PowerQuest 505 - Uncategorized AudioQuest - Free user manual and instructions

USER MANUAL PowerQuest 505 AudioQuest

PowerQuest 505 Features 3 Introduction 3 Installation/Unpacking 5 Unpacking 5 Safety Information/Warnings 5 Servicing/Return to AudioQuest 5 Power Source 5 Placement 5 Connection to Audio/Video Components 6 AC Cable Routing 6 High Current/Low-Z Power Outlets 6 Ultra-Linear Filtered Power Outlets 6 Suggested AC Connections 7 Operation and Continuous Use 8 Power Switch/Circuit Breaker and LED Power Indicator 8 Overvoltage Protection Indicator 8 Break-in Time/Continuous Use 8 Specications 9 Trouble-Shooting Guide 10 Warranty 11 Français 13 ENGLISH3 PowerQuest 505 Features ¡ Ultra-Linear Dierential Filter: 30kHz – 1GHz (well in excess of 22dB) ¡ Ultra-Linear Common-Mode Filter: 30kHz – 100MHz (well in excess of 22dB) ¡ Both lters linearized for (rising) line impedance with frequency from 0.05 Ohms (source) and 10 to 50 Ohms load (system current dependent) ¡ Non-Sacricial Surge Suppression (will withstand multiple strikes of 6000V or 3000A without damage) ¡ Extreme Voltage Shutdown: 140VAC. Will activate main circuit relay in under 0.25 seconds. Automatically resets once incoming voltage is within a safe range ¡ (4) High-Current outlets; (8) Ultra-Linear Filtered Source outlets ¡ Detachable 2-meter PowerQuest PQ-715 AC cord featuring ZERO-Tech and RF/ND-Tech ¡ Maximum Input Current Capacity: 15A RMS ¡ 2RU rack mountable metal chassis (rack ears included) Introduction The science of AC power is not simple; it demands focus, and the devil is in the details. In fact, the mammoth increase in airborne and AC-line-transmitted radio signals, combined with overtaxed utility lines and the ever-increasing demands from high-denition audio/video components, has rendered our utilities’ AC power an antiquated technology. Where Alternating Current (AC) is concerned, we’re relying on a century-old technology created for incandescent lights and electric motors—technology that was certainly never meant to power the sophisticated analog and digital circuits used in premium audio/video systems. To properly accommodate the promise of today’s ever-increasing bandwidth and dynamic range, we must achieve extraordinarily low noise across a wide range of frequencies. Further, today’s power ampliers are being taxed for instantaneous peak-current demand, even when they’re driven at modest volumes. Although we have seen a substantial increase in both dynamics and bass content from our audio software, the loudspeakers we employ to reproduce them are no more ecient than they were two to four decades ago. This places great demands on an amplier’s power supply, as well as the source AC power supplying it. Our systems’ sensitive components need better alternating current—a fact that has resulted in a host of AC power conditioning, isolation transformers, regeneration ampliers, and battery back-up system topologies. Through dierential sample tests and spectrum analysis, it can be proven that up to a third of a high- resolution (low-level) audio signal can be lost, masked, or highly distorted by the vast levels of noise riding along the AC power lines that feed our components. This noise couples into the signal circuitry as current noise and through AC ground, permanently distorting and/or masking the source signal. All sincere attempts to solve this problem must be applauded since once the audio/video signal is gone, it’s gone forever... For AudioQuest, honoring the source is never a matter of simply using premium “audiophile-grade parts” or relying on a proprietary technology—common approaches used within the audiophile market. For years, we have all been witness to the same, seemingly endless audiophile debates: Valves versus transistors. Analog versus digital. Can cables really make a dierence? The debates go on and on. While we, too, can brag about our many unique technologies, we realize that true audio/video optimization is never a matter of any one secret or exotic circuit. When it comes to noise dissipation for AC power, many approaches can yield4 meaningful results. However, they may also impart ringing, current compression, and non-linear distortions that are worse than the disease. Though it’s easy to boast, it’s quite another thing to create a solution that is consistent, holistic, functional, and that honors veriable science. It’s not enough to