Description
Inakustik AC4500
Inakustik AC4500 is a high-performance audiophile mains conditioning system – it can be configured to your individual requirement with various configurations for analogue or digital audio connections.
Where does fine sound begin? Where does it end? These questions ring constantly in our ears. The truth is, various factors have a major impact on the sound quality produced by audio systems, and one of these factors is power supply. It is subject to fluctuations that vary depending on the location of your home (in a city or a rural environment). If we look at things from a purely physics perspective, the music produced by a loudspeaker is ultimately nothing more than domestic current converted into sound. This statement sounds almost too banal compared to the hi-fi jargon we are all accustomed to. Unfortunately, all too often we ignore where the sound actually comes from and the importance of having a stable power supply. A “clean” current is the raw material of fine sound, and our AC-4500 Power Station makes sure that this is what you get.
The AC-4500 Power Station is available in several versions – from a basic model with one filter for all six sockets through to the top model that comes equipped with six separate filters, one for each socket. The models differ not only in the number of filters they are equipped with, but also in the combination of filter types they provide – type I (for analogue devices) and type II (for digital devices). The AC-4500 Power Station was developed completely in-house, and each unit is manufactured in the company’s own facility. Units subsequently undergoes rigorous testing with documentation of the results. Because safety is paramount for this type of unit, we have also arranged for an accredited laboratory to verify CE/CB conformity. The Power Station’s sensitive technology is protected by a robust metal housing made of 2 mm-thick galvanised sheet steel. It has an elegant front panel made of brushed aluminium. The interior of the housing is designed so that the socket groups are shielded from one another, and any interference stemming from the connected devices is unable to propagate.
The power grid
We need electrical power to operate our hi-fi system from the wall socket in the living room. This energy is generated in power plants (e.g. coal-fired, hydroelectric or wind power plants) and distributed to consumers via the power grid. Such quantities of energy can only be transferred by cable via high-voltage lines (overhead lines) and/or underground cables. In order to minimize line losses in the grid, energy is distributed at different voltage levels. The higher the transmitted voltage value, the lower the losses and the smaller the required cross-section of the transmission lines. The power plant drives the power through the transmission grid at maximum voltage (1) of up to 380 kV. Transformers in the substations are used to transform the various voltage levels down. From here the electricity is distributed to towns and villages at high (2), medium (3) and low voltage (4) until the 230V reaches the end consumer and can be used for the hi-fi system.
Grid distortions
Countless loads, especially digital loads, switching power supplies, car charging stations, PV systems, etc. generate strong distortions on the power grid. And not only in urban centres, where the trend is rising. These distortions are a serious problem for hi-fi components and the integrated power supplies and circuits can only compensate for part of this interference. The rest influences the audio signal and covers the sound of the hi-fi chain like a veil. Hardly anyone operates their own power plant. Most high-end enthusiasts are forced to connect to the heavily loaded mains supply and, as described above, the sound starts at the socket or, in the best case scenario, at the fuse box. But even here there is interference from all consumers in your own home and the neighbourhood on the power grid. Phenomena such as the flickering light when the hairdryer is switched on, or the cracking noises in the loudspeakers when the fridge compressor starts or a fluorescent lamp is switched on, illustrate these effects.
Types of interference
In electrical engineering a distinction is made between conducted and field-bound interference. Conducted interference, also known as push-pull interference, is caused, for example, by switching devices on and off, by dynamic or pulsed loads and power sources. They are superimposed on the useful signal, spread via the connecting cables and reach the hi-fi components directly. Field-bound interference, also known as common mode interference, is caused, for example, by mobile phone networks, WLAN networks and Bluetooth devices. It spreads through the air as electromagnetic waves. Every device and every cable acts like an antenna in this environment and generates a voltage potential depending on the field strength. The field strength and the resulting potential depend, among other things, on the geometry of the component and the distance to the interference source. As a result, each component of a hi-fi chain builds up a different interference potential. This results in equalising currents via the connecting cables, which in turn superimpose the useful signal.
Customised filter concepts
Ferrite cores are the first line of defence against the interference described above. suppressing high-frequency interference through their inductance-enhancing effect. That’s why the Power Station AC-4500 comes equipped with powerful ferrite cores positioned directly downstream of the sockets.
Custom-made filter circuits are a further means of minimising unwanted interference, but it is crucial that the filter type suits the application for which it is required. Countless tests and measurements using various circuit configurations have shown that digital and analogue devices require different filter designs. And this is why the Referenz Power Station AC-4500 comes equipped with two different filter types depending on the particular configuration: type I for analogue devices and type II for digital devices. These two types have a radically different filter design.
Type I is a series filter network in which coils conduct the useful current, offering a high level of resistance against interference. Type II, however, is a parallel filter network that diverts troublesome interference frequencies to ground. This filter network is also very finely tuned to the requirements of an audio system.
| Application: | High-end power station |
|---|---|
| Conductor material: | High-purity copper |
| Conformity: | CE, REACH, RoHS |
| Customized assembly: | On request |
| DC suppression: | Yes (high current) |
| Filter: | Type I analogue, Type II digital |
| Front panel: | Brushed aluminium |
| Housing: | Solid metal (powder-coated) |
| Internal cabling: | 30 mm² busbars |
| Load capacity: | 2990 W (230 V AC/13 A) |
| Mains connection: | High current IEC C20 |
| Mains switch: | Yes | all-pole mains disconnection |
| Model: | Black, Natural aluminium |
| Number of sockets: | 6 |
| Phase marking: | Yes |
| Phase tester: | Included in the scope of delivery |
| Protection class: | 1 |
| Rated current: | 16 A (total) |
| Rated voltage: | 100 – 230 V AC | 50-60 Hz |
| Surge protection: | Yes |
| Dimensions: | 450 x 386 x 122 mm |
| Weight: | Approx. 15 kg (fully equipped) |
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