September 2006 Reviewed by Randall Smith	Goertz Audio BP1000 Power Conditioner

Description Model: BP1000 Price: $399 USD Dimensions: 8.25" diameter x 3"H Weight: 20 pounds Warranty: Ten years parts and labor	Features Mounting bracket Provides balanced, symmetrical power Scratch-resistant finish 1000VA power rating Single female outlet

In the pursuit of the best home-theater experience I can afford, I’ve recently put my system through a number of changes, and have finally achieved a level of performance that has temporarily satisfied my insatiable desire for something better and given my wallet a much-needed rest. My next step is to experiment with the power from my wall outlets, and in the last two months I’ve treated my system to power that has been conditioned as well as regulated. The experience has revealed results that I can see and hear, as well as benefits that I can’t -- such as protection from power surges. I’ve come to understand that good electronic gear has a built-in tolerance for power fluctuations and unfiltered power, and that a well-designed component can perform to a high standard even within a wide range of power parameters. However, I’ve also learned that a dedicated product that delivers conditioned power can enhance those components’ performance while prolonging their life.

Recently, I reviewed the APC H15 power conditioner ($399). The H15 looks like a DVD player, with a digital readout to alert the user to a variety of functions, and it performs the basic duties for which most power conditioners are designed: Its multiple outlets and other connections are protected from power surges and dips, and the power is cleaned before being released to the rest of the system. I mention these only to demonstrate how unique the Goertz Audio BP1000 ($399) is.

Balanced power

In the 1960s, Bell Labs suggested a simple yet elegant idea that until recently was used only by motion picture studios, audio recording studios, semiconductor manufacturers, and military users: balanced power from an isolation transformer. Goertz Audio and other companies -- such as Equi=Tech, ExactPower, and Balanced Power Technology -- brought this to home-theater and audio systems. Balanced operation, according to the Goertz Audio website, suggests that "a ground is not really a ground as long as connections are not made to a single point." When 120V AC power is balanced, one leg of the circuit has +60V to ground while the other has -60V to ground (as opposed to 120V on one leg and 0V on the other). This works on the same basic principle as a balanced audio circuit, but with higher voltages: Both balanced audio and balanced AC utilize common-mode rejection to eliminate noise. Essentially, any noise common to both the positive and negative legs of the AC signal is canceled out, leaving only a clean power supply.

In steps the simple BP1000. With one male plug that attaches to a standard 120V outlet, the BP1000 is basically a balanced, shielded, toroidal power supply. The transformer is embedded in an epoxy compound inside a round, deep-drawn steel can with an outer finish of scratch-resistant, powder-coated, off-white enamel. The unfiltered power comes in from the wall to feed the transformer, which in turn feeds the system through a single female outlet. With a simple bracket with a hole for mounting to a wall, this weighty cylinder of power is easily slipped into a system.

Setup and use

From that description, you can guess that the BP1000 was easy to install. I carried the heavy, potted transformer to a wall outlet and plugged it in. With only the BP1000’s single female outlet as a source of power, I used a Monster HTS 1000 Mk.II power strip. Theoretically, the power coming out of the BP1000 is balanced and clean, so the power coming out of the Monster HTS strip should be as well. With all eight of the Monster’s outlets filled, I turned the entire system on to determine the benefits.

One problem that became immediately apparent was the effect that the Goertz-Monster combo had on my JL Audio Fathom f113 subwoofer: It sounded muffled and less lively than when plugged directly into the wall. I’d leave it plugged straight into the wall, but with the power in my neighborhood, a subwoofer without surge protection is an expensive accident waiting to happen. So I decided to dedicate the BP1000 to each component in my system in turn.

When I plugged the Fathom f113 into the Goertz BP1000, the sub leapt back to life. Over the next few days I treated myself to movies and music that pushed the limits of the subwoofer. The Goertz fed the sub’s 2500W amplifier, which in turn drove the sub better than I had ever experienced in my home. Nothing was held back: the bass was quick and hard-hitting, deep and powerful. The constant balanced power allowed this beast of a sub to perform at reference caliber for long periods of time without once flinching.

