Connected Fidelity AC-2K

Connected Fidelity AC-2K

BALANCED MAINS SUPPLY

Balanced mains power for lower noise floor, more detailed and natural sounding audio and A/V quality.

The Connected Fidelity AC-2K Balanced unit from connected-fidelity™ is not just another form of mains power cleaning or ‘noise control’ treatment.

It is a fundamentally different approach.

What will you hear with the AC-2K balanced unit installed?

The music will sound significantly more natural, digital sources flow more musically, the space around instruments and the ‘holographic’ impression of the musical stage will grow.

The silences in the music will seem blacker because the noise floor has dropped.

With A/V equipment, improvements in depth of colour with clearer images are to be seen.

The Connected Fidelity AC-2K is a system upgrade unlike any other.

Balanced mains power works like balanced signal lines, there is a very low noise floor due to the cancelling out of ‘noise’.

Both balanced mains and balanced signal lines are used extensively in recording and radio/TV transmission studios to offer the lowest noise floor.

The benefits of this approach used in professional installations is now available for home audio and AV systems in a form best suited to home audio and A/V.

When balanced power drives your home audio or A/V equipment:

1. The transformers in your equipment work more efficiently, so offering the very cleanest power source to both analogue and digital audio electronics.
2. Partial isolation of the incoming Live and Neutral mains lines, so there is a degree of ‘conditioning’, with reduced DC entering the balanced supply.
3. The earth output is not carrying any AC/DC ‘noise’ often found on the home earth line. ‘Noise’ from EMI/RF is not picked up in your power cables and entering the audio signal path.
4. Power cables from the AC-2K to your equipment are less critical. That is not to say that better cables might improve sound quality, but fundamentally the RF and other noise usually picked up from un-shielded mains cables is cancelled out, so more expensive shielded cables become unnecessary.

Every aspect of the AC-2K is designed for high quality home audio and A/V use.

It can be used to power some or all your equipment.

The most beneficial effect is heard powering the lower signal level analogue and digital equipment, like DAC’s, CD players, streamers, phono-amplifiers, pre-amplifiers etc.

The benefits do extend to power amplifiers but less obvious than with source and pre-power components.

Clearly, if you have an integrated pre/power amplifier, it will be beneficial to use balanced mains to power it.

Because power amplifiers up to 1,000W output do benefit from the balanced power source, we recommend they are powered from the AC-2K.

The AC-2K balanced mains unit is designed to be situated in the listening room connected to a mains wall socket, the balanced output then taken to your components.

You can use your existing distribution block with any passive ‘noise’ controlling components it may include.

Design:

The AC-2K is broadly a ‘fit and forget’ component so you can enjoy the highest quality sound from your audio or sound and vision.

The design employs the best ‘audiophile’ engineering techniques and treatments.

Inside the substantially damped non-magnetic casework there is anti-surge protection (not in circuit when powered up).

A 30 Amp electronic double pole power switch internally switches on after the massive 2.0Kva transformer has powered up.

The input and output sockets are of ‘audiophile’ quality, with Gold plated connecting pins.

There is a switchable power supply monitor on the front face showing the balanced power output voltage.

Components including the transformer are cryogenically treated to improve efficacy, ensuring maximum power delivery and ‘speed’.

After the cryogenic treatment, the transformer performs like a far larger non-treated transformer, it is mounted internally on a substantial non-magnetic anti-vibration platform, mechanically isolating it from the casework – and your room.

We suggest you use the AC-2K unit to power all your audio equipment, including power amplifiers up to 1,000W alongside your other components.

More powerful amplifiers may either be connected directly to a second wall socket or from a second AC-2K unit, further isolating it from the rest of your audio system.

Do not compare the AC-2K with cheaper alternatives, through extensive listening tests we are sure the Connected Fidelity AC-2K comfortably outperforms other balanced power products on the market.

A 2 year guarantee covering faulty materials and construction is offered.

Connected Fidelity AC-2K Rear Panel

Chronos power cables

When you purchase any version of the AC-2K you can also take advantage of a 40% discount off the Connected Fidelity Chronos UK to (C19) 20 Amp IEC plug power cable. Only available when purchased together.

Retail prices:-

0.5m – £969

1m – £1219

1.5m – £1469

2m – £1695

The Chronos power cable range from Connected-Fidelity are their top-line cable products, using a hybrid stranded mix of UP-OCC Copper and Silver.

Each power line (Live/Neutral) is composed of two each 5.25mm sq. (10AWG), so 10.5mm sq. conductor per line. This theoretically offers a 60 Amp supply at 600VAC, far exceeding any real world requirement, but ensuring very low impedance.

The earth line. Uses the same stranded mix of UP-OCC Copper/ Silver for the Earth. Lowest earth impedance is essential for highest audio sound quality.

All Chronos power cables undergo deep cryogenic treatment, a process that cold anneals the wires and conductive plug parts. This process enhances the power performance. No one has exactly identified how this process improves the quality of non-ferrous materials, there is no material change to be seen under an electron microscope, but we know it has a beneficial effect on both power cables and signal wires for audio and A/V use.

The wires are constructed in a ‘rope weave’ design, this offers some degree of radio frequency (RF) isolation and line ‘noise’ suppression without either the need for further screening or filtering components, which unless very well implemented can reduce mains cable performance and impact on sound quality.

Chronos power cables have double layer outer sleeving to isolate the conductors from external vibrations. Whilst the outer braided sleeve offers good mechanical protection it works in tandem with the inner sleeve, offering a good level of cable vibration isolation.

The cables are terminated with audiophile quality Gold plated Furutech and/or MSHD plugs. The fuse fitted in the UK plug is the Connected-Fidelity 13A audiophile type (our Fuse range can be purchased for other components).

Finally, Chronos power cables are ‘burnt-in’ over 4 days to ensure the best performance ‘out of the box’. Further use does enhance performance even more.