Troubleshooting Guide

ManualsBrandsAudioquest ManualsSurge ProtectorsAudioQuest Niagara 7000 Low-Z Power Noise-Dissipation System

Operation and Continuous Use

Power Switch/Circuit Breaker and LED Power Indicator

Once the AC cords are properly connected to the AC source tap, and the components are connected to the

appropriate outlet banks, it is safe to energize the Niagara 7000. On the right-hand side of the Niagara 7000’s front

panel, there is a black rocker switch. Firmly press the rocker switch so that its upper portion is ush with the front

panel. Typically within a couple of seconds, you should hear an audible “clack” sound(s) from one or more relays

within the Niagara 7000. At the same time, the front-panel LED power indictor will glow blue, signifying that the

unit is operational. (If this does not occur, see the “Trouble-Shooting Guide” in this manual.)

Rear-Panel Power Correction Switch/Niagara 7000 Current Draw

The default position for this switch should always be “Engaged”—even for applications in which there are no

power ampliers of any kind powered by the Niagara 7000. Defaulting to “Engaged” serves two functions: It

activates the Transient Power Correction Circuit for power ampliers that would be energized by outlet banks 1 or

2, and also provides a portion of the Ultra-Linear Noise-Dissipation Circuit for outlet banks 3 through 6. Although

no damage to the Niagara or the connected components will occur, performance will be noticeably compromised

when this switch is not set to the “Engaged” position.

However, there is one exception to this. Niagara 7000 has an internal current sense circuit that will automatically

engage the Transient Power Correction Circuit, as well as turn it o when your audio/video system is placed in

standby mode. To utilize this feature, two things must be present:

1. The primary power amplier(s) or powered receiver must be connected to High Current/Low-Z

Power Correction Bank 1 only (as it is the only power bank with the current sense monitoring for

this circuit function).

2. The primary power amplier(s) or powered receiver must have a power standby mode, and its

current consumption at 120VAC in standby mode must not exceed 25 watts. (Although 1 watt is

an industry standard for standby power, many great ampliers routinely dismiss it for reasons of

performance over power savings. Therefore, you should consult the specication sheet in your

amplier’s user manual.)

If these two requirements cannot be met, simply place the power correction circuit switch in the “Engaged”

position and leave it there! Rest easy, knowing that you will receive every last bit of performance the circuit

can deliver.

However, if your system allows for the scenario listed above and your amplier(s) or powered receiver meets

the criteria listed above, you may wish to take advantage of the standby circuit. (It is likely that many systems

will meet these criteria. However, if the standby function is not important to you, simply leave the switch in the

“Engaged” position).

The standby function was not created to place the connected system into a standby or switched mode, but rather

to place the Transient Power Correction Circuit into standby mode (disengaged), for instances when the system is

powered but not functioning (i.e., when there is no signal present). This was implemented because the Transient

Power Correction Circuit creates a reactive current draw of as much as 9 to 10 amps RMS at idle (real world draw

is a small fraction of an amp), and electrical technicians who connect a current probe to a product such as this

are frequently alarmed: They suspect that the product is either broken or that it is drawing a distressingly high

amount of current from the wall outlet (akin to a pair of monoblock power ampliers left in full operational mode).

This is actually far from the truth. If the Niagara 7000 was consuming that much current (or even 20% of that level),

it would need to dissipate the energy loss in heat. It would be quite warm (even hot) to the touch, just like most

power ampliers while in operation. In fact, the Niagara 7000 runs cool, precisely because this current reading is

false. The circuit utilizes massive capacitive reactance across the AC line, which, akin to a battery, will both absorb

Summary of content (9 pages)

PAGE 1
Operation and Continuous Use Power Switch/Circuit Breaker and LED Power Indicator Once the AC cords are properly connected to the AC source tap, and the components are connected to the appropriate outlet banks, it is safe to energize the Niagara 7000. On the right-hand side of the Niagara 7000’s front panel, there is a black rocker switch. Firmly press the rocker switch so that its upper portion is flush with the front panel.
PAGE 2
and immediately release the current several times per second. Further, when incorporated with power supplies such as those found in power amplifiers, the current readings actually come down! This is due to what’s known as a vector load, and it’s quite dynamic in an audio system. In this scenario, there is one thing that can run somewhat warmer than it might otherwise: the AC cord that supplies power to the Niagara 7000.
PAGE 3
amps per isolated dielectric-biased symmetrical power group; this will have no effect on power amplifiers that can draw far in excess of 5 amps! Most line-level audio products will draw far less than one amp—typically, a fraction of an amp. Most projectors and flat-screen televisions are also well under 5 amps, though there are exceptions. Most plasma televisions are also under 5 amps, and, contrary to myth, are not current-starved devices; they utilize voltage amplifiers with constant current draw.
PAGE 4
Specifications Surge Suppression: Non-sacrificial (nothing to damage with repeated 6000V/3000A input surge tests, which is the maximum that can survive through a building’s AC electrical panel). Extreme Voltage Shutdown Voltage: 140VAC (will activate the main high-current relay to open within less than 0.25 second; automatically resets once the incoming power is within a safe range).
PAGE 5
Trouble-Shooting Guide At AudioQuest, we always appreciate hearing from you. However, if you have questions, problems, or suspect that your Niagara 7000 requires service, please start here. There is no power to any of the AC outlets. When the Niagara 7000’s front-panel LED power indicator glows blue, the unit is operational.
PAGE 6
The main power rocker switch/circuit breaker tripped to the lower (off) position while the system was playing. You may have exceeded the maximum current capacity of the Niagara 7000. This should be rare, but it may be possible. Typical power amplifiers draw about one-third of their maximum current consumption at 120VAC, as listed in the product’s specifications (typically found in their owner’s manual).
PAGE 7
Trouble-Shooting Guide, continued the main or primary power amplifier(s) are not plugged into High-Current AC bank 1, the power amplifier has insufficient current draw to activate the circuit, or the circuit is miscalibrated. When the Power Correction switch is set to the “Engaged” position, the current sense circuit will be defeated.
PAGE 8
In rare circumstances, there are some computer peripherals or DACs that feature three-prong grounded AC cords and whose circuits rely on a hard AC ground (i.e., they cannot be floated). Under these rare circumstances, you may obtain better results with that one component plugged into one of the High Current/Power Correction outlets or into an accompanying Niagara 5000, 500, 200, or 100 Low-Z Power Noise-Dissipation System. My home or grounds were hit by lightning.
PAGE 9
Trouble-Shooting Guide, continued What you are experiencing is called magnetostriction. When an extraordinarily high quantity of harmonic distortion is present on an AC line, or when the AC line contains some DC offset voltage that should not be present, even the finest power transformers in the world will react to this problem.