All I know is it lives in the walls, and God help us if it escapes.
—Matt Hooper, AudioScienceReview.com forum
Do not anger the wire demon.
—Anonymous
Electricity is the weirdest thing. We rely on it for nearly every aspect of modern life, but it’s a bizarre force, one that is obviously dangerous, poorly understood, and mostly ignored—until it fails. Ohm’s law (current = voltage ÷ resistance) rules over every appliance we plug into the wall. The harder the appliance has to work, the less resistance it offers, and the more current it draws.
But we don’t think of this relationship. If a product has a big motor or (more pertinent to the topic at hand) puts out a whole bunch of watts, then it simply needs more current, with current being something like torque.
I told you it’s hazy. A while back I watched a video interview with Richard Feynman, the big-brained physicist. The interviewer asked why magnets push apart or slam together depending on which way they’re turned. Feynman’s wandering answer was brilliant, witty, and insulting all at once. It boiled down to: they just do. And I can’t explain why to a simpleton like you. Just like electricity, which we only really understand when we mess up and get shocked.
Point being, though, we take electricity for granted in most aspects of everyday life. Audiophiles, however, tend to spend an inordinate amount of time worrying about electricity. We obsess about the purity of the power that feeds our systems. We run dedicated lines to ensure no other appliances or lights share the same circuit. So we seem to know what we don’t want in our power. But we also know what we do need. No limiting, no constriction, no shortfall.
Purity, cleanliness, and instantaneous, on-demand power—that’s what we’re looking for, and while we’re at it, protection from power surges would be nice.
My audio setup has long been quite complicated, with many powered products running at different times through multiple conditioners. I’ve used my Nordost QB8 Mk II conditioner for years now, but it’s been filled up for a while. I had it stuffed with two turntables (VPI Prime Signature and EAT Fortissimo S), a streaming DAC–preamp (Meitner Audio MA3), two phono stages (Mola Mola Lupe and EMM Labs DS‑EQ1), an A/V receiver (Anthem MRX 300), a preamplifier (Simaudio Moon Evolution 740P), and a power amplifier (Hegel H30A). That’s eight components, right? I also had to find a home for my Google TV (4K) streamer, which is plugged unceremoniously into a non-dedicated outlet that’s shared with my projector screen.
And then the Sphinx Element 3 speakers arrived. Each speaker has three internal class‑D amplifiers, so they require power. What the hell was I to do? Neighbor Ron loaned me a sturdy but nondescript power conditioner with two orange hospital-grade outlets. It worked, but I was ashamed. A quick email to Stephen Mejias of AudioQuest netted me the loan of this here AudioQuest Niagara 5000 power conditioner.
What, how, and why
AudioQuest has been at this power-conditioning thing for a while—they released their first conditioner, the Niagara 7000, in 2015—and they’ve packed a fair bit of tech into the Niagara 5000, which retails for US$6900, CA$8900, £4999, or €5995. It’s a big, heavy component, much larger than I had expected. Measuring 5.2″H × 17.5″W × 17.2″D, the Niagara 5000 is larger than most preamps I’ve had cycle through my system, and even some amplifiers. If you’re considering this product, I suggest you take those measurements and double-check your shelf space, especially the depth, since power cords will add to it.
AudioQuest doesn’t bill this substantial product as anything so mundane as a power conditioner. Instead, the company describes it as a Linear Noise-Dissipation & Non-Sacrificial Surge Protection device. That’s quite a mouthful, and it bears investigation. Investigate I did, starting with Garth Powell’s 36-page white paper “Power Demystified,” available on AudioQuest’s website. Powell is AudioQuest’s senior director of engineering, and his paper is well written and fairly digestible. I read through the whole thing, and while I have no background in engineering, I felt like I absorbed much of the subject matter and came out the other side somewhat wiser on the topic. That said, “Power Demystified” has far too much detail to relate usefully here, so my main point is that AudioQuest has given this topic significant, in-depth thought.
