⌈ MUSICAL FIDELITY, a British electronics manufacturer, was founded in 1982 by ANTONY MICHAELSON, a clarinetist and amplifier designer. The company made a name for itself with the A1 amplifier, working in Class A, the X-10D ‘piglet’ and the reintroduction of nuvistors. On 8th May 2018, its founder sold the brand to the Austrian company Audio Tuning Vertriebs GmbH, the ‘house’ company of the Pro-Ject brand. Michaelson remained the company's president and chief engineer. We test its smallest AC power conditioner. ⌋

MUSICAL FIDELITY IS A BRITISH COMPANY, primarily associated with amplifiers. In fact, that was its founding story for years, according to which Antony Michaelson and his wife Marina were fired from their jobs on the same day in 1982. In order not to go mad from boredom and anxiety, he assembled on the kitchen table of his house a preamp of his own devising called - aha! - The Preamp. And the preamp is the heart of the entire audio system.

Over time, Musical's range included complete integrated amplifiers, D/A converters and Compact Disc players, and later also SACD and finally file players. In the 2000s, headphones, turntables and loudspeakers were also added to the range. Never before, however, did the company offer AC power conditioners. Their introduction to the range, however, is a logical move. Today, it is well known that the quality of the power supply, along with the suppression of high-frequency noise and vibrations, is the bottleneck of most audio systems. And, that’s what my intuition tells me, the emphasis on this aspect came with the new brand owner.

On the 1st of July this year, in one fell swoop, Musical Fidelity offered as many as four different models, adapted to different power consumption needs, from 3 A and a load of 2 x 300 W for the BPC-3 model all the way up to 16 A and 2 x 600 W and 2000 W (at peak for the BPC-16; BPC = Balanced Power Conditioner). The manufacturer uses the nomenclature ‘BPC3’, ‘BPC5’ etc., we give them in the Polish spelling ‘BPC-3, “BPC-5” etc. The devices differ in the number of zones and connection sockets and in the maximum total power of the devices that can be connected to them and that can use pure supply voltage.

The manufacturer writes about them on its website:

Not only typical main components like amplifiers, DACs or sources have an impact on sound quality (emph. ed.), also the supplied power for each device is a very important puzzle piece to create a high end audio setup.

⸜ BPC3 | Power Conditioner, → www.MUSICALFIDELITY.com, accessed: 16.07.2024.

▌ BPC-3

THE BPC-3 IS A PASSIVE POWER CONDITIONER, the smallest of the new BPC series. It offers four Schuko sockets with two separated zones, two for each. As we said, its maximum output current is up to 3 A and its maximum load, peak, is 600 W; continuous: 480 W.

Its design is based on an isolation transformer. This is one of the most popular methods wherever galvanic isolation is needed between the mains supply and the equipment being powered, mainly in industry and especially in the IT and medical sectors; important systems protected in this way are also measurement systems. The isolation transformer not only isolates, but also provides very good interference suppression over a wide bandwidth.

Why then, in audio, do we mainly see conditioners in which the noise and surge suppression circuits are parallel to the power supply lines, rather than in serial? The problem turns out to be the peculiar property of isolation transformers, in that even a high load capacity does not guarantee the rendering of the fast-changing signals present in audio - and audio is almost exclusively such signals.

One of the well-known manufacturers in the audio world that still relies on transformers is the American company → TORUS POWER. The Polish Gigawatt, on the other hand, which started with transformer designs, with time abandoned this technique and switched to parallel circuits, as in the Powermaster model (test → HERE).

But, let's be clear: there is no single method of protecting audio equipment that should be ‘believed in’. Power supply is a dynamic system, dependent on many variables, both on the power grid side and the power consumers. In my system, I use an Acoustic Revive RTP-4eu Absolute passive power strip, but both Gigawatt passive conditioners did a great job for me, and an Accuphase PS-550 active conditioner also fitted perfectly into my system; test → HERE ˻PL˺. Each, however, brought a different package of advantages and disadvantages to the table.

But I have a confession to make: for the last twenty years, one of the elements of my audio system that has never changed has been a small, three-slot conditioner with a transformer inside, once manufactured by Idhos, a company specializing at the time in the manufacture of... tube amplifiers. I have: TV set, a power supply for Nordost equipment and a LAN switch plugged into it. And I am happy with this arrangement because it keeps me safe.

FEATURES • The Musical Fidelity conditioner offers four power outlets, in groups of two. These are separate zones to which voltage is routed from separate transformer taps. In this way, we isolate not only the mains and devices, but also groups of devices from each other. For example, we can connect analogue devices (preamplifiers) to one zone and digital devices (CD and file players, LAN switches, routers) to the other.

