˻ PREMIERE ˼

⌈ AUDIOPHASE is a one-man audio company founded by Mr. KAROL GOLIŃSKI in 2017. One of the distinguishing features of the new times is that audio companies are not only being set up in cities, but also in small towns – this is the case here. AudioPhase is based in the village of Suków, in the Kielce district. We are testing its first ever AC power strip, the TUNAMI. ⌋

IT SEEMS TO ME THAT WITH THEIR NEW SERIES OF AC power cables and AC power strip, Audiophase is entering a new phase of its business (the manufacturer stylizes the name to AudioPhase). You see, a product intended for sale is a system of connections between the originator of the idea for a product, contractors, subcontractors, employees, component sources, salespeople, the press, customers, etc. It is a very complex ecosystem, in which you have to be well-informed, so that you do not find yourself enthusiastically entering the world you love, only to hit a wall, and the shock caused by the collision effectively cures you of your dreams.

It is usually the wall that can appear at any point along the road that I have been talking about that is to blame. It is usually a combination of several smaller obstacles. However, if the manufacturer passes this first hurdle and presents a finished product that is not just a working prototype (this category also includes DIY products), it has a chance of survival – a small one, but a chance nonetheless. In audio, this is usually achieved by combining several features, including the idea and the workmanship, where the latter may initially be just OK, especially when it comes to small, one-person companies. Audiophiles looking for something new are often willing to accept this state of affairs.

However, it would be much easier if the product was refined and perfected in every respect right from the start, from the choice of components and solders on the printed circuit board to packaging and promotion. However, experience shows that this is very rare in audio. For a manufacturer to be successful, they must accumulate a large amount of start-up capital, which should last them for at least three years of work, during which time they cannot expect to earn any income. And audio is still not a friendly industry in this respect.

Sometimes we get perfectly prepared devices right from the start, be it products from Polish companies such as → AUDIO PHONIQUE; → CIRCLE LABS or Singaporean → LAIV AUDIO, but these are exceptions. The norm is to start with something simpler. Even if it's cool, maybe even quite nice, but still something “to start with”, followed by a laborious march towards sophistication. This is exactly what the first AudioPhase cables were like. They offered a very good sound, were nicely made and packaged, but were only a step above DIY products. The new series, called Tsunami, is different.

▌ Tsunami

THE FIRST AUDIOPHASE PRODUCT was the AC power cable → DEVIL. So, in a way, Tsunami products are a “homecoming”. But in a completely new version and not as a prodigal son, but as a lord. The series currently includes three products, two AC power cables and one power strip. These are mechanically and stylistically refined products in a much higher price range. The power strip we tested costs 4,000 euros; prices do not include VAT. They are excellently made and backed by many years of experience. So we are talking about products that are usually referred to as high-end.

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| A few simple words…

KAROL GOLIŃSKI
Owner, designer

TSUNAMI POWER STRIP is the result of many years of work and testing. It took six years of countless projects, prototypes, etc. until I was completely satisfied with the result and the final product that we can present to you was created. Our goal was to achieve a precise and unrestricted sound, with an accurate fast bass and also spacious like a Tsunami wave.

The conductors we ultimately decided to use are Japanese aged copper solid-core wires with a cross-section of 4.5 mm2 and Teflon insulation. Part of the grounding is made of mono-crystalline silver in Teflon. The sockets are Furutech NCF with rhodium-plated contacts. All connections are made in a so-called star pattern, with a conductor of the same length running to each socket, which helps to maintain the same sound for each socket.

The casing is made of two types of aluminum, milled on CNC machines, then subjected to glass bead blasting and anodizing. In the lower part of the body, there is a mineral feed that acts as a passive filter and signal “purifier”, as well as an internal ground conditioner. The inside of the strip is filled with anti-static fibers. All bolted connections are made with non-magnetic stainless bolts and the correct torque using a torque screwdriver.

