Jump to content
IGNORED

iFi's AC iPurifier (official) - Mains Noise Buster - New videos!


Recommended Posts

When will it be available? I looked at several of your UK dealers and it isn't listed.

Main listening (small home office):

Main setup: Surge protector +>Isol-8 Mini sub Axis Power Strip/Isolation>QuietPC Low Noise Server>Roon (Audiolense DRC)>Stack Audio Link II>Kii Control>Kii Three (on their own electric circuit) >GIK Room Treatments.

Secondary Path: Server with Audiolense RC>RPi4 or analog>Cayin iDAC6 MKII (tube mode) (XLR)>Kii Three .

Bedroom: SBTouch to Cambridge Soundworks Desktop Setup.
Living Room/Kitchen: Ropieee (RPi3b+ with touchscreen) + Schiit Modi3E to a pair of Morel Hogtalare. 

All absolute statements about audio are false :)

Link to comment

AC iPurifier

Part 1/5: Actively goes where no purifier has gone before

1.thumb.png.d901b1f7eed59f30c3726d2df5d6bbd4.png

Mains is the fuel that powers an audio system. Whether it is clean or not has a material impact upon quality and the user’s enjoyment of playback. iFi’s latest ‘power product’, the AC iPurifier, is no ordinary mains purification commodity.

 

Technologically advanced, it is an ACTIVE not a passive product, so it goes above and beyond and cancels far more noise across the frequency range than passive devices.

 

They are, in effect, flip sides of the same coin and are the bane of audio systems regardless of the type of power supply.

 

It is effective against both:

  1. Common mode noise existing equally on both of the power pins, referenced to the earth pin.
  2. Differential noise existing only between the two power pins – the net to earth is zero.

 

Nullifies noise others can’t reach

Compared to other generic noise filters, the AC iPurifier is superior because it is ACTIVE as opposed to passive. This enables it to achieve a far more comprehensive termination of noise across the frequency spectrum. As noise exists across the frequency range, this clearly means the AC iPurifier is unparalleled when it comes to neutralizing noise.

 

This chart compares the AC iPurifier (green linewhich is ACTIVE to generic mains filters   (red linewhich are typically passive.

2.thumb.jpg.fa37cfe9199830834a561cdfefa9ec0a.jpg

The effective noise reduction difference is as different as night and day.

 

  1. MUCH better at up to -40dB and…
  2. Effective across a wide frequency range, compared to passive filters which cover only very high RF frequencies.

 

Every audio system benefits from the AC iPurifier

The AC iPurifier is designed for use in ANY mains powered audio system and is very effective when added to modern audio systems that have an abundance of digital and analogue components. Typically these systems are powered from a plethora of mains plugs. All of these ‘wall warts’ can add their own unwanted noise issues and pollute the local mains supply. However, the design of the AC iPurifier is such that it is even more effective if several are used to ‘contain’ the same type of noisy sources.

 

Insert it into the AC mains wall outlet supplying the audio system OR insert into the mains extension block powering the audio system. Try both locations to determine which has the greatest impact on improving any noise issues.

 

3.thumb.png.5f3e3892c0cf0cc6078ab892c1f42c7e.png

 

Bristling with serious Power Technology

Compared to similar AC power products, the AC iPurifier can boast the technological features below, making it far more comprehensive and effective than its rivals.

 

4.thumb.jpg.e934ddd4b00a7a78c0373ac20d06f00c.jpg

 

Stay tuned, there's more!

Our PowerStation is here: click me!

 

Check out our Tidal MQA Set-up Guides below. 
Android (Renderer) Mobile
Desktop (Decoder) via USB
Desktop (Decoder) via SPDIF

Link to comment
On 23.12.2017 at 5:51 AM, Boomboy said:

hey there .. wondering if there will be different plugs available to suit different countries ? like how your ifi audio power adapter comes with multi country adapters ? or uk plug only ? thnx

 

Our AC iPurifier is available in USA and EU plug types.

Our PowerStation is here: click me!

