today are passive filters. This means there are only passive parts inside such as capacitors, resistors, transformers and coils of wire. Power conditioners do not have the ability to add missing energy back onto the power line to correct for the serious issues in the AC, nor can they lower output impedance—critical to high-performance audio.

While some respected high-end power conditioners do provide better sound for many systems, they are only scratching the proverbial surface—unable to address the fundamental problems found on the AC line. They cannot rise to the level of an active regenerator ensuring your listening experience will always be the same. Quite simply put, by relying on passive conditioners to clean AC power, one relinquishes the performance, security, and reliability of an active PS Power Plant.

Power Plants are not power conditioners

Power Plants are personal AC generators that provide hard-working perfected results from the AC power line. Power regeneration uses active components like those found in large and powerful audio amplifiers to rebuild the AC power and produce clean, clear, distortion-free, regulated AC to the equipment.

Power Plants also provide excellent protection and cleaning of radio, cell phone, and computer interference, but more importantly, regeneration provides a steady, regulated, ultra-low impedance source of pure AC, unaffected by the equipment’s demands for power.

The key to the Power Plant’s success and what makes it so unique in the industry is the way it makes the power better.

Instead of simple filtering, as a legacy power conditioner does, the Power Plant repairs the main power issues caused by the equipment itself: dynamic fluctuations.

Dynamic fluctuations occur with every power amplifier or receiver on the market. When a loud musical passage is reproduced, the power amplifier draws more power from the wall to feed the loudspeakers. When this occurs, the voltage at the wall decreases in direct relationship with the loudness of the musical passage. Louder is worse.

Traditional power conditioners only worsen this already bad situation

If, on the other hand, the system is powered from a Power Plant AC regenerator, the problem is entirely eliminated. Dynamic voltage fluctuations are stopped completely and the power amp receiving perfectly regulated, steady AC power regardless of the demands from the power amplifier.

In a high-end system where perfection is hoped for and compromise is not an option that’s acceptable, the improvements brought by a Power Plant are instantly recognized with a simple audition that shows both with and without perfected power.

The touch panel

Touch the large, full-colour display on the front of the Power Plant and a whole world of opportunities open up. From here you can measure distortion, both incoming and outgoing, improvement levels, and power consumption. You can also change all your settings such as the turn on/off sequence, adjust the output voltage to the perfect level, turn individual zones on or off and measure the power quality with either the built-in oscilloscope or the THD analyzer.

The P20’s front panel controls offer a wealth of options not normally associated with AC power products such as the ability to measure the distortion of the incoming and outgoing waveforms plus the ability to actually see the waveforms with the colour oscilloscope.

MultiWave

One of the major advantages of generating new power from old is the ability to also generate new waveforms that enhance the capabilities of the power feeding your equipment.

MultiWave extends the peak charging time of the sine wave so connected equipment has more energy storage and less power supply ripple. Turning MultiWave on is like adding a larger capacitor bank to your connected equipment’s power supply. The audible results are dramatic and produce a bigger soundstage that sounds far more natural than with a simple sine wave.

200 times lower output impedance

Low output impedance is critical to maintaining a dynamic and robust presentation. Dynamic sags in the power line occur whenever your power-hungry equipment demand power to drive your loudspeakers or projector causing noticeable degradation in the performance. Placing anything in the path of the power, like a power conditioner only worsens the problem.

A Power Plant, on the other hand, regulates the power and provides a constant output regardless of the dynamic demands of power-hungry equipment or your neighbours. When your power amp is asked to produce loud orchestral levels you want to make sure it has all the power it needs. Power Plants have such low output impedance that even the hungriest of amplifiers won’t be starved for clean AC power. The results of feeding your equipment with low output impedance are dramatic: unrestrained dynamics even under the loudest passages, an open, wide soundstage that does not collapse with volume and a naturalness to the music that is remarkable.

100% Protection

Owners who have invested in a Power Plant can rest assured their connected equipment will be safe from any power line event such as over-voltage, under-voltage, surges, spikes and potentially threatening problems.

The input voltage to the Power Plant is fully protected by state-of-the-art clamping devices and the output of the Power Plant is fully regulated so even large voltage swings that would normally damage connected equipment are made safe by either clamping or regulating. In most cases, connected equipment enjoys the protection and performance benefits of fully regulated power, even under extreme circumstances.

High current soft start

Another protective measure found on the P20 is a high power soft start feature that soft starts even the biggest power amplifiers.

With a Power Plant, there’s no longer any need to worry about starting up a power-hungry amplifier. Using the unique high current zone built into the Power Plant, even power amplifiers that might trip a home’s circuit breaker are soft started and power up as nice and polite as could be.

This soft start feature also helps prolong the life of connected equipment from large inrush currents needed to fill up empty power supply capacitors.

Monitor your system’s heartbeat

You can monitor your power quality and performance of your equipment from the front panel of the P20 with both its real-time distortion analyzer and working oscilloscope. Measure everything that’s going on affecting your system’s performance. You can also monitor and control your P20 over the internet from anywhere in the world.

The P20 will monitor your power line quality and report any problems to you through the web page, text or email. It’s up to you. The P20’s real-time and on-line measurement system includes surges, voltage levels, power usage and power quality as measured by THD (Total Harmonic Distortion) on the line.

