Mains Blocks & Filters - Audiolab
A dedicated mains block (filtered or unfiltered) is the first step in an effective solution for distributing power to your hi-fi or AV system. We always recommend using these in conjunction with high quality mains cables,
The quality of your mains supply is affected by noise, interference and RFI occurring along the many miles of cable running from the power station, through many transformers and from pylons to street cabling. This can include interference from radio and television signals, from telephone antennas and from other cabling, just to name a few causes of interference, with power cables effectively acting as an antenna for RFI.
Even if you run a separate spool from your house mains block to try and counter the effect of household appliances, this is not a solution for the poor quality of the mains that actually comes into your house and into that spool. This will always be the case, unless you have a field of solar panels or wind turbines in the back garden!
Logically, the mains supply for each component provides energy that will eventually result in sound from your system, and thus its common sense to supply your system with the purest quality mains possible. The solution is a dedicated mains filter/block (that will either actively/passively filter the mains supply or regenerate it, depending on the model) and high quality shielded mains cables to carry the quality power supply from mains filter/block to your system without picking up any interference along the way.
We recommend a filtered mains block if you tend to listen to music during the day and/or live in an apartment building or have your hi-fi system on a mains ring shared with other household appliances. In these cases, its more likely your system is being affected by interference from other equipment and a filtered mains solution should be most effective.
If however you listen to music late in the evening, live in a detached house and (ideally) have your system powered by a separate mains ring you have had installed, an unfiltered mains block should be sufficient. You may ask, "why us a mains block at all if its not filtered?". Well, even if you have a good power supply, an unfiltered mains block will still give you the best connection to your power supply as a chain is only as strong as its weakest link.
For the ideal set-up, use a filtered mains block to carry the power from the wall and a selection of shielded mains cables between the mains block and each hi-fi separate (shielded to ensure they do not pick up any interference inbetween mains block and equipment).
Audiolab is a leading brand in hi-fi offering high-end performance at reasonable prices. Several models from the current 6000, 7000 and 9000 ranges have received excellent reviews and/or industry awards. See also our Audiolab packages
Since its founding in 1983 by Philip Swift and Derek Scotland and its launch of the original 8000A amplifier, Audiolab has been designing products in the UK that demonstrate audio engineering at its best, the range features products born from fervour for music intricately engineered by a team of hi-fi specialists.
In 2010, Audiolab launched its cutting-edge full-width 8200 Series, fusing the brand's ethos of minimalistic, well-built ergonomics and crisp, clear sound with an advanced performance-led design. One year later, the M-DAC arrived seeing in the new, compact LAB Series flanked by the Q-DAC and M-PWR. Since the launch of these series, Audiolab has gone on to win more coveted awards in UK hi-fi publications than any rival brand of top-performance audio electronics. The 8300 series improved upon the 8200 blueprint and refined each component with HD audio technology, better efficiency and enhanced aesthetics.
Audiolab also revisited the iconic 8000 range thirty-five years later with 6000 range, designed for modern audiophiles seeking premium-grade performance, build and functionality at an affordable price. More recently the 7000 range improves upon the 6000 range and flagship 9000 range are the most accomplished products Audiolab have ever made.
The range also includes the M-DAC+ which exploits the brand's experience in industry-leading and multi-award-winning DACs, ideal for listening to music via computer through headphones, or as part of an amplifier - speaker system. The range also now includes the DC Block products, designed to reduce interference and provide a cleaner power supply for your valuable hi-fi separates.
Audiolab consistently strives to achieve excellence in the quality and sound of its products whilst staying true to the philosophy of its founders in creating well-engineered parts that afford high performance sound quality with excellent value for money.
