As audio translates electricity into sound, it is obvious that the feeding current determines the quality of the performance in a very basic way. Late at night when many polluting devices are ‘asleep’, listeners often catch a glimpse of what they usually miss out on. However, only when ‘power’ is addressed comprehensively, one can fully experience how important clean power and clean signals are and what amazing difference in sound quality they can make.

Technical progress has brought about a host of polluters of AC lines, from seemingly ’innocent’ devices like energy-saving lamps, dimmers, computers, TVs etc., not to mention industrial-type installations.

Pollution coming directly through the wall socket mains is only one of several sources of degradation. As already a short piece of wire acts like an antenna, AC earth (power line ground) with its many ramifications to all wall sockets in a building, while satisfying the intended safety aspect, picks up high- frequency signals from radio frequency transmitters (radio-/TV stations, WiFi, mobile phones, etc.). This high-frequency hash is ready to creep into audio circuits when signal-ground is linked to an AC grounded chassis.

Even more critical is the situation when unshielded power or signal cables are used to connect audio or video equipment, not only because they similarly pick up interference but as there are often bundles of cables coming together, they also ’talk’ to each other, ie they act both as emitters and receivers – those connected to digital equipment being the ’loudest’ and the most sensitive at the same time. Another overlooked ’port of entry’ for parasitical disturbances are low quality connectors and poor contacts in general.

If all that resulting degradation is to be fought successfully, it has to be done on several levels. Ordinary filtering has its downsides for audio, particularly when it has to be grounded or earthed (see above). Ensemble has therefore developed a comprehensive ’clean signal’ concept. Avoiding traditional filtering, it is based on the following measures:

1) Use of very effective shielding in power and signal cables, as prevention is always better than cure

The Ensemble power cables are protected by global shields and an individual film screen for each electrical conductor. As these extreme shielding measures are coupled with low transfer impedance and supplemented by crosstalk-cancelling topology, internal damping of micro-vibrations and the lowest possible dielectric absorption, the result is not only undisturbed transmission of AC power and an ultra-low noise floor, but also a fantastic improvement in sound quality.

2) Build quality

Ensemble electronics represent a build quality similar to medical equipment and therefore require no AC grounding. An important interference path is therefore quite simply not present (or, in the case of the amplifiers as the ’hub’ of a system and earthing therefore a de facto standard, a choke coil guards the earth path).

3) Distribution of AC in the best possible quality: the Ensemble POWER LINK™ SILVER

The distribution unit can dispatch AC to eight pieces of equipment. Housed in an aluminum chassis to maximize high-frequency interference rejection and fitted with excellent contacts, the POWER LINK™ SILVER also sports a phase indicator, ie a blue LED that lights up when the unit is powered in correct phase. All 8 slots of the POWER LINK are wired such that the right-hand contact (viewed from the front) is the phase – in line with the wiring of the IEC input socket ( with the earth pin facing downwards).
This feature allows operation of all attached equipment with the lowest possible stray currents (voltage to ground), further reducing the noise floor.

The POWER LINK power strip deliberately provides unfiltered power distribution. There are two reasons for this:
1. If it were equipped with filters, this would have an unpredictable combined effect on devices that are also equipped with filters, and as such would no longer have anything in common with the originally intended effect.
2. Ensemble generally avoids classic mains filters because they are based on diverting the ‘dirt’ to the earth conductor. In addition to its actual, elementary function as a protective earth conductor, the yellow/green earth conductor also has the (undesirable) property of acting as a receiving antenna for high-frequency signals due to its ramifications in a domestic installation. And in our age of wireless communication, there is certainly no shortage of these invisible powerful polluters.

SPECIFICATIONS

Input

International standard appliance coupler
IEC 320 / C14, 15 A / 125 V , 10 A / 250 V

Outlets

Model 1: 8 General European Type (SCHUKO)
Model 2: 8 US-Type (Nema 5-15) sockets
Power rating : Total maximal power to be consumed by equipment connected to it:
Model 1: max. 2500 W / 230 V
Model 2: max. 1700 W / 125 V

Phase indicator

Blue LED lights up when PHASE pole is the right-hand contact (frontal view)

Phase orientation

right-hand contact (as viewed from front), on input (IEC 320/ C14)
as well as on US (Nema 5-15) and European (SCHUKO) sockets

AC ground

electrical input must see a 3-pole cable carrying a ground (earth) contact

Chassis

anodized aluminum chassis with upholding brackets
laquered heavy steel plates for rock–solid support

Dimensions (wdh)

540 x 95 x 133 mm (21.2″ x 3.7″ x 5.2″)
590 x175 x 100 mm (23.2″ x 7″ x 4″) boxed

Warranty

2 years on parts with the exception of faults due to mishandling, unauthorized modification, or overload.