Step 7 - Hi-Fi Balanced Mains Units.

 

Key Points
 
• New custom-wound transformers
 
• 1.5kVA and 3kVA options
 
• 5 x Russ Andrews UltraSockets

 
• Internally wired with Kimber Kable

 


Overview of Russ Andrews Balanced Mains Units.

Supplying your system with balanced mains offers an unrivalled way to dramatically reduce mains noise and improve the sound quality from your system – that’s why balanced mains are common features in recording studios. Our Balanced Mains Units (BMUs) are precision-built for us by a small, specialist UK transformer manufacturer and the updated MKII versions are the very best performing units we have ever offered.

BMU1500 MKII Back
Rear of BMU1500 MKII - N.B. Euro and U.S. socket versions also available
 

Why Russ Andrews BMUs?

Kimber and new bmu logosOur BMUs perform as well as they do thanks to the care we take over their manufacture. The balanced mains transformers are individually hand-wound on an oversize silicon steel core of the highest quality, and we have a special technique of ensuring that they are extremely quiet in operation - a problem with some cheaper models of balanced mains units.

All units feature KIMBER KABLE internal wiring and our  UltraSocket mains outlets.

No modification is needed for Hi-Fi components - such as amplifiers, CD players and other sources - to work on balanced mains. Typically, you would connect the Balanced Mains Unit to your wall socket and the mains extension supplying your system to the Balanced Mains Unit's outputs.

Find out more about our Hi-Fi Mains Extension Blocks here

 

Which BMU?

We have two Balanced Mains Units (BMUs) for you to choose from - one rated at 1500 volt amps (VA) and one rated at 3000VA. The ratings indicate the amount of power the Balanced Mains Unit can supply and needs to be matched to the total power consumption of your system.

Transformer optionsThe most important thing to remember is to choose the most appropriate sized BMU for your system - if you select the wrong one, your system won't sound as good as it could.



BMU1500 MKII and BMU3000 MKII

Matching your system to your Russ Andrews BMU.


You should always have more than enough power on tap. You can never have too much power but you can have too little, so a BMU that is over-specified is never a bad thing - in fact quite the reverse; it means you'll have enough power in reserve for when your set-up is reproducing particularly dynamic music or there's lots of bass. If you choose a Balanced Mains Unit that's not up to the job, the music will sound flatter, less dynamic and not as engaging.
 

Matching your voltage to your Russ Andrews BMU.


Voltage equalisationEach Balanced Mains Unit is factory-adjusted to your domestic mains voltage for best performance and efficiency before despatch. To do this, on receipt of your order we will send you a voltage meter which you should use to monitor your mains voltage over a 48 hour period.

Once you have an average figure, we will use this to match the Balanced Mains Unit before shipping. This is not user-adjustable but can be adjusted free of charge back at the factory if the need arises – for example, if you move house.


For a more detailed guide to choosing the right BMU for your system, click here

 

 

Balanced Mains Unit 1500 MKII™.


BMU1500 MKII

BMU1500The BMU 1500 mkII™ is the first of our balanced mains units, offering very high performance and is suitable for most small and medium sized systems. The new 'mkII' version has a completely new design which we can confidently say is the best performing version of this model we've ever offered.

 

BMU 1500 MKII™ - Capacity.


The BMU 1500 mkII audiophile balanced mains unit is capable of powering full systems with a power requirement of up to 1500W - such as systems with a couple of sources used in conjunction with a stereo amplifier of up to about 250W.

The new model features a re-designed internal transformer and the resulting unit is quieter in operation and more efficient than even our previous
award-winning design... what's more, each Balanced Mains Unit is tailored to your individual set up for the best performance.

An example system suitable for use with the BMU 1500 mkII would be a Cyrus CD XT Signature CD player and a Naim ND 5XS 2 music streamer, connected to a Roksan K3 integrated amp (used as a preamp) and a Roksan K3 power amp.

 

BMU 1500 MKII™ - Features.


BMU ultrasockets logoThe rear of the BMU 1500 mkII is fitted with five UltraSocket™ mains outlets. They are inverted to make plugging in your cables straightforward.

Mains input is via a high current, 20A IEC socket and the mains input is filtered for additional mains purification (ideally, we recommend using an Evolution-500 PowerKord fitted with a High-Current IEC, and a minimum of the Evolution-300 PowerKord).

There's also both thermal and magnetic breakers included in the design to ensure safe operation.

The BMU 1500 mkII is mounted in an equipment-sized fire-resistant ABS case, making it perfect for housing in an equipment rack. It’s heavy, so we recommend sitting it on the bottom shelf!