 

Check out our Tidal MQA Set-up Guides below. 
Android (Renderer) Mobile
Desktop (Decoder) via USB
Desktop (Decoder) via SPDIF

Link to comment
On 26/12/2017 at 12:08 AM, AMR/iFi audio said:

 

Our AC iPurifier is available in USA and EU plug types.

Is there any likelihood of a version with UK plugs?

Eloise

---

...in my opinion / experience...

While I agree "Everything may matter" working out what actually affects the sound is a trickier thing.

And I agree "Trust your ears" but equally don't allow them to fool you - trust them with a bit of skepticism.

keep your mind open... But mind your brain doesn't fall out.

Link to comment

AC iPurifier

Part 2/5: Mains noise. A real bane.

 

Power supply noise is the bane of every audio system. There are always multiple sources of noise and they come from two main sources – inside and outside.

 

External noise is all around

 

This chart shows that noise is anywhere and everywhere and some of it inevitably ends up in the mains that supplies the audio system, due to the mains wiring acting as aerial. Most of the sources, we can do little about as they are found in everyday life such as radios or mobile phones.

 

1.thumb.png.eaed2f83a1ea3409b1e616ceec0d60b2.png

 

The next chart shows the ‘local’ noise sources found in and around an audio system.

 

Local noise comes from hi-fi components

 

These sources of noise are found in hi-fi systems and come from three main sources:

  1. AC mains power supplies
  2. Switch-Mode Power Supplies
  3. Digital circuitry. 

2.thumb.png.a77a7824a4b5db2aa20367ea0829e876.png

 

From left to right:

 

The first set of noise sources (10k > 10MHz) relate to AC supply rectifiers and their harmonics caused by Linear Power Supplies (LPS). Yes, they make a noise!

 

The second set of noise sources (67k > 200 MHz) is caused by Switch-Mode Power Supplies (SMPS). By comparison, these harmonics run in the higher frequencies.

 

The third set of noise sources (8 MHz > 500 MHz) is caused by digital circuitry, clocks and their harmonics. And this type of noise exists in the most upper frequencies.

 

You can see from the chart that the concentration of noise is from 30kHz upwards (the lower the dB, the less influential is the noise).

 

 

LPS vs SMPS

 

It is worth noting that, as much as LPS designs get a good reputation and SMPS designs get a bad reputation, the reality is somewhere in between. And the situation is dynamic.

 

3.thumb.jpg.07a1171bb8fbba9264fe0005f1572a46.jpg

 

First, LPS designs are on the whole, good and, on average, are quieter than poorly designed SMPS power supplies (which tend to be more for charging mobile phones and are not optimised for noise). This is why LPS is often perceived as superior to SMPS.

 

Hybrid and electric cars used to be shunned, yet they are now all the rage. We believe the same is happening for SMPS. These are now more environmentally-friendly and consume far less power. Whereas all SMPS used to be ‘noisy’, we are one of the few companies who have broken down the SMPS into its constituent parts and fundamentally re-designed it for audiophile use ie super low-noise. The iPOWER is the ‘Model 3’ of SMPS power supplies.

 

Nevertheless not everyone has an iPOWER at their disposal. It is therefore important to be able to effectively deal with normal SMPS noise which can be quite severe.

 

The next section explains which aspects of the AC iPurifier target the different groups of noise and how this compares to the common approach.

 

 

1.png

2.png

Our PowerStation is here: click me!

 

Check out our Tidal MQA Set-up Guides below. 
Android (Renderer) Mobile
Desktop (Decoder) via USB
Desktop (Decoder) via SPDIF

Link to comment
11 hours ago, AMR/iFi audio said:

We'll just put it here: 2 PCBs and 109 parts in total.

 

B.thumb.jpg.d75ee36c3b87ffb702a2f19d18f36a10.jpgA.thumb.jpg.76b2c526cc2c00481aaf9aa9a7b387b4.jpg

MMmm nice!

