Both power boxes were free of grain, dryness, artificial tint and checked all foundational qualities for smoothness and textural complexity against a pristine backdrop. But their difference in imaging and dynamic scaling changed how music presented on a whole. Gigawatt projected soundscapes coherently in front of me where the airier Ansuz shortened the distance to image closer up which effectively made its stage more enveloping and wider. GigaWatt allowed me to see music against a uniform pleasantly wet canvas, the Danes put me in it. Although both were finely developed, insightful and vivid, the mood/pace swings going from one to the other still were distinctive and unambiguous. Ansuz also played it bigger.

Once in a while when no soul is around, I punish myself with SPL far beyond what most people find enjoyable. My Boenicke speakers not only take such beatings with dignity, they land an impressively immediate raw and grand show with exceptional ease. Here the Ansuz Mainz8 A2 had the upper hand. All dynamic transitions, jabs and spatial stunts on Battles' "Inchworm" boiled my blood more than the GigaWatt. Ansuz made the early ambient space of Luca Stricagnoli's "The Last of the Mohicans" more expansive, present and with longer reverbs than GigaWatt's more distant picturesque take. Double bass on Blixa Bargeld's "Mi Scusi" was more stout, firm and resonant with the Ansuz, as deep with the GigaWatt but also rounder, softer and dreamier. Bargeld's voice over the Mainz8 A2 was more explicit and fleshy. The LC-3 SE EVO+ executed the same task thicker and less exposed.

Let's get back to the adaptive Ansuz suspension which in audio means the extraction of each connected product's and musical genre's core voicing. Designed to clean and reveal rather than prettify and change, Ansuz turned the tasks to child's play which is how it goes with efficacious noise killers. They don't mask one coloration with another to become predictable not situational. The LessLoss C-MARC are the most affordable power cords to be seriously into this. The Ansuz kit goes beyond them on agility, spatial presence, accuracy and openness. That's my report's main twist. It's executed vigorously with no restraints and is free from possible trade-offs like dilution, excessive edging, treble zing, thinness or textural paleness. Delicate female whispers were as involving as wild guitar solos one track later. The Mainz family wasn't selective about the music at all.

Once I'd evaluated the Mainz8 A2 and Mainz A2 separately, it seemed fitting to combine them and put them against my crib's regular residents. But here I'd repeat myself. Let's just say that my power chain wasn't beaten to a bloody pulp. Over the years it became too good to collapse easily. It removes grit effectively enough to early on seem similar to the groundwork Ansuz did but with energy and tonal richness that prioritized out differently. But this would change after more A/B. Ansuz scored higher notes on several counts not related to flavoring, hence effectively positioned themselves higher up the food chain. At the moment I'm aware of no other power setup that does it this silent, spatially majestic, open and energetic all at once.

Although the full Ansuz set reviewed will set you back €17'284, this invoice is relative to one's income. Individuals accustomed to such expenses won't see it like those who aren't. But the appreciation of what clean power does to our systems remains universal thus beyond any financial considerations. To me power components are more important than most other accessory types. If covered well, such a foundation can delay the upgrade itch for years to come and outlast any amp, DAC or speaker change. It's the proverbial soil from which everything grows then blossoms.

Although liberated from flamboyant cosmetics, my Ansuz A2 loaners showed uniformly meticulous execution typical for large firms who have their manufacturing processes licked. Suffice to say, today's black exteriors mixed with subtle silver accents are a universally safe choice for any living room. It's fair to add that for this type coin one can easily get bigger boxes, thicker cables and heftier footers elsewhere. But bling isn't part of Scandinavia's DNA where utility and minimalism quickly shift our focus from looks to performance. These products aim at audio aficionados who view an extra €15-20K injected into their already far costlier systems as a good investment if a major sonic spike follows. As a reviewer blessed to sample audio luxuries well above my pay grade, I occasionally share in their higher world view. The Ansuz A2 loom fit that profile to now unlock this view for me. It's still subjective whether a voicing built on such a silent, open, insightful and dynamically energetic foundation will best complement your existing hardware or not but its effectiveness can't ever be in question. This stuff complemented my rig in a way I hadn't heard before. Ansuz undoubtedly play it big and impress where it matters most. Considering that the A2 tier is not their best or even second best, it's actually scary to think what can still be accomplished beyond what I just heard.