PowerQuest 3: a mains filter for audio/video systems with 4K/8K outlets
The PowerQuest 3 is a mains filter with surge protection for the audio/video system at home. Its outlets are tuned to the job each one does, and alongside the power feed it also protects the signal lines. The version offered here is the European one, with Schuko sockets and plug.
The body is slim and rests on a sturdy floor stand, suited to placement behind a cabinet: cables go into the upper row of sockets without fuss. For use on a shelf the stand comes off, and both rows of sockets become accessible.
Outlets matched to each kind of equipment
The outlets fall into three groups. Those tuned for 4K/8K video add extra noise dissipation to the linear filters, to the benefit of the television. The high-current outlets feed amplifiers, active loudspeakers and subwoofers. The remaining linear-filtered outlets are intended for sources.
Filtering and protection
Noise dissipation works on two fronts: in differential mode it cuts disturbances by more than 22 dB between 30 kHz and 1 GHz, in common mode by more than 22 dB between 30 kHz and 100 MHz. Both filters are linearised for a line impedance that rises with frequency, with a 0.05 ohm source and a load of 10 to 50 ohms depending on the current the system draws. Surge protection is non-sacrificial, meaning it does not degrade as spikes recur. If mains voltage climbs too high, the main circuit relay opens in under 0.25 seconds and closes again by itself once the supply is back at safe values. The telephone, data network and coaxial lines are protected as well.
Main features
- Outlets optimised in three groups: 4K/8K video, high current, linear filter for sources
- Differential-mode noise cut by more than 22 dB from 30 kHz to 1 GHz
- Common-mode noise cut by more than 22 dB from 30 kHz to 100 MHz
- Non-sacrificial surge protection
- Extreme-voltage shutdown in under 0.25 seconds, with automatic reset
- Protection for telephone, data network and coaxial lines
- USB ports for charging devices
- 2-metre AudioQuest power cable with concentric geometry and controlled direction
