ISOTEK EVO3 Aquarius Power Conditioner Review

[pkane]

So an UPS is functionally similar to an audio amplifier? I mean, it makes sense, since an UPS uses batteries for backup power, so the AC-DC-AC conversion happens in both devices. But I'd still like to see an actual amp power a HiFi system, just for the fun

I think that’s what PSAudio regenerators claim to fame is. Haven’t looked at their products recently, but earlier PS units were claimed to even use all class-A amplifiers internally, IIRC.

 

[solderdude]

So an UPS is functionally similar to an audio amplifier? I mean, it makes sense, since an UPS uses batteries for backup power, so the AC-DC-AC conversion happens in both devices. But I'd still like to see an actual amp power a HiFi system, just for the fun

Not exactly. But you could potentially use a class D power amplifier as an AC power source. You can also do this with class A-B though but that would become kind of warm. Using a 24V-110V mains transformer you could turn a 150W/4ohm amplifier into a 120W 'clean' power supply.
It totally isn't needed as most mains fed devices don't care about mains quality.
Or use this amp with a 48V-110V transformer and create a 600W AC power supply.

 

[audio2design]

So an UPS is functionally similar to an audio amplifier? I mean, it makes sense, since an UPS uses batteries for backup power, so the AC-DC-AC conversion happens in both devices. But I'd still like to see an actual amp power a HiFi system, just for the fun

Most modern UPS are essentially class-D amplifiers. I have several lab AC sources, essentially the lab version of an "audio" power regenerator. Some of them are literally analog power power amplifiers to the point they can replicate arbitrary waveforms for power supply testing.

 

[Katji]

Nice review Amir i am glad you are back, i hope things at home are much better. Should not these guys who makes these worthless expensive devices be penalized by law or sue? i know they only take advantage of the weak minds, but still ethically wrong.

The cost of that is more government employees - salaries and offices and equipment paid with more taxpayer revenue.

 

[RickSanchez]

Off topic, but I went down the rabbit hole a little bit after seeing the media quotes Amir listed in this review. A good reminder -- for me at least -- of how interconnected the (subjective) hi-fi media landscape is.

• AVTech Media Ltd (owned by MyTimeMedia). They own all of these publications:

• AVTech Media Ltd is deeply connected to the Expert Imaging and Sound Association (EISA): Paul Miller from AVTech Media Ltd is the president-elect of EISA. You'll sometimes see their "awards" in reviews or on audio product websites, like here:

• Oh look, there's John Darko on the EISA "Expert Group".

 

[Katji]

Is ISOTEK = no-changeTEK. If not, what does ISO stand for in audio?

Clever product naming, implies that product is in accordance with ISO standards.

 

[Mnyb]

Wonder if not a filter could make things worse theoretically ( not I practice as competently design components are not really affected ) .

Like this . I have seen people using isolation transformers in some attempt to reache sonic bliss .

But think of this , passive rectifiers draw “ugly current” from thier power source with a lot of harmonics.

This would not be problematic if the power source impedance was “0” but as soon as this is not the case the current starts to modulate the voltage and you get these current harmonics also in your voltage wave form .

In this voltage is shared by the other things on your network.

Even a big isolation transformer is very small compared the electrical grid and thus have compared to that a high output impedance.

Wonder if not the best “filter” would be a thicker cable to your house from the electrical company

Anecdote time . For a while I lived in the country side . The power grid was rather weak in the area and the local transformer was not a very big one . The heater fan I used in my car during the winter made the mains transformers in my amps hum , due to the “half speed” setting on the fan being a half wave rectifier, hence it made a small DC offset on the AC network .

 

[audio2design]

Here are two linear power supplies. They are modelled as idealized 4:1 transformers. The top one has no filter. The bottom one has two LC filters with a corner frequency of 240Hz (each) cascaded. The steady state load is 100R, or about 15 watts, with a load of 8R, or about 200 watts, switched in at 1 second for 0.25 seconds. You cannot have a filter that goes down anywhere near 120Hz and have the product work.

