AudioQuest Niagara 5000EU Owner's Manual - Page 12

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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 5000EU. On the right-hand side of the Niagara 5000EU'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. Typically within a couple of seconds, you should hear an audible "clack" sound(s) from one or more

relays within the Niagara 5000EU. 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 5000EU Current Draw

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

power amplifiers of any kind powered by the Niagara 5000EU. Defaulting to "Engaged" serves two functions: It

activates the Transient Power Correction Circuit for power amplifiers that would be energized by outlet bank 1

(outlets 1 through 4), and also provides a portion of the Ultra-Linear Noise-Dissipation Circuit for outlet banks

2 and 3 (outlets 5 through 12). 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 5000EU has an internal current sense circuit that will automatically

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

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

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

Power Correction Bank 1 – outlet 1 only (as it is the only power bank with the current sense

monitoring for this circuit function).

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

current consumption at 230VAC in standby mode must not exceed 25 watts. (Although 1 watt is

an industry standard for standby power, many great amplifiers routinely dismiss it for reasons of

performance over power savings. Therefore, you should consult the specification sheet in your

amplifier'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 amplifier(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 mono-block power

amplifiers left in full operational mode).

This is actually far from the truth. If the Niagara 5000EU 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 amplifiers while in operation. In fact, the Niagara 5000EU runs cool, precisely because

this current reading is false. The circuit utilizes massive capacitive reactance across the AC line, which, akin