Verafi Mainstream and Snubway by Rich Doron

I was recently introduced to Mark Schifter at Vera-Fi Audio through ST editor Greg Voth. I was told that Vera-Fi Audio makes some budget-friendly tweaks for audiophiles at any stage in their listening experience. After a few emails and a great phone call with Mark, testing out the Verafi Mainstream Dynamic Parallel AC Line Conditioner (herein Mainstream) and SnubWay Noise Defender (herein Snubway) would be an excellent place for a neophyte like me to start.

Vera-Fi Audio brings 110 years of combined experience into their products. Vera-Fi has an extensive catalog of tweaks to help audiophiles improve their listening experience. The Mainstream and SnubWay are their core products and what they are most known for. However, if you are in the market for loudspeakers/subwoofers or amps/preamps, they also offer a solid selection.

The Mainstream is an AC “parallel” power line conditioner Greg Voth waxed poetically about in these pages (here). What Parallel means regarding the Mainstream is that you do not plug it directly into your component; you plug it into an open outlet where your components are plugged in. The Mainstream is designed to reduce the amount of interference traveling through your AC lines. It’s intended to clean up any humming, hissing, and buzzing that might be felt in your system.

According to Vera-Fi’s website, the SnubWay “is an advanced parallel mains noise filter utilizing four discrete LRC filters tuned to absorb high-frequency noise from switch mode power supplies (SMPS) and other sources in the 10 kHz to 2 MHz frequency range.” The Snub-Way is equipped with multiple snubbers to reduce the SMPS noise. When used with the Mainstream, they work in tandem to clean up AC power noise.

When I initially received the Mainstream and SnubWay, I had no idea what to expect. The Mainstream and Snubway are solidly built and have a decent amount of weight. The Mainstream and SnubWay are straightforward to use. You plug them into an open outlet where your sound system is set up. I plugged in the Mainstream to the bottom outlet below where my power cable is, and I plugged in the SnubWay to the first outlet on my power conditioner. Like any AC-based power tweak, you’ll want time for the Mainstream and SnubWay to burn in; Vera-Fi Audio recommends at least 400 hours. I gave it a solid two weeks of burn-in before I started to make any assumptions about what was happening.

Since building my system about two years ago, I’ve played with several audio tweaks. My system comprises Tekton Audio Lore Reference loudspeakers, Stein Music Stateline 2 integrated amplifier, and Wiim Streamer. Some Tweaks in my system include the Akiko Loudspeaker Improvers, QSA Speaker Bullets, Bybee iQSE, True Dimensional Sound Audio Processor, and the Stein Music Suns on the wall behind my system. Tweaks are interesting; sometimes, they are instantly recognizable, and other times, it takes some time to figure out what is going on and how it’s making a difference to my system. The Mainstream and SnubWay took some time for me to get used to. Going into this experiment with an open mind and little information, I did not want to deceive myself about the improvements I was hearing.

The Mainstream and SnubWay began to reveal themselves the more I listened to my system. One of the initial improvements I noticed was that I could listen to my music for extended periods with less listening fatigue. But this is also where I got confused. I’ve never experienced a tweak that has allowed me to listen for more extended periods. Before using the Mainstream and SnubWay, I would experience listening fatigue about an hour into my sessions. I do not listen at high levels, so this improvement was nice. I was not sure how this was happening. I had to call Mark Schifter at Vera-Fi Audio to ensure I wasn’t fooling myself. He assured me I was headed in the right direction without revealing too much. He suggested testing the capabilities of the Mainstream and SnubWay by plugging the Snubway into the outlet where my TV is plugged in. With some skepticism, I took up his suggestion. To my amazement, the Mainstream was able to improve the picture quality of my TV. The colors were richer, the black was much blacker than without being plugged in, and the overall quality was cleaner and crisper. Now that’s some added value with the Mainstream, a dual-purpose tweak. Mark told me on our phone call that his customer base uses the Snubway for many different purposes. Some people will buy it for the TV, projectors, PCs, and Audiophiles. For any electronic system you want to improve, you can use the Mainstream to help improve it.

As I listened, I started to pick up on the changes to my sound system. I noticed that the voices in the music were smoother, more natural, and more realistic. The Mainstream and SnubWay remove those little micro-vibrations and rattling. The Mainstream and SnubWay accentuated the nuances and details in the singer’s voice. I enjoy hearing the aperture of the singer’s mouth, or the tongue touching their teeth, and those whispers at the end of a word. I could also pick up on the same pronounced nuances in instruments. Whether it was the plucking of guitar strings, the woodwind’s airiness, or the drum’s thud, all were clearer and more defined. Clear, lifelike vocals are essential to me when it comes to my listening. Improving the vocal details allows the music to pass through my ears in an ethereal way.

As my listening continued, I began to pick up on additional details revealing themselves. One of the hidden details was that there was a sense of quietness and calmness. To best describe it, I hear it in momentary pauses in a song or when the bass hits just right. There seems to be more of a void of blackness and less background noise. I am learning through this experiment that even if the noise is inaudible, it is still there. It’s like sweeping the dust from under the rug; just because I don’t see it doesn’t mean it’s not there. The Mainstream and Snub-Way have a way of sweeping the dust off my music. I was told early in my journey that high-quality sound begins with having clean energy. I’m starting to understand the importance of clean energy. Having cleaner power flow through my system gives my music a fresher, more natural sound. It sounds less produced and more authentic. The sound floats from the speakers instead of feeling forced.

My overall impression of the Mainstream and SnubWay is that these give you a lot of bang for your buck. I have heard a noticeable difference in my system. There is more detail in the music, I have less listening fatigue than before using them, and my system has an overall cleaner and quieter sound. When purchased as a bundle from Vera-Fi, it is priced at $531 for both components, which is quite a deal considering that similar products can run you about $400 apiece. Vera-Fi also gives its customers a 30-day money-back guarantee. If, for any reason, you are on the fence, Vera-Fi has dozens of reviews from their customers, and they also have some more in-depth information about the performance of the Mainstream and SnubWay. Give it a try. Mark and his team at Vera-Fi are happy to help their customers with any questions along the way.

Specifications
Verafi Audio SnubWay
Price: $295.00
Main Stream Master Class Dynamic Parallel AC Line Conditioner
Price: $295.00
Website: www.verafiaudio.com