Gigawatt G-16A Single, Silver Contact Audiograde Meter Cabinet Switch, 16 Ampere

Gigawatt G-16A Single Audio Grade 16 Ampere Switch.

Retail Price : € 190,00

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 cabinet switch and Gigawatt G-044 wall outlet

by Christiaan Punter of Hifi-Advice : Gigawatt Review HFA ---

Optimal power supply begins with a properly installed power circuit in your home. It's simpler than it sounds. All you need is a direct connection to your system, or nearby. This direct cable, preferably the Gigawatt LC-Y EVO cable, is connected to the safety switch. This trips out in case of a short circuit. It's mandatory, as without this safety switch, a fire could break out in your home. As your first upgrade, you should replace the standard Automatic Switch, or old-fashioned fuse, with the Gigawatt G-16A or G-16A 2P (Dual). The G-16A Single is the single version of the double-pole G-16A 2P. The idea is that only the Phase (Brown) passes through the switch. The Neutral (Blue) wire goes directly to the meter cabinet rail. The G-16A has an OFC copper point with polished silver contact, and sits in a very sturdy special plastic housing.

Switches or Circuit Breakers

In the audio world, there are many opinions when it comes to power, power switches and fuses. A standard switch, probably built into your home, works fine for safety, but the contact points and internal conduction in such a switch don't account for very sensitive audio equipment. Cheap switches contain a non-optimized signal path and poor terminals. 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 current surge when switched on that can be 10 or 20 times the nominal value of the switch. This brief current surge can damage a normal switch, and it will gradually decline in quality. The new Gigawatt G-16A is specially built for this, and the quality of the connection remains optimal.

Fuses

Older homes often have old-fashioned fuse boxes with fuses. If you cause a short circuit, the fuse trips out, the wire melts through. You will then need to replace the fuse. The major drawback of a fuse is that all current must pass through a tiny thin wire. The cross-section of the wire of a fuse is approximately 1/50mm. You read it correctly. So there you are with nice and heavy power cords, and at the base sits a wire of at most 1/10 mm thick. If you use a couple of 100 watts, the thin wire already gets warm, and that is already detrimental to the speed of power supply. You can hear it. The dynamics change. If you use more power, the wire gets hot, and even the entire fuse gets hot. The audible results get worse. If you exceed the fuse limit, for example above 2300 watts with a 10 ampere fuse, the wire melts through, for safety reasons. Fuses don't have the crackling side effects of ordinary electronic switches, but have a strongly inhibiting effect on your audio system. Fuses are definitely not the answer. Not even if the fuse wire is made of silver, gold, or if the fuse is assembled by the so-called "Virgin Angels by Moonlight". It's simply unsuitable.

Gigawatt G-16A Single Circuit Breaker

The Gigawatt G-16A Circuit Breaker is the latest single-pole electronic safety switch, made specially for Gigawatt by Carling Tech USA for use in the EU. The 20 ampere version cannot always be used in every home. The 16 ampere version can. The housing of the Gigawatt G-16A Single is made of very sturdy thick plastic. This ensures that the contact surfaces of the switch, the silver-plated contacts, lie 100% flat against each other at all times. You can understand that if these contact surfaces are even just 1/100mm skewed relative to each other, the contact is no longer optimal. The Gigawatt G-16A Single is entirely made of demagnetized and cryo-treated material. The contact surfaces of the contacts are made of solid OFC copper, which are silver-plated and then polished. You are assured that the Gigawatt G-16A Single in the closed position truly passes all current unimpeded, without any side effects. The audible difference with an ordinary or so-called audiophile switch is enormous. The Gigawatt G-16A Single switch is officially approved in Europe and fits right into your modern meter cabinet, next to ordinary electronic switches, but not every electrician will install it, since officially both the Phase and Neutral must always be disconnected in case of a short circuit. The Gigawatt G-16A Single passes 16A current continuously, which is 3680 watts, and will only disconnect the Phase contact if exceeded. This keeps your system working optimally, and in case of short circuit, overload or other problem, the switch will open. You can restore the contact by setting the switch back to 1.

How Does It Work?

The Gigawatt G-16A switch is a high-tech purely mechanical switch. It contains no electronics or circuits. The current flow is at least 4mm2 throughout the Gigawatt G-16A switch, and the very important contact point, which ensures perfect current flow with minimal power loss, is forcefully held in place by the mechanics. In the Gigawatt G-16A switch is a 4mm2 OFC solid copper current conductor, which is wound as a small coil with a couple of turns. This generates a minimal electromagnetic field. Against this are mounted a number of very light and very thin forks. These capture the small field. If the field becomes too large, i.e., well above 16 amperes, then a pallet is shifted by the generated magnetic field, causing a pallet to be shifted, and the silver contact switch springs open. The current is then off. You can simply set the switch back to 1, and then power switches back on. This precise mechanical switch works perfectly because it is housed in a very solid plastic enclosure.

Listening

We are often asked, what difference do you actually hear? When you replace your switch, sound module, fuse with the Gigawatt G-16A, everything gets better. The dynamics become better and purer, the 3D image larger, and you definitely hear more details. Of course, it's 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 Power Filter, Power Prime or Power Conditioner.

Specifications :

Model : Gigawatt G-16A Single Audiophile Circuit Breaker

Prices : Download here the latest Gigawatt Price List

Housing : Rigid Plastic

Contacts : Solid OFC copper, silver-plated and polished

Installation : Standard Rail

Connection : Single connection up to 10mm2 cable

Rating : 16 Ampere (3680 watt)