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Installing the Powerline Harmonizer is not a matter of plug'n'play. Neanche per sogno. No way. Part of its purchase is a professional dealer installation. In our case, Claudio assisted by Andrea provided this service. After unpacking the Harmonizer and placing it in a convenient spot where outgoing power cords would easily reach the gear, the supplied Cammino power cable plugged into the wall such that the phase test netted a green light. [This proper phase ideal is conveniently adjustable only with Europe's symmetrical 2-prong Schuko plugs which can be inserted either way. Most international 3-prong plugs like those from Switzerland, the UK or the US are asymmetrical. They cannot be reversed. Should your wall outlets or component power inlets be wired out of phase, you'll have to rewire them. Presumably this would be part of Cammino's dealer installation - Ed].

With the Harmonizer correctly connected, the next step in the installation process was determining correct AC phase of all the equipment to be connected. Correct phase means that the equipment’s power supply is fed with its live lead connected to the proper corresponding pin of its power IEC. To determine proper power phase you need a cheater plug, voltmeter and alligator clip. The procedure goes as follows. Unplug all equipment from the wall. Disconnect all interconnects so that each piece stands alone. Now plug in the power cord of the piece you wish to test into the Harmonizer with a cheater plug (or into whatever other power bar or conditioner you have since this procedure is universal and not exclusive to the Cammino). A cheater plug accepts grounded plugs but lacks a ground itself to lift the connection's ground.


Now power up the equipment. In case of relays wait until they open. With your multimeter set to AC voltage, measure the voltage between the ground connection of one of the Harmonizer’s Schuko outlets and the chassis ground of the gear such as the outer rim of an RCA connector. Note the meter's voltage readout. Reverse the power plug in the Harmonizer (or distribution block) and repeat the measurement. Note the readout. Your notes will show two different voltages. The lower one is correct phase.


You now have determined correct phase alignment. Now take the supplied voltage probe screwdriver and insert the tip in one of the female IEC connector’s holes. Touch the probe’s metal plate and see the light go on or not. When the probe lights up, you’ve found the live lead. Claudio stresses that during this measurement procedure, the equipment tested should not be touched since that would influence the outcome. Cammino also supplies a few round red stickers to mark the live pins of the power inlets you measured on your components. Whilst this procedure was mentioned here in relation to the Cammino Harmonizer, it is applicable and mandatory to any self-respecting audiophile’s setup. Every dealer should offer this service to their customers.


There may be situations where you need more than 4 outlets. Claudio then advises to use the best power distribution block you have and connect that to one of the Harmonizer's outlets. In such a case be sure to also test the power bar and connect it in proper AC polarity. While measuring don’t be surprised if different models from the same manufacturer exhibit different phase alignments. One will have the lowest reading for the right pin, the other for the left. Only once all equipment has been scrutinized for correct power polarity should it be plugged in and wired up.

Initially we started using the Powerline Harmonizer H3.1 for our analog setup. Via a passive Furutech power block our Trafomatic Kaivalya monos could share the same analog outlet whilst the remaining two served the Trafomatic Reference One Phono and Reference One preamp. Because our Feickert Blackbird is fed by a switching power supply, Claudio advised that we use the digital outlet for it. As we'll still see, here we would experiment.

The Harmonizer uses no active parts. It's a completely passive device. Mechanical vibrations are canceled with a ceramic casting that's a-magnetic and a-static to secure the internal parts. Where necessary these parts are elevated on nylon bushings for further isolation. These measures all lead to a completely damped device. The 220V Harmonizer can output up to 2.200 watts and 10 amperes for its analog outputs and 2 amperes for the digital one.