U.P.S. (Uninterrupted Power Supply)

[ihatejazz]

Contrary to rumors from audio gurus a U.P.S. did not, in any way, dteriorate the sound of my system. In fact I honestly felt that the sound improved tremendously. Background much quieter and full of detail and life in the music.

This is my first salvo using the unpopular device which most of our audio hotshots frown upon. What have I got to lose? To my satisfaction I am buying this 600watt capacity unit for sole use of my Clearaudio Balanced Reference phonostage which I don't intend to turn off and want it on even during brownouts. I will be buying two units of 1.25kva for my power amps.

[Chuckyboy]

I have had similar experience. For almost 2 years now, I also been using a 1.2KVA UPS for my phonostage (sometimes CDP) and pre-amp and there really is a big improvement. Lower noise floor reveals so much musical details.

I think the only thing to avoid is the SquareWave output UPS as this is intended for computer servers and not for audio gears. JMHO

[m_shoe_maker]

In fact I honestly felt that the sound improved tremendously. Background much quieter and full of detail and life in the music.

Aba, aba, aba You are sounding like.............

Palitan mo na rin ng ultra expensive power cords yung UPS para ultra Night and Day difference sa sound.

[JackD201]

Hey, as long as their fans aren't noisy go for it. Given how lousy our wall current is to begin with, personally I don't see what ADDED harm they can do. In the same breath think how much pain you might save yourself in the event a lightning storm like the one that hit the San Juan-Mandaluyong area earlier this evening hit YOU.
In any case PSUs are supposed to be AC regenerators not filters so the old arguments are not supposed to apply.

Knock yourself out IHJ. Tira!

[yellowpaper]

Hey IHJ, if it works, it works. Besides you'll be the one listening most of the time. Unless of course you 'll invite us to your place in every God given day. I do have an experience with the UPS, mainly for the PBX use. And they work perfectly fine, when needed of course. Now I don't know for sure if indeed it improved the phone reception. Nonetheless, if does magic to your super system, I don't see any rhyme or reasons on why not to use them. Happy listening!!!

[Hyperion]

To make the discussion more interesting, let me put some technical perspective into it ...

First we must remember that there are two types of UPS: stand by UPS and continuous UPS.

Stand by or back up UPS only supply power through its batteries by way of DC-AC power invertion when the AC supply is not available from the power grid but normally just power devices plugged into it from the AC line. Obviously this does not have any potential benefit except during power outtage or if it is used to power audio components while unplugged to the AC outlet. (hint: if it is cheap, small and lightweight ... it is probably a stand by UPS )

Continuous or online UPS always supply inverted power through the batteries which are also continuously being recharged. In short, the components plugged into it is theoretically isolated from the potentially noisy AC grid supply. (hint: if the UPS happens to be more expensive than you expected, big bulky and even heavier than your power amp ... it is probably an online UPS )

There are however also 2 different types of Continuous UPS each with different types of output AC waveform:

1. modified sine wave (usually innacurrately called square wave)
2. pure sine wave

Usually, sensitive electronic devices like laser printers, digital clocks and of course audio components MUST use pure sine wave UPS to ensure that they perform as designed and intended. (hint: if the online UPS seem to be cheap for an online UPS it's probably a modified square wave generator)

High capacity inverters capable of supplying low distortion amplitude-stable pure sine wave are very expensive (hint: $1k up) and so are UPS that can do the same thing since they are essentially inverters with batteries and recharging/monitoring circuits. Also, all "pure" sine wave UPS have harmonic distortions and amplitude instability of varying intensity in their AC output because the sine wave is generated by oscillator circuits like wein bridges or digital wave-shaping / sine wave approximation techniques instead of magnetodynamic AC generation.

So the bottom line is: RFI/EMI infested AC grid line vs UPS sine wave harmonic distortion / amplitude + frequency instability. Pick yo poison.

[JackD201]

It's really a matter of how bad your wall power is to begin with IMHO. In the province we get low RFI but WILD swings. Here I get High RFI but relatively constant (by contrast, at least) voltage and current. All I can say is if my main system were in my house in the province you can bet your bottom dollar I'd invest in a set of bad-ass continuous UPS'. Here? I'm a SS guy with thermo-nuke protection and filtering built in so into the wall they go. Regulators will do for the "naked" gear. Toobs? I posted before that I don't like 'em with any sort of filter BUT busted bottles aren't the worst of our problems when Zeus decides to go bolt throwin'. Especially if those quick blow fuses happened to be sluggish. Busted gear or marginally sonically handicapped gear? Those are the poisons I choose between.

