Design Parameters

The Power Wing project started out as an attempt to build a cost-no-object, ultra-high performance, superior AC line conditioner and filter, using solid time-tested engineering principles together with modern materials science. The primary goal was to produce a unit that would not only compete sonically with certain brands (some of which sold in excess of $4000), but have a price tag close to one-half of those costly products. With extensive beta-testing, and in-system comparisons over a period of nearly two years, that goal was realized.

The Power Wing is a ground-up, true form-following-function design, utilizing an 18-gauge, non-magnetic stainless steel chassis (with a curved bottom similar to a bathtub shape), 14-gauge non-magnetic stainless steel top plate (where the outlets are affixed), and CNC-fabricated one-inch-thick Corian end-caps. These end-caps were not only designed to act as supports and footers for the chassis, but also assist in the critical dispersion of spurious vibration. Only meticulous CNC-assisted design could accomplish this task. With these Corian supports, the Power Wing can even be placed on either of its sides (inside an equipment rack), or upright, next to or behind equipment racks, when space is at a premium. Overall dimensions are 20 inches long X 5 inches wide X 5.5 inches tall.

Physical Layout

The chassis shape was determined only after the internal circuitry was optimized, creating a specific distance from (and reduced interaction with) the nominal electrical field created around the transmission line-designed circuitry. The radii, and sloped sides were chosen to minimize and disperse mechanical vibration. There are no abrupt ends, corners, or walls to reflect vibration. Even the curved “lip” and flange, where the top plate meets the chassis, was designed in this fashion. Inherent with the concept of vibration control and dissipation is the use of dissimilar materials, which have differing densities, and differing resonant frequencies. Application-specific, vibration dampening materials line the walls and flanges of the stainless steel chassis as well. The non-magnetic stainless steel chassis acts as a Faraday shield, very effective in reducing RFI/EMI in noise-rich environments.

The Oyaide duplexes are laid out end-to-end, to facilitate better separation of equipment power cables (i.e., “dressing” the cables… a free but important tweak). These duplexes are, perhaps, the finest made. As there is a 6-or-8-inch “halo”, or electrical field surrounding a power cable, the Power Wing design offers the benefit of spreading out or distancing the power cables from each other, thereby reducing field effect interactions. This benefit is audible in many higher-resolution systems. Additionally, the Furutech gold-plated 15-amp IEC inlet was placed away from the duplexes, so that the cable powering the unit (and connected to the wall outlet) is diverted in a wholly-different direction, away from the cables originating from the audio/video equipment. An ultra-fast Carlingswitch™ magnetic circuit breaker was chosen for the on-off switch, the first line of defense in the three-stage surge and spike protection circuit. These switches have a far greater and faster clamping action than the thermal switches used on most audio/video equipment.

A world’s first, Power Wing customers have their choice of configuration with any of the SWO-series Oyaide outlets at no extra cost (R-1’s are outfitted as an $55 upcharge). With this choice, a system may now be tuned to one’s own sonic preference… no more one-size-fits-all line conditioning. And with the 15-amp Furutech IEC inlet, one isn’t required to purchase a dedicated specialty power cable as with some power line conditioners… you can use what you already own, again, choosing and maintaining your own sonic preference.  The newer Oyaide Inlet R (with identical plating and substrate as the R-1) is also available as a $20 upgrade.

Choosing Your Outlet

Your choice of power cable, IEC inlet (either Furutech gold or Oyaide Inlet R), and combination of Oyaide outlets, together with the superb transparency of the Power Wing, provides you the ability to custom-tailor your system to meet your personal preferences and sonic goals.

Here are the respective sonic qualities, to help determine which outlet is preferable for your listening tastes. All the Oyaide outlets provide a superior amount of clarity and musical information.

• SWO-GX – offers a relaxed, mid-hall presentation, with layers of depth. The sound field is quite spacious, musicians and singers are presented with organic wholeness and rock-solid image specificity, and speakers tend to completely disappear.
• SWO-DX – provides a more “immediate” and vivid presentation, with the sound field nearer the plane of the speaker, as if you moved your listening chair closer to the recording. Subtle details in the recording seem more evident, since the overall presentation has been moved forward. This effect is similar to sitting closer to the concert stage.
• SWO-XXX – offers the deep and wide soundstage of the GX, but with a “cooler”, more neutral tonal balance. It provides additional micro-detail and nuance, together with enhanced venue information retrieved from the recording.
• R-1 – offers the greatest frequency extension of all the Oyaide, together with a deep and wide soundstage, superior clarity, nuance, and refinement. As a further benefit, custom combinations of these outlets can create an amazing synergy, and offer you the “best of all worlds”.

Internal Circuitry

The internal circuitry, a very low impedance, non-current-limiting design, is completely hand-fabricated, taking advantage of traditional transmission line theory and field effect theory. This design reduces and controls the EMF (and interaction) of the buss bars and solid-core copper conductors… they are spaced in a very particular way. Further, the overall circuit design and parts choice was optimized by PSpice computer modeling. For instance, certain components in the filtering circuits were specifically placed to reduce frequency-specific electrical resonance. Each duplex receptacle is electrically isolated and filtered from the other. Therefore, digital and video equipment can benefit from electrical isolation while plugged into the same chassis as analog equipment, avoiding the otherwise necessary expense of a duplicate conditioner. The noise-canceling design covers an extremely wide bandwidth of more than 1 gigahertz, additionally addressing certain air-borne electrical noise issues that further contaminate our audio & video systems.  The new Power Wing II features high-purity Cardas solid-core, 10-gauge copper for the buss architecture, a vast sonic improvement over the original Power Wing.

As a matter of practical use, ultra-high power amplifiers and even subwoofers can be plugged into the Power Wing II without current limitation or sonic detriment. And another World Power standard… the entire circuitry (including the Oyaide outlets, Carlingswitch™ magnetic circuit breaker, and Furutech 15-amp IEC inlet (or Oyaide Inlet R) has been deep-cryo treated twice, and certified by Cryogenics International.

Reviews

Positive Feedback – Dave Clark & Robert H. Levi
“…delivered a highly delineated musical sound field that was lusciously enveloping and involving.”

Positive Feedback – Danny Kaey
“The Power Wing is truly a work of art, a marvel of superlative construction and parts quality.”

Audio Asylum
“It was obvious after listening to the first tract on the first disc, … that this was a special piece of audio gear.”

Audio Asylum
“[Power Wing’s] honest neutrality is not only welcomed on high-end gear in general, but on the solo Naim CDX2 as well”

Testimonials