Why balanced power?

Why Litz wire?

The term Litz wire is derived from the German word litzendraht meaning woven wire. Generally defined, it is a wire constructed of individual film insulated wires bunched together in a uniform pattern of twists and length of lay. The multi-strand configuration minimizes the power losses otherwise encountered in a solid conductor due to the "skin effect", or the tendency of radio frequency current to be concentrated at the surface of the conductor. In order to counteract this effect, it is necessary to increase the amount of surface area without appreciably increasing the size of the conductor. It is also essential to position each individual strand in the Litz construction in a uniform pattern moving from the center to the outside and back in a given length. Wires intended for higher frequency ranges require more strands of a finer gauge size than Litz wires of equal cross sectional area but composed of fewer and larger strands. Each strand is designed to occupy all possible positions in the bundle to approximately the same extent. Our IC-SL design maintains uniform resistance from DC to 1MHZ. Another big advantage of Litz wire is that it does not suffer from oxidation like regular wire because each individual strand has a thin film coating (5000V rated). It will sound just as good 20 years from now as it does today.

Do not exceed the isolator's maximum power rating. To determine how much power your combined equipment draws, consult the specification pages of the respective owner's manuals or check the name plates on the back of A'V equipment for maximum current draw [AC consumption] given in amps [A] or watts [W or VA] and add them up.

To install your BP isolator, turn off all equipment and unplug it from the wall socket. Plug your BPT unit into the wall instead, then connect your components to the conditioner. First power up the BP isolator, then turn on each component, one piece at a time. We recommend using the on/off switches on each individual piece of audio/video equipment. The BP-2.5 and BP-3.5 will function perfectly on a 15 amp AC line but we recommend a 20 amp AC line be used to obtain maximum performance.

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Balanced power units contain a GFCI ground-fault protection outlet. In the event of a ground fault, the GFCI will trip to interrupt current flow to all outlets. A GFCI does not protect against circuit overloads, short circuits or shocks. It is recommended that the GFCI be tested monthly to assure proper operation. To test, simply press the TEST button--a click should be heard and circuit will be open, then press the RESET button--be sure to fully depress until a click is heard (sometimes it is necessary to use the end of a pencil to fully depress as these buttons are very small) and the circuit is closed and operational.

Plugging equipment into your new BPT unit:

No specific plug-in order is recommended or necessary as each duplex outlet contains a filter network.

Try to refrain from mixing analog, digital or video equipment on the same duplex if possible - our capacitive filtering incorporates isolation from one duplex to the next.

Note for BP-10.5: No specific order is necessary as each duplex is completely isolated from the others.

Mechanical vibration isolation: Our BPT units perform their best when isolation devices/platforms are used under the unit--such as our own Iso-Base. You will hear tighter bass and an overall increase in clarity. Depending on the particular isolation device, you will also hear slight shifts in tonal balance. There are many excellent isolation products available. A few we have tried that work well with our units are the Aurios, Stillpoints, Cerapuc and FIM 305. You will hear some improvements using isolation cones like the larger triple point brass cones from Mapleshade, DH Labs ceramic cones or Black Diamond Racing carbon fiber cones. For the DIYers -a 2" thick hard maple butcher block spiked to the floor with the BP unit spiked to the block works well. Our Signature models include custom stainless steel isolation cones. Standard models include steel balls to be placed inside the feet.

We recommend you elevate all power cords, speaker cables and interconnects that might be touching the floor. For best results use our Cable-Stilts as they not only raise cables off of carpet--they also provide vibration isolation--providing a clearer window to the music. We have also tried and recommend the Clearaudio Magix magnetic isolation devices, porcelain cable elevators and the simpler designed wood lifts from Mapleshade.

Power Cords: We of course recommend using our power cords on all your equipment since they were designed to optimally mate with our BPT conditioners. In the interest of good sound, we also recommend the "top of the line" power cords from Elrod, Siltech, Magnan, Nordost and Stealth.