It may not look much but the thinking behind OIson's Sound Fantastic mains distribution board is that the electricity emanating from your wall sockets is far from the pure, clean 50Hz power source it should be. If you've ever wondered why your system sounds different from one day to the next it could be that your mains electricity needs a bit of purifying.

The mains power supplied to your home is often contaminated with an unpleasant cocktail of gunge that varies according to the demands on the supply at certain times of day. The effect on sound and picture quality of your system can be quite serious - eroding clarity, brilliance, and fine detail and is the reason why recording studios and many hi-fi enthusiasts go to great lengths to isolate and filter the mains power supplied to sensitive hi-fi and AV equipment.

Tackling this problem, Olson's Sound Fantastic distribution board acts as a mains purifier. The power board incorporates electronics to filter out any mains contamination and stabilise the power source delivered to electronics equipment. It is available in four-, six-, and eight-socket versions costing £83.72, £92.47 and £98.70, respectively.

The result? A much cleaner power source. For example, reduced radio frequency interference from next door's power drill, and the suppression of those nasty switching surges and voltage spikes that occur when the washing machine advances to its next programme or the fridge compressor kicks in.

And it really works. Although our system set-up is wired with high-quality, noise-cancelling mains cables, the Olson box improves the sound still further. Bass is noticeably tighter, firmer, and even a shade deeper, while stereo imaging sounds more precise. Overall, the music seems cleaner with more subtlety and fine detail while movies have more depth and detail. The fact that such differences are apparent even when using other interference suppression devices demonstrates just how big a problem mains noise can be, and how difficult it is to totally eradicate its effects.

It may look uninspiring but the Olson has a solid build quality, and the price is a reasonable layout for a noticeable improvement. Buy one - you know your system deserves it.

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