One salient takeaway from “Power Demystified” is AudioQuest’s description of their Linear Noise-Dissipation technology:
AC power conditioners and/or LCR filters are passive technologies. . . . These circuits are often combinations of three passive devices, represented by the letters LCR, where “L” is inductance, “C” is capacitance, and “R” is resistance. Any combination of these devices can be utilized to filter and to a degree convert unwanted RF and electrical noise into heat. . . .
The advantage (particularly for differential AC and RF noise) of a well-designed impedance-compensated LCR filter is that it can be manufactured to handle vast levels of current without saturation or clipping, and, if properly executed, it can maintain at least some of its filtering capabilities for many octaves beyond any other circuit or design.
In my mind, protection is just as important as filtering, but we’ll first focus on the linear noise-dissipation bit. AudioQuest bills the Niagara 5000 as having “the widest bandwidth-linearized AC filter in the industry.” Back to “Power Demystified,” where Powell states: “There are at least 23 octaves of measurable noise on the AC line from mid-audio frequencies, up to the carrier frequencies of a cell tower.”
And it’s this noise, among other impurities and issues, that AudioQuest is attempting to address with their AC filter technology. Further, the Niagara 5000 can, via its Transient Power Correction circuit, accommodate 90A peak transients, ensuring amplifiers won’t be starved for current. Transient Power Correction is specifically designed to address the problem of current compression, and it is especially beneficial during extremely dynamic passages of music or when recreating transient attack and impact.
With the Niagara 5000, AudioQuest has spent a great deal of effort reducing the noise that rides along the AC ground. Again referring back to Powell’s fascinating document: “Sadly, about a third of the differential-mode (asymmetrical) noise and some common-mode noise can be found on the AC ground lead. . . . In comparison with the Line and Neutral leads, the significant attribute of the AC ground lead is that it bypasses the component power supply and makes a direct connection to most of the critical audio and digital circuits, bringing a torrent of noise along with it.”
AudioQuest attacks this ground noise with its Ground-Noise-Dissipation System, which, according to the company, delivers lower distortion and higher resolution from connected components. Further reducing noise and distortion, AudioQuest has outfitted the Niagara 5000 with what the company calls Ultra-Linear AQ‑Formed AC RF Filtering Capacitors.
Now, on to protection. I’ll sum it up using AudioQuest’s own words here, because they’re straightforward and succinct: “Our non-sacrificial surge suppression and over-voltage shutdown with automatic reset guarantee thorough protection against both catastrophic and incremental sustained damage to your system’s sensitive components. With Zero Ground-Contamination Technology, we prevent noise or surge energy from ever connecting to the AC Ground, eliminating distortion and, in some cases, sustained damage to sensitive components.”
The Niagara 5000 provides connections for a total of 12 AC cables. The outlets themselves are AudioQuest’s own NRG Edison duplex receptacles. A quick note about these things. The spring retention is the most powerful I’ve experienced, and I’ve played with a bunch of receptacle brands—Hubbell and Furutech come to mind. You’ve really gotta push hard to get the plug to seat. Of course, this is good, because (a) it means the conductors are making excellent contact, and (b) the plugs won’t come loose, which is important when you’re dealing with stiff cables. The Niagara 5000 has two distinct groups of sockets. Four are designated for high-current components, and eight for low-demand source and preamplifier devices. The high-current outlets employ the aforementioned Transient Power Correction circuitry, while the eight source-component outlets take advantage of AudioQuest’s Ground-Noise-Dissipation System.
