I’m hoping to kick off a collegial discussion around electrical safety ratings—specifically from a Canadian perspective.
After a fairly long hiatus from the industry, I’ve been getting back up to speed. As I’ve been catching up on current hardware trends, one issue has really stood out to me: the surprisingly large number of AC-powered products that don’t carry any recognized electrical safety listing. I’m referring to marks like cUL, cTUV, cETL, CSA, QPS, etc. (and just to address it upfront—CE and FCC markings are not equivalent or even meaningful in this context).
What’s even more frustrating is the lack of clarity around how this is even possible.
Brands like SMSL, Topping, and Fosi (just to name a few prominent ones) don’t seem to pursue certification at all. In some cases, models use external AC-to-DC adapters that are listed/certified—though not always—but I haven’t found evidence of any models with internal mains power supplies carrying recognized safety marks.
Even more surprising, Emotiva—a well-established brand—confirmed to me that their products are not safety listed in this context. By contrast, I’ve noticed that WiiM products are certified (though you actually have to flip them over to find the marking).
From what I’ve been able to gather, while selling unlisted equipment in the U.S. may not be strictly prohibited, the situation in Canada appears quite different. There are strong indications that if a device plugs directly into mains power, it must be certified by CSA, cUL, cETL or other equivalent standard.
Even Amazon.ca’s seller guides states that electrical products connected to mains power must be tested to CSA 22.2 or a harmonized UL standard and certified accordingly. Yet in practice, a wide range of unlisted products are sold—not just on Amazon, but through reputable retailers as well.
So how does this work? What are the actual enforcement mechanisms—or loopholes?
A while back I purchased a pair of powered studio monitors from Long & McQuade without giving it a second thought. Later, when I was thinking about this, I checked—and found no safety listings (beyond CE which, again, is not equivalent to any of the aforementioned requirements). When I reached out to KRK for clarification, I ended up in a loop between them and the Canadian distributor, neither of whom could (or would) give a clear answer.
To be clear, I’m not suggesting that any of these brands are inherently unsafe. But I do find the inconsistency puzzling. Why do some products and companies adhere to certification requirements while others seemingly ignore them—and still operate freely in the Canadian market?
I’d be very interested to hear from anyone with insight into how this is being handled in practice—whether from a regulatory, distribution, or retail perspective.
After a fairly long hiatus from the industry, I’ve been getting back up to speed. As I’ve been catching up on current hardware trends, one issue has really stood out to me: the surprisingly large number of AC-powered products that don’t carry any recognized electrical safety listing. I’m referring to marks like cUL, cTUV, cETL, CSA, QPS, etc. (and just to address it upfront—CE and FCC markings are not equivalent or even meaningful in this context).
What’s even more frustrating is the lack of clarity around how this is even possible.
Brands like SMSL, Topping, and Fosi (just to name a few prominent ones) don’t seem to pursue certification at all. In some cases, models use external AC-to-DC adapters that are listed/certified—though not always—but I haven’t found evidence of any models with internal mains power supplies carrying recognized safety marks.
Even more surprising, Emotiva—a well-established brand—confirmed to me that their products are not safety listed in this context. By contrast, I’ve noticed that WiiM products are certified (though you actually have to flip them over to find the marking).
From what I’ve been able to gather, while selling unlisted equipment in the U.S. may not be strictly prohibited, the situation in Canada appears quite different. There are strong indications that if a device plugs directly into mains power, it must be certified by CSA, cUL, cETL or other equivalent standard.
Even Amazon.ca’s seller guides states that electrical products connected to mains power must be tested to CSA 22.2 or a harmonized UL standard and certified accordingly. Yet in practice, a wide range of unlisted products are sold—not just on Amazon, but through reputable retailers as well.
So how does this work? What are the actual enforcement mechanisms—or loopholes?
A while back I purchased a pair of powered studio monitors from Long & McQuade without giving it a second thought. Later, when I was thinking about this, I checked—and found no safety listings (beyond CE which, again, is not equivalent to any of the aforementioned requirements). When I reached out to KRK for clarification, I ended up in a loop between them and the Canadian distributor, neither of whom could (or would) give a clear answer.
To be clear, I’m not suggesting that any of these brands are inherently unsafe. But I do find the inconsistency puzzling. Why do some products and companies adhere to certification requirements while others seemingly ignore them—and still operate freely in the Canadian market?
I’d be very interested to hear from anyone with insight into how this is being handled in practice—whether from a regulatory, distribution, or retail perspective.
