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Tripp Lite IS250 Review (Isolation Transformer)

Rate this product:

  • 1. Waste of money for audio use

    Votes: 121 71.2%
  • 2. Not terrible (postman panther)

    Votes: 12 7.1%
  • 3. Fine (happy panther)

    Votes: 27 15.9%
  • 4. Great (golfing panther)

    Votes: 10 5.9%

  • Total voters
    170

Prana Ferox

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I am constantly terrified by what laypeople do with power electronics. Don't try to defeat safety features!

Product deserves criticism since it heavily advertises isolation when in reality it doesn't provide anything like that with respect to safety ground. This misstatement causes so many people to go and buy them for audio use. Search for isolation transformer and the very Amazon listing that I used to buy it shows up half way down the page:

You see "100% isolation from AC power line." Combined with 130 reviews of 4.4 rating, folks buy them.

This is why I addressed this problem first and foremost in my review.

I actually gave them 100% benefit of doubt that it does what it is designed to do (not advertised to do). So not sure how I could be any more fair than I was.

They are technically correct, at least for common household use. One phase of the power line hot goes into a step down transformer that develops +hot, -hot and neutral. Neutral is then bonded to ground at your service box, not the line. (In the US) you use + and - to power 240VAC equipment like a dryer, and either + or - for the 120VAC L-N for your other circuits.

So this device does in fact isolate you from the 'power line' - but so does the SDT that's probably up a pole by the street. Your neutral and ground don't come from the line, they come from your residential construction / grounding grid (often just your water pipes). It of course doesn't isolate safety ground because no company the size of Tripp-Lite would sell such a product. The transformer's inductance also acts as a low-pass filter just as measured results show.

Bottom line is the TrippLite is not being marketed as such. What deluded people do with products is hardly the responsibility of an individual to 'expose' or protect them from, is it? It is not up to Amir to 'save' a bunch of misguided audiophools from their own ignorance or misguided stupidity, is it? What ever happened to critical thinking?

Company reputations are being damaged (and may incure financial losses) by incorrect testing methodology, incorrect assumptions and/or blatant ignorance as to the functionality of the devices being tested.

I understand what you're getting at but I'd be confident Tripp-Lite / Eaton care not a whit for reviews in this context. Amazon sales to audio forum weirdos aren't even a rounding error and they're not really a B2C company in the first place.
 

Lambda

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Ah, I stand corrected. I don't know why they are doing that.
Interesting. I also don't know why they are doing that... maybe regulations/local code?
As required by the standards, a ground-fault monitoring device is mandatory in a floating system.



A picture can says more then 1000 words/posts.
why don't the put a simple diagram on it like my cheap DI boxes do:
9641800_800.jpg
 
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solderdude

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Now i’m confused beaus@ solderdude claims you did?

I thought Amir also posted some comments where the N to G connections was mentioned.
It is also clearly stated in the manual that on the secondary side N and G are bonded.
There are also modding videos that show how to disconnect and add OVP and filtering.

I also don't know why they are doing that...

It is probably done for the, by KSTR and John mentioned reasons.
A floating output can get very high voltages on it between L/N and ground (static discharges or faulty equipment or switches between the load) which can make the transformer, outlets etc. spark when not deliberately designed for those high voltages beteen L/N and ground.
Referencing to ground is an easy preventive measurement that costs no expensive parts that can fail.
Also mains always works this way why change that situation when safety ground is present.
 
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Lambda

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It is also clearly stated in the manual that on the secondary side N and G are bonded.
Thanks!

1649525688899.png



This i not how it is wired but in my opinion this would be better:
1649525615146.png



@amirm feel free to use this graphics if you want to.
they include PE-N bonding in the distribution box like a typical

Maybe this is better?
1649526499086.png
 
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Xulonn

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I like the tests Amir does on audio products, it's a great service for us all.

But I struggle with the provided value and optics of testing otherwise proven, none audio devices, in off piste, audio applications.
...

