音響情報
【來自 Nordost 官方的手榴彈大解密】
小編：最近 Nordost 在官方部落格上發表了一篇有關於手榴彈的文章，內容可以說是淺顯易懂，小邊幫大家省去翻譯和校對的時間。
以下為正文
If you’ve ever been to a Nordost room at a trade show or one of the many dealer events we are a part of, or have been perusing our website, you may have noticed some cylinders we have plugged into the power source of many of our systems. These are our QRT Plug-ins, AC line enhancers and harmonizers, which are the source of many a customer question. I am here to explain what they are, what they do, and why they make a difference.
如果您曾造訪過音響展中的 Nordost 展房、參加過我們合作經銷商所舉辦的活動，或是瀏覽過我們的官方網站，您可能已經注意到在許多系統的電源處，都插著一些圓柱體。這些就是我們的 QRT 插件、交流電線路優化器與諧波器，也是許多客戶最常問的問題來源。我在此將解釋它們是什麼、有何作用，以及為何它們能帶來顯著的差異。
To understand these products, first you need to understand Nordost’s views on power and conditioning. Most power conditioners advertise that they can remove and filter noise out of the AC line, and most can. But, to do that, they put more electronics in-line before the amplifier, which restricts current flow. This limits how much power is distributed to your components and manifests in a more compressed sound. It may sound clearer, but that’s usually at the cost of dynamics, which is not ideal. In fact, that’s generally why it’s recommended to plug your amps straight into the wall. For example, if you’ve ever opened a new McIntosh amplifier, you’ll notice it says this on the box!
要理解這些產品，首先必須了解 Nordost 對於電源與電源處理器的觀點。多數電源處理器標榜能夠移除並過濾交流電線路中的雜訊，事實上也確實做得到。然而，為了達成此目的，它們在擴大機之前的線路中加入了更多電子元件，這反而限制了電流流動。這限制了分配給音響器材的電量，進而導致聲音聽起來較為壓縮。聲音或許變清晰了，但通常是以犧牲動態為代價，這絕非理想。事實上，這也是為什麼通常建議將擴大機直接插在牆上插座的原因。舉例來說，如果您曾開箱過全新的 McIntosh 擴大機，您會發現包裝盒上就印著這條建議！
Nordost gets around this pitfall by producing passive power distribution units (QB4, QB8, QB6, QB10) that focus on improving the ground, which lowers the noise floor. But what happens if you do want to clean up some of the noise that exists in the AC line? Enter Nordost Plug-Ins.
Nordost 避開這項缺陷的方法，是生產被動式的電源分配器（如 QB4, QB8, QB6, QB10），其核心在於改善接地，進而降低底噪。但如果您確實想要清理交流電線路中存在的雜訊，該怎麼辦呢？這就是 Nordost 插件登場的時刻。
Nordost’s Plug-Ins come in multiple flavors: QSINE, QWAVE, and QKOIL.
Nordost 的插件提供多種款式：QSINE、QWAVE 以及 QKOIL。
QSINE
The QSINE (“the red one”) acts like noise cancellation. It generates a specific signal that, when combined with the typical noise that lives on the line, smooths out and cancels the “undesirable” noise. The principle is similar to the dithering process that happens in the digital realm. This results in enhanced clarity and perceived quietness in your sound…think deeper blacks and more detail in your soundstage.
QSINE（「紅色那款」）的作用類似於主動降噪。它會產生一個特定訊號，當與線路中常見的雜訊結合時，能撫平並抵銷那些「不受歡迎」的雜訊。其原理類似於數位領域中的「抖動」（dithering）處理。這能顯著提升聲音的清晰度與聽覺上的寧靜感……想像一下更深邃的背景黑度，以及音場中更豐富的細節。
QWAVE
The QWAVE (“the blue one”) serves a very different function. When it’s plugged in, the QWAVE samples the AC Line, analyses it, and inserts pulsed mid-range and upper-base frequencies to help smooth out the imperfections on your AC line. Think about it as adding harmonics (notes within notes) that fill in the gaps. That’s why the first thing you’ll notice when using the QWAVE is an improvement in imaging. The QWAVE is a smart device as well; it has a chipset built in that samples the AC line multiple times. This allows it to adapt to different situations. A traditional power conditioner has a fixed set of filters that cannot be changed. Think about it, if you don’t have noise at the frequencies your power conditioner is removing, all that compression and loss of frequency range is for nothing.