The input of the Niagara 5000 is configured for a 20A IEC, so bear in mind that you’ll need an equivalent cable to make it go. For this review, AudioQuest provided a 2m Thunder High-Current cable (US$1495, CA$1995, £1299, €1499) thus configured. I plugged the Niagara 5000 into my Furutech GTX‑D NCF AC receptacle, which terminates a dedicated line that’s wired up with 12ga straight back to the panel and separately grounded directly to the cold water main in the furnace room. Into the Niagara 5000 I plugged every component in my system except the Google TV streamer, which remained consigned to the barren wasteland that is the original, loose, shitty receptacle shared by my projector screen. Power cords were, for the most part, Siltech Royal Single Crown, along with a Hurricane High-Current cable, which AudioQuest sent with the Niagara 5000, and which I’ll address in a follow-up review.
Transform
As I wrap up this review in late September, Ontario peaches are at their absolute peak, and we’re going through them at an astonishing rate in the Thorpe household. Eating a ripe peach is like good sex; it’s wet, messy, and you need a towel handy. The juice dribbles down your chin, and—if you’re a peach lover—your eyes roll back in your head. It’s sensory overload. It’s a similar experience for me when I listen to Chet Baker’s Chet. The midrange, right through the treble, is heavily drenched in spit and second-order harmonic overtones—only on my Analogue Productions reissue though. The streamed version from Qobuz is a pale imitation, all thin and bitey.
The Niagara 5000 made me sit up and take notice of the sensuous nature of Chet (LP, Analogue Productions AJAZZ 1135). I played this record upon first inserting the conditioner, and immediately, from minute one, I became aware of a distinct change to the way the system imaged. Baker’s crystalline trumpet was clearer, more defined in its placement in space, and Pepper Adams’s baritone sax was similarly affected. Similar effect, but different results. Baker’s trumpet gained a razor-sharp outline, with clearly defined edges and a prominent center fill. The sax was pillowy and more textured, but it also stood out against the studio backdrop, gaining body as opposed to the trumpet’s newfound clarity.
These were immediate, startling changes, beyond what I expected, and an auspicious start to the review period.
The Niagara 5000’s way with space remained a constant. With spacious, ambient music this effect was revelatory. From the Miles Davis–Bill Laswell remix mashup Panthalassa: The Music of Miles Davis 1969–1974 (16‑bit/44.1kHz FLAC, Columbia Records / Qobuz), “In a Silent Way; Shhh/Peaceful; It’s About That Time” is a trippy journey through a ’70s acid-jazz incubator, and it made me put my laptop to one side and lean back with my eyes closed. At this point in the review period, I’d already spent much time deconstructing the Niagara 5000’s way with space and with the recreation of the musical event. Whenever I used to hear someone say that a power component created “blacker backgrounds,” I always rolled my eyes. During my 26 years of writing for SoundStage!, I had never experienced such an effect. And I still think it’s a bit of a silly way to describe a system attribute. But something was going on here. Not a blacker background; no, not that.
Listening to Davis’s ethereal trumpet, how it floated above the noodling of the backing instruments, I was acutely aware of how the Niagara 5000 layered the soundfield, stacking John McLaughlin’s electric guitar atop the two electric pianos, which in turn rested above all the tinkly bits that Tony Williams banged and rustled.
So if not the legendary blacker backgrounds, then what? I’d like to change this proposition around. It seemed like I was hearing deeper into the mix, perhaps because the images were rendered more sharply, which in turn helped everything stand out against a background that was no longer relevant, because the background had disappeared.
I think I’m getting too deep into the metaphysical weeds here. Some good, old-fashioned rock’n’roll might help flush out the ambiguities. I just received the first two records in the Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab Rush reissue cycle. These are the self-titled Rush and the follow-up Fly by Night. I’ll be digging into these in my next For the Record column, but just today, as they showed up, I couldn’t resist—I scampered down to the listening room, ripping the perforated slice of poly from the outer sleeve as I went. Then I had second thoughts—before listening to these new versions, I’d probably be better served by spinning up one of my original pressings. So on went A Farewell to Kings (LP, Mercury 6338 834).
