8
This is not a reason to return the Niagara 7000 or abandon the use of such an AC plug! Typically, the outlet
in question can be slightly opened up by gradually exercising it with an AC plug. For this, we actually do not
recommend an AudioQuest or any other premium brand of AC cord or male plug. For exercising the outlet, obtain
from an electrical supply house or hardware store a generic three-prong 15-amp-rated AC cord or plug that
aords a generous and secure area to handle. Any will work, but the best will be those with three brass (un-plated)
prongs so that if multiple insertions are required, no nickel plating from the generic AC plug will nd its way into
the AudioQuest NRG Edison outlet.
High Current/Low-Z Power Banks
There are two High Current/Low-Z Power banks (labeled “1” and “2”) with two AC outlets each. The outlets feature
our Transient Power Correction Technology, and are designed to enhance the performance of power ampliers
via our circuit’s low-impedance transient current reservoir. Power ampliers, monoblock ampliers, integrated
ampliers, powered receivers, or powered subwoofers should be connected to these four outlets. The primary
mono, stereo, or multi-channel power amplier(s) should be connected to Bank 1. This enables the standby sense
circuit, which requires the current draw of a power amplier connected to (and only to) outlet Bank 1. In terms of
sonic performance, there is no dierence between outlet banks 1 and 2. If the standby sense circuit is not utilized,
and the sense circuit bypass switch is set to “Enabled,” any outlet on the two banks may be utilized.
For systems with only one or two power ampliers, the two uppermost outlets of banks 1 and 2 will provide
slightly superior performance due to their closer proximity to the AC outlets’ radio frequency noise-dissipation
circuit. However, the outlets located directly below will certainly aord exemplary performance!
Regardless of class of operation or circuit topology (valve, solid-state, digital, or otherwise), the Transient Power
Correction Circuit will not compress the current of any power amplier. Quite to the contrary, it will improve the
amplier’s performance by supplying the low-impedance current source that the amplier’s power supply so
desperately needs.
However, the other four AC outlet banks (Ultra-Linear Noise-Dissipation/Dielectric-Biased Symmetrical Power), are
not appropriate for power ampliers. They have been optimized for line-level audio preampliers, DACs, universal
players, turntables, and video products that utilize constant current voltage amplier circuits. These circuits never
suer from current compression, but their lower input level and higher gain require a more robust means of noise
dissipation. This is key to the Niagara 7000’s discrete AC power banks, in that not every circuit is treated the same,
but rather isolated bank by bank and optimized for best performance.
Ultra-Linear Noise-Dissipation System/Dielectric-Biased Symmetrical Power Banks
There are four banks that utilize this technology within the Niagara 7000. Further, the rst two banks (3 and 4) are
100% isolated from banks 5 and 6. All four of these are in turn 100% isolated from the High-Current/Low-Z banks
1 and 2. This oers a great advantage in controlling the complex interactions of RF (radio frequency) and other
induced noises present in the AC power supplied from your utility, the noise that will be present on and in every
AC cord, and the noise that is produced within your system’s components and that“backwashes”into the Niagara
7000’s output circuits.
Though it would be simple to recommend putting the digital or video components into banks 3 and 4, and the line-
level audio components and turntables into banks 5 and 6, the quest for optimal performance is more complex.
This scenario will work, and likely work well, but a certain amount of experimentation is best given the fact that
no lter or screen can eliminate 100% of all noise, the size of many of these RF-induced waveforms is as small as
the edge of this paper you’re reading, and the interactions are complex. So long as the power ampliers are in
their appropriate banks, and the other components are in banks 4 through 6, you should experience exemplary
performance. Still, for the audiophile with patience, the reward will be system performance with the highest
possible resolution and lowest possible noise.
