Titan Audio Eros V2 mains block and FFT Module
The mains supply should arguably be considered the front end of every good hi-fi system. The ultimate sonic results that we achieve will depend on a stable supply of electricity, effective earthing, rejection of noise from elsewhere in our households, and, indeed, cross-contamination between components within the system. As we often find in this hobby, there is more than one way to skin this particular cat. Many audiophiles decide to have multiple mains sockets fitted near their system, which ideally would be on a separate fuse or even consumer unit to the rest of the house. Another school of thought is that a single, dedicated socket feeding a multi-output mains block is the ideal solution, as this means the system benefits from being earthed to the same local point.
I reviewed Titan Audio’s entry-level block, the Ares, last year, and The Ear declared it one of the best solutions available at its price point. Following a chat with Titan Audio’s Gary Campbell at the recent Audio Show Deluxe event, we decided to take a look at the next model in the range, the Eros, now in V2 form. Keen readers may remember I also reviewed a cable from Titan Audio called the Eros, and this mains block features the same OCC (Ohno Continuous Cast) internal wiring as this cable. I am unfamiliar with the original Eros mains block, but the V2 version differs in being built from aluminium rather than acrylic. The use of aluminium here is said to offer superior isolation from external noise and vibrations. The aluminium legs, which are mounted to the chassis via stainless steel fixings, feature high-density neoprene isolation feet.
I remember reading that it’s recommended you plug your system’s components into a distribution block in a specific order so that the most current-hungry components, such as an amplifier, get the cleanest, most stable mains feed, especially if your system includes noisy components such as digital sources. Titan Audio claims such losses are due to busbar systems incorporated in lesser mains blocks. The hard-wired method used in the Eros is said to eliminate these potential loses, which Titan claim results in superior performance and consistency across the block.
Sitting above the Ares, the Eros V2 has higher-quality sockets and internal components. It also has a grounding point, which will be useful for owners of grounding products such as those from CAD and Russ Andrews or if you have a grounding post on your mains socket.
My review sample includes a rocker-style power switch, which, interestingly, is not mentioned in Titan Audio’s literature or library photos. The Eros V2 is supplied sans input cable, Titan Audio recommend a cable from their Signature range for this purpose. Thankfully, I still had the Helios Signature from last year’s review available, which proved perfect for the job.
Beautiful music
After receiving the happy news of the Eros V2’s imminent arrival, I put my review sample of the Ares back into the system and configured a suitable loom of Titan mains cables. These included an Eros cable to feed my Moon 600i amplifier and a Helios to feed my 780D DAC. As previously mentioned, the Helios Signature fed the mains-blocks. This loom from Titan replaced the Chord Powerhaus M6 and Epic cables, chosen as they were a little more pliable and, therefore, better suited to swapping between components, as we reviewers tend to do for a pastime. The swap to the Ares et al resulted in a sonic picture, which, whilst a little less detailed and expansive, perhaps sounded a little more solid, weighty and organic. After a week or two of acclimatisation, I replaced the Ares with the Eros V2. Having left the system powered up for a day or so, I began listening and was immediately impressed.
Music via the Eros V2 is more open, detailed, times better and appears to produce a greater dynamic range. There’s more top-end air and spaciousness, the bass is cleaner and has more texture, vocals are more focussed yet natural, and the soundstage returned to dimension similar to those with the Chord loom in the system. Compared to its cousin from Wiltshire, the Northern Irish system’s charms lay in its natural textures and instrumental timbre. In contrast, the former was perhaps a little more detailed and analytical.
Fink’s What Would You Call Yourself, from his latest album, Beauty In Your Wake (24/48 Qobuz), had more tension, along with stronger bass and weightier drums. The music was snappier and more rhythmic. The Glockenspiel strikes were better defined, and the guitar had a better sense of attack. Fink’s vocals now sounded richer and fuller, yet more detailed; via the Eros, the studio reverb on his vocals caught my attention, whereas it had previously passed me by.