There’s no doubt in my mind that “Xanadu” is one of the best tracks that Rush ever laid down. So much happens in this track that it’s the perfect tool for analyzing a component’s nature. I will also remind you that I know this magnificent track inside-out and backward. And here, I was again struck by the change in the soundstage, and by the way the Niagara 5000 solidified Geddy Lee’s voice, which—truthfully—can sound a touch thin at best. Now, with the Niagara 5000 tuning up the juice, I found increased separation between Lee’s vocals and Alex Lifeson’s guitar, which overlap in frequency. The guitar was physically further back in the soundstage, with Lee’s voice more forward, slightly ahead of the plane of the speakers.
Another change for the better: Neil Peart’s wild, octopus-like drumming was easier to follow. I love to focus on Peart’s drum work, on his mastery of rhythm that transcends technique. It both calms and energizes me. The Niagara 5000 seemed to isolate each drum strike, adding clarity to the impact and the space before and after it.
Only good news so far, and I think this next bit is good news also—the Niagara 5000 did not change the tonal balance of my system in any way. And that’s how it should be: a power conditioner should be essentially invisible. It shouldn’t make active changes to the music’s general tenor. Now that I think about it, the Niagara 5000’s contribution to image definition and stability could easily be considered a result of a generalized cleanup, a removal of extraneous noise that results in only the musical signal being highlighted, which is the goal of this type of component, right?
Level up
Look. If you’ve got even a moderately complicated system, you need some sort of power-distribution product. You likely already have a dedicated line, and since that’s sorted, it’s time to figure out how to partition it. First things first: no current limiting, and, more importantly, you need surge protection. Those are absolute musts.
If we go beyond these two asks, things get more complicated. There are a multitude of products on the market that purport to filter noise from AC power, and I don’t profess to know whether the Niagara 5000 is the best on the market, because I haven’t tested them all. But I will tell you that it made a marked improvement in my system’s imaging and in the realism of how it presented music. In my experience, it’s rare for an ancillary component to deliver this level of change, especially in such an unexpected way. Highly recommended.
. . . Jason Thorpe
jasont@soundstagenetwork.com
Associated Equipment
- Turntables: VPI Prime Signature, European Audio Team Fortissimo S
- Cartridges: European Audio Team Jo N°8, DS Audio DS 003, Goldring Ethos SE, Ortofon MC 90X
- Phono preamplifiers: Aqvox Phono 2 CI, Hegel Music Systems V10, EMM Labs DS‑EQ1, Meitner Audio DS‑EQ2, Mola Mola Lupe
- Preamplifiers: Hegel Music Systems P30A, Meitner Audio Pre, Simaudio Moon Evolution 740P, NAD Masters M66
- Power amplifiers: Hegel Music Systems H30A, NAD Masters M23 V2, Electrocompaniet AW 800 M
- Integrated amplifiers: WiiM Amp Ultra, Spec RSA‑EX1000
- Digital source: Meitner Audio MA3
- Speakers: Focus Audio FP60 BE, Aurelia XO Cerica XL, Totem Acoustic Sky Tower, Sphinx Element 3
- Speaker cables: Siltech Ruby Crown, Audience Au24 SX, Nordost Tyr 2, Crystal Cable Art Series Monet
- Interconnects: Siltech Royal Single Crown, Audience Au24 SX, Furutech Ag‑16, Nordost Tyr 2, Crystal Cable Diamond Series 2
- Power cords: Siltech Royal Single Crown, Audience FrontRow, Nordost Vishnu, AudioQuest Thunder, AudioQuest Hurricane
- Power conditioners: Nordost QBase QB8 Mk II
- Accessories: Little Fwend tonearm lift, VPI Cyclone record-cleaning machine, IsoAcoustics Gaia III Neo loudspeaker isolation footer
AudioQuest Niagara 5000 power conditioner
Price: US$6900, CA$8900, £4999, €5995
Warranty: Five years, parts and labor
AudioQuest
2621 White Rd
Irvine, CA 92614
USA
Phone: 1-800-747-2770
Email: info@audioquest.com
Website: www.audioquest.com
