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

Gigawatt G-16A Single Audio Grade 16 Ampère 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 distribution board switch and Gigawatt G-044 wall outlet by Christiaan Punter of Hifi-Advice : Gigawatt Review HFA ---

Intro : Optimal power supply begins with a properly installed circuit in your home. It's simpler than it seems. All you need is a direct connection to your equipment, or close to 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, as without this safety switch, a fire could break out in your home. As the first upgrade, you will need to replace the standard automatic shut-off or old-fashioned fuse with the Gigawatt G-16A or G-16A 2P (Dual). The G-16A Single is the single-pole version of the dual-pole G-16A 2P. The intention is that only the Phase (Brown) wire goes through the switch. The Neutral (Blue) wire runs directly to the busbar of the distribution box. The G-16A has an OFC copper contact point with polished silver contact, and is housed in a very sturdy specially designed plastic casing.

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 conduction in such a switch do not take very sensitive audio equipment into account. For example, cheap switches contain an unoptimized signal path and poor connection terminals. Cheap switches are adequate for safety, but are sonically unsuitable for Hi-Fi and High End Audio installations.

Rush-in Problems : Modern power amplifiers can briefly draw a current surge when switched on that can be 10 or 20 times the switch's rated value. This brief current surge can damage a normal switch, and its quality will gradually deteriorate. The new Gigawatt G-16A is specially built for this, and the quality of the connection remains optimal.

Fuses : Older homes often have an old-fashioned fuse box with fuses. If you cause a short circuit, the fuse blows out and the wire melts through. You will then have to replace the fuse. The major drawback of a fuse is that all current must pass through an extremely thin wire. The cross-section of a fuse wire is approximately 1/50mm. You read that correctly. So you have beautiful and heavy power cords, and at the base there is 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 the current supply. You can hear it. The dynamics change. If you use more current, the wire gets hot, and even the entire fuse gets hot. The audio results get increasingly worse. If you exceed the limit of the fuse, for example above 2300 watts with a 10 amp fuse, the wire melts through for safety reasons. Fuses do not have the crackling side effects of ordinary electronic switches, but they do have a strong 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 is simply unsuitable.

Gigawatt G-16A Single Circuit Breaker : The Gigawatt G-16A Circuit Breaker is the newest single-pole electronic safety switch, made specifically for Gigawatt by Carling Tech USA for use in the EU. The 20 amp version cannot always be used in every home. The 16 amp version can. The housing of the Gigawatt G-16A Single is made of a very sturdy thick plastic. This is to ensure that the contact surfaces of the switch, the silver-plated breakers, are at all times 100% flat against each other. 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 Single 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 can be assured that the Gigawatt G-16A Single in the closed position really lets all current through unimpeded, without any side effects. The audio difference with an ordinary or so-called audiophile switch is enormous. The Gigawatt G-16A Single switch is officially approved in Europe and fits neatly into your modern meter box, 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 allows 16A current continuously, which is 3680 watts, and will only disconnect the phase contact when exceeded. This way your system continues to work optimally, and in case of a 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 and no circuitry. The current flow throughout the entire Gigawatt G-16A switch is at minimum 4mm2, and the very important contact point, which ensures perfect current flow with minimal power losses, is pressed firmly 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. Opposite to 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 16 Amperes, then a pallet is shifted by the generated magnetic field, causing the silver contact switch to release. The current is then cut off. You can simply set the switch back to 1, and the current switches back on. This precise mechanical switch works perfectly, thanks to the fact that it is housed in a very solid plastic 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 then everything improves. The dynamics become better and cleaner, the 3D image becomes larger, and you will definitely hear more details. Of course, it is best if you not only replace the switch, but also the cable to the system, the outlet, and if your budget allows, a Gigawatt Powerfilter, Powerprime or Power Conditioner.

Specifications :

Brand : Gigawatt Poland
Model G-16A Single (1P)
Type : Single-pole Audiophile Circuit Breaker Switch
Installation : Standard Rail
Connection : Single connection up to 10mm² cable (1 x In, 1 x Out)
Rating : 16 Amperes (3,680 Watts)
Casing : Rigid Plastic

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