Moving on to Lucy Rose’s latest album, This Ain’t The Way You Go Out (16/44 Qobuz), was even more of a pleasure than usual. Her vocals now presented with more focus yet sounded more intimate. I could hear the rise and fall of the keyboard notes more clearly, and those notes were given more texture via the Eros V2.
Titan FFT
I had almost forgotten that Titan included their FFT (Force Field Technology) Module in the box of goodies I received from Titan Audio. This module contains electronics that claim to create an invisible shield around the mains cable and prevent harmful airborne nasties, such as RFI (Radio Frequency Interference) and EMI (Electro Magnetic Interference), from entering the mains cable and, therefore, the components fed by the cable. It was created to reduce the impact of increasing wireless signals around our homes. As my sample of the Helios Signature and Eros cables were the older versions, I was sent the current version of the FFT, which has a small inlet socket at one end which you plug into the small connector fitted to certain cables in Titan’s range, the other plugs into a spare mains socket. I am told that the soon-to-be-launched FFT Hybrid does not need to be plugged into the mains, which should prove to be a neater solution, albeit at an anticipated higher cost. Like the Eros V2, the FFT is housed in an aluminium casing, but acrylic is used for the top and bottom plates. The FFT retails for £250, which, whilst not beer money, is under half the price of some of the plug-in solutions on the market that are designed to reduce mains noise.
The force is with us
I connected the FFT to the Helios Signature cable feeding the Eros V2 and listened. At once the music sounded more open and immediate, with again more air, better decay, and more detail. For example, certain sections of Lucy Rose’s Whatever You Want have tended to sound a little compressed and shut-in. Here, the additional air opens out the track, and the improved low-level dynamics, doubtless a beneficiary of the lower noise floor, and kept me engaged when the music got busy. There was now less overhang to the bass guitar, which was also riper in tone. The additional high-frequency air helped the trumpets sound cleaner and more natural.
My youngest son has no interest in music or hi-fi and usually leaves the room when the music starts. Today, he was far too interested in picking components for our new PC build to pack up and head for his room, so I thought I would indulge him in some blind listening tests. I was playing the new album from Badbadnotgood, Your Soul and Mine(Qobuz 24/96), I removed the FFT and restarted the track Mid Spiral, then repeated it with the FFT plugged into the wall. Without hesitation he declared the music sounded more detailed and the instruments were easier to follow; maybe there’s hope for the younger generation after all. I feel that if someone who’s not interested in hi-fi can easily discern an improvement, then it confirms such benefits exist and that a seasoned listener should have no trouble enjoying them.
Towards the end of the review, I experimented with plugging the FFT into different cables in my system. Surprisingly, to me, at least, it proved most beneficial when used with the Eros mains cable feeding the Moon 600i amplifier. Fink’s So We Find Ourselves, from his latest release, was more detailed and intimate; his vocals were now more realistic and expressive. Rush’s Tom Sawyer, from a 24/192 download of Moving Pictures, sounded cleaner and more airy. The timing benefits similarly, with the rhythms of Neil Peart’s drumming masterclass on this track easier to follow. Titan Audio suggested the type of transformers used by this manufacturer make it potentially susceptible to EMI and RFI and, hence, were not surprised to hear my findings. Whatever the reason, it goes to show that it is worth experimenting with the FFT in different locations within your system. It was a shame I did not have a second FFT to try as this experiment suggests using one on each of the cables could bring further improvements.
Conclusions
What I like about Titan Audio’s products is that they are priced such that real-world audiophiles and music lovers can enjoy them. The Eros V2 mains block is a clear improvement over the already good Ares, and although it is more expensive it still offers superb value for money against the competition. The FFT module is an excellent addition to the market and, I believe, demonstrates original and effective thinking. At its price I feel the FFT brings improvements that would be tough to beat by spending the money elsewhere. Titan Audio certainly know their Greek gods, as there’s a lot to love about the Eros V2 and, indeed, the FFT.