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How > Power Cords and Conditioners
Power
Power Cords
Why Power Cords?
How can a power cord matter when it is connected to thousands of feet of home electrical wiring that connects to perhaps thousands more feet of wire attached to a transformer that could be shared with many other homes?
Actually, using a Transparent Power Cord instead of the cord that comes with your component can provide a performance improvement that is as great or greater than any other system upgrade.
Audio components draw power rather than receive power. The power cord that connects your component to the grid is not the last thing in the power chain, but it is the first thing your component’s power supply sees when it demands power. Because it is the first thing, it is your component's one best chance to receive a noise and interference free power signal that is robust enough to meet your component's instantaneous and dynamic power demands when it is playing music.
Power Cord Technology
Transparent has gone to great lengths to create a range of power cords that meet these specific and demanding criteria. Transparent Power Cords use the same design principles as Transparent Audio Cables. Each performance level of power cord Transparent offers is designed from the ground up with precise and tightly constructed geometry and stabilizing fillers to reduce the effects of noise and vibration. To further reduce noise, pressure extruded CL approved PVC jackets hold power cable constructions firmly in place. Pure copper strand bundles are also larger than typical power cords to accommodate your component's instantaneous demands for power without restriction.
Power cord terminations are crimped and firmly joined to hefty connector terminals. Connectors have been carefully chosen for their ability to make sturdy and reliable component and wall connections.
Power Cords are particularly subject to noise infiltration because the desirable frequency band (50 – 60 Hz) is much smaller than audio signals (20 – 20,000 Hz). At the Premium level and above, Transparent Power Cords also have networks built into them that further reduce the impact of noise. Like our audio cables, these networks are adjusted to the specific electrical characteristics of the cord itself and the cord’s specific length.
Power Conditioning
Power Conditioning
Audio or video systems almost always need expanded power distribution capacity, surge protection, and power conditioning.
Most power conditioners use components such as chokes and isolation transformers in series with the power signal to reduce noise. Series components limit current flow and restrict dynamics and change the tonal character of the sound. In addition, most power conditioners also restrict current because of inferior plugs, connectors, thin circuit board traces, and inferior internal wiring.
Transparent Power conditioners remove noise from an AC signal without limiting current. Our power conditioners use parallel filtration. The power signal is free to flow unrestricted while noise takes a side trip through the filter network and dissipates to the ground signal. All connectors, plugs, and internal wiring are highest quality and have been specifically chosen for their sonic quality and their ability to perform under high power demands. This combination reduces noise while allowing the free, unrestricted flow of power so your components can perform at their best.
Power Factor
Filter circuits in most power conditioners do not transfer power efficiently. They introduce power factor distortion because inductive and capacitive reactance is not in phase.
Too much inductance causes current to lag behind voltage.
Too much capacitance causes voltage to lag behind current. In either case, this out-of-phase power signal means there is less usable power to feed power supply demands of components.
Transparent uses PowerIsolator Technology in all models of power conditioners. With PowerIsolator Technology voltage and current are in phase. Inductance and capacitance in Transparent’s power filter circuits are in near perfect balance, thereby insuring more efficient power transfer so that your components can more freely reveal the natural tonal balance and dynamics of your favorite music.
Surge Protection
Surge protection is an important feature for power conditioners. Most surge protection restricts current, introduces noise, and does not adequately protect your components. A power surge starts with a steep spike in power that is faster than most surge protectors can work. Microprocessors in your system can eventually fail with typical surge protection because of damage from initial power spikes. Over time, many surge protectors become less and less able to offer protection and eventually wear out.
Transparent Avalanche Diode Surge Protection does not restrict power, add noise, or wear out over time. It stops the initial sharp spike in a power surge and protects all your equipment and their microprocessors. Transparent Power Conditioners have a generous connected equipment warranty in the unlikely event that a power surge damages your equipment.