QWAVE（「藍色那款」）的功能則截然不同。接上電源後，QWAVE 會對交流電線路進行取樣、分析，並插入脈衝式中頻與中低頻（原文 upper-base 應為 upper-bass），以協助撫平交流電線路上的瑕疵。您可以將其想像成加入諧波（音符中的音符）來填補空隙。這正是為什麼使用 QWAVE 時，您首先會注意到的就是結像力（imaging）的提升。QWAVE 同時也是一款智慧型裝置；內建的晶片組會對交流電線路進行多次取樣，使其能適應不同的狀況。傳統的電源處理器僅有一組無法更改的固定濾波器。試想一下，如果您的線路中並沒有電源處理器正在消除的特定頻率雜訊，那麼所有那些壓縮與頻寬損失都將是白費力氣。
QKOIL(QK1)
The QKOIL is like the QWAVE, but it is a passive device. Inside, it has a load resonating coil. The QKOIL draws energy from the AC line to “load” its coil with mechanical properties that determine a specific resonance frequency. It then releases that energy back into the line in short bursts at the peaks of the sine wave, helping the AC signal return to a more stable, original waveform.
QKOIL 類似於 QWAVE，但它是一款被動式裝置。其內部具有一個負載共振線圈（load resonating coil）。QKOIL 會從交流電線路中汲取能量，以機械特性「負載」其線圈，從而決定特定的共振頻率。接著，它會在正弦波的峰值處，以短促的脈衝將能量釋放回線路中，幫助交流電訊號回復到更穩定、更原始的波形。
要記住的重要前提
It’s important to remember that none of these devices remove anything from the power line. They add frequencies to achieve their goal, avoiding the collapsing sine wave pitfalls of traditional power conditioners.
必須牢記的是，這些裝置皆不會從電源線路中移除任何東西。它們透過加入頻率來達成目標，從而避免了傳統電源處理器導致正弦波崩塌的缺陷。
What’s the best way to use these cool devices? You will hear a difference if you place them on any outlet that runs on the same circuit as your system. These impact the entire circuit, but the closer you can get them to your system, the better. And, if you do use a power conditioner in your system, put these Plug-Ins straight into the conditioner (not before). Nordost Plug-Ins have compounding benefits as well; one is great, but two improve the performance even more… basically, let your ears tell you what your system needs.
使用這些出色裝置的最佳方式為何？只要將它們插在與音響系統同一個迴路的任何插座上，您就會聽出差異。它們會影響整個迴路，但距離您的系統越近越好。此外，如果您的系統確實有使用電源處理器，請將這些插件直接插在電源處理器上（而非處理器之前的插座）。Nordost 插件還具有疊加效益；使用一個效果很好，使用兩個則能進一步提升表現……【基本上，讓您的耳朵來告訴您系統需要什麼。】
Please keep in mind that these devices improve your system’s AC; they won’t fix major power issues like grounding, brownouts, surges, or anything else more substantial. Think of these as tweaks for your system…a way to eke out the last few levels of performance.
請記住，這些裝置是用於改善您系統的交流電；它們無法解決諸如接地不良、電壓驟降（brownouts）、突波或任何更重大的電源問題。請將它們視為系統的微調工具……一種榨出最後幾分效能潛力的方法。
If you are interested in trying these for yourself, please feel free to reach out to your local Nordost dealer for a demonstration. We are also available for more in-depth questions.
如果您有興趣親自體驗，歡迎聯絡您當地的 Nordost 經銷商安排示範。若有更深入的問題，我們也隨時為您解答。
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