The second graph is with two 1073Hz LC filters cascaded. Even with this relatively high frequency, the transient response on the DC output is very poor and would not be acceptable.

But ... those filters are not really 240Hz and 1073Hz. Why? Because C1 and R1, R1||R2 reflect back to the input while the diodes are conducting. Hence, making a low frequency external filter is near impossible as operation is extremely load dependent and the corner frequency of the filters will change dynamically as the load on the product changes and from product to product.

The last graph is the same "1073Hz" filter, but with a product with much smaller load. The light load enables an inductive kick and over-voltage, but the transient response is much better.

@amirm

 

[dtaylo1066]

This will work better!

 

[Labjr]

Headless Piggy Bank!

 

[Prana Ferox]

Agreeing with audio2design here. An ideal product would have very low output impedance. The (theoretical) goal here would be to filter out the higher order junk incoming while maximally tolerating all kinds of weird power factor demand outgoing. It also, ideally, has high input impedance, to not pass its own junk upstream to pollute less fortunate loads. This basically becomes a zero-gain amplifier and requires a buffer stage for impedance matching - alternately, it'd probably end up a nice pure-sine UPS.

But as stated any competent downstream product does all this again so attempting this much at this level is dubious.

 

[Prana Ferox]

So an UPS is functionally similar to an audio amplifier? I mean, it makes sense, since an UPS uses batteries for backup power, so the AC-DC-AC conversion happens in both devices. But I'd still like to see an actual amp power a HiFi system, just for the fun

A modern double-conversion UPS rectifies the input to DC with some sort of buffer (usually batteries but there's other exotica) and then uses PWM into a filter bank to reconstitute the AC signal at desired voltage / frequency.

A variable frequency drive is essentially the same but uses a much smaller buffer and has a wider range of output frequencies and would be a better audio amp analogue, although for obvious reasons most VFDs don't stretch to 20khz.

 

[Mosfet]

Does anyone know if this one is any good?

CMX-2 Precision Common Mode AC Line Filter With DC Offset Eliminator

The CMX-2 is a power distribution system that provides clean power, free of high-frequency line noise, to two commercial grade outlets. Shop today!

emotiva.com

 

[Mnyb]

Well back to the programme.

In my audiophool days , I obviously fell for this kind of scam too and actually have an expensive IsoTek power strip .
The does absolutely nothing.

So even if the tread drift is amusing and I myself are guilty .

Let’s not forget that this product and company is a scam .

 

[CedarX]

I guess I am also confused…. Are we saying that this “Power Conditioner” is really a (filter-based) “Impedance Matching” device? The issue being, not that it does nothing, but it does nothing to match real world load impedances.

 

[audio2design]

I guess I am also confused…. Are we saying that this “Power Conditioner” is really a (filter-based) “Impedance Matching” device? The issue being, not that it does nothing, but it does nothing to match real world load impedances.

It is a fairly simple common mode filter that can be had for a fraction of the cost that in most cases will have no benefit. There does seem to be hone large inductor, transformer, but not sure that is filtering or providing power for "something".

 

[Mnyb]

Does anyone know if this one is any good?

CMX-2 Precision Common Mode AC Line Filter With DC Offset Eliminator

The CMX-2 is a power distribution system that provides clean power, free of high-frequency line noise, to two commercial grade outlets. Shop today!

emotiva.com

No idea if it s good , but for what purpose ?

No competently designed audio product ever should need any kind of filter or power conditioner or after market expensive power cable . The whole product category is a money grab .

 

[noel_fs]

AUDIOPHOOLS

 

[GXAlan]

@amirm can you try with something like a phono stage or turntable setup? Some turntables don't have DC conversion and it would be interesting to see if you had a turntable+phono amp -> APx555 and then measured baseline performance with the motor running but tonearm lifted and not actually playing anything.

 

[stunta]

So I don't understand the technical details at all (yes, I deserve 2000 lashes for that), but let's say someone had an old component with sentimental value (tube stuff?) that had a crappy power supply spewing out mains noise. Setting aside pricing, would this unit help?