Audiolab DC Block 6 Promises Pure Power

Audiolab's DC Block 6 removes RFI/EMI and 'DC on the mains' to deliver pure, rebalanced power for up to six separate components.
DC Block 6 is the follow-up to Audiolab's sub-£100 DC Block released last year. However, where that was designed to connect to an individual audio component, the DC Block 6 promises to bring the "remarkable effect on sound quality" of the original to half-a-dozen components at once.
Audiolab's DC Block 6 serves the purpose of a six-way power strip but with the same mains filtering and DC-blocking tech found in the original DC Block. Here, six individually isolated outlets deliver pure, rebalanced power to every component in an audio or AV system and, says Audiolab, unlocks the complete system's true sonic potential.
Housed in a sleek aluminium enclosure and proportioned to sit with standard-width source and amp components, the DC Block 6 sports an OLED voltmeter display showing you the measured mains voltage. But, of course, you can switch this off if it gets too distracting during your listening session.
Around the back are six C13 IEC outlets to feed your audio components, while the single IEC cable connects the DC Block 6 to a mains socket.
The mains supply in a typical home is apparently subject to interference induced by a range of issues, causing the AC waveform to distort before it reaches each component, creating noise in the audio signal and degrading sound.
One common issue is 'DC on the mains'. In theory, our tech should receive pure AC, with a perfectly symmetrical sine wave alternating between positive and negative phases. However, the presence of 'asymmetrical loads' causes the waveform to become offset, resulting in the presence of DC voltage on the AC supply.
Audiolab says that the AC transformers commonly used in home audio equipment cannot tolerate the presence of significant levels of DC voltage without being compromised. We are told that less than 500mV of DC – typical in an average household electricity supply – can be sufficient to cause toroidal transformers like those found in some amplifiers to become saturated, adversely affecting sonic performance and may cause audible mechanical vibration.
By blocking or cancelling the DC voltage within the AC mains supply, the Audiolab DC Block 6 corrects the DC offset and rebalances the mains sine wave. The DC Block 6 also contains a specialised, high-performance filtering circuit that removes RFI/EMI contaminants from the mains supply.
The manufacturer says this reduces differential-mode noise (exacerbated by cheap switch-mode power supplies used by many home appliances) and common-mode noise (aggravated by airborne interference from phones, Wi-Fi networks and Bluetooth).
The result, says Audiolab, is that the noise floor drops, and the sound gains greater focus, with reduced grain, improved clarity, better-defined bass and 'airier' treble.
The Audiolab DC Block 6 all-in-one DC blocker and mains filter for audio and AV systems is available from November at an RRP of £349 in black or silver. Moreover, it comes with a complete set of power cables – six IEC C14 to C13 cables to connect its outlets to your system components, plus a cable to plug it into the mains.
Visit Audiolab for more information

Jay Garrett
StereoNET’s resident rock star, bass player, and gadget junkie. Jay heads up StereoNET as Editor for the United Kingdom and Europe regions. His passion for gadgets and Hi-Fi is second only to being a touring musician.
Posted in: Hi-Fi | Home Theatre
JOIN IN THE DISCUSSION
Want to share your opinion or get advice from other enthusiasts? Then head into the Message
Forums where thousands of other enthusiasts are communicating on a daily basis.
CLICK HERE FOR FREE MEMBERSHIP
Trending
applause awards
Each time StereoNET reviews a product, it is considered for an Applause Award. Winning one marks it out as a design of great quality and distinction – a special product in its class, on the grounds of either performance, value for money, or usually both.
Applause Awards are personally issued by StereoNET’s global Editor-in-Chief, David Price – who has over three decades of experience reviewing hi-fi products at the highest level – after consulting with our senior editorial team. They are not automatically given with all reviews, nor can manufacturers purchase them.
The StereoNET editorial team includes some of the world’s most experienced and respected hi-fi journalists with a vast wealth of knowledge. Some have edited popular English language hi-fi magazines, and others have been senior contributors to famous audio journals stretching back to the late 1970s. And we also employ professional IT and home theatre specialists who work at the cutting edge of today’s technology.
We believe that no other online hi-fi and home cinema resource offers such expert knowledge, so when StereoNET gives an Applause Award, it is a trustworthy hallmark of quality. Receiving such an award is the prerequisite to becoming eligible for our annual Product of the Year awards, awarded only to the finest designs in their respective categories. Buyers of hi-fi, home cinema, and headphones can be sure that a StereoNET Applause Award winner is worthy of your most serious attention.