There’s a debate going on one of the video projector forums where some owners think that because their UPS is “pure sine”, it’s the same as an AC Regenerator. I’m trying to explain why that’s not the case, but looking for more “ammo”…
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Paul did a Video on this very subject. You can search for it on the PS Audio YT channel.
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UPS devices are designed for safe operation of computers, not audio. Some can produce a pure sine wave from their battery. (Some have replaceable batteries.) The primary purpose for me is to protect against loss of power, so I can continue for a period of time if the outage is going to be short, or safely power down for longer outages. Even the cheap one I use provides a constant voltage. They all do surge protection and that kind of stuff.
So they are ideal for servers, in fact pretty much obligatory.
Audio equipment benefits from different mains treatment, and if you want a pure regenerated sine wave with lots of power you won’t find a UPS to do that, because computer systems need far less power than many audio systems.
On the other hand, there are plenty of mains conditioning systems designed for sensitive medical electronics that are perfectly applicable to audio equipment.
That’s kind of funny. Sure, the output from an UPS can be decently clean, but they are not good for audio gear. They have a high impedance on the output so they tend to kill the dynamics in the system! They are perfect for computers and servers though. They also provide really good surge protection. I’m not an expert in video so I can say how they do for projectors. I do have my TV plugged into an older P5 in the HT setup and it seems to work great.
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I tried, but it’s a losing battle…lol!
If anyone wants to join in, the conversation is here:
There is no benefit in arguing who is “right.” If they are happy with their approach I doubt anyone will dissuade them.
Very true!
Perhaps we are in the minority, but I like to consider other points of view, even after I’ve made up my mind; especially if fact based.
A good approach.
I am not a video person so I have no idea if those characteristics of a PowerPlant which improves audio makes any difference to video.
For example, low impedance makes a difference in audio reproduction, improving dynamics, etc. I have no idea whether this makes any difference to a video projector.
I tend to agree with what’s already been said here. I have a Stellar P3 for my dedicated listening room but do utilize an online double-conversion pure sine wave UPS for my networking gear and other ancillaries (Topaz Iso-tranny, LPSs, etc.) that is in my basement utility room. See below (Tripp-Lite model SU1500RTXL2UA). It runs a pure sine plugged-in or while battery powered. Different applications altogether, but when paired together in my system as a whole, the benefits are immense.
That is unfortunately also dependent on where you live. In my country [SA] for example, we have regular load shedding and power outages, and the power very often returns at 170V, then slowly creeping up to (maybe) the correct 230V. Then a double conversion UPS is preferable (for protection), though admittedly not for sound quality.
I have the P20 and yes, it’s fantastic but I would not dare use it directly on our local grid. So I have a 11.2Kwh Lithium Ion \ Victron inverter \ solar setup driving the P20 (and other items). It is still a frustration though, since I prefer to keep the P20 always on - in order to keep the rest in standby; and 11.2 Kwh is not enough with the P20 and connected equipment using around 300W/h in standby.
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Speaking from experience here, I have a P3 regenerator and Eaton 9px in my office. Same price range. Both regenerate AC to DC and back to AC, but they are very different tools. I would love not to spend money on both, but Eaton 9PX sucks for audio - audible artifacts in the high-frequency range, noisy fan, and limited dynamics, and P3 is not for office equipment power backup. They should not be compared.
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