I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels disappointed in the site when he reads tests like this, which are obviously incomplete?
I find it difficult to comprehend how people cannot understand that, in addition to the basic standard audio components (sources, preamplifiers, amplifiers) and other audio device he selects, Amir, at the request of ASR members, also tests and measures "re-purposed" devices promoted and/or marketed to audiophiles and audio enthusiasts to supposedly "increase fidelity" or "improve sound".

The testing of non-audio devices that can sometimes be useful (although not always the best, most elegant, or cost-effective solution), such the subject Tripp Lite transformers, always seems to lead to bickering and silly arguments. Amir tried very hard, especially in the video, to explain his reasons for taking the time to perform the partcular tests and measurements for this review. However, there are apparently a fair number of people here - including some very competent repair and modification techs - who are too narrow-minded to accept that such testing can be valuable and nterestig to some audio enthusiasts, particularly those with limited knowledge of elecronics (or psychoacoustics). Some of these non-technical audio hobbyists have doubts about the sonic improvement capabilities of these devices, and request testing or send devices to Amir for testing.

Every test or suite of measurements that Amir does is not intended to please each and every member and/or visitor to ASR. No one is forced to read and comment on reviews and tests that they are not interested in. (Then again, some people just like to complain. :rolleyes:)
 

m8o

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I have some long-run device interconnect situations I can't use as they are plagued with ground-loop hum. In one case the hum is not reduced but completely eliminated by putting a FiiO dac base headphone amp unit that has analog in/out too to let it act as a preamp, powered by a wall-wort, in the RCA circuit path (said another way, acting as a preamp 1:1 buffer). My expectation would be this unit would eliminate the ground loop as just described when the device producing the hum is plugged into it. So, I'm going to reserve judgement until i pick one up and test that. I would not expect the fidelity of playback to increase one iota more than that, elimination of hum. Success or failure to me will hinge on that.
P.s. and I understand based on the bold text in the review in post 1 I should not expect success. Yet, I will try.
 
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Tks

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Don't think there are that many different opinions on how an isolation transformer works and which problems it can solve. You might be better of with a book about human communication ;)
RIP me.
 

solderdude

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This i not how it is wired but in my opinion this would be better:
1649525615146.png

In that case something should be done to protect the secondary windings and connected sockets to not float higher than what those components can handle.
For instance using high voltage TVS between Lout and PE and Nout and PE. Those modified Tripp Lites often show this is done. These parts are not present (nor needed) in the stock version so have to be added.
 

DWI

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A survey which you do not have. I test audio devices every day in case you have forgotten that. And go to countless audio shows and see what power cables they have. They are by far 3-pin variety or the whole market for high-end power cables would fall apart.

Clearly these posts stem from people who have no understanding of the audio market which deploys these tweaks. Until you learn and understand the market that exists for these power products, I suggest not making random comments like that.
This is not deployed in the audio market. Some people have chosen to use it for audio. There are some devices specifically deployed for audio use, like Airlink have for decades.

My quick google showed these Tripp Lite used more for AV gear, lots of which is class II. My AV gear comprises the most common UK satellite box from sky, well over 5 million users in the UK alone, and the AppleTV+ box, many millions of those about, and an LG TV, all of which are class II.

All my audio gear is 3-pin, but then AV is a far larger market.
 

Mart68

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Seems like many people here don't hang around in audio la-la land. Not that I blame them.

But if they did they would realise that a lot of people use this type of device (not necessarily this specific one) because they believe it improves sound quality e,g

Blacker blacks
Soundstage wider, deeper, taller
A greater sense of the musicians playing together

And so forth.

The purpose of this test is to demonstrate that these devices - generically - offer no such improvements. That seems pretty clear to me.

That they do solve some other issues is irrelevant, nobody is arguing that they don't.
 

PeteL

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Seems like many people here don't hang around in audio la-la land. Not that I blame them.

But if they did they would realise that a lot of people use this type of device (not necessarily this specific one) because they believe it improves sound quality e,g

Blacker blacks
Soundstage wider, deeper, taller
A greater sense of the musicians playing together

And so forth.

The purpose of this test is to demonstrate that these devices - generically - offer no such improvements. That seems pretty clear to me.

