AudioLab DC BlockVoltageConditioner

The AudioLab DC Block is designed to improve the quality of AC electricity feeding your audio and AV systems, enhancing sound clarity and performance.

Mains electricity significantly influences the audio signal as it travels through your system, from source to amplifier to speakers. Household mains supply often suffers interference from various devices, distorting the AC waveform before it reaches your components. This distortion introduces noise into the audio signal, degrading sound quality—a problem that worsens as more electrical devices populate our homes.

One common issue is the presence of DC voltage on the mains, caused by asymmetrical loads such as dimmer switches, kitchen appliances, and computer power supplies. These devices draw power unevenly, offsetting the sine wave and resulting in DC voltage on the AC supply.

AC transformers in home audio equipment, especially toroidal transformers found in amplifiers, cannot tolerate significant DC voltage without performance degradation. Even less than 500mV of DC—typical in average household supplies—can saturate transformers, adversely affecting sonic performance and causing audible mechanical vibrations.

The AudioLab DC Block blocks or cancels DC voltage present in the AC mains supply, correcting the DC offset and rebalancing the mains sine wave. Additionally, it features a high-performance audio-class filtering circuit that removes RFI/EMI contaminants from the mains supply. This reduces both differential-mode noise, often caused by cheap switch-mode power supplies, and common-mode noise from airborne interference such as phones, Wi-Fi networks, and Bluetooth devices.