Clarus isn’t chasing the budget crowd at AXPONA 2026, and with the debut of the Concerto MKII power conditioner, it’s making that crystal clear. Clean, stable power isn’t an audiophile myth; it directly impacts noise floor, dynamic range, and the overall coherence of a system. Your AC power isn’t perfectly clean. It can carry noise from other devices on the same circuit; dimmers, refrigerators, and switching power supplies, along with voltage fluctuations, spikes, and grounding issues that can impact how your system performs.
Clarus has built a serious reputation in high-performance audio, particularly with its well-regarded cable lineup, and the Concerto MKII leans into that credibility with a no-compromise approach to power delivery and conditioning. It’s not cheap—far from it. In fact, the price lands well beyond what most people have ever considered spending on an entire hi-fi system. But for those running upper five-figure or six-figure setups, where every upstream variable matters, this is exactly the kind of component that could make sense—and one worth hearing before dismissing outright.
Building on the original Concerto, the MKII increases current capacity, refines the filtering architecture, improves grounding, and optimizes power distribution. The goal is lower noise without restricting current delivery or altering the electrical behavior that high-performance audio systems rely on.
The Concerto MKII is built on the idea that reducing noise should not come at the expense of dynamics or tonal integrity. Rather than chasing maximum attenuation, its design focuses on the types of noise that actually propagate through real-world audio systems, aiming to lower interference while preserving musical coherence and ensuring unrestricted current delivery for analog, digital, and high-current components.
Clarus Repositions the Concerto MKII for a Different Class of System
The original Concerto launched in 2019 at $4,000, but rising material, manufacturing, and development costs would push that same design closer to $8,000 today. Rather than simply reissue it at a higher price, Clarus chose to develop the MKII as a redesigned successor with updated performance goals. The result is a significantly more expensive product at $12,000, positioned not as a direct replacement, but as a step up aimed at higher-end systems where incremental improvements in noise reduction and power delivery are more likely to be realized.
“Many power conditioners reduce noise by constraining current,” says Jay Victor, Concerto MKII power conditioner design engineer. “The MKII takes a different approach by targeting acoustically destructive noise while preserving the dynamics and harmonic structure that make music feel alive.”
Inside the Concerto MKII
At the core of the Concerto MKII is an application-specific filter architecture that tailors its approach to the electrical demands of connected components. Sensitive analog gear is fed through high-permeability common-mode “Clarus FluxCore” filtering, designed to reduce ground-referenced noise without restricting current or compressing dynamics.
Digital Optimized Power Outlets: Four outlets labeled “Digital” use a combination of differential-mode and common-mode “Clarus FluxCore” filtering to suppress high-frequency noise generated by digital sources.
High Current Power Outlets: Two outlets labeled “High Current” are equipped with “Clarus FluxCore-HC” filtering, engineered to reduce noise while supporting large transient current demands and limiting both conducted and radiated interference.
Analog Power Outlets: Two outlets labeled “Analog” utilize high-permeability “Clarus FluxCore” nanocrystalline inductor technology to deliver low-noise power tailored for sensitive analog components.
FluxCore Filtering: Designed to address common AC line imperfections such as noise and interference, Clarus’ FluxCore filtering aims to stabilize incoming power without restricting current delivery, helping reduce variables that can impact system performance.
Oil-Filled Capacitors: Newly added oil-filled capacitors are used to improve thermal stability and long-term reliability in the analog and high-current sections.
High Current Tolerance: The Concerto MKII features full 20-amp internal circuitry, allowing it to operate on both 15-amp and 20-amp residential lines without introducing current limitations. A star-ground architecture and isolated-ground outlets are employed to reduce ground noise and minimize circulating currents.
Internal Power Distribution: Power is distributed via heavy-gauge copper bus bars to reduce voltage drop and support high transient current demands.
System Protection: Protection is handled by a hydraulic-magnetic circuit breaker designed to tolerate high inrush currents without nuisance tripping. Constrained-layer damping is applied within the chassis to reduce mechanically induced vibration from internal components, helping maintain stable operation.
Low Noise Performance: Together, these design elements aim to provide a stable, low-noise electrical foundation that allows connected components to operate consistently under real-world conditions.
By addressing electrical noise based on its source and how it propagates, and by aligning filtering, grounding, and current delivery with the needs of each connected component, the Concerto MKII is designed to reduce interference without imposing a distinct sonic character. The intended result is lower background noise, improved low-level detail, greater dynamic contrast, and better clarity during complex passages—without restricting system performance.
Clarus Concerto MKII Specifications
| Clarus Model | Concerto MKII |
| Product Type | Power Conditioner |
| Price | $12,000 |
| Applications | High-end audio, home theater, analog and digital systems |
| Power Rating | 1800 Watts / 15 Amps (20 Amps Max) |
| Number of Power Outlets | 8 Outlets Total |
| Power Outlet Zones | 2 High Current Optimized 4 Digital Optimized 2 Analog Optimized |
| Filtering Technology | Clarus-Core C-Core and HC-Core inductors |
| Line Voltage | 120VAC 15A, 50/60 Hz |
| Spike Protection Modes | L-N, N-G, L-G |
| Maximum Surge Current | 80 kA (Line-to-Neutral) |
| Spike Clamping Voltage (VMAX) | 395V |
| Max Spike Energy (Joule) | L-N = 960 Joules |
| Voltage Monitoring | Under/over-voltage shutdown with auto reset |
| Safety Features | TMOV (Thermally Protected Metal Oxide Varistor) surge suppression, thermal breaker, fault indicators |
| Chasis Construction | Vibration-controlled housing with cable support bar |
| RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances) | Yes |
| Dimensions (HWD) | 3.5” X 19” X 12.75” |
| Net Weight | 19 lbs. |
| Warranty | 3 Years (Limited) |
| Package Contents | 1 x CLARUS CONCERTO MKII 1 x Installation & Operation Guide 1 x Rear Cable Support Bracket NOTE: Power Cable not included |
The Bottom Line
Power conditioning sits in that uncomfortable gray area between necessity and obsession, and the Concerto MKII doesn’t try to pretend otherwise. What Clarus is offering here is not a universal upgrade, but a highly targeted solution for systems where power quality is already a known variable and the rest of the chain is resolving enough to expose it.
What makes the Concerto MKII stand out is its application-specific filtering approach, separation of outlet types, and focus on maintaining current delivery rather than restricting it. That’s a meaningful distinction in a category where some designs can choke dynamics in the name of noise reduction. The inclusion of 20-amp internal architecture, star grounding, and heavy-duty power distribution shows that this is built for serious systems, not entry-level setups.
Who is this for? Not the average listener. Not even most enthusiasts. This is aimed squarely at owners of upper five-figure and six-figure systems, in environments where electrical noise, grounding issues, or inconsistent power are real concerns—not theoretical ones.
Is it worth $12,000? For most people, no. For a small group chasing the last few percent of performance and already invested deep enough that power delivery becomes part of system tuning, it might be. The key is knowing which side of that line you’re on before writing the check.
Price & Availability
The Clarus Concerto MKII Power Conditioner has a suggested retail price of $12,000 (not including power cable). It will become available during Q2 2026 through authorized Clarus retailers.
The Clarus Concerto MKII will be debuting at AXPONA 2026, April 10 – 12, in support of the Harman Luxury Group.
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