The body rests on a solid cherry wood platform with brass spikes. The set includes pads made of two types of materials. The whole thing is designed to provide very good and effective vibration damping based on the multi-material approach that we have been using in our products for a long time. KG

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THE TSUNAMI POWER STRIP looks truly impressive. It measures 160 x 250 x 590 mm and weighs 11 kg. Placing it on a large anti-vibration platform and connecting it to it permanently has created a stand-alone device, as impressive as an amplifier, player, etc.

It contains six Furutech sockets with rhodium-plated contacts; the model is FI-E30 (R) NCF. Reminder: NFC stands for Nano Crystal² Formula. This name refers to the company's own development and refers to a special type of material, initially used by this Japanese manufacturer only for the construction of AC power plugs and sockets, such as IEC FI-50 NCF (R) and FI-06 NCF (R). The first NFC products appeared on the market in 2015. The IEC socket in the Audiophase power strip, model FI-09 NFC, is also rhodium-plated and made using NFC technology.

The body of the Tsunami is made of two types of aluminum, as Karol says. This is part of the strategy to eliminate vibrations. This knowledge is still making its way to some manufacturers, although for many the connection between power line vibrations and sound has been obvious for a long time. And it's all about the so-called “last meter”, i.e. the part of the power supply right next to the receiver - the audio devices. The differentiation of the material from which the strip is made, the mounting of it on a wooden platform made of selected wood, and the mounting of the platform on brass spikes and special washers, is part of the “tuning”; each material vibrates differently and dampens vibrations differently, both in time domain and amplitude.

One of the promoters of this approach, i.e. maximizing vibration damping, was the Japanese company Acoustic Revive. I have been using their RTP-04eu power strip, first in the Ultimate version and now in the Absolute version, for many years; more → HERE. Many manufacturers use this idea, both in terms of design and workmanship, including, let's face it, Audiophase. Although AR uses Oyaide Schuko sockets, the shape, the type of cabling and, above all, the filling of the strip is a Japanese idea.

Inside the strip, there is a mineral material used for mechanical stabilization and as an internal artificial ground, but also, as the designer says, “anti-static fibers.” When Ken Ishiguro, the designer at Acoustic Revive, came up with the RTP-6 strip in 2002, into which he pressed specially prepared wool, many audiophiles were not convinced. When he started selling it as a separate product and recommended stuffing it into the spaces under the cable connectors in audio devices, an even larger group began to wonder what he was up to.

After many years (more than twenty!), it turned out that the anti-static properties of this type of material affect the dielectric around the conductors, and thus have a positive effect on the sound itself. Mr. Ishiguro deduced this himself based on patents from other fields and subsequent listening tests. Audiophase therefore had an easier time because they were working with a ready-made solution. This way, the initial capital I mentioned could be lower. However, it could not be a simple “transplant” of the idea, but it had to be supported by an extensive research. And this, I think, is why the strip took six years to develop - every mechanical change entails changes in sound. Most often undesirable.

However, not only the appearance and design are excellent, but also the workmanship. The Tsunami is a classy product. This is also helped by the nice logo engraved on the top and the name applied there. The only thing that doesn't quite convince me are the aforementioned spikes. I am a fan of decoupling with bearings, whether in the form proposed by → FINITE ELEMENTE or in the way practiced by → PRO AUDIO BONO. But that’s me, from listening during the trials with prototypes conducted by AudioPhase, they could have learned that spikes were the best solution.

▌ SOUND

HOW WE LISTENED • The Tsunami by Audiophase is a long power strip with six sockets, which is why it did not fit on the → GRAPHITE AUDIO CLASSIC 100 ULTRA anti-vibration platform next to the RTP-4EU Absolute Acoustic Revive power strip to which it was compared.

In such cases, I usually use two bases, set up in such a way that the feet would stand on one on one side and on the other on the next. This time, however, as with the test of another such strip, → BASE POWER BASE HIGH-END 6, the company offers an integrated platform. It stands on spikes, under which I placed the supplied pads. Since the Tsunami is equipped with a ground terminal, I connected Nordost QRT QKore6 artificial ground to it; more → HERE.

Both power strips were powered interchangeably by the same cable, Acrolink Mexcel AC-PC9500 (length 2.5 m) with Acoustic Revive RAS-14 Triple-C passive filter. I also rerouted the entire power supply of the system. Since it takes time for the tubes in the SACD player and preamplifier to warm up again, two minutes had to pass between each series of comparisons. The comparison was performed in AA/BB and BB/AA sequences, with A and B known.

» RECORDINGS USED FOR THE TEST ⸜ a selection

⸜ AQUAVOICE, Flow, Audio Cave ACD-008-2024, Master CD-R (2024).
⸜ RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, Californication, Warner Bros. Records 9362 47386 2, CD (1999).
⸜ ELLA FITZGERALD, Clap Hands, Here Comes Charlie, Verve Records/Victor Entertainment VICJ 011-4052, XRCD24 (1961/1998).
⸜ TSUYOSHI YAMAMOTO TRIO, Misty, Three Blind Mice/Sony Music Labels MHCL-10160, SACD/CD (1976/2024).
⸜ JOHN COLTRANE QUARTET, Ballads, Impulse!/Universal Classics & Jazz UCCU-40001, Platinum SHM-CD (1963/2013).

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THE TESTED POWER STRIP looks extremely solid and simply well-made. Rarely used words today, in the online mill displaced by ever more advanced superlatives, after all, touch the very essence of what they are meant to convey. And in the case of Tsunami, it is reliability. And that is how I interpreted the first sounds that were heard in the AQUAVOICE’S track ˻ 1 ˺ Arcadia opening the album titled Flow.

Contrary to the idyllic title, we are talking about a dark, anxiety-ridden piece. And even a bit melancholic, as if the land of eternal happiness, as it was called, was in fact a cold, lonely place. A place of “stillness”. The Polish power strip showed this immediately, treating the musical material (correcting the signal, but I will use anthropomorphism) in a very reliable way. And this is thanks to the high resolution. That is why the difference between the sounds in ˻ 2 ˺ Book of Clouds hitting every now and then, at the beginning, close, almost within reach, and synthesizer layers set in the background, was clear.

It was also clear that this strip is set slightly higher than the reference one by Acoustic Revive, and the planes are projected further into the depth with it. The foreground is therefore further away from us. And even the aforementioned hits in the Book… were with Thunder as if milder, as if more smoothed. Because it is a clear-treble power strip, giving a strong drawing of sounds, but at the same time quite delicate in guiding the sound attack, in its contouring, it may be even considered silky. I would say tactful.

But it is not dull either, because the energy of this sound is high. The distorted, fuzzy guitar of John Frusciante, which opens the RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS album Californication, recorded in the Californian Cello studio (now EastWest Studios), was properly aggressive and punchy, and its strong rhythmic aspect was also clear. The sound of this piece was bright and open, just as it was intended – it seems – by the producer, Rick Rubin, and as the band members saw it.

The material for it was recorded with the band playing together in one place, with additional overdubs added later, all on a 2”, 24-track analog tape. This resulted in an incredible energy, which the AudioPhase power strip effortlessly transferred, as if a waterfall had flowed through it without even noticing. In fact, it did not only notice, but also slightly corrected it in its own way (all audio components correct the signal).

The correction performed by Tsunami boosts the sound slightly and emphasizes the mid-range. The band’s extremes are active and clear, but the mid-range, especially the upper mid-range, is the dominant frequency range. The reference strip corrects the sound downwards, boosting the lower midrange. RED HOT’S ˻ 2 ˺ Paralell Universe sounds quite attractive with it, despite the strong compression and suppression of the bass. With the AudioPhase strip, it was more poignant and went in the direction of a live performance, perhaps even more in the “taste” of the rock brawlers in question.

With low-compression material and a wide frequency response, these characteristics will be an advantage. While with a noisy production, whether intentionally or due to production errors, the sound will be just like the recordings themselves, with material like ELLA FITZGERALD's Clap Hands, Here Comes Charlie, the sound will be simply exciting.

