Equi=Tech Balanced power conditioner

I won't go into a lot of detail here, but I definitely have power issues in my home. The power went out a couple of days ago from 11:30 PM to about 3:00AM . . . so my wife tells me. I have an issue with a Summit and have to replace the entire board in the back. I can't know for sure, but I could be causing this problem. I just don't know. Last week my Sanders amp was heating up. It normally runs stone cold. The Summits started to buzz and the light on the back of the Summits cycled between green and red, so something was wrong in the Summit that must have been causing the amp(s) to have issues. That is my guess. We talked to Roger Sanders and he walked us through some tests.

The reason for this post is that I REALLY need to do something and fast to protect my equipment. I have followed a bunch of the power conditioner posts and narrowed things down. I am interested in the Equi-Tech stuff, but it's expensive and I don't want to get something that is not going to protect my equipment. Yes, the SOUND IS important to!

I know JonFo is a believer in balanced power and talks about Equi+Tech, but I think it's powering the entire house, not just a separate unit for the system. JonFo? (I went back and see you have a 5kVA. probably more than I need)

I have been on www.equitech.com and Goodwin's site www.goodwinshighend.com and am very confused about their models. It seems everyone uses different numbers. What is the difference between their Rack Systems and Home Theater Systems? Are they virtually the same but one is rack mountable and the other not? I am not rack mounting this piece, but would most likely put it on the bottom middle of a Salamander Synergy triple 21" unit.

It looks like the Q2Q (Goodwin's number) could be the same as the Q2 model they discuss on the web at www.equitech.com/products/rack/modelqpro.html
The 2RQ looks to be what I may need as shown on Equi+tech's site. Then the ET2R on Goodwin's sight looks interesting too, but may lack options I need.

Again, it's very hard to keep these numbers straight - beyond rack VS home theater, it must be the options available that makes the numbers different. Is anyone very familiar with Equi+Tech and able to offer some assistance on which model/options (IF ANY) I should be looking at?

I really appreciate any help that you can offer!!

Joe

Joe, Hopefully Cherian will chime in here on this, but for the record I believe more damage is done when the power comes back on than when it first goes out. Unless of course you loose it by means of direct lightning ! I've noticed some pretty crazy voltage swings at time when service is restored.

I for one always unplug my equipment in the summer when bad weather is near or I'm gone from the hse for some time.

If on the other hand your issues are that of general power inconsistencies than power regeneration and further protection are a must I suppose.

twich54 said:

Joe, Hopefully Cherian will chime in here on this, but for the record I believe more damage is done when the power comes back on than when it first goes out. Unless of course you loose it by means of direct lightning ! I've noticed some pretty crazy voltage swings at time when service is restored.

I for one always unplug my equipment in the summer when bad weather is near or I'm gone from the house for some time.

If on the other hand your issues are that of general power inconsistencies than power regeneration and further protection are a must I suppose.

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Dave,

I think I have "general" problems! The electric company has admitted there is an old transformer in our area that needs to be replaced. Sometimes you can actually hear a loud POP where this must be and then as expected our power goes out! i agree it's when the power comes back on that the damage is done. I tested my Cary SLP-03 preamp by unplugging the power cord when it was on. I did NOT come back "on" when reconnected. Evidently you have to press the power on switch again to make it work. That is a good thing. I don't have to fear that the pre amp will go on before the power amp, thus driving the Sanders amp to full capacity (according to the manual). But I agree the Summits might not like the power of and on thing!

The question is, would the Equi+Tech unit (or something similar) prevent damage on the on/off/on sequences occurs? I'm assuming small and/or occasional spikes would not hurt the system if I had one of these units installed. I have seen my number at 124 instead of 120. I don't know if that is significant or not.

Joe

Equi =Tech : not yet

music again said:

The question is, would the Equi+Tech unit (or something similar) prevent damage on the on/off/on sequences occurs? I'm assuming small and/or occasional spikes would not hurt the system if I had one of these units installed. I have seen my number at 124 instead of 120. I don't know if that is significant or not.Joe

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Joe, Equi=Tech makes excellent equipment, but is best known for their balanced power units for which they were the first company to obtain UL approval so they could be used outside a studio environment. What you need in your situation is a power regenerator like the ExactPower EP-15A (my personal favorite) or, if you want to save a few bucks, the PS Audio Power Plant Premier (just remember, you get what you pay for ) You can always add (connect) a balanced power unit to the regenerator for a super quiet front end, but not mandatory, especially if you only have digital sources. Regenerators will definitely hold your voltage steady and eliminate noise without degrading amplifier dynamics (the main problem with power conditioners,) They will also protect your gear from utility company surges, but not from lightening strikes! Unplugging your equipment as Cherian said, is the only protection against lightening -- and it makes it very easy to do that if all you have to do is turn off the power regenerator unit!

music again said:

...