There is another way to go, as the manufacturer writes:

The biggest advantage of multiple zones is avoiding of differential mode cross contamination between connected electronics. We strongly recommend connecting devices with switch mode power supplies in one zone and electronics with linear power supplies in the second one.

If the number of power sockets is not sufficient, a power strip can be connected as long as you don‘t exceed the maximum output power of the zone. The use of a BPC results in a larger soundstage, clearer bass contours and a better separation of instruments.

⸜ Ibidem.

The key feature of a toroidal transformer is its load rating, and the key to this is the quality of the core. As we read on the manufacturer's website, it is a strip of silicon steel with ordered crystals that is wound like a taut clock spring. There is no air gap as we know it from a standard EI transformer, resulting in a stacking ratio of 95% of its weight. The typical efficiency of a toroidal transformer is 90%, and only 10% of the power is converted into heat, electromagnetic radiation and mechanical vibration. Toroidal transformers therefore emit about one tenth of the magnetic field of EI transformers.

Thanks to CMR (Common Mode Rejection) technology, Musical says, it has managed to ‘eliminate noise’ and ‘achieve even cleaner power output’. The technique consists of providing balanced voltage to the receivers, which is why the name Balanced Power Conditioner draws attention in the device's description. One of the larger manufacturers of this type of transformer for industrial purposes, Airlink Transformers, writes:

Most mains powered audio equipment incorporate power supplies to convert the mains AC supply to DC voltages. Unfortunately these are not 100% efficient and some of the wasted power is repelled back into the mains supply as reactive power. Some of these reactive components end up on the earth line & ultimately the earthing points, earthed cable shields & the equipment chassis.

This means that these earth points are no longer truly at 0V potential, but have a superimposed electrical noise which is highly undesirable as most audio & video signals are referenced to earth. (…) The output from a balanced power supply consists of two anti-phase 115V voltages, which have been found to reduce radiated field from power cords.

⸜ Balanced Power Supply Technical Notes, → AIRLINKTRANSFORMERS.com, accessed: 16.07.2024.

This cannot be achieved with passive parallel conditioners.

The BPC-3 also offers additional protection circuitry, such as surge protection and DC blocking. This protection consists of suppressing surges in series mode. In parallel-mode conditioners, surges are ‘shunted’ to ground, which, Musical notes, increases its voltage and can interfere with audio and video signals. Musical's solution eliminates overvoltage of more than 2V above the peak line voltage, so there is no impact on the grounding.

And then there is the overload protection and the detection of an incorrect input voltage. When the unit detects an overload, a mechanical fuse (not a fusible link) placed in the input will go into protection mode, disconnecting the voltage from the output sockets. If this happens, once the disturbance has ceased, we can restore power by pressing the button next to the power socket.

The occurrence of an error is indicated by a small LED on the front panel. If everything is OK, it lights up green; if not, it lights up red. In truth, its description suggests that this is an indication that the Schuko plug has been inserted incorrectly into the wall socket. The second LED, in my ‘favourite’ blue colour, tells us that we have switched on the power with the front panel button.

The BPC-3 looks like a power amplifier and has a beautiful, solid aluminum front. Its enclosure is made of a bent steel plate. The power cable is unusual because it features an IEC 20 A plug. The unit stands on four plastic feet. And these are worth replacing with anti-vibration feet. We now know that vibrations are just as damaging to the power supply as they are to digital equipment and that it is worth taking care to eliminate them. So you can also think about a passive filter located on the top panel. The only thing I missed was a separate earth terminal.

▌ SOUND

HOW WE LISTENED • The test of the Musical Fidelity BPC-3 power conditioner consisted of comparing it, together with its power cable (I treat these two elements as a whole), to a reference system consisting of a power strip → ACOUSTIC REVIVE RTP-4EU ABSOLUTE and a 2.5m Acrolink Mexcel 7N-PC9500 power cable.

Both power cables - both conditioner and strip - were plugged into Furutech FT-SWS (R) wall sockets. These are star-connected and a separate power line runs to them, using Oyaide Tunami cable, from a separate AHP Klangmodul III fuse.

The tested conditioner stood on an Acoustic Revive RST-38H anti-vibration platform and the latter on Franc Audio Accessories Ceramic Discs Classic anti-vibration feet; the Acoustic Revive strip, in turn, stood on a Graphite Audio Classic 100 Ultra platform.