reduce AC line noise and its associated distortions at just one octave, thus leaving vulnerable the adjacent octaves and octave partials to noise, resonant peaking, or insucient noise reduction. Consistency is key. We should never accept superior resolution in one octave, only to suer from masking eects a half-octave away and ringing artifacts two octaves from there. This is the principal criterion for all AudioQuest’s AC power products. The PowerQuest 505 represents over 25 years of exhaustive research and proven AC power products designed for audiophiles, broadcast engineers, and professional audio applications. We welcome you to experience the PowerQuest 505 and hear rsthand the remarkable results of highly optimized power management. —Garth Powell, Senior Director of Engineering, AudioQuest5 Installation | Unpacking Before unpacking your PowerQuest 505, inspect the carton for any obvious damage to the boxes and internal protective materials. If internal damage is likely, contact the carrier who delivered the unit. If shipping damage is evident on the product, then please contact your shipping carrier. Please save all shipping and packing materials. Should you move or otherwise need to transport your PowerQuest 505, these packing materials will ensure the safest transportation. The carton should contain the PowerQuest 505 (120V North American NEMA Edison AC Outlets), two foam inserts, owner’s manual, rack-mount kit, and 2m PowerQuest PQ-715 AC power cord. Registration is recommended. In the event that your original ownership documents are lost, your registration can be used to establish whether the unit is within the warranty period. Safety Information | Warnings Before operating the PowerQuest 505, please read and observe all safety and operating instructions. Retain these instructions for future reference. ¡ Do not disassemble or in any way modify the PowerQuest 505. There are no user-serviceable parts inside. ¡ Keep away from moisture and avoid excessive humidity. ¡ Do not allow liquids or foreign objects to enter the unit. Servicing | Return to AudioQuest Servicing of the PowerQuest 505 must be performed by AudioQuest, and is only required when: ¡ The PowerQuest 505 has been exposed to rain, ooding, or extreme moisture. ¡ The PowerQuest 505 does not appear to operate normally. (See “Trouble-Shooting Guide.”) ¡ The PowerQuest 505 has been dropped and sustained considerable physical damage. If sending the PowerQuest 505 to AudioQuest for servicing (or shipping it for any reason), please use the factory-approved packaging materials. If you have lost any of these (carton, two foam inserts, one poly bag), please contact AudioQuest for replacements. We will provide replacement packaging materials for a nominal charge; shipping costs will be paid by the individual or company requesting the packaging material. Please do not rely on other methods of packaging, including those provided or suggested by packaging/mailing stores. These methods and materials could seriously damage the product, as well as its nish. Even the loss of the thick polybag is enough to permanently damage the nish during transport. If you have lost the original packaging material, please request replacement materials from AudioQuest. Power Source Ideally, the power source to which the PowerQuest 505 is connected should be adequate for use at 120V single phase nominal voltage, 15 amps (current capacity RMS or greater). For proper operation, the PowerQuest 505 requires a safety ground (supplied via the power utility AC wall outlet). Placement The PowerQuest 505 is manufactured with four rubber-foam textured polymer feet for safe, secure placement on any table, cabinet, shelf, or oor. Placement or proximity to other components is not critical, and, under standard use, the PowerQuest 505 does not produce any appreciable heat. The PowerQuest 505 may be rack-mounted in a standard 19” rack by attaching the included 2-RU rack ears.6 To attach the optional rack ears to the PowerQuest 505 chassis, rst remove the three Phillips athead screws from the front portion of both the left and right sides of the cover assembly. Next, mount the rack ears ush with the PowerQuest 505’s front panel. Finally, secure the rack ears into place by installing the rack-mount kit’s Phillips pan head screws. When tight installations do not provide adequate room in a rack, shelf, or cabinet, the