That they do solve some other issues is irrelevant, nobody is arguing that they don't.
If we are talking generically, then it should be an article, not a product review i think. I also think that demonstration have been done by now. I also did hung out in these circles, had to do many audio trade shows in the past among the high end crowd among other means of contacts too and I have never heard of anybody, ever that told me that he needs to purchase an isolation transformer because his blacks where grey or his soundstage was narrow. Never. For a simple reason, no brands appealing to this crowd propose "these devices", no "high end" hifi sales channel has that in their catalog. Professionals buy those. General public maybe sometime too but when they do it's because they have a specific problem, that maybe it could be demonstrated that this won't help, if it had been tested and measured but it haven't been done.Going trough the thread, with help from knowledgeable people, we now have an understanding that it may solve some hums but the scope of this is limited to some specific cases, not a general solution. Now you feel this is irrelevant. Me I think showing that it won't improve the fidelity of a Dac is irrelevant. I think nobody thinks that, even the easy to fool one. We are at 10 pages now and nobody have been able to show a single of those foolish claims, that it increase fidelity, not from the manufacturer, not from woo reviewers, not from resellers, not from users that express their feelings throughout the internet. None. Nobody thinks that. What do you mean "these types of device" You say not this specific one, but which one are you talking about if it's such a "generic" claim?
 
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Mart68

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If we are talking generically, then it should be an article, not a product review i think. I also think that demonstration have been done by now. I also did hung out in these circles, had to do many audio trade shows in the past among the high end crowd among other means of contacts too and I have never heard of anybody, ever that told me that he needs to purchase an isolation transformer because his blacks where grey or his soundstage was narrow. Never. For a simple reason, no brands appealing to this crowd propose "these devices", no "high end" hifi sales channel has that in their catalog. Professionals buy those. General public maybe sometime too but when they do it's because they have a specific problem, that maybe it could be demonstrated that this won't help, if it had been tested and measured but it haven't been done.Going trough the thread, with help from knowledgeable people, we now have an understanding that it may solve some hums but the scope of this is limited to some specific cases, not a general solution. Now you feel this is irrelevant. Me I think showing that it won't improve the fidelity of a Dac is irrelevant. I think nobody thinks that, even the easy to fool one. We are at 10 pages now and nobody have been able to show a single of those foolish claims, that it increase fidelity, not from the manufacturer, not from resellers, not from users that express their feelings throughout the internet. None. Nobody thinks that. What do you mean "these types of device" You say not this specific one, but which one are you talking about if it's such a "generic" claim?
yes I agree an article rather than a 'review' of a specific item would maybe have saved some of the confusion.

Otherwise you are wrong.

In the catalogue? Here is one example https://nvahifi.co.uk/products/nva-balanced-mains-unit-bmu-1kva

I personally know a number of people who use these devices who make all the claims for them that I mentioned.

Here is a review of one such unit, https://theaudiophileman.com/balanced-1500/

''I was dumbfounded, initially. I really didn’t expect to hear it. The balanced mains basically took hold of the entire soundstage: the size, how it was structured, how the performers were ordered within it, scrunched it up into a little ball, threw that into the bin and completely remade a brand new one for me to listen to. The difference began in the first few seconds of the track that featured tinkly bells and other fragile percussion. I’ve never heard this sequence so clearly and with such focused precision. It was nigh on incredible just how detailed these first few seconds were. From that point on, the noise dropped like a stone from the soundstage and the vocals, now repositioned into different locations, assumed a new confidence, adding a textural quality that introduced a swathe of nuances to the delivery, giving the music a richness that was just not there beforehand.''

Here is a thread from an audio forum. https://pinkfishmedia.net/forum/threads/balanced-mains-units.264530/ You don't need to read very far down before you get to ''it may simply be my mind playing tricks on me but they seem to help the music flow. ''

Here's another one https://forums.whathifi.com/threads/balanced-mains-supply.47761/

'Think you will be amazed at the quality of the music when you use a good mains supply.'' (Post #7)

I could do this all day but I think the point is made.
 

PeteL

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yes I agree an article rather than a 'review' of a specific item would maybe have saved some of the confusion.

Otherwise you are wrong.

