June 10, 2014
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Audio Excellence AZ Power Wing II, Part 2
The reader is once again encouraged to visit the Audio Excellence AZ web site for a more thorough description of the Power Wing II but here are some selected highlights of both the stock model and my particular unit. The use of the word “stock” is rather misleading because Alan Kafton works closely with his customers in determining exactly what will go into the finished product in order to suit his or her sonic preferences.
Stock Model
• Overall dimensions are 20 inches long X 5 inches wide X 5.5 inches tall.
• The chassis is constructed of 18-gauge, non-magnetic stainless steel with a curved bottom similar to a bathtub shape.
• The top plate is 14-gauge non-magnetic stainless steel (this is where the outlets are affixed).
• Computer Numerical Control fabricated one-inch-thick Corian end-caps. The end-caps act as supports and footers for the chassis and also assist in the dispersion of spurious vibration. The Corian supports allow the Power Wing to be placed on either of its sides (inside an equipment rack), or upright, next to or behind equipment racks, when space is at a premium.
• The user may choose any three Oyaide outlets for the Power Wing II. Each duplex receptacle is electrically isolated and filtered from the other. (There is an upcharge for the R-1 model.)
• Furutech gold-plated 15-amp IEC inlet.
• The ultra-fast Carlingswitch™ magnetic circuit breaker was chosen for the on-off switch.
• The internal circuitry is a very low impedance, non-current-limiting design and is completely hand-fabricated.
• High-purity Cardas solid-core, 10-gauge copper is used for the buss architecture.
• All of the internal circuitry including the inlet are deep-cryo treated twice, and certified by Cryogenics International.Subject Power Wing II
• Three Oyaide R-1 oulets and R inlet.
• Bybee Gold AC Bullet (no longer manufactured).
• Fo. Q damping materials used inside and on the outlets, the IEC, the top plate, and a few other select places.The stock model costs $3,250 and one similar to mine (without the Bybee) would be approximately $3,650.
The Power Wing II arrived in late January, 2014 and as can be seen in the photographs below, it was very well-packed and survived its journey from Phoenix unscathed.
Power Wing II Packaging
Packaging
The fit and finish of the unit was first-class.
Top View With R-1 Outlets
Side View
Rose Corian End Cap With Logo
Initially, the Power Wing II was placed directly on my living room carpeting to the right of the equipment shelves. However, I was able to get the power cords to lie with almost no touching between them by placement on the left. After discussions with Alan, I also purchased a large bamboo cutting board to separate the Power Wing II (and the Vajra power cord) from the static-prone nylon carpeting in my apartment.
Original Right Side Positioning
Current Left Side Positioning on Bamboo Board
Listening Impressions:
• One word repeated itself over and over in my listening notes: clear. Details and subtleties previously buried in the recording mix were considerably more apparent.
• The music was housed in the quietest envelope my system had ever produced.
• What I call inner detail and what most closely corresponds to the sustain portion of a musical note was more nuanced.
• The decay portion of notes went on longer as a result of the lowering of the system’s noise floor.
• Bass was more authoritative and a singer would, on occasion, take up residence in my living room.
• The treble was smooth but very well extended imparting a greater degree of clarity to transients.
• The sound stage extended well into the room as it had before but also farther behind the plane of the speakers than previously.
• Dynamics on both a micro- and macro-level were significantly better with no congestion.
• Color saturation, fine detail and depth of image on video (both from my cable box and Oppo BDP-95 and later the 105D) had never been this good.
• The differences between recordings especially when listening to playlists comprised of many different albums were easily heard.I could go on in this vein but I think the point has been made.
Concluding Thoughts
What I’ve found over the years and especially most recently is that what I used to consider to be peripherals are in fact vital to my overall musical enjoyment. The judicious selection of products such as power conditioners/ filtration devices and power cords has elevated the performance of my system to the point where audiophile wanderlust is no more. As much as the original Power Wing was an improvement over the Shunyata conditioners I’d been using, the Model II was in an entirely different league. Its R-1 outlets and R inlet mated perfectly with both my wall outlets and the majority of my power cords.If you’re considering cleaning up the electrical power going into your components so that you’re able to truly hear and see what they’re capable of, the Power Wing II should definitely be at the top of your short list. Especially if you were considering spending a heck of a lot more than what the Power Wing II costs. Enthusiastically recommended.
Comments (1)
Those close to me learned decades ago how clean AC makes all the difference in the context of audio/video/computer systems. Most of the PLCs we tried introduced a set of compromises. With entry-level systems, we can tolerate those compromises. But with high-quality systems, our PLCs' colorations are unacceptable.
I initially experienced the Power Wing in the early-to-mid 00s. Its lack of distortions set it aside from all the other PLCs we tried and had lived with. Furthermore, the Wing is dead-nuts silent, and does NOT generate heat. Countless audiophiles have complained to me that their PLCs make buzzing noises, or give off heat. In my book, those are no-no's.