2024 Golden Ear: Stromtank S2500 Quantum Mk II AC Power Source
- REVIEW
- by Jacob Heilbrunn
- Mar 01, 2025

$27,250
The Stromtank, which was designed in Germany by the talented former MBL loudspeaker engineer Wolfgang Meletzky, is a breakthrough product. Based around 16 lithium batteries and an inverter, it functions, in effect, as a generator that takes your equipment off the polluted grid. The results are sublime. In rendering everything from turntables to amplifiers immune to the noise and hash that rides along electric power lines, the S2500 offers a more refined, precise, and elegant sonic presentation. The usual downsides that assail power conditioners are not in evidence as dynamic swing are more, not less, pronounced.
An audibly lower noise floor translates into blacker backgrounds, improved bass control, and smoother highs. The increased depth of the soundstage is something to behold, situating the instruments in an orchestra, from violins in front to tympani in the rear, far more firmly. The overall effect is to produce a more sumptuous sound that is free of the electronic spikes that can create nasty peaks, particularly in the treble region. A nifty front meter allows you to monitor the electric consumption of your equipment and the S2500 is simplicity itself to operate. This Teutonic marvel offers an electrifying sonic experience. (Forthcoming)
Tags: GOLDEN EAR AC AWARD STROMTANK POWER

By Jacob Heilbrunn
The trumpet has influenced my approach to high-end audio. Like not a few audiophiles, I want it all—coherence, definition, transparency, dynamics, and fine detail.
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