In the catalogue? Here is one example https://nvahifi.co.uk/products/nva-balanced-mains-unit-bmu-1kva

I personally know a number of people who use these devices who make all the claims for them that I mentioned.

Here is a review of one such unit, https://theaudiophileman.com/balanced-1500/

''I was dumbfounded, initially. I really didn’t expect to hear it. The balanced mains basically took hold of the entire soundstage: the size, how it was structured, how the performers were ordered within it, scrunched it up into a little ball, threw that into the bin and completely remade a brand new one for me to listen to. The difference began in the first few seconds of the track that featured tinkly bells and other fragile percussion. I’ve never heard this sequence so clearly and with such focused precision. It was nigh on incredible just how detailed these first few seconds were. From that point on, the noise dropped like a stone from the soundstage and the vocals, now repositioned into different locations, assumed a new confidence, adding a textural quality that introduced a swathe of nuances to the delivery, giving the music a richness that was just not there beforehand.''

Here is a thread from an audio forum. https://pinkfishmedia.net/forum/threads/balanced-mains-units.264530/ You don't need to read very far down before you get to ''it may simply be my mind playing tricks on me but they seem to help the music flow. ''

Here's another one https://forums.whathifi.com/threads/balanced-mains-supply.47761/

'Think you will be amazed at the quality of the music when you use a good mains supply.'' (Post #7)

I could do this all day but I think the point is made.
Good research, they would not have dared calling it an isolation transformer tough. Because nobody buys isolation transformers for fidelity. They sell it as a main balancing unit. It may or may not be the same design inside. I don't know, do you? In all case the claims are foolish, no debate there. But it shows something clearly tough, it's that confusing peoples pays off for these snake oil peddlers. Understanding, knowledge, is the key. My problem is that here at ASR, this recent stream of rants disguised as reviews does nothing to help with this confusion because the way they are crafted those reviews leads the readers to believe that any of that are the same thing, because they are all tested with the same misleading metrics. With an overly simplistic conclusion, don't put anything between the grid and your equipment, it does nothing. This is ASR, we aim for rigor. I am sure by now, many people believe this, that it's all the same, that it has no use. Bottom line, this is false. We are here to remediate to misguidance, not to contribute to it.
 

Geert

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With an overly simplistic conclusion, don't put anything between the grid and your equipment, it does nothing.

That's your conclusion, but it's not what the review says:

An isolation transformer can be useful in blocking common mode interference. In our scenario though, people buy these boxes with seemingly no audible mains noise so that can't be the reason for purchase. Instead, buyers think something is being isolated so all the bad is left behind the transformer. As I explained, devices like this are not isolating safety ground so whatever remains on that line, gets right through them. That aside, our testing shows that no performance improvement can be had.

Performance = fidelity
 

Mart68

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Good research, they would not have dared calling it an isolation transformer tough. Because nobody buys isolation transformers for fidelity. They sell it as a main balancing unit. It may or may not be the same design inside. I don't know, do you? In all case the claims are foolish, no debate there. But it shows something clearly tough, it's that confusing peoples pays off for these snake oil peddlers. Understanding, knowledge, is the key. My problem is that here at ASR, this recent stream of rants disguised as reviews does nothing to help with this confusion because the way they are crafted those reviews leads the readers to believe that any of that are the same thing, because they are all tested with the same misleading metrics. With an overly simplistic conclusion, don't put anything between the grid and your equipment, it does nothing. This is ASR, we aim for rigor. I am sure by now, many people believe this, that it's all the same, that it has no use. Bottom line, this is false. We are here to remediate to misguidance, not to contribute to it.
I agree, hopefully the agonising debate on this thread will lead to a different approach being taken here with this sort of thing in the future.
 

PeteL

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That's your conclusion, but it's not what the review says:



Performance = fidelity
Fair enough, you deviate from my message a bit tough. I meant concluding from what is being tested and measured, That there is 3 words in the whole review to allow for possible exceptions is not what I meant. The "scenario" Our scenario, is unlikely for this product.
 

Lambda

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Performance = fidelity
but blocking common mode interference and lowering leