Gigawatt G-16A 2P, Dual Silver Contact Audiograde Meter Cabinet Switch, 16 Ampere

Gigawatt G-16A 2P Audio Grade 16 Ampère Switch.
Retail Price: € 395,00

Gigawatt Power Accessories: Pure Quality! No Voodoo!

--- Also check out the review of the Gigawatt LC-Y Evo installation cable together with the Gigawatt G-C16A meter box switch and Gigawatt G-044 wall outlet by Christiaan Punter from Hifi-Advice: Gigawatt Review HFA ---

Intro: Optimal power supply begins with a properly installed power circuit in your home. It's simpler than it seems. All you need is a direct connection to your equipment, or right near it. This direct cable, preferably the Gigawatt LC-Y EVO cable, is connected to the safety switch. It trips in case of a short circuit. This is mandatory, because without this safety switch, a fire could break out in your home. As your first upgrade, you will need to replace the standard Automatic Shutoff, or old-fashioned fuse, with the Gigawatt G-16A or G-16A 2P (Dual). The G-16A 2P is the dual version of the single-pole G-16A. Both the Neutral and the Phase each have their own contact point, and an OFC copper contact with polished silver plating, each housed in a bakelite enclosure.

Switches or Circuit Breakers: In the audio world, there are many opinions when it comes to power, power switches and fuses. A standard switch, which is probably installed in your home, works fine for safety, but the contact points and internal wiring in such a switch do not account for very sensitive audio equipment. For example, cheap switches contain a non-optimized signal path and poor terminal connections. Cheap switches therefore meet safety requirements, but are sonically unsuitable for Hifi and High End Audio installations.

Inrush Problems: Modern power amplifiers can draw a brief power surge when switched on that is 10 to 20 times the switch's rated value. This brief power surge can damage a normal switch, and it will gradually decline in quality. The new Gigawatt G-16A 2P is specially built for this, and the quality of the connection remains optimal.

Fuses : Older homes often have an outdated fuse box with fuses. If you cause a short circuit, the fuse blows and the wire melts through. You will then need to replace the fuse. The major disadvantage of a fuse is that all current must flow through a tiny thin wire. The cross-section of a fuse wire is approximately 1/50mm. You read that correctly. So you have beautiful heavy-duty power cords, and at the base you have a wire of at most 1/10 mm thick. If you use a couple of 100 watts, the thin wire already becomes warm, which is detrimental to the speed of the current supply. You can hear it. The dynamics change. If you use more current, the wire becomes hot, and even the entire fuse becomes hot. The sound quality deteriorates. If you exceed the fuse rating, for example above 2300 watts with a 10 ampere fuse, the wire melts through, for safety reasons. Fuses do not have the crackling side effects of ordinary electronic switches, but they have a strong dampening effect on your audio system. Fuses are definitely not the solution. Not even if the fuse wire is made of silver, gold, or if the fuse is assembled by so-called "Virgin Angels in Moonlight". It is simply unsuitable.

Gigawatt G-16A 2P Circuitbreaker : The Gigawatt G-16A 2P Circuitbreaker is the latest dual-pole electronic safety switch, made specifically for Gigawatt by Carling Tech USA for use in the EU. The 20 ampere version can no longer be used in the EU. The 16 ampere version can. The interior of the 16A version is identical to that of the 20A, except the 16A is set more precisely, so it trips at peaks above 4000 watts, instead of 5000 watts with the 20A version. The housing of the Gigawatt G-16A 2P is made of Bakelite. This ensures that the contact surfaces of the switch, the silver-plated breakers, are 100% perfectly flat against each other at all times. You can understand that if these contact surfaces are even just 1/100mm misaligned relative to each other, the contact is no longer optimal. The Gigawatt G-16A 2P is completely made of demagnetized and cryo-treated material. The contact surfaces of the breakers are made of solid OFC copper, which is silver-plated and then polished. You are assured that the Gigawatt G-16A 2P, when closed, truly conducts all current unimpeded, without any side effects. The sonic difference compared to an ordinary or so-called audiophile switch is enormous. The Gigawatt G-16A 2P switch is officially approved in Europe and fits perfectly in your modern fuse box, alongside ordinary electronic switches. The Gigawatt G-16A Dual conducts 16A current continuously, which is 3680 watts, and will disconnect the contacts of the Phase and Neutral when exceeded. This way your system continues to operate optimally, and in case of short circuit, overload or other problem, the switch will open. You can restore the connection by switching the breaker back to 1.

How it works: The Gigawatt G-16A switch is a high-tech purely mechanical switch. It contains no electronics and no networks. The current throughput is minimal 4mm² throughout the entire Gigawatt G-16A switch, and the very important contact point, which ensures perfect current throughput with minimal current loss, is forcefully pushed into place by the mechanism. In the Gigawatt G-16A switch there is a 4mm² OFC solid copper conductor for the current, which is wound as a small coil with a few windings. This generates a minimal electromagnetic field. Against this, a number of very light and very thin forks are mounted. These capture the small field. If the field becomes too large, well above the 16 Ampere, then a pallet is shifted by the generated magnetic field, and the silver contact switch springs loose. The current is then off. You can simply set the switch back to 1, and then the current switches back on. This precise mechanical switch works perfectly because it is housed in a Bakelite casing.

Listening: We are often asked, what difference do you actually hear? If you replace your switch, audio module, fuse with the Gigawatt G-16A 2P then everything improves. The dynamics become better and purer, the 3D image larger, and you will definitely hear more details. The quietness also increases significantly, there is simply less stress in the sound, and the distortion is lower. Of course it is best if you not only replace the switch, but also the cable to the system, and the outlet, and if in your budget, a Gigawatt Powerfilter, Powerprime or Power Conditioner.

Specifications:

Brand: Gigawatt Poland
Model: G-16A Dual (2P)
Type: Dual-pole Audio Meter Cabinet Switch
Installation: Standard Rail
Connection: Dual Connection up to 10mm² cable (1 x In, 1 x Out)
Rating: 16 Ampere (3,680 Watts)
Casing: Bakelite

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