Audience Hidden Treasure powerClamp
The Missing Link in AC Power.
Audience powerClamp The AC connection, mechanically stabilized.
A high-performance audio system is the sum of countless details. Yet one of the system's most fundamental connections, the point where the main AC power cord meets the wall receptacle, is typically left mechanically unsecured.
Audience powerClamp changes that.
Designed by Steve MacCormack, the powerClamp replaces the conventional mounting arrangement for the AC duplex receptacle with a rigid mechanical assembly that securely couples the receptacle and AC power plug together.
Once the power cord is inserted and the powerClamp is tightened, the receptacle, plug, and powerClamp effectively become one mechanically stabilized assembly.
The result is a more secure AC interface with greatly reduced opportunity for microscopic movement and vibration between the plug and receptacle.
In a highly resolving audio system, reducing these micro mechanical disturbances can contribute to greater clarity, focus, dimensionality, and musical coherence.
Far More Than a Power Cord Cradle
Power cord supports and cradles can be useful for relieving the weight of a heavy AC cable and preventing the plug from sagging in the receptacle.
The powerClamp addresses something fundamentally different.
Rather than merely supporting the cable, powerClamp mechanically stabilizes the electrical connection itself.
The AC receptacle mounts directly into the powerClamp assembly. After the power cord is plugged in, the powerClamp secures the plug firmly to the receptacle, substantially reducing movement at the interface between them.
It doesn't simply support the connection. It stabilizes the connection.
Why Stabilize the AC Connection?
Every component in an audio system is affected by mechanical energy. Loudspeakers produce substantial acoustic energy within the listening room, while transformers, motors, chassis, cables, floors, walls, and other structures can transmit additional vibration throughout the system.
Yet the AC plug-to-receptacle connection is normally held together only by the spring tension of the electrical contacts.
The powerClamp adds mechanical rigidity to this critical interface.
By reducing relative movement between the AC plug and receptacle, the powerClamp is designed to create a more stable electrical and mechanical connection, allowing a high-resolution audio system to reveal greater focus, clarity, and coherence.
The Story Behind powerClamp
The powerClamp was designed by renowned audio designer Steve MacCormack, who recognized that the mechanical integrity of the AC connection represented an opportunity for improvement that had largely been overlooked.
In the video below, Steve explains the thinking behind the powerClamp, how it works, and why mechanically stabilizing the AC connection can make an audible difference in a high-performance audio system.
How It Works
The powerClamp consists of two primary elements: a rigid mounting plate that becomes the new mounting structure for the AC receptacle, and the clamp assembly that secures the power cord plug once it is inserted.
With the receptacle mounted to the plate and the plug secured by the clamp, the receptacle, plug, and powerClamp become a single mechanically stabilized assembly.
1.Mount the receptacle in the powerClamp. The powerClamp becomes the rigid mounting structure for the AC duplex receptacle.
2.Insert the system's AC power cord. The power cord plugs into the receptacle normally.
3. Secure the connection. The clamp assembly is tightened around the AC plug, mechanically coupling the plug, receptacle, and mounting structure together.
Instead of two components merely touching at their electrical contacts, the plug and receptacle become part of a substantially more rigid mechanical system.
Installing the powerClamp
The powerClamp has been designed for straightforward installation in an appropriate wall outlet location.
