Ansuz Acoustics Mainz8 D3 power distributor

The notion that something doesn’t have to look fancy to be good is a very Scandi design ethos. It’s a long-term approach that means products become more attractive over time and are in direct contrast to making them flashy and of the moment for up-front appeal, which means such products look out of date a few years down the line. Ansuz Acoustics is down with this approach. There are eight versions of the Mainz8 power distributor, and all but the most expensive look almost identical. In fact, they look remarkably plain and understated.

The Mainz8 D3 sits just over halfway up the range. That is an awful lot of power distributors for one brand, but with a price range from £1,200 to £60,000, there is one for almost every budget. Ansuz is keen to point out that these are not power conditioners; instead, they are noise-reduction devices designed to deliver the cleanest AC power to the components in a system. The 3 in D3 indicates that this is the third generation of Mainz8 distributors, and the part that has evolved to this status is the so-called analogue dither technology that Ansuz use to keep noise at bay.

Analogue dither is not mentioned in any other manufacturer’s information. It is apparently based on radar tech, where a pulsing signal of a specific frequency is used in antiphase to cut through the noise and focus on the relevant frequency, which in the case of European mains is 50Hz. The D3 has eight of these dither circuits.

Zirconium power

Another technique Ansuz uses to reduce noise is Tesla coils, essentially a coil within a coil running in opposite directions. This form of balanced circuit is said to cancel spikes in the incoming power. For the third-generation Mainz8 units, a zirconium bar is used to control the resonance of the Tesla coils. Ansuz is very interested in the properties of different metals and makes a range of isolation feet made of all sorts of metals with unusual coatings; zirconium is one of their favourites, thanks to time spent with the research team at Aarhus University.

The cabinet used to contain all this radical tech is made of a ‘natural-based composite,’ which is presumably some variation on MDF as the fit and finish are exemplary, with only top and bottom plates offering a flat surface that might be prone to resonance. Of the eight sockets, one has a white ring, and this indicates that it is best suited to the preamplifier in a system as this is where best grounding is required. All the outlets are connected to a star ground with a very low impedance designed to stop noise from getting from one outlet to another.

Balls

The Mainz8 D3 follows the Ansuz protocol by standing on metal feet with a circular ring machined into the underside. This ring is designed to accept three titanium balls perched atop one of the company’s Darkz feet. As with the distributors and power cables, numerous versions of Darkz are available in a range of metals and finishes at prices that seem ambitious—at least they do—until you put them under a product like this within a revealing system.

Mainz8 distributors are only available with European Schuko and flat-pin US sockets. We may have the best mains plugs in the UK, but it’s a small market in international terms. This means that you must use cables with Schuko plugs, such as the wide range that Ansuz offers. As prices for these start at £720, this is a consideration if you need several. The cable that goes from the wall socket to the Mainz8 is a regular 13A to IEC cable and so could be from any brand, but Ansuz would prefer it if it were one of theirs. I used A2 power cables for the most part, being slightly lower up another eight-strong range. These are not at the same level in range terms as the D3, but they do the trick. They are particularly stiff cables, however, which is worth considering when ordering for a particular system; I would say that they need to be at least 50cm longer than a more flexible power cable.

Change up

The Mainz8 D3 and its associated half-dozen Mainz cables are not a quick install by power distributor standards; the cables have to be coerced into position, and it would take an hour to take the entire system from one distributor and cables to another. With this in mind, I went through the system piecemeal, contrasting the Ansuz combination with an admittedly vintage Russ Andrews pairing of Powermax cables and a distribution block that is probably a forerunner of the X6 Block but not necessarily as fancy. Essentially a much less expensive option but a decent mains distribution system, nonetheless.

I started with the System on the Russ Andrews block and cables and switched a Merason DAC1 MkII converter over to the Mainz8 whilst playing the Locrian Ensemble’s Mendelssohn Octets. The result was a significant increase in image depth alongside an evident relaxation of the presentation. The sound was no longer up front and urgent but open with better dynamics and timing. Doing the same thing with the Melco N10 server, which is effectively the source of this streaming setup, brought out space, separation, and naturalness of tone with another track. This more significant change made the overall sound sweeter due to quieter backgrounds, which revealed low-level detail that produced a more complete musical picture. It was as if someone had taken the lid off the sound so that it could open up into the room.

Switching my Lumin U2 mini streamer with Network Acoustics mods and an LDA power supply to the Mainz8 D3 made the leading edges cleaner and brought out the kick of the drum. It was a better defined and more precisely paced rendition that likewise enhanced the sense of space in the sound. The drums on Patricia Barber’s ‘Company’ really motored now with a taut, snappy drive that made the track that much more compelling.

Adapting

To contrast the effects with a Townshend Allegri Reference preamplifier, I used a UK to EU adaptor of the basic travel variety. It was not ideal, but it made the connection with that unit’s wall-wart supply doable. Even with this compromised connection, there was a clear uplift in space, dynamics, and ease, which was surprising. This preamp is fundamentally passive, the power only being necessary to allow remote control of relays, yet it sounded as if the speakers had disappeared; so much better was the imaging. I later realised I could connect an Isotek distribution block with an IEC cable to achieve the same end with less compromise.

The final step was to add the power amp to the Mainz8 D3. This was initially connected directly to the wall with a chunky Living Voice power cable, which may be why the change was so significant. The sound became cleaner here, and the separation between instruments and voices was much more apparent. The reduction in low-level noise opened up the space in the mix. It revealed the grunge in the ‘70s funk recording but removed the background noise, which was polluting the signal.

By contrast

As I was on a roll, I decided to see what the Ansuz power delivery components could do for the analogue source. I connected the Tom Evans Groove SRX phono stage and Rega Planar 10 turntable. The results were very similar to those encountered with the digital source; more relaxation, space and better image depth were the primary benefits, alongside more precise placement of instruments in the soundstage. The Mainz8 D3 and A2 cables reinforced the ease of vinyl without undermining the fabulous timing of the format. Dynamic contrasts were increased thanks to the quieter background, broadening the perceived dynamic range. One interesting contrast was with a Naim Powerline mains cable, which usually sounds excellent on the phono stage. This comparison revealed that it brings an energetic drive to the sound, but this sounded less natural in the context of a system fed by the Ansuz components.

I got a great result with the more affordable Mainz8 A3 earlier in the year and used it with the same A2 cables for long enough to make it clear that the D3 delivers a cleaner, more open and revealing result, albeit doing much the same thing but to a greater extent. The Mainz8 D3 is remarkably good at keeping noise out of the system and every component I tried it with opened up and revealed more musical detail. It’s proof that clean power delivered without compromising current delivery is the lifeblood of a high-resolution sound system; give it a try; you won’t want to go back.

Technical specifications

• Type AC mains power distributor
• Outlets Eight outlet EU or US
• Input IEC C14 230/110V
• Dimensions (H×W×D) 91 × 500 × 263mm
• Weight 5.4kg
• Price £8,500, $8,500
  A2 Mainz cable 1m £1,800, $1,800

Manufacturer

Ansuz Acoustics

www.ansuz-acoustics.com

UK distributor

Auditorium HiFi

www.auditoriumhifi.co.uk

+44 (0) 7960 423194

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