 

BMU 1500 mkII Specifications

  • New custom-wound single transformer
  • Internally wired with Kimber Kable
  • Fitted with 5 inverted UltraSockets
  • 1500 Watt output
  • Pre-transformer filtering
  • Hand built to match your mains voltage
  • Cone Feet supports
  • New bespoke ABS box design with acoustic damping
  • Sleek, black, anodised front panel
  • High Current 20A IEC input
  • 2 stage magnetic and thermal protection
  • Dimensions: 440mm W, 110mm H including feet, 320mm D
  • Weight: 13Kg
 
buy bmu
 


 
 

Balanced Mains Unit 3000 MKII™.


Russ Andrews BMU 3000 Balanced Mains Unit

3Kva The BMU3000 mkII™ is our largest balanced mains unit, offering the best performance and is suitable for all sizes of systems. The new 'mkII' version has a completely new design which we can confidently say is our best performing Balanced Mains Unit ever.

 

BMU 3000 MKII™ - capacity.


The BMU 3000 mkII is capable of powering the largest of Hi-Fi and Home Cinema systems (Russ uses one in his own set up at home) and can deliver a massive 3KVA - 3000 watts - of pure power via its twin-transformer technology.

An example system suitable for use with the BMU 3000 mkII would be a two Musical Fidelity M8 700m Monobloc amps coupled to their M8 fully balanced preamp, an Innuos ZENith media player, Clearaudio Ovation Turntable with Clearaudio Balance + Phono Stage and a Luxman D-05u CD/SACD Player (With USB DAC).

 

BMU 3000 - features.


The new model features re-designed internal transformers and the resulting unit is quieter in operation and more efficient than the previous model... what's more, each Balanced Mains Unit is now tailored to your individual set up for the best performance.

The rear of the BMU 3000 mkII is fitted with five UltraSocket™ mains outlets. They are inverted to make plugging in your cables straightforward. Mains input is via a high current, 20A IEC socket and is filtered for additional mains purification 
(ideally, we recommend using an Evolution-500 PowerKord fitted with a High-Current IEC, and a minimum of the Evolution-300 PowerKord).

There's both thermal and magnetic breakers included in the design to ensure safe operation and the BMU 3000 mkII is mounted in an equipment-sized fire-resistant ABS case, making it perfect for housing in an equipment rack. It’s heavy, so we recommend sitting it on the bottom shelf!
 

BMU 3000 mkII Specifications

  • New custom-wound twin transformers
  • Internally wired with Kimber Kable
  • Fitted with 5 inverted UltraSockets
  • 3000 Watt output
  • Pre-transformer filtering
  • Hand built to match your mains voltage
  • Cone Feet supports
  • New bespoke ABS box design with acoustic damping
  • Sleek, black, anodised front panel
  • High Current 20A IEC input
  • 2 stage magnetic and thermal protection
  • Dimensions: 440mm W, 110mm H including feet, 320mm D
  • Weight: 22Kg

buy bmu

 

A More Detailed Guide to Russ Andrews BMUs

If you want to confirm which Balanced Mains Unit is suitable for your system and want to check the figures at home, you need to find out the power consumption for your equipment and add them together.
 

Maximum power consumption.


Maximum power consumption is the figure you are looking for; this might be expressed in watts (W) or Volt Amps (VA), but for the purposes of this guide, these can be considered as one and the same.

Add together all of the figures for your kit to see what the maximum power requirement is; once you have done this, we recommend the total is no more than 80% of the rating of the Balanced Mains Unit you are looking at.

For the BMU 1500 which has a 1500VA transformer, your power amp, preamp and sources should not have a power consumption of more than 1200W when connected to the BMU 1500.

 

An Example...


Cyrus Naim Roksan

As an example,  Cyrus CD XT Signature CD player has a power requirement of about 10W, a Naim
ND5 XS 2 streamer has a maximum consumption of about 11W, the Roksan Caspian M2 integrated amp (used as a preamp) has a power consumption of a maximum of 230W and the M2 power amp has a maximum consumption of about 550W. The CD player, streamer and preamp and power amp's power requirement is 801W which, when plugged into the Balanced Mains Unit 1500 equates to about 54% of the power available, leaving plenty of headroom.
 

Power consumption vs output power.

When working out your consumption figures, don't confuse the output power of your amplifier with its power consumption. One amplifier we looked at was capable of outputting 220W per channel, totalling 440W - yet its maximum consumption was nearer to 700W. They are related, but maximum consumption is the figure you need to be looking at.
 

We're here to help.

The above figures are used as a guide. It's worth knowing that the calculations refer to conventional amplifiers; Class D amplifiers behave rather differently when calculating power consumption - in this case contact us for more information.

If at any point you need help or guidance when selecting your Balanced Mains Unit, please do contact us and we'll be happy to help.

 

The Ultimate Balanced Mains Unit.

Ultimately, if you want the very best performance you should always opt for the 3000VA unit. BMU3000 supplies more than enough power for almost any Hi-fi and Home Cinema system we've come across. It's also our very best performing unit so if your object is to achieve uncompromising performance , no matter how big or small your system, you should opt for this model. 

BMU1500


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