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Inakustik Power Station AC-4500 Review
It has been such a long time since I had a high-end power conditioner in my system; it was back in the early 2000s that I had the Isotek Titan and Nova on one of my Meridian systems that I had at that time, so I was really looking forward to receiving the Inakustik Power Station AC-4500 from Karma AV. Technology has certainly moved on since then, and at the time there weren't many other options to choose from compared to now, with a multitude of products on offer. Still, with rave reviews and industry feedback, Inakustik really piqued my interest.
For many years now, I have tried to invest in the best cables I can afford, as they can make or break a good HiFi system in terms of overall sound and fidelity. Inakustik have been making cables for a long time, and the cable's construction, materials and shielding help protect the delicate audio signal from interference and noise, which can degrade the sound. Power cables and the supply are exactly the same, and because of the world we live in, with so many different appliances used in your home, they all create noise in the chain, which can affect the components and the sound we hear. Many audiophiles have realised this problem, and companies like Inakustik offer a solution in the form of the Power Station AC-4500.
Inakustik is a company based in southern Germany (Ballrechten-Dottingen) and has been hand-building high-end audio cables and accessories since 1977, so the brand has a long history. The Inakustik Power Station AC-4500 was their first-ever high-end power conditioner, with everything designed and hand-built from the ground up. With extensive research, Inakustik developed a reference Power conditioner that not only protects your components but also delivers clean power free from noise and interference, so you can get the best sound and fidelity from your system.
Build Quality and Features
The build quality, as you'd expect from a product at this price point, is stunning, with the chassis crafted from 2mm thick galvanised steel; it is extremely weighty, coming in at approx. 15 kg. The front panel has a clean look, with a brushed aluminium black finish, a power-on button, and the name AC-4500 directly below it; a bright blue LED illuminates when on, with the Inakustik name placed in the middle. On the rear, you get 6 sockets, labelled Type I and Type II. Type I sockets are used for analogue components and feature a series filter circuit, ideal for amplifiers, phonostages, turntables, and tape decks. Type II sockets feature a parallel filter circuit, suitable for digital components like DACs, CD players, or Class D amplification. The Power Station has Ferrite cores as the first line of defence against interference, with 2 types: conducted and common-mode interference. Conducted interference occurs when devices and power are turned on and off (switches), and common-mode interference comes from mobile networks, Bluetooth, or WLAN networks, which are in the air as electromagnetic waves. The design is modular and can be custom-ordered to meet individual requirements. Power within the unit is distributed by 3 solid copper bus bars and special solderless high-current connectors, which allow high current to flow without suppressing dynamics within the HiFi system. The AC-4500 also features robust surge protectionwith what Inakustik describes as a gas discharge pill that absorbs energy spikes and provides reliable surge protection.
Main features
Six
AC outlets, with phase markings to help maintain consistent mains
polarity across connected components.
Configurable
filter architecture. The six positions can be fitted with different
filter modules to suit the system and product version.
Analog/series
filtering for components such as power amplifiers, preamps, phono
stages, turntables, and tape equipment.
Digital/parallel
filtering intended for DACs, streamers, CD players, switching
power supplies, and Class-D amplifiers.
DC
blocker, designed to remove unwanted DC offset from the mains. This
can reduce toroidal-transformer saturation, mechanical hum, and heat.
Overvoltage
protection against brief, excessive voltage peaks.
All-pole
power disconnection, meaning the main switch isolates all mains
conductors rather than only one side.
Low-resistance
power distribution through solid, pure-copper busbars and
solderless high-current connections.
Individual
outlet shielding and isolation, intended to reduce interference
passing between connected components.
Heavy
metal enclosure, providing electrical shielding and damping vibrations
within the filter assemblies.
High-quality
mains sockets and an IEC C20 high-current inlet.
Made
in Germany.
For this review, I am using my ProAc D2R speakers powered by my Chord Electronics Ultima Integrated Amplifier; for streaming, I am using a LUMIN D2 streamer. For CD playback, I have a Cyrus Audio CD8SE with PSXR; for vinyl, I use the Denon DP3000NE turntable with a Dynavector MC cartridge and a Whest Audio TWO.2 phono stage. All of these HiFi components are plugged directly into the AC-4500, and I use a mix of Chord and Isotek power cables; my HiFi components are wired with XLR and RCA Montaudio cables, as well as Montaudio speaker cables. Previously, I used to use a Sound Fantastic 8-way power block to connect my components. Still, for this review, I will switch back and forth to see how much difference there is compared to the Inakustik Power Station. Thankfully, the sound Fantastic 8-way plug sits right behind the Inakustik Power Station, so swapping between the 2 is fairly straightforward.
Sound Quality and Performance
I listen to a variety of music from all genres. All formats, digital and analogue, electronic music is a favourite of mine, but then so is Pop, Rock and Jazz music. So, I wanted to make sure I sampled a lot of my favourite tracks and albums, both physical and digital copies. Listening with the Inakustik connected, then switching back to my power strip which I have been using for quite some time to show how much of an improvement it makes to my system. My system is very dynamic in its sound, and I have spent the last 4-5 months tuning it with new components, so I have been extremely pleased with the results. Plugging in the Inakustik not only seems sensible but also a logical approach, given the quality of my components and my equipment for both protection, safety and the possible sound improvements.
My first couple of albums I know and love from the band Toto with their first album from 1978 titled Toto and then their 1982 album Toto IV, I own both in high-resolution 24bit 192kHz and are stored on my NAS drives streaming through my LUMIN D2 streamer, I am very familiar with the tracks Georgy Porgy, Rosanna and Africa which are all classics from this legendary rock band and the LUMIN is using the type II digital side of filtering to the Inakustik Power Station.
My first track, Georgy Porgy, sounds sublime through my system, and until the Inakustik was placed into my system, I thought that it could not possibly get any better, but how wrong was I. With the Power Station in place this track completely opened up the sound from my ProAc speakers projecting an almost holographic and incredibly wide sound stage with so much air around each of the instruments and pin point imaging, the vocals taking centre stage, bass also sounds snappier with transient shifts that are so fast and the foot tapping rhythm and timing is improved, it is almost like the pleasure dial has been turned up to 11. It has added a level of refinement to my system that I never knew I needed. I then plugged my normal power strip back in, and the sound lost that refinement; noise and background noise, although they may not be as noticeable at first, really do damage the sound you hear, and the Inakustik removes all of this. It lets your components perform, which shows in the sound quality you hear. The sound Fantastic board really doesn't have the kind of filtering needed in a modern household; yes, it may have some filtering and surge protection, but only the basics compared to the series and parallel filtering the AC-4500 has, plus the DC blocker. Playing Rosanna from the Toto IV album with the Inakustik plugged back in place, everything comes together, and the music flows more naturally; notes sound fuller and more rounded with every strike of the piano and snap from the drums. The image opens up with excellent scale and depth to the sound. Seriously impressed listening to both these albums and the sound in high-resolution with the Power Station connected.
The next album I have been listening to is on vinyl and by the incredible French duo Daft Punk; it is one of my favourite albums from them and such a great mix of electronic, orchestral and dance music, featuring legendary music producer Giorgio Moroder and Pharrell Williams. It is one album that I continue to listen to and never tire of, it is engineered so well that it certainly allows a good system to show what it can do and with the Inakustik Power Station AC-4500 everything I have loved about this album is enhanced, bass hits harder and with the soundstage which spreads across my room with the orchestral pieces which has some stunning clarity and definition to the music. Finer details come through more easily; my ProAc D2R speakers really do surprise me sometimes with how capable they are in the bass department, and with the Inakustik plugged into my system, the resolution and definition on the track Give Life Back to Music definitely hits so much harder and sounds cleaner in its bass delivery, which you can really feel, the energy in the room is impressive from my pair of standmounts. When I switch back to my Sound Fantastic 8-way, it certainly loses some of that grip on my speakers, and the bass isn't as clean as it was with the Inakustik in place. The top end and higher frequencies sound more closed in and lose some of the openness in the soundstage once removed from my system, which has more air around instruments and makes instrument placement a lot easier with the Inakustik than with the Sound Fantastic strip. At a certain level in HiFi, these small differences become more noticeable, and the Inakustik Power Station certainly highlights them, allowing the components to perform free from mains interference and background noise, which improves the resolution and fidelity of your HiFi system.
Conclusion and Final Thoughts
The Inakustik Power Station AC-4500 has shown how important it is to have a clean mains supply feeding your system; without it, noise clearly colours the sound that you hear. The sound from my system has gone from excellent to exceptional, and this is one upgrade that needs to be on everyone's short list. Inakustik has nearly five decades of providing audiophiles with high-end audio cables and accessories but with the Inakustik Power Station it would most certainly add the finishing touch to any HiFi system. This is one upgrade I really want, and I will certainly miss the sonic benefits it's brought to my system here at The Speaker Shack, it allows my system to perform to its full potential. Truly a Reference product.
The Speaker Shack awards the Inakustik Power Station AC-4500 with a Reference award badge and stamp of approval.
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