My Sander package contained a cardboard tube with the sample surrounded by foamy bits and a short manual card. Since this is a plug 'n' play device, nothing else was needed and I appreciated a really small package for a change. The full Evolution measures 33cm long and weighs 700g so is compact yet surprisingly hefty. A short triple-braid tail connects its 16cm-long golden barrel to a power plug and that's it for the visible lot. It's clearly a handmade boutique effort though executed to high standards so without any glue residue or other manufacturing imperfections. The anodized gold looks rather blingy but the product's purpose and size hide it from view. This noise suppressor limits the severity of ultrasonic AC noise transmitted along with the line frequency to our audio components so its proper place is somewhere behind a rack. It works in parallel to our electronics and connects only to mains earth so can't obstruct current flow. This tells us that the ground pin is the focus, plug polarity can't matter and live and neutral pins aren't wired up so inactive. This device simply plugs into any spare power socket within an audio system or near it so into the wall or a power distributor.

The internals of most noise traps are proprietary so off limits by design. Akiko's Triple AC Evolution is no different but we have just enough info to glean at least basics. The word triple specifies three separate chambers each terminating one wire conjoined at the plug's ground pin through which ultrasonic energies floating on the AC ground enter then dissipate. Although the exact filler inside Evo's chambers remains a mystery, we know that it's a mineral mix from the corundum so ruby/sapphire group of very hard stones (9.0 on the Mohs hardness scale) with apparently useful UHF absorption properties. I'm guessing that these stones are ground to a powder to create a larger surface for the wire braid. That's the elegantly dressed concept. Time to plug it in and investigate how it goes about its business.

Prior to doing anything though, I asked my Akiko contact for any usage scenarios other than those I already knew of. Sander explained that their mineral mixture already works by proximity so positioned near a power line without physically connecting to it. Intrigued, I asked how and was told that electrical current has many complicated radiation patterns around cables and power strips. When close enough, Akiko's ground noise drain can interact with these fields. An actual physical connection so plugged in obviously maximizes the effect. At my place, a free socket in a LessLoss power distributor seemed a good place to start. Sander also informed me that their absorptive material needs about a week to stabilize so I plugged it into the designated socket then left it alone. Later I had a listen. Then it disconnected. Then I listened again. Rinse and repeat with some 30 minutes of downtime between each swap. Conclusions presented themselves fairly quickly and for a good reason.

Although this article marks Akiko Audio's debut here at HFK, let me repeat that their golden Evo specimen isn't the first such accessory I've used. Although the breed incorporates various physical means, its action is very predictable. Audio signal stripped of noise behaves a certain way which trained ears recognize in a heartbeat. The key differences between devices are price and sonic difference delta. As far as price goes, today's Triple AC Evolution is the most affordable of its kind I've yet hosted. It positions significantly below an Ansuz TC3, CAD CG1 or LessLoss C-MARC power cord and Firewall 640x to become a large part of its appeal if effective. To get basics out of the way, my recent LessLoss C-MARC Stellar review said this: "High-frequency noise isn't mere background hum we hear on speakers. It manifests as audible sluggishness, strong coloration, loose bass, bloated images, harshness, brittleness, sharpness, artificial textures and poor pigmentation. Listening fatigue follows as does sound that feels off. The sensation is comparable to auditioning a cold tubed system after several weeks of inaction. When these unpleasant effects reduce to a point where they're no longer bothersome, the above assets replace them. To simplify, noise masks details and music's tangible organic character. Remove the culprit and presto, higher data density, beauty and vivaciousness resurface to positively influence our entire perspective. These seemingly mutually exclusive things can really go hand in hand."