The strong, almost hypnotic sound of the percussion and drums in the right channel, starting ˻ 1 ˺ Night In Tunisia, a song from the ELLA FITZGERALD album Clap Hands, Here Comes Charlie, punctuated by a much softer piano sound on the left, so with Tsunami it was clear and strong, energetic in a good way. It was a distinct, good performance without any rough edges. There was even a certain gentleness to it, resulting from what I have already mentioned, namely the inner silkiness of the performance.

The imaging that we get with this strip helps with that. I have already said it, but I will repeat it: the plans are built with it further away from us than with the reference strip. Not too far, but simply – further away. This gives them breathing space and a “distance” that most people who listen to music, regardless of the genre, like. This is why the strong treble and upper midrange we have here are not aggressive or even oppressive. We hear everything very clearly and accurately, but without exaggerating the attack and without a hint of aggression.

Interestingly, it turns out that it is not at all about the fact that the Polish power strip emphasizes something. Listening to the title track from the TSUYOSHI YAMAMOTO TRIO’s Misty, in an excellent remastered version released last year on SACD, I couldn't help but notice that the noise accompanying the recording is not at all stronger than with the reference strip, or – tested some time ago – the conditioner → ACCUPHASE PS-550 ˻PL˺; more about this version of the album → HERE ˻PL˺.

And it is quite prominent in itself, because the Three Blind Mice label recorded music without noise reduction on a multi-track tape recorder, and the material then had to be mixed onto another tape, a stereo one. And that always means one thing: noise. In any case, the delicate piano that opens ˻ 1 ˺ Misty was placed at a distance from me, as was the accompanying noise. In comparison, the Acoustic Revive strip provides a strong foreground, within reach, intensifying everything in the sound.

The tsunami eases off slightly, placing the sound at a distance from us. This does not mean a lack of involvement. It's just a different kind of involvement from the one we feel when listening to more “here and now” type presentation. It's a kind of “sound release” from the back of the stage, both in terms of imaging and dynamics. As I said at the beginning, we get a very high-resolution sound with it, so the details and - in general - the information are clear. And it's not clarity, but readability, if you know what I mean. And I mean the distinction between a multiplicity of sounds and a multitude, where multitude is the positive value and the multiplicity is overwhelming.

▌ Summary

WHAT CAME ALSO with the JOHN COLTRANE QUARTET album entitled Ballads, which I would like to end this test with. Recorded by Rudy Van Gelder in his typical manner, that is, with very closely spaced microphones, with a very high tape level, it sounded almost noble with the tested strip. It was nice, pleasant, smooth, but also powerful. Powerful not through the attack, but through “presence”. The saxophone of the leader, almost jumping out of the left speaker in some places, was gently pushed back, giving it more air around it and allowing it to “breathe” better.

Which interpretation is correct? Probably none, it is just an approximation of what the sound engineer heard in the control room of his studio in Englewood Cliffs. That is why we have a choice and the opportunity to adjust the sound to our system and expectations by selecting the right equipment. The AudioPhase Tsunami power strip will give us resolution, high dynamics and a strong midrange, including its upper part. This will give us a clear outline and strong sounds. The sound will be silky in the attack and not fatiguing. Smooth in the way it presents the attack.

It will also offer a combination of openness and distance, as it shows the events not at our “knees”, even when Fitzgerald sings close to the microphone and behind the line connecting the speakers. The low end will be clear and energetic, but not particularly compressed. Therefore, recordings with strong compression and a cut off bass can sound aggressive. Perhaps, however, exactly the way they should sound. It is a solid, decent strip in every respect, like its creator. It is, simply put, cool :) ●

▌ Technical specification (according to the manufacturer)

Maximum load: 3680 W
Maximum current (continuous):16 A
Dimensions (H x W x L): 160 x 250 x 590 mm
Weight: 11 kg

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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