» ALBUMS USED FOR THE TEST ⸜ a selection

⸜ ISAO SUZUKI TRIO/QUARTET, Blow Up, Three Blind Mice/Sony Music Labels MHCL-10163, SACD/CD ⸜ 1973/2024.
⸜ PAT METHENY, Bright Size Life, ECM Records/Tower Records PROZ-1089, „ECM SA-CD Hybrid Selection”, SACD/CD ⸜1976/2017.
⸜ MARI NAKAMOTO WITH ISAO SUZUKI & KAZUMI WATANABE, Mari Nakamoto III, Three Blind Mice/Sony Music Labels MHCL-1016, SACD/CD ⸜ 1975/2024.
⸜ JOHN LENNON, Mind Games, Apple Records/Universal Music Group UICY-80502, 2 x SHM-CD ⸜ 1973/2024.
⸜ SIA, Resonable Wooman, Atlantic Records Corporation/Tidal, FLAC 24/44,1 ⸜ 2024.
⸜ JOEP BEVING, MAARTEN VOS, 02.07, Leiter/Tidal, SP, FLAC 16/44,1 ⸜ 2024.
⸜ TONNY ANN, TAURUS. The Tenacius, Decca Records France/Tidal, SP, FLAC 24/44,1 ⸜ 2024.
⸜ CHEAT CODES, JASON DERULO, DE LA GHETTO, Morning (With Galantis), Atlantic Recording Corporation/Tidal, SP, FLAC 24/44,1 ⸜ 2024.

» The tracks used in the test (except TBM) can be found in the TIDAL playlist → HERE

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SACD PLAYER • The difference between the reference strip and the Musical Fidelity conditioner turned out to be quite large. Not so much big as well-pronounced. The British product brings the instruments closer to us, energizing them strongly. This is something that we catch immediately - close perspective on the one hand and high energy on the other.

And yet it is the case, or at least this is how we have it in our minds, that power conditioning devices based on an isolation transformer limit the current, above all of fast-moving waveforms, and thus quench energy. Not in this case. Admittedly, we are talking about powering sound sources, not power amplifiers, but they too are subject to this ‘rule’.

Listened to, with it in mind, ISAO SUZUKI's cello from the opening track on Blow Up, ˻ 1 ˺ Aqua Marine, in Bernie Grundman's superb DSD reissue on SACD, was not only slightly magnified, but truly carried a volcano of energy. Great as it was, the short percussion solo that ends the piece sounded explosive and powerful.

The bells, entering even before the cello, had a stronger attack and were ‘heavier’ with the Musical. The whole was not as wonderfully soft and dark as with the Acoustic Revive strip, but - I got something for something else. The British conditioner manifests this ‘something’ in increasing the emotional temperature of the track. This is helped by a slightly different perception of perspective when the BCP-3 is in the system. The presentation is focused on a slightly narrower stage, while reverberations are longer and more unambiguous.

Still other changes were shown by listening to PAT METHENY's 1976 album Bright Size Life. Very pleasantly remastered in 2017 to DSD files by Christoph Stickel, an Austrian mastering artist last year nominated for a Grammy in the ‘Classical Music’ category, sounded in a very interesting way.

With Musical, its sound was lightly cleared of heaviness at the midrange and bass end. This is how the album is recorded, to be clear, but with the BCP-3 this treatment was appropriate. The whole sounded lighter, airier, and still the bass of Jaco Pastorius was strong and deep. Interestingly, the conditioner neither dries the sound nor compresses it. Interestingly, because this is another characteristic associated with isolation transformers. There is none of that here. Instead, there is density, rhythmicity and long decays.

Another thing drawing attention is also the subjective volume level. Well, with the Musical Fidelity it seems slightly lower than with the reference strip. So you can turn up the volume knob a bit more with it, and then you get higher dynamics, but not a change in timbre, not a brightening of the sound. If we play any of the DSD remasters already mentioned, we get a soft, warm sound. Even if the Suzuki disc is somewhat attacking in its nature, and the Metheny disc somewhat docile. The Musical will show this type of playing from a slightly different angle, but in full comfort.

Curious to see how the vocals would behave, I reached for two discs, the latest remasters: Mari Nakamoto III by MARI NAKAMOTO and Mind Games by JOHN LENNON; the first on SHM-SACD the second on SHM-CD. Both are recent additions to their respective publishers' catalogs and promise the best sound yet achieved from the “master” tapes. Their release is separated by only two years, as they date from 1975 and 1973 respectively.

With Nakamoto, exactly the same thing repeated itself as I had heard before with the cello - I got a deeper, longer reverb, and the vocals were closer to me. Both Kazumi Watanabe's guitar in the right channel and Isao Suzuki's double bass in the left channel behaved similarly. These instruments had high energy and were tangible. This confirmed what I wrote earlier about energizing the sound, bringing the layers closer to the listener and showing long reverberations. There was no shadow of brightening or sharpening in this which was a good thing as I hate it.