LOUNGE:- Qobuz Studio>TP-Link RE650 WI-FI Extender>AfterDark Ethernet Cable>EtherREGEN/Farad Super3 PSU/Furutech AC input/Level2 DC cable/SR Purple fuse>AfterDark Ethernet Cable(1/2 Metre)>Lumin U1 Mini Streamer/LEEDH volume/External PliXiR BDC Elite 12v/4amp PSU>Oyaide DB-510 bnc-bnc Digital cable>MHDT Orchid Dac>Townshend DCT300 Interconnects>Airtight AMT-1S Amp>Townshend Isolda EDCT Speaker Cables>Speakers Revival Atalante 3.

LIVING ROOM:-Qobuz Studio>Bluesound Node2i (streamer only)>Oyaide DB-510 bnc-bnc Digital Cable>iFi Retro 50 Dac-Amp>iFi LS3.5 Speakers.  Various tweaks in both systems - tubes, footers, grounding, Shakti devices, Nordost QK1, Furutech fuses, resonance generators.  

Link to comment
9 hours ago, Liam said:

MMmm nice!

 

We think so as well. As far from snake oil as it gets. And it's worth to know that AC iPurifier is a very usefool diagnostic tool in general. It'll show whether earth or polarity are off. These are things everyone can and should have in check.

Our PowerStation is here: click me!

 

Check out our Tidal MQA Set-up Guides below. 
Android (Renderer) Mobile
Desktop (Decoder) via USB
Desktop (Decoder) via SPDIF

Link to comment
4 hours ago, AMR/iFi audio said:

 

We think so as well. As far from snake oil as it gets. And it's worth to know that AC iPurifier is a very usefool diagnostic tool in general. It'll show whether earth or polarity are off. These are things everyone can and should have in check.

 

What kind of socket is used for the ground?

 

Does it accept 4mm banana plugs?

no-mqa-sm.jpg

Boycott HDtracks

Boycott Lenbrook

Boycott Warner Music Group

Link to comment
On 12/28/2017 at 4:30 PM, AMR/iFi audio said:

AC iPurifier

Part 2/5: Mains noise. A real bane.

 

Power supply noise is the bane of every audio system. There are always multiple sources of noise and they come from two main sources – inside and outside.

 

Very cool post! I had a lot of improvement in my rig with the original iDSD Nano doing these 4 things among others, some of which is relevant to the power supply noises (or ripple or leakage currents, etc...):

 

1. Pair the iDSD Nano with my Single-Ended Tube Amp (of course)

2. Build a computer-side USB Filter + a DIY USB Connection which allows power injection near the DAC + 

Experimented with shielding configurations around the data lines

3. Build a Linear Regulated PSU for the DAC (thanks for some help when I asked questions about characteristics - that helped)

4. Add my AC Filter box (did you know that this also works for TV Picture Quality? It certainly does here)

 

EMC...

 

By the way, folks, I owe you guys a big apology for a potential review - was really, really taken with a lot of technical stuff (Neural Networks and more) the whole year and forgot to loop back.

 

All the best to Thorsten and the team for 2018, keep up the good work - just today I was thinking about how cool it was that AMR/iFi continued work on the iDSD Nano firmware well after I bought it, giving us firstly a really clever implementation of an initially not-even-advertised higher DSD rate, and then also making the firmware update process available to those using Macs. directly.

 

Kudos!

Dedicated Line DSD/DXD | Audirvana+ | iFi iDSD Nano | SET Tube Amp | Totem Mites

Surround: VLC | M-Audio FastTrack Pro | Mac Opt | Panasonic SA-HE100 | Logitech Z623

DIY: SET Tube Amp | Low-Noise Linear Regulated Power Supply | USB, Power, Speaker Cables | Speaker Stands | Acoustic Panels

Link to comment
15 hours ago, One and a half said:

Looks very much like a 4mm hole.

 

It actually is. It can be used to create a supplementary ground/earth connection for audio systems where there is no ground/earth present. The supplementary ground/earth connection is ‘smart’ as it will NOT introduce a ground loop EVEN if the system is already earthed (as more than one earth also creates a ground loop).

Our PowerStation is here: click me!

 

Check out our Tidal MQA Set-up Guides below. 
Android (Renderer) Mobile
Desktop (Decoder) via USB
Desktop (Decoder) via SPDIF

Link to comment

AC iPurifier

Part 3/5: Active beats passive.