Anyway, we all know that IHJ is such an audioholic the real reason is so he can still listen to music even in the event of jellyfish shutting down Napocor again.

[Hyperion]

Jack ... yeah now we know where we can listen during blackouts!!! we'll both go to la vista, listen to IHJ's priceless treasures (like Lanchberry's La Fille Mal Gardee @ 45 rpm!), and hope that he happens to have some steak or turkey leftovers and some beer too hehehe

[JackD201]

Kaya lang pagbalik ng kuryente nawawala na yung mga M/M 45s ni IHJ Na Black Ops na or in Tonydog's words na-EPOXY.

[red76]

Contrary to rumors from audio gurus a U.P.S. did not, in any way, dteriorate the sound of my system. In fact I honestly felt that the sound improved tremendously. Background much quieter and full of detail and life in the music.

This is my first salvo using the unpopular device which most of our audio hotshots frown upon. What have I got to lose? To my satisfaction I am buying this 600watt capacity unit for sole use of my Clearaudio Balanced Reference phonostage which I don't intend to turn off and want it on even during brownouts. I will be buying two units of 1.25kva for my power amps.

As far as front end and preamps/riaa go, go for it. But for amps, I would personally try it out first before buying....

[Superman]

IHJ, OT...i like your avatar, MABANGIS!

[JackD201]

I prefer tha Ana lollipop Sucky-sucky!

[tonydog]

Ha Ha!!! The lolipop rocks!

[tonydog]

Will a UPS eliminate AVR and line conditioner?

[ihatejazz]

Will a UPS eliminate AVR and line conditioner?

my thoughts say yes. the experts may say otherwise

[Hyperion]

ihatejazz,

OT ... the voices in the grapevines say that you got new "explosive" speakers in there ...

[arnoldc]

OT: sumabog na ba? di ko nga inabutan eh...

pero gwapo ng turtable ni ihatejazz

[ihatejazz]

ihatejazz,

OT ... the voices in the grapevines say that you got new "explosive" speakers in there ...

Junior is the biggest rumor mongrer. There is no truth to it. Ask Arnoldc if he saw anything in my house yesterday

[bugsy]

To make the discussion more interesting, let me put some technical perspective into it ...

First we must remember that there are two types of UPS: stand by UPS and continuous UPS.

Stand by or back up UPS only supply power through its batteries by way of DC-AC power invertion when the AC supply is not available from the power grid but normally just power devices plugged into it from the AC line. Obviously this does not have any potential benefit except during power outtage or if it is used to power audio components while unplugged to the AC outlet. (hint: if it is cheap, small and lightweight ... it is probably a stand by UPS )

Continuous or online UPS always supply inverted power through the batteries which are also continuously being recharged. In short, the components plugged into it is theoretically isolated from the potentially noisy AC grid supply. (hint: if the UPS happens to be more expensive than you expected, big bulky and even heavier than your power amp ... it is probably an online UPS )

There are however also 2 different types of Continuous UPS each with different types of output AC waveform:

1. modified sine wave (usually innacurrately called square wave)
2. pure sine wave

Usually, sensitive electronic devices like laser printers, digital clocks and of course audio components MUST use pure sine wave UPS to ensure that they perform as designed and intended. (hint: if the online UPS seem to be cheap for an online UPS it's probably a modified square wave generator)

High capacity inverters capable of supplying low distortion amplitude-stable pure sine wave are very expensive (hint: $1k up) and so are UPS that can do the same thing since they are essentially inverters with batteries and recharging/monitoring circuits. Also, all "pure" sine wave UPS have harmonic distortions and amplitude instability of varying intensity in their AC output because the sine wave is generated by oscillator circuits like wein bridges or digital wave-shaping / sine wave approximation techniques instead of magnetodynamic AC generation.

So the bottom line is: RFI/EMI infested AC grid line vs UPS sine wave harmonic distortion / amplitude + frequency instability. Pick yo poison.

This unit like
most of the APC units in this price class not only provide AC line filtering, but also
backup up power should there be a brown out or even a total blackout. The hot
swapable battery can be replaced by the user without sending the unit back.
It also has over and under voltage regulation. The one feature I really liked is that the
output waveform of the 700 VA unit (and all those of the Smart-UPS series above 700VA)
is pure sinewave. Some UPS's (including some APC units of lesser VA/wattage) provide
modified sinewave output. This modified sinewave waveform can cause problems with
some power supplies. The line filtering certaining takes care of the AC line noise
bursts. Highly recommended !

[arnoldc]

OT: wala akong nakitang "explosive" speakers sa room ni ihatejazz, pero yung HR-X nya, ka pogi.