I know JonFo is a believer in balanced power and talks about Equi+Tech, but I think it's powering the entire house, not just a separate unit for the system. JonFo? (I went back and see you have a 5kVA. probably more than I need)

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Joe, my 5KVA unit is their commercial 'transformer in a box' variant that I then customized to run my setup. It only powers the A/V gear. The rest of the home is protected by Powergy devices that also provide power factor correction.
It is recommended that no matter what you do for power protection at the audio rig, you also should install power factor corrector / surge protection on the main panels.
5KVA is very large capacity, probably more than your setup might need.

music again said:

...
I have been on www.equitech.com and Goodwin's site www.goodwinshighend.com and am very confused about their models. It seems everyone uses different numbers. What is the difference between their Rack Systems and Home Theater Systems? Are they virtually the same but one is rack mountable and the other not? I am not rack mounting this piece, but would most likely put it on the bottom middle of a Salamander Synergy triple 21" unit.

It looks like the Q2Q (Goodwin's number) could be the same as the Q2 model they discuss on the web at www.equitech.com/products/rack/modelqpro.html
The 2RQ looks to be what I may need as shown on Equi+tech's site. Then the ET2R on Goodwin's sight looks interesting too, but may lack options I need.

Again, it's very hard to keep these numbers straight - beyond rack VS home theater, it must be the options available that makes the numbers different. Is anyone very familiar with Equi+Tech and able to offer some assistance on which model/options (IF ANY) I should be looking at?

I really appreciate any help that you can offer!!

Joe

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Joe, my recommendation for a unit that will power the Sanders amps plus your summits (and the rest of the gear) is a Son of Q Sr. (model 2R).

That is their non-rack version for HT's. It has all the features you'd need.

Oh, just remembered your comment about shutting down after power outages.
I’m not sure which models, if any, can shut down the system if there is a loss of power and force a manual intervention to restore power. You might want to call Equitech and inquire.

Since I rolled my own, I have that feature by virtue of tying in the relay activation power supply into the source grid (preceding the balanced transformer). Therefore when power is lost, all relays pop open and stay open until I go in and reset the system through my automation system.

I do have to say that living in the Southeast, I see lots of bad power scenarios and plenty of lightning (4 houses have been hit in a 5 mile radius from me and burned in the past few years), and I’ve never had a power-related issue. And ya’ll know I’m not short on quantity of gear

I attribute this to the panel based protection and the big Equitech.

Some equi+Tech questions

JonFo said:

Oh, just remembered your comment about shutting down after power outages.
I’m not sure which models, if any, can shut down the system if there is a loss of power and force a manual intervention to restore power. You might want to call Equitech and inquire.

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Jonathon,

I havn't been able to get a hold of anyone at Equi+Tech yet, but I'll keep trying. I do have a couple of questions for you though . . . .

1. Where would I plug in the Summits? The two unswitched "always on" outlets? I don't have anything else I can think of that needs to retain memory.

2. The Sanders 2 channel amp is 600 watts RMS per channel into 4ohms, while the monoblocs are 1,600 watts per channel RMS into 4 ohms! Looking at the Model "Q" and the Son of Q SR, it looks like the load capacity is rated at 2,000 watts. This seems way beyond the capacity of either of the Sanders units. Am I missing something?

3. Are these units similar to say the FURMAN IT Reference 20i? This is on page 75 in the current Music Direct catalog. There's is called "discrete symetrical power". I could not locate this unit on their website. Like Equi+Tech, their model numbers are impossible to figure out!

THANKS!

Joe

music again said:

Jonathon,

I havn't been able to get a hold of anyone at Equi+Tech yet, but I'll keep trying. I do have a couple of questions for you though . . . .

1. Where would I plug in the Summits? The two unswitched "always on" outlets? I don't have anything else I can think of that needs to retain memory.

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Hi Joe,

The speakers can be on either switched or unswitched. Personally, I'd use the switched outlets.
The unswitched are for a DVR or some other 'set-top' type device that must be on all the time. If you don't have one now, then they go unused.

2. The Sanders 2 channel amp is 600 watts RMS per channel into 4ohms, while the monoblocs are 1,600 watts per channel RMS into 4 ohms! Looking at the Model "Q" and the Son of Q SR, it looks like the load capacity is rated at 2,000 watts. This seems way beyond the capacity of either of the Sanders units. Am I missing something?

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The numbers to look at with most ESL related gear is not watts but amperage. In this case, you want to ensure the current draw from the amps can be met by the Power conditioner, even at peak output.
Two Sanders Monoblocks would probably not stretch a 2Q Equitech, but I'd not put more on there. A 2CH ESL amp + Summits + pre + sources is quite comfortable on a 2Q.

You want some headroom (in terms of power) to help ride out short dips and to not stress the conditioner.

3. Are these units similar to say the FURMAN IT Reference 20i? This is on page 75 in the current Music Direct catalog. There's is called "discrete symetrical power". I could not locate this unit on their website. Like Equi+Tech, their model numbers are impossible to figure out!