PowerQuest 505 can be placed on its side. Such placement will pose no safety or performance compromises, but we recommend placing a soft towel or carpet under the unit to prevent the chassis and front panel from being scratched or marred in any way. Connection to Audio/Video Components AC Cable Routing Once the PowerQuest 505 is placed, a 15-amp-rated (or greater), high-current AC cord must be connected to the rear-panel AC inlet (IEC-C14) connector. The AC cord must have an IEC-C13 female end connector and a grounded male 120VAC Edison/NEMA plug for use in North America or Taiwan. We highly recommend the use of the supplied PowerQuest PQ-715 AC cord or any AudioQuest NRG-Z, Wind Series, or High-Current Storm Series AC cable. When facing the PowerQuest 505’s rear panel, the IEC-C14 inlet is located on the unit’s lower-left side. The AC inlet cord must be connected to an appropriate AC outlet (see “Power Source”). Though a conventional AC outlet will function safely and yield high performance, for the very best sonic performance, we strongly recommend the installation of the AudioQuest NRG Edison 15 or 20. Whenever possible, it is best to keep at least three inches (approximately 7cm) between AC cables and any signal cable. When this is not possible in a practical layout of system cabling, crossing the AC cables to signal cables at 90 degrees is best to minimize induced noise. High-Current | Low-Z Power Outlets There are four High-Current Power outlets (labeled “1” through “4”—four outlets in all). These are designed to ensure optimal performance from any power amplier, monoblock amplier, integrated amplier, powered receiver, or powered subwoofer, by minimizing the AC impedance to the amplier power supply. However, the other eight AC outlets (Ultra-Linear Noise-Filtering), are not optimized for most 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 PowerQuest 505’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 Filtered Power Outlets There are 8 discrete outlets in all, labeled “5” through “12” that utilize this technology within the PowerQuest 505. All eight of these are in turn isolated from the High-Current outlets, labeled 1 through

4. 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 PowerQuest 505’s output circuits.7 Though it would be simple to recommend putting the digital or video components into outlets 5, 6, 7, and 8, and the line-level audio components and turntables into outlets 9, 10, 11, and 12, 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 can eliminate 100% of all noise. The size of many of these RF-induced waveforms possess sinewaves as small as the edge of a piece of paper, and the interactions are complex. So long as the power ampliers are in their appropriate outlets (1 through 4), and the other components are in outlets 5 through 12, you should experience exemplary performance. Suggested AC Connections 15 Amp Rated AC Cord Phono Amp Cable / Sat Box DACSwitcher Line-Level Pre Amp Mono Block Stereo Amplier Phono Amp Cable / Sat Box DACSwitcher Line-Level Pre Amp Mono Block Turntable Phono Amp Cable / Sat Box DACSwitcher Line-Level Pre Amp Mono Block Line-Level Preamp Phono Amp Cable / Sat Box DACSwitcher Line-Level Pre Amp Mono Block Phono Pre- amplier Phono Amp Cable / Sat Box DACSwitcher Line-Level Pre Amp Mono Block Streamer – DAC Phono Amp Cable / Sat Box DACSwitcher Line-Level Pre Amp Mono Block Cable / Satellite Box Phono Amp Cable / Sat Box DACSwitcher Line-Level Pre Amp Mono Block Flat Screen Monitor / Projector Phono Amp Cable / Sat Box DACSwitcher Line-Level Pre Amp Mono Block Universal / CD PlayerSwitch Phono Amp Cable / Sat Box DACSwitcher Line-Level Pre Amp Mono Block Phono Amp Cable / Sat Box DACSwitcher Line-Level Pre Amp Mono Block Powered Loudspeaker Powered Loudspeaker Phono Amp Cable / Sat Box DACSwitcher Line-Level Pre Amp Mono Block Phono Amp Cable / Sat Box DACSwitcher Line-Level Pre Amp Mono Block Subwoofer Phono Amp Cable / Sat Box DACSwitcher Line-Level Pre Amp Mono Block Note: Outlets 5 through 12 are subject to many variables and circuit conditions, so experimentation for best results is encouraged. Power ampliers must be connected to outlets 1 through 4.8 Operation and Continuous Use Power Switch | Circuit Breaker and LED Power Indicator Once the AC cords are properly connected to the AC source tap, and the components are connected to the appropriate outlet banks, it