PLiXiR Elite BAC 400 Balanced Power Conditioner

PliXir Elite BAC 400 Balanced Power Conditioner is a four output mains conditioner, using balanced technology. The units can have a isolating transformer that blocks any noise from getting into sensitive audio equipment. This is designed for clean sound, with no hash.
The Elite BAC 400 can deliver up to 400W. Notably, The single winding transformer is balanced to reduce ground loop current and noise to a very low level. This can be good for turntables that need high gain preamps. Moreover the units can be stacked for more outputs.

Top build quality

Noratel produce the balanced transformer. This is based on their XQ eXtra Quiet noise attenuation technology. This technology can reduce both electrical and mechanical noise down to negligible levels. Additionally, the Elite BAC 400 is built by craftsmen. Electrical connections are soldered and not screwed for reliability. The wiring is point to point so there are no sound degrading connectors. This method of construction is more labour intensive, but worth the extra cost. The result can be that music flows better, with a perceptible Pure Tone difference.

PliXiR eco system

The PliXiR Elite BAC 400 conditioner is designed to be partnered with the elite range of DC power supplies. These will replace most of the PSU’s that are supplied with audio equipment. The Elite power supply units are also balanced, so that the entire power delivery system is balanced. This also requires that the connecting leads are balanced, which can create clean power right up to your audio equipment.

What is BAC power conditioning?

The power supply and system grounding can seriously affect the sound quality of any connected equipment. Noise can come from the mains itself. There are long runs of unshielded cable that act as aerials. Domestic appliances can also put spikes and mush unto the wiring. The ideal power supply would have a clean and undistorted sine wave to work with. This is designed to then be rectified and smoothed to provide a clean DC output. However in reality this does not happen.

Two types of grounding.

There are actually two types of grounding used in audio equipment. The first is the safety earth. This is used to protect the user from electrical shocks. It is connected to any exposed metal and will blow the fuse or trip, if a live conductor touches it. The second is the audio ground, this provides a zero volts refence for the audio signal path. An audio signal swings both positive and negative of the zero volts reference. If the zero volts line is not balanced it can throw of the reference, resulting in noise or clipping. Most audio equipment have both grounds connected to each other, in a complex web of noise and interference. This is known as common mode noise.

The solution to ground noise.

PliXiR employ an isolation transformed to keep out the noise and split the safety earth from the audio ground. The transformer is designed to provide good common mode noise rejection. The transformer also ensures that the live and neutral wires have a true zero reference point. As a result the connected equipment can add very little leakage current and noise to the mains system. It is designed so there is also very little noise pollution getting to the plugged-in equipment. Furthermore non balanced power supplies can leak noise to earth. On the other hand balanced power supplies have the neutral and live leads out of phase ,thus when they are rectified the noise cancels out.

Transformer design

The Noratel transformers, used in the Elite range, only have one primary winding. Unlike most millivoltage transformers that have other primary windings to cater for different mains voltages. The single winding can reduce noise and complication. Balanced transformers are more difficult to produce, however the noise performance can be far superior. The result is better current delivery and better dynamics in the music.