What’s in the name? The Oehlbach XXL Powerstation 909 is .. a powerstation. Oehlbach categorizes its products into 4 different levels: easy connect, performance, excellence, and state of the art. Their XXL Powerstation 909 sits in the ‘state of the art’ category. The simplest way to describe this product is to call it a multiple socket strip designed as a standard hi-fi component. You can even mount it in a 19” rack for professional use.
Brand
Oehlbach is a German company that has been around for 45 years now. They are part of the VOXX German Holdings, home of the brands Magnat and Heco among others. The company stands out for high-quality cables and accessories for audio, video, data and power.
Current price
The Oehlbach XXL Powerstation 909 is currently offered on their website for 769 euro. It’s available in the colors black and silver. The color of choice only refers to the front plate, as the rest of the product is black.
What’s in the box?
What’s in the box? The Oehlbach XXL Powerstation 909 obviously. A heavy-duty power cable to connect the unit to the mains. Finally, a pair of mounting braces with matching screws to make it possible to mount unit in a 19” rack. In this case, the feet of the unit can be removed easily.
Features
The Oehlbach XXL Powerstation 909 features 8 power sockets, divided into two separately switching groups. Each group possesses two filtered and two unfiltered plug sockets. The filtered sockets should be used with digital devices like for example a Blu-ray player, streamer or flatscreen. Connect your analogue devices like for example a record player, amplifier, or tape deck to the unfiltered sockets. Devices connected to the filtered sockets are protected by a EMI/RFI filter with a maximum of 50dB attenuation against disturbing pulses that arrive through the mains supply. An integrated sheath current filter protects against ground loop and high-frequency transients. There’s a 1 second ‘delay function’ for the power switch for the filtered sockets, which prevents unpleasant current peaks when switched on. Correct phase connection is ensured by a ‘polarity’ indicator on the front display and red circle phase marks on each individual socket. This avoids potential equalization currents, which have a negative influence on picture and sound performance. The Oehlbach XXL Powerstation 909 also offers protection for surges and voltage peaks. Correct operation of the active surge protection is indicated by the ‘Protected light’ on the front panel display. The unit can be taken back into operation with the RESET button on the back. 24 carat gold-plated plug contacts assure 100% contact reliability. Internal conductors are made from high-purity and oxygen-free copper with 3.3mm2 internal cross-section to guarantee a stable power supply in any situation, even for components with high power requirements. The Oehlbach XXL Powerstation 909 is equipped with a gold-plated earth connection on the back panel for various devices such as turntables. The device has a maximum current rating of 10 amperes.
Front side
At the front there’s your silver or black panel made of solid brushed aluminum for a great and distinguished look. The round display offers the ‘surge protection’ and ‘polarity’ indicators. With the buttons right besides, you can switch the display ‘on’ or ‘off’ and choose between current voltage or power consumption. Down left are the two power buttons to switch on each of the socket groups.
Back side
At the back of the unit the eight power sockets demand the most attention. They are nicely divided in four groups of 2 sockets. Each group is designated for either ‘digital filtered’ or ‘pure analogue’ application. The ‘digital filtered’ socket groups can be recognized by their white markings. The ‘pure analogue’ sockets are marked grey. Each socket carries a red circle phase mark. Top right you’ll find the gold-plated earth connection. Down in the middle is the reset button and the mains connection socket.
For whom is this product?
So, for whom is this product? We high end enthusiasts love order and neatness. Instead of power strips laying around your system, you can now use this XXL Powerstation 909 from Oehlbach. It’s designed as a full component that deserves a spot in your system rack. What a way to clean up your power cable mess. You no longer need to power up each of your components individually but have your complete system up and running by the push of single button, make that two. The way the units helps you connect every component in the right way is so easy…let’s just call it ‘plug and play’. The ability to rack mount the unit offers added value.
First impression
We tried the power station in our professional rack in our video editing studio and in the current high-end system in our listening room. In both situations the power demand was rather high, juicing a professional monitor system or a 2+2 setup with big towers and active subs. At no time did the sound become restrained due to limited dynamics. The filtering of digital sources is another asset that helps elevate the performance of your complete system.
Conclusion
Here’s our conclusion. In terms of price/performance, the Oehlbach XXL Powerstation 909 is a no-brainer. For the right price you can clean up your power act with a distinctive component. Everything the device offers more, well that’s just extra!
More details on the Oehlbach XXL Powerstation 909.
Visit the Oehlbach website.
Frequently asked questions
How are the eight power sockets on the Powerstation 909 organized?
Into two independently switching groups, each with two filtered sockets (for digital devices such as a Blu-ray player, streamer or flatscreen) and two unfiltered sockets (for analog devices like a turntable, amplifier or tape deck).
What does the “delay function” do?
It adds a 1-second delay to the filtered sockets’ power switch, preventing unpleasant current peaks when switching the system on.
Can the Powerstation 909 be mounted in an equipment rack?
Yes — it can be mounted in a 19” rack, and mounting braces with matching screws are included in the box; the unit’s feet are easily removed first.
How does the Powerstation 909 help you connect components in the correct phase?
A polarity indicator on the front display works together with red circle phase marks on each individual socket, so you can connect every component the right way round and avoid equalization currents that degrade picture and sound.