The data is stored on PS Audio's servers and available via the web interface for the P20. Customers can look at power quality over time, or drill down to specific times of day to find out if there’s a problem involving the home’s power. Sagging voltages, high distortion and multiple brownouts are occurring more than one might think. With the installation of a P20 in the system, you can accurately record events and present them to the utility company for repair or just keep a log.

 

With twice the number of output devices and double the power supply storage of any previous Power Plant, DirectStream P20 is the new benchmark for power products. Regardless of the quality of AC coming into P20, your equipment is guaranteed clean, safe power, with significantly lower distortion than ever before. Safe, regulated to within 1/10th of a volt, P20 provides unquestionable purity for systems of all sizes.

Rethinking decades of engineering has resulted in greater phase accuracy, transient response, increased error correction, improved regulation and 3X PS Audio's lowest output impedance ever. P20 brings you closer to your utility’s power source than ever before, eliminating all noise and artifacts of the miles of wire and connecting transformers in the way. Think of P20 as better than your direct connection to the power’s source because it fills in what’s missing.

Power conditioners are passive collections of capacitors, resistors, transformers, and coils of wire which lack the ability to add missing energy back onto the power line. Power Plants use active components, like those found in large and powerful audio amplifiers, to store and release energy for peak demands (up to 70 amps), rebuild the AC signal and produce clean, clear, distortion-free, regulated AC for your equipment. When performance matters, why compromise?

"I have everything plugged into it and simply find our music to be more dynamic and alive. Greater separation and resolution…and all with no hint of harshness or whatever. No glare or grit. But, more visceral and, well... more overall engagingly so….Bass seems to go lower with a wonderful sense of tightness… or rightness, especially as evident from the subs in the Vandersteens. Slam and punch, texture and presence. Palpable as all get out, and, as I said, texture… oh man… where there is, there is... texture. Simply put, we love the P20 and cannot recommend it highly enough. It not only gets you clean AC, it gets you stable AC at the voltage you want. I know there is more to go into here, that we are really only scratching the surface with the P20's options, but then I am at that point where I would rather listen to music then play with gear. Plug and Play." Positive Feedback - July 2019

"I loved the P10, but the P20 offered all of that and a lower noise floor with even better transient response on dense classical music passages (massed strings), percussion notes occupying the space between the lowest octaves and improved vocal inflection, never mind an even more effortless sense of breathing to amps and preamps. Throw in twice the number of output devices and double the power-supply storage of the P10 and upgrading became a no-brainer." AudioStream - December 2018

 

Specification

• Location: Indoor use only
• Duty Cycle: Suitable for continuous operation
• Moisture Sensitivity: Not sealed against moisture
• Operating Humidity: <80%rh
• Storage Temperature: -40C to +40C
• Operating Temperature: 0C to 40C
• Max Operating Altitude: 12,000' (3500m)
• Electrical Supply Nominal Rating: 230V 10A 50/60Hz
• Nominal Input Voltage: 200 - 285 VAC
• Maximum Continous Load: 2000VA
• Maximum Peak Load: 3600VA
• Voltage Regulation: >1V
• Output Distortion (Resistive Load): <0.5%
• Output Distortion (Reactive Load): <0.5% (0.1% Typical)
• Output Impedance: <0.005 Ohm
• Noise Reduction: 100kHz - 2MHz > 80dB
• Efficiency @ 300VA: >85%
• Input Frequency: 45 - 65 Hz
• Under Voltage Limit: Continous -10% of setting 15 sec, duration -15% of setting
• Over Voltage Limit: Continous 5% of setting 15 sec, duration 10% of setting
• Energy Dissipation: 5040J
• Peak Current Surge: 180,000A
• Clamp Level: 775V
• DC Trigger Configuration: Tip Positive
• DC Trigger Voltage: 5 - 15Vdc
• Unit Dimensions (W x D x H): 17" x 14" x 11" (43cm x 36cm x 27.9cm)
• Unit Weight: 96lbs (43.5kg)
• Shipping Dimensions (W x D x H): 23" x 22" x 17" (58cm x 55.8cm x 43cm)
• Shipping Weight: 105lbs (47kg)

 

About PS Audio

PS Audio is a renowned high-fidelity audio components and equipment provider catering to audiophiles and the sound recording industry. With a rich history dating back to 1973, PS Audio has been at the forefront of audio innovation, delivering exceptional products that elevate the listening experience to new heights. Founded by audio designers Paul McGowan and Stan Warren, PS Audio shipped its first products in 1974. The company's name was derived from the initials of its visionary founders, reflecting their commitment to crafting audio equipment that pushes the boundaries of sonic performance. From the very beginning, PS Audio has been dedicated to delivering uncompromising sound quality and engineering excellence.

PS Audio's product lineup encompasses a wide range of audio components designed to meet the needs of discerning audiophiles. From preamplifiers to mains regenerators, DACs to streamers, PS Audio offers a comprehensive selection of equipment that captures the essence of every musical detail.

PS Audio's unwavering dedication to excellence has earned the company numerous accolades and awards worldwide. From Editors' Choice awards by prestigious publications like Stereophile and The Absolute Sound magazines to consistently earning spots on Stereophile's Recommended Component lists, PS Audio has cemented its reputation as a leader in the audio industry. Experience the power of PS Audio's cutting-edge audio components and elevate your listening experience to new heights. Explore their range of preamplifiers, mains regenerators, DACs, amplifiers, power cables, and power conditioners, and unlock the true potential of your audio system. With PS Audio, immerse yourself in the captivating world of high-fidelity sound reproduction.