In the high-definition version of HBO’s Flight of the Phoenix, a subwoofer should create a spinning, pressurized sensation as the plane crashes into the desert. But while the Fathom f113 was attached to the BP1000 via the Monster power strip, my experience of this scene was less than memorable. The overall sound level was less impactful, and the effect in the room just didn’t cut it. Once the power strip was taken out of the equation and the BP1000 was the only source of power, the sub faithfully re-created the atmosphere of the crash.

Next, I connected the BP1000 to my Anthem MCA 50 multichannel amplifier, which drives my Aerial CC3B center speaker and my VSA VR-1 surrounds. The Anthem, too, now sprang to life, sounding even better than when plugged straight into the wall. Intricate details in the surrounds became more apparent. Most home-theater aficionados are aware of the dynamic cannon fire in the first battle scene of Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World; however, in that scene the rear soundstage is also filled with delicate ambient sounds. The wind through the sails, the footsteps of the crew on deck, the splintering of wood as the cannonballs rip the ship apart -- these make up 80% of the scene’s sound, but might not be fully appreciated on first viewing.

The power provided by the Goertz BP1000 noticeably improved these sounds. The footsteps on deck had more presence, the wind in the sails more detailed, and the sounds emanating from the center speaker were more full and dynamic than I could remember hearing before. Was it possible that the Monster power strip I’d been using for so long had actually been holding me back? Had the biggest piece -- in that everything had been plugged into it -- of my home-theater puzzle now been revealed as the enemy within? It had. One of the best compliments a power conditioner can be paid is to say that, with it, you can actually hear an improvement over the wall outlet.

I heard the same sort of enhancements with my Krell KSA-50S. The same detail and dynamic qualities came through in my experience with two-channel music. In my review of the APC H15, I referenced the blacker background and detailed ambience of Bright Eyes’ I’m Wide Awake, Its Morning [CD, Saddle Creek LBJ 72]. All of those qualities were there with the BP1000, except that the soundstage was larger and the plucked guitar strings seemed more transparent. Bass notes were exceptionally clean and delivered with more force. The power coming out of the BP1000 was as strong as the power coming out of the wall, but elements within the sound were improved.

Finally, I separately plugged my TV, cable box, and DVD player into the BP1000. The TV and cable box revealed the fewest improvements; however, the video provided by the DVD player now was better, though these improvements were not as great as with the subwoofer and the amplifiers. I usually noticed them in darker scenes in films such as V for Vendetta, in which almost every scene has been shot in a dark, dreary environment: blacks were blacker, and details had just a bit more pop.

Comparison

The APC H15 and the Goertz BP1000 both retail for close to $400, and both claim to improve the power feeding your system. While the H15 and the BP1000 both condition AC power and provide protection from power spikes, they go about it in different ways. The H15 is a quality product that cleans and helps regulate power dips and spikes, and has eight separate outlets, as well as bells and whistles galore to notify the user of its processes. The BP1000 is a unique product that performs all the same basic duties but has only one female plug -- another power strip will be needed for the BP1000 to provide balanced power to the entire system, or you’ll need a BP1000 for each component in your system. When the BP1000 is connected to a $100 power strip, its benefits are outweighed by whatever restriction of power caused by the strip. This is why I recommend dedicating the BP1000 to an individual high-current component unless you want to spend more on a better power strip than the Monster HTS 1000 Mk.II I used. The H15 provided better results for the system overall, but the BP1000 worked greater improvements when used with each component in turn.

Conclusion

Goertz Audio’s BP1000 balanced symmetrical power supply is an apparently simple product with a unique design, all wrapped up in a small, unassuming package that will simply disappear into your system. You don’t get a digital display or other bells and whistles to show you what the power supply is up to, but if you can see -- and, especially, hear -- the improvement, what more do you need?

Manufacturer contact information:

Alpha-Core, Inc.
915 Pembroke St.
Bridgeport, CT 06608
Phone: (800) 836-5920

E-mail: sales@alphacore.com
Website: www.alphacore.com

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