A hi-fi system draws its power from a single wall socket, but its components do not use it in the same way: a network player or a converter consumes a few watts steadily, while an amplifier demands strong bursts of current in time with the music. This Bada power strip separates the two groups across two banks of four filtered sockets, each with its own switch, in a heavy enclosure with aluminium panels.
The first bank accommodates low-consumption devices: CD player or Blu-ray player, tuner, converter, network player, turntable, as well as an internet router, NAS and computer. The second handles equipment that requires more current: integrated or power amplifier, home cinema amplifier, subwoofer and active speakers. Each bank has its own front-panel switch, making it easier to power up a system of separate components: first turn on the sources, then the amplification, and follow the reverse order when switching off to avoid switching noises through the speakers. The same arrangement allows the amplifiers to be switched off while leaving the router or NAS powered on. The eight Schuko sockets have gold-plated contacts, a metal that does not oxidise and maintains a stable contact surface through repeated connections.
The domestic mains supply carries more than just the 50 Hz sine wave: switching power supplies in chargers, computers and household appliances feed high-frequency interference back into it, which travels to audio equipment. The power strip attenuates this with a CLC filter, comprising a capacitor, an inductor, then a second capacitor. This circuit acts as a low-pass filter: the 50 Hz current passes freely, while high frequencies are impeded by the inductor and shunted by the capacitors. Bada winds its inductors on gapped toroidal cores, with a small break in the magnetic core that delays saturation as current demand increases, and pairs them with WIMA MKP polypropylene film capacitors, a type of capacitor with a stable capacitance value and low losses. The filtering does not regulate the voltage or reconstruct the waveform: the power strip distributes the mains voltage with some of its interference removed.
The interior is wired with 2.5 mm² OCC copper conductors. The abbreviation refers to a continuous casting process (Ohno Continuous Casting) that produces copper with very elongated crystals, with few grain boundaries along the conductor. This 2.5 mm² cross-section is the same as that used for socket circuits in French domestic installations, so the power strip does not create a bottleneck between the wall and the equipment. The unit accepts a total of 3,300 W and 15 A at 220 to 240 V, a limit to be considered against the combined consumption of the connected equipment: there is ample headroom for a stereo system, whereas a home cinema packed with Class A amplifiers or powerful subwoofers warrants a calculation beforehand.
A main circuit breaker protects the installation against overvoltages up to 400 V and is reset using a button on the rear. Also at the rear, the power cord connects to a three-pole IEC inlet (live, neutral and earth). The supplied standard 1.5 m cable connects the power strip to the wall socket, and its detachable design leaves the option of a better-quality power cord when the time comes to upgrade this part of the system. This length requires the power strip to be placed within one and a half metres of the socket.
In a French wall socket, the earth pin allows insertion in only one orientation. A Schuko socket, with earthing provided by side clips, accepts the plug either way round, and this matters in hi-fi: depending on the orientation, the primary winding of a device’s transformer is connected to live at one end or the other, and the leakage current flowing to the chassis changes. The correct orientation, which gives the lowest voltage between chassis and earth, is sometimes marked on the plug or in the manual; otherwise, it can be measured with a multimeter, with the device disconnected from its interconnect cables. The hybrid CEE 7/7 plugs fitted to most equipment sold in France fit into the power strip’s sockets in both orientations.
A front-panel digital voltmeter, controlled by an Atmel microcontroller, continuously displays the mains voltage. The standard specifies 230 V with a tolerance of 10%, and the display shows where your supply falls within this range and how it varies throughout the day: information about what the equipment’s power supplies receive, which the power strip displays without correcting it. The chassis features 8 mm-thick aluminium panels and weighs 5 kg, measuring 340 mm long, 180 mm wide and 100 mm high. With eight often stiff power cords connected to it, the power strip stays in place on the floor or on a furniture shelf.
All eight outlets are filtered and functional; the arrangement by row is a recommended setup. Grouping the amplification equipment on the second row preserves the benefits of the dedicated switch and the power-up sequence. The 3,300 W limit applies to all eight outlets combined, regardless of the arrangement.
No. It covers overvoltages up to 400 V, such as a sustained increase in mains voltage. A lightning-induced surge reaches several thousand volts in a few microseconds; it requires a surge protection device installed in the electrical panel, which protects the entire home.
Switch off the devices, check that the total power consumption remains below 3,300 W and that the displayed voltage has returned to normal, then reset using the rear button. Repeated trips warrant having the installation checked by an electrician.
It’s best to plug it directly into a wall socket, preferably on a circuit that doesn’t supply household appliances. Each extension lead adds contacts and a length of cable that often has a small cross-section, which defeats the purpose of the internal 2.5 mm² wiring and can limit the available current.
Yes. Their power consumption, a few hundred watts at most, puts them alongside the source devices on the first line. The picture then remains independent of the amplification, which can be switched off separately when the television is used without the audio system.
Radu
Very well built and sound just as good as with a very high-end, but older, La Boite Noire power conditioner.
Comment from 4 August 2026 — Experience from 3 July 2026
Christophe
Improved power strip
Comment from 23 June 2026 — Experience from 20 October 2024
Jean-claude
Very good product. Bulky, but the difference in sound is far superior to my old Bada LB5600.
And there are 2 additional sockets.
I recommend it for those who have enough space.
Comment from 24 September 2025 — Experience from 21 September 2025