Lennon's album added something else to the mix, which I wrote about with Metheny's Bright Size Life album. I am referring to the saturation of the sound. The midrange and bass crossover is slightly pulled back with the BCP-3, but the lower bass is powerful and at the same time nicely soft. In the sense that it is naturally soft, not softened. Its focus is good, and the whole thing is clearly structured, that is, it makes musical and sonic sense, and has something about it that makes it a pleasure to listen to. The only thing that came out with Lennon was a slightly lighter vocal sound and a stronger midrange and treble breakthrough, previously unnoticeable.

FILE PLAYER • Already knowing what I've written about above, however, I was - as it turned out - not quite prepared for what the conditioner would show with a file player. It was as if streaming was a completely different world from playing physical digital discs.

As it turns out, with the files Musical turned to softness and relaxation. The heavily compressed but subjectively dynamic track ˻ 2 ˺ SII, sung as a duet with CHAKA KHAN, incidentally excellent, sounded lower, darker and denser than when fed through the Acoustic Revive strip. The bass was less controlled, but it was bigger instead.

When the singers swap voices, whether in a stanza or even in the same verse, the differences between them were smaller with Musical, as if it was trying to show everything in a more pleasant way. I write this because Khan's voice is more compressed, more strongly ‘throaty’ and sounds a bit like it was recorded elsewhere. The tested conditioner calmed down the upper midrange and emphasized the midbass, i.e. it went the exact opposite way than with CDs and SACDs.

It kept the rhythmicity, however. A special thing, because soft bass is associated with slowness. Indeed, it was the case that tracks played from the Lumin connected to the BPC-3 seemed a little slower and more relaxed. However, they were not lacking in terms of attack or tightness, as demonstrated by PRINCE's Magnificient, the virtual B-side of the digital single announcing the artist's Musicology album. Here, rhythm is the absolute basis and the backbone of the whole piece, which was clear with both Acoustic Revive and Musical Fidelity. The vocals were pulled back slightly, again different from the CDs, but it was still a big, substantial vocal.

After just these few tracks, I knew that when it comes to streaming the conditioner enhances richness at the expense of selectivity. The latter was higher with the strip, and this was due to greater differences in dynamics and timbres. The Musical, on the other hand, gave something that was not so pronounced with the strip, namely stronger fill. Not only with high-energy music, but also with quiet tracks, whether it was 02.07 by JOEPA BEVING and MAARTEN VOSA, or with Taurus by TONNY ANN.

Both of these tracks are piano pieces, but very different ones. The first was recorded with a very closely positioned microphone, presumably from a piano, the second is classical, with piano and long reverb. In both, something I've already mentioned with the SACD player has emerged, namely the ability to crank up the volume knob a little more without sound obtrusiveness problems.

▌ Summary

THAT IS SOMETHING THAT DISTINCES the tested conditioner from other devices of this type. It means intrinsic softness and energy. The selectivity was a bit lower with it than with the reference strip, it also seems that the resolution is a bit lower. But already the tonal differentiation - very nice.

And then there's that energizing I've been talking about, translating into a big sound with powerful scale, supported by strong, low, soft bass. What's cool is that you get all this not only with high-end recordings, but also with heavily compressed recordings streamed from the web, like the Morning (With Galantis) played at the very end by a group consisting of CHEAT CODES, JASON DERULO and DE LA GHETTO.

As you can see, the BCP-3 is not a typical device for this class of products. Or maybe that's just the way well-designed and well-made conditioners with an isolation transformer sound, at least when we feed signal sources and preamplifiers from them. It's really worth trying, because they give something that passive power strips and conditioners don't have, primarily low bass and high energy. An interesting set of characteristics, isn't it? ●

▌ Technical specifications (according to the manufacturer)

Output Voltage: 110-120V/220-240V
RFI attenuation: > 57dB @ 235kHz, > 40dB @ up 1MHz
2 isolated power output zones: 300VA each
3A peak power output both zones combined
Balanced toroidal power transformer
Surge protection and DC blocker ≥ 2V
Over voltage and under voltage Protection
Overload protection
Power Outlets: 4 Outlets
Isolated Power Zones: 2x 300VA
Peak Combined Power Output: 600VA / 3A
Maximum Rated Power Output: 480VA / 3A
Mains voltages: 110-120V/220-240V. AC 50/60Hz
Max. Consumption: 480W
Dimension (W x H x D): 440 x 100 x 400 mm
Weight: 11,7 kg net

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THIS TEST HAS BEEN DESIGNED ACCORDING TO THE GUIDELINES adopted by the Association of International Audiophile Publications, an international audio press association concerned with ethical and professional standards in our industry, of which HIGH FIDELITY is a founding member. More about the association and its constituent titles → HERE.

→ www.AIAP-online.org