THANKS!

Joe

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The Furman Reference 20i is a very nice unit, and I'd not kick it out of a rack if one showed up

However, it's $3k, and only provides balanced power for the non-amps in the rig. For the amps it offers power factor correction, which is very helpful, but can also be addressed elsewhere (at the panel using Powergy units).
So for the cost of a Son of Q Sr. ($1.6K) plus a Powergy unit ($900), you get fully balanced power for both the amps and the sources, plus power factor correction for the entire house.
These days, with electricity costs going up, power factor correction pays for itself in three years or less. If you have an AC that runs a lot, it could pay off even faster. Look into it.

We still have not addressed the auto-disconnect switch when power from the wall is lost. More google searching required, but I've got other commitments.

Equi+Tech

Jonathon,

Thanks for the detailed reply. I'll have to take some time to digest it all and evaluate what to do here!

Joe

Still looking . . . .

JonFo said:

Hi Joe,


The Furman Reference 20i is a very nice unit, and I'd not kick it out of a rack if one showed up

However, it's $3k, and only provides balanced power for the non-amps in the rig. For the amps it offers power factor correction, which is very helpful, but can also be addressed elsewhere (at the panel using Powergy units).
So for the cost of a Son of Q Sr. ($1.6K) plus a Powergy unit ($900), you get fully balanced power for both the amps and the sources, plus power factor correction for the entire house.
These days, with electricity costs going up, power factor correction pays for itself in three years or less. If you have an AC that runs a lot, it could pay off even faster. Look into it.

We still have not addressed the auto-disconnect switch when power from the wall is lost. More google searching required, but I've got other commitments.

Click to expand...

Jonathon,

I still have yet to make a decision on the power conditioner . . .

You mentioned "Powergy unit ($900)". Is this an Equi+tech unit? Does this replace my main electrical box or supplement it?

I do like the Equi+tech 2RQ (model name 2Q) unit. It's $3k however, but I'm getting desperate for "secure" power. I see in writing that the Son of Q "can drive 2,000 Watts of load", but couldn't anything in the Q2 specs regarding watts or amps. You mentioned you thought I'd be OK with a 2 channel Sanders and all other equipment plugged in, but not the mono blocs and everything else.

Every time I think I find a solution it's always something else . . .

I was also looking at the adept Response Audience aR6 ($2,800) for the equipment, and their aR1p ($495) for the amp(s). This is a single unit that plugs in like a wall wart. You could have one for each amp if I did the mono blocs. It says "15 amp, power handling up to 1,800 watts". That may not be enough. One thing I like about Audience is that they do not use MOV's, which I have read deteriorate over time.

Then there's Shunyata . . .

Too many choices, not enough time . . .

Joe

I would suggest starting with good whole house surge protection. That will benefit more than just the audio equipment. Remember all the sophesticated electronics around the house today...often in places you don't think of. Like the clothes washer and dryer, treadmill, alarm systems, microwave.....

For some basic info, here is one source of terminology...

http://www.nemasurge.com/help.html

For whole house protection, look for active sine wave tracking protection. Do a web search. Look for Islotron or Control Concepts. Eaton has a brand that the name of escapes me right now. For around a thousand or so, you should be able to get some of the best protection around. It'll need to be installed at the main panel. It'll give you a shot at protection from even an almost direct hit on the power line. I've got hundreds of thousands of dollars of equipment and a lot of peoples livelyhoods protected with these types.

Then if you must...look at the other protections and features of the audiophile devices at the equipment location can do for you and your money.

music again said:

Jonathon,

I still have yet to make a decision on the power conditioner . . .

You mentioned "Powergy unit ($900)". Is this an Equi+tech unit? Does this replace my main electrical box or supplement it?

I do like the Equi+tech 2RQ (model name 2Q) unit. It's $3k however, but I'm getting desperate for "secure" power. I see in writing that the Son of Q "can drive 2,000 Watts of load", but couldn't anything in the Q2 specs regarding watts or amps. You mentioned you thought I'd be OK with a 2 channel Sanders and all other equipment plugged in, but not the mono blocs and everything else.

Every time I think I find a solution it's always something else . . .

I was also looking at the adept Response Audience aR6 ($2,800) for the equipment, and their aR1p ($495) for the amp(s). This is a single unit that plugs in like a wall wart. You could have one for each amp if I did the mono blocs. It says "15 amp, power handling up to 1,800 watts". That may not be enough. One thing I like about Audience is that they do not use MOV's, which I have read deteriorate over time.

Then there's Shunyata . . .

Too many choices, not enough time . . .

Joe

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Joe, yes, it never simple, is it?

the Powergy units are whole hosue surge supression and power factor correctors.

The ones it'd recommend for those of us with larger homes and lots of gear are their commercial models, like the CPS-1C240.

I have one on each of my 200amp panels.

as for the EquiTech, i still believe the Son of Q Sr. ($1,600) will do the trick for you.