is safe to energize the PowerQuest 505. On the right-hand side of the PowerQuest 505’s front panel, there is a black rocker switch. Firmly press the rocker switch so that its upper portion is ush with the front panel. Typically, within a couple of seconds, you should hear an audible “clack” sound(s) from one or more relays within the PowerQuest 505. At the same time, the front-panel LED power indicator will glow green, signifying that the unit is operational. (If this does not occur, see the “Trouble- Shooting Guide” in this manual.) Overvoltage Protection Indicator One portion of the PowerQuest 505’s non-sacricial surge protection is dedicated to a fast-acting extreme voltage shutdown circuit. If more than 140VAC is present on the incoming AC line for more than a quarter of a second, the circuit will instantly open a high-current relay that will disengage the AC power from all the PowerQuest 505’s AC outlets, activating the red front-panel LED “Overvoltage Protection” warning indicator. Once the event has passed, or the building wiring fault has been corrected, the circuit will automatically re-engage. Break-in Time | Continuous Use The PowerQuest 505 is made of a variety of passive and active components. As such, the PowerQuest 505 will benet from continuous use, just like any other audio/video component. This is not to say that you will be made to “suer” through weeks or months of intolerable performance until that “magic day” when the parts are fully formed and ready. On the contrary, the PowerQuest 505 will perform very well from the rst moment you use it. It will improve gradually, in small increments, over a period of approximately two weeks. While leaving the PowerQuest 505 turned on during this period will aid the process, it is also perfectly acceptable to turn the unit o; doing so will simply increase the time it takes to reach nal “break-in.” The PowerQuest 505 has a 5-year warranty, but it was designed to last for over two decades. Provided that the PowerQuest 505 is used inside a home, store, studio, or oce with a reasonable climate (45 degrees to 100 degrees Fahrenheit, with less than 20% humidity), it can be left on continuously; there are no parts that will wear out.9 Specications PowerQuest 505 ¡ Surge Suppression: Non-sacricial (nothing to damage with repeated 6000V/3000A input surge tests, which is the maximum that can survive through a building’s AC electrical panel). ¡ Extreme Voltage Shutdown Voltage: 140VAC (will activate the main high-current relay to open within less than 0.25 second; automatically resets once the incoming power is within a safe range). ¡ Transverse-Mode Noise Filtering: Well in excess of 22dB from 30kHz to 1GHz, linearized for dynamic (rising) line impedance with frequency (source) and 10- to 50-ohm load, system current dependent. ¡ Common-Mode Noise Filtering: Well in excess of 22dB from 30kHz to 100MHz, linearized for dynamic (rising) line impedance with frequency (source) and 10- to 50-ohm load, system current dependent. ¡ Maximum Input Current Capacity: 15 amps RMS ¡ 12 AC Outlets: 4 High-Current; 8 Ultra-Linear Filtering. ¡ Power Consumption: Typically, less than 0.5 amps at 120VAC input, with all connected components operational. ¡ Dimensions: 17.0” W x 3.4” H (3.5” w/ feet attached) x 13.4” D (2-RU rack-mounting ears are provided) ¡ Weight: 10.8 lbs. PowerQuest PQ-715 AC Power Cable (2m | 6’6”) ¡ 14AWG | 15A RMS capacity; NEMA male plug with IEC C-13 female connectors ¡ Semi-Solid Concentric Long-Grain Copper (LGC) Conductors ¡ ZERO-Tech (No Characteristic Impedance) for uncompressed current transfer ¡ RF/ND-Tech minimizes circuit misbehavior by canceling induced RF noise ¡ Direction-Controlled Conductors assure induced noise is properly dissipated and drained10 Trouble-Shooting Guide At AudioQuest, we always appreciate hearing from you. However, if you have questions, problems, or suspect that your PowerQuest 505 requires service, please start here. There is no power to any of the AC outlets. When the PowerQuest 505’s front-panel LED power indicator glows green, the unit is operational. If the Protection On indicator is not lit, consider the following:

• Is the upper portion of the front-panel rocker switch fully ush with the chassis?

• Is the input AC cord fully inserted into the PowerQuest 505’s AC inlet?

• Is the input AC cord properly plugged into the wall AC service outlet?