 

Passive filtration is the most common approach seen in aftermarket power supply accessories.

However, it is not without its limitations:

  1. It filters only in the very high frequencies in the high MHz region.
  2. To be effective, the capacitors must be large and this means bulky and costly.

Given these drawbacks, the AC iPurifier had to be different, more thorough and more comprehensive.

The solution for the AC IPurifier is active + passive sections for the most complete purification over the frequency range.

 

1.       Active Noise Cancellation (ANC)   - covers high KHz and low MHz ranges

2.       Passive Noise Reduction (PNR)     - covers the high MHz range

3.       Intelligent Earth                                 - connects to devices without earth to drain mains leakage noise to earth

 

The chart below illustrates the impact upon noise.

 

1.thumb.jpg.4291f79e12f7b05569a54da152fd7a03.jpg

 

The black line represents normal noise found in a system with no remedy for it. It runs across the frequency range at 0dB as it is not reduced.

 

The red line represents typical mains accessories that have passive circuitry – these typically start to work at around 1 MHz.

 

The green line represents the AC iPurifier impact by starting at 10k and then reducing noise by up to 40dB all the way up to 100 Mhz! By comparison passive filtration starts much higher in the frequency range at 1 MHz so misses out on filtering two-thirds of the noise.

 

AC iPurifier against generic passive filters

 

As explained earlier, external sources of noise, from radios to TVs to mobile phones, are not concentrated in just one area as they contribute to noise across the frequency range.

 

The graph below shows how the AC iPurifier nullifies external noise sources across the frequency spectrum.

 

By comparison, the generic passive filter does not deal with certain radios and walkie-talkie type products.

 2.thumb.jpg.21037099297e41203aefc74c1ac1e6af.jpg3.thumb.jpg.7d024bb3ea4ea0944be347b2d045aa56.jpg

With local sources of noise, these range from linear power supplies (yes they make noise!) to switch-mode power supplies to digital circuitry and all the related harmonics.

 

It should be no surprise that, with the AC iPurifier actively covering the frequency range, far more noise is reduced – by an impressive -45dB or so!  

 

By comparison, with a generic passive filter, noise from linear power supplies and switched-mode power supplies remain with only some digital circuitry being attended to.

 

4.thumb.jpg.aec5f1c00c0112bb4cccc816ea761c95.jpg5.thumb.jpg.26d8cf0c51c0a1d3152998c5d62f8785.jpg

 

Our PowerStation is here: click me!

 

Check out our Tidal MQA Set-up Guides below. 
Android (Renderer) Mobile
Desktop (Decoder) via USB
Desktop (Decoder) via SPDIF

Link to comment

AC iPurifier

Part 4/5: Where to deploy.

 

The AC iPurifier works by taking out noise across the frequency range. In terms of effectiveness, it typically reduces noise by up to 100x or 40dB (and sometimes more).

 

The following diagram shows the placement of three AC iPurifiers in one system.

1.thumb.png.07c5c8d0cd2629cc85cae7382332f49f.png

  • The first AC iPurifier (1) is best inserted into the shared mains wall outlet that supplies the downstream audio system.
  • A second AC iPurifier (2) should then be situated at the first entry point of the wall mains into the extension block.
  • A third AC iPurifier (3) is then best located in-between the two types of power supplies. For example we recommend that all linear power supplies are located after the second AC iPurifier but before the third. All SMPS power supplies should then be located after the third AC iPurifier.

 

By connecting this way, all the respective noise is ‘contained’ and terminated in its immediate vicinity. Also, the digital and analogue power sources should be in their respective groups as shown in the above diagram.

 

Our PowerStation is here: click me!

 

Check out our Tidal MQA Set-up Guides below. 
Android (Renderer) Mobile
Desktop (Decoder) via USB
Desktop (Decoder) via SPDIF

Link to comment
  • 3 weeks later...
18 hours ago, soundlogic said:

Sub'd...Would appreciate hearing from actual user's.

 

We look forward to more feedback as well. The product itself is quite new, hence it might take a while before users can contribute here with solid 'yay' or 'nay' opinions.

 

But yes, we are curious indeed!

Our PowerStation is here: click me!

 

Check out our Tidal MQA Set-up Guides below. 
Android (Renderer) Mobile
Desktop (Decoder) via USB
Desktop (Decoder) via SPDIF

Link to comment

AC iPurifier

Part 5/5: Not just a pretty case.

1.thumb.png.6fd43cae71ad99abd1dcb9cc659265d0.png

Not only does the AC iPurifier carry out exceptional noise filtration, it also has several other features to go that extra mile:

  1. Smart Diagnostics of Polarity – with both versions, EU and USA, it is possible to connect in the opposite polarity. The AC iPurifier detects a change and indicates this.
  2. Smart Diagnostics of Earth – detects if the audio mains system it is inserted into has a Ground/Earth or not.
  3.  Intelligent Ground – by attaching the optional ground cable, it is possible to give any system an audio ground. Going directly to the AC iPurifier and into the mains, the Ground/Earth will be of the highest quality connection, making it the most effective at draining system noise.
  4. Overvoltage Protection System means that electrical shorts, lightning strikes and surges in the mains will be detected and the AC iPurifier will clamp the voltage to safe levels to protect your AV components from damage.

 

To summarise:

  • The AC iPurifier is no ordinary mains filter.
  • Firstly, and most importantly, it purges the audio system mains of noise using both Active and Passive technologies to work across a wide frequency spectrum.
  • Secondly, it provides an intelligent Ground/Earth to reduce noise for cases of a “missing earth” causing problems with noise.
  • Thirdly, it checks and detects the local mains for Earth and Polarity anomalies.
  • There is simply no other mains power improvement accessory like it.

Our PowerStation is here: click me!

 

Check out our Tidal MQA Set-up Guides below. 
Android (Renderer) Mobile
Desktop (Decoder) via USB
Desktop (Decoder) via SPDIF

Link to comment

I use an Airlink Transformers Balanced Power Supply (EU) for all non-SMPS connections (i.e. DAC/AMP/Schiit EITR Step-down transformer). Can the AC iPurifier be used with a BPS ? Will the advantages you describe still apply with a BPS ?

 

Disclaimer: I am no electrical or electronics engineer.

Main System: NAS or QOBUZ > BlueSound Node 2i > Schiit Gungnir MultiBit > PYST XLR > Schiit Mjolnir 2 or Gilmore Lite MK2

 

Office System: iMac > Audirvana > Schiit EITR + Audiophonics LPS25 > Metrum FLINT NOS DAC (DAC TWO chips) > Schiit Magni 3+ > Aeon Flow Open

 

Loudspeaker System: NAIM Muso Gen 2

Link to comment
22 minutes ago, Charente said:

I use an Airlink Transformers Balanced Power Supply (EU) for all non-SMPS connections (i.e. DAC/AMP/Schiit EITR Step-down transformer). Can the AC iPurifier be used with a BPS ? Will the advantages you describe still apply with a BPS ?

 

Disclaimer: I am no electrical or electronics engineer.

There's a polarity LED, it won't understand a balanced supply.

AS Profile Equipment List        Say NO to MQA

Link to comment

Still can't find any online store in Europe or UK that has it listed for ordering...

Main listening (small home office):

Main setup: Surge protector +>Isol-8 Mini sub Axis Power Strip/Isolation>QuietPC Low Noise Server>Roon (Audiolense DRC)>Stack Audio Link II>Kii Control>Kii Three (on their own electric circuit) >GIK Room Treatments.

Secondary Path: Server with Audiolense RC>RPi4 or analog>Cayin iDAC6 MKII (tube mode) (XLR)>Kii Three .

Bedroom: SBTouch to Cambridge Soundworks Desktop Setup.
Living Room/Kitchen: Ropieee (RPi3b+ with touchscreen) + Schiit Modi3E to a pair of Morel Hogtalare. 

All absolute statements about audio are false :)

Link to comment

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now



×
×
  • Create New...