Review on 🔌 AudioQuest PQ3 - Power Conditioner & Non-Sacrificial Surge Protector Power Strip - 8 Outlets & 4 USB Charging Ports by Matt Bokil

I was thrilled when AudioQuest announced this device and its big brother, the PowerQuest 3. Both are affordable alternatives to their large power stabilizers in the Niagara line. But unfortunately, like everything you pay for, you get what you pay for. This device is all plastic, as you would expect at this price point. But it comes with its own power cord. On the one hand, this saves you the cost of buying a non-original cable; but on the other hand also prevents you from upgrading it to something better. However, I was pleased to discover that it was a custom 3 x 14 AWG AudioQuest cable. That's pretty impressive for such a relatively cheap device. It features an on/off switch and a reset button that protects the device in the event that it shuts down due to an actual power surge/surge. What makes this device so enticing is that it offers: 1) a high current output, which is very useful for those with powerful amplifiers/receivers; and 2) a special plug that has been specially filtered for high definition (4K) television. Owner's brochure says it can be useful for Blu-ray players too. I haven't tried it with a disc player but it seems to work wonders for picture clarity and richness of color on my 55 inch Samsung TV. However, the sound of this device is not that good. Straight out of the box. , he was poorly focused, dark, dirty, and dynamically polite, as one would expect. And after a few days of constant use, it started to open up, and the dynamics and focus improved significantly. Unfortunately, what started as a rather gloomy sound character brightened up. too far in the opposite direction. The resulting sonic palette was rather monotonous and muddy, lacking warmth and richness. She was sophisticated and had a comfortable perspective (not too forward, not too relaxed), but lacked fullness and power. I attribute this to its inherently lean sound. The deep bass was tight but light. This characterization did not benefit full symphonic orchestral recordings or films. time passed. Combined with the subtle sound, I soon began to suspect that something was wrong. I removed the unit and upon closer inspection found a 1 inch deep cut in the power cord that ran to the wires inside. I don't know how much this defect contributed to the overall poor sound, but I can say with almost certainty that it caused the distortion I heard (which completely disappeared as soon as I removed this unit). A company as reputable as AudioQuest can fail when it comes to quality control, which is a serious failing that frankly is unacceptable. I returned this unit to Revain and received a full refund. By the way, the only difference between this block and its more expensive counterpart PowerQuest 3 is the number of sockets. "3" offers two high-current and two HD TV plugs, as well as 4 identical standard plugs. offers "ultra-linear" filtering, while PQ2 only offers "linear" filtering. This means that the PQ3 offers both common mode and differential mode filters. In theory, PQ3 should perform better than 2.