Its been a while since I posted. The main reason for this is that I am busier during the Movement Control Order than pre CoVid-19 pandemic. I had to conduct a lot of online sessions related to work. Now that we are allowed back to office, everything is starting to be normalized.
I have just been given an opportunity to review the Avia Powertrans 8KVA balanced. Powertrans protect your hifi gears from inconsistent power supply while improving their performance through constant voltage. I had been using my Powertrans 4KVA version for quite a while. I never had the urge to upgrade even though my usual hifi supplier has been constantly telling me that the 8KVA balanced will improve my system up a few notches from the current level. Over the years, I am used to these typical hifi talk on how a gear can improve a system. My way is to let me listen to the gear in my system first, if it is good, I will upgrade.
With my Powertrans 4KVA in place, my system was already providing me with a 3D soundstage which I am quite happy with. Hin of Feng Yuan Audio came to install the Powertrans 8KVA about 2 months ago. The 8KVA came with a special plug to be installed on the plug point. I told him not to change my usual MK plug as I want to make as little changes as possible. He also helped to connect the Powertrans 8KVA via the MK plug from my usual plug point. Such a sport! I then connect my Aural Symphonic power cord from the new Powertrans into my Shunyata Hydra Model 8. So everything remains the same with the exception of upgrade of the Powertrans 4KVA to Powertrans 8KVA balanced. Physically, Powertrans 8KVA is much bigger than 4KVA. Side by side comparison shows that the former is 2” longer and 1” wider. It is also heavier, but I don’t have the information on this. So the only way to know what improvement the Powers 8KVA can bring, is to listen to it.
First impression was very positive. The first thing that grabbed me was everything is so “alive”, as though everything was on steroid. The whole soundstage is right in front of me. Everything is so vivid! With the 4KVA in place, there are many occasions that I had to strain to ascertain the layering of the soundstage. But with the 8KVA, everything just “there there”. Hin mentioned that this is because of the higher amount of power available which translates to more current to the hifi components in the system, from 16A in the Powertrans 4KVA to 32A from the Powertrans 8KVA. The layering of the soundstage is now, not only easier to discern but also deeper than it used to be. Another reason for this is due to the lower noise floor because of the balanced configuration of the Powertrans. In terms of wideness of the soundstage, I would say it has slightly improved. The improvement in depth is more pronounced, probably because the noise floor is lower now.
As with the Powertrans 8KVA balanced is new, I let it run-in for a couple of weeks. I want to hear if there is any difference in the sound of my system the longer the Powertrans has been hooked to my system. If anything, the sound of the system is even cleaner than before. A lot of hifi gears may tend to improve one of the frequencies extreme and truncate the other. Not with the Avia Powertrans 8KVA balanced. The bass is better developed with better decay, not lumpy in the middle. This is what I heard in the beginning of the first track in “Just a little lovin” in Shelby Lynne album of the same name. High frequencies are also well extended. I can easily hear more “air” surrounding the vocalist especially in “live” recording of Eva Cassidy in the “Fields of Gold” track in “Live at Blues Alley“ cd.
The Powertrans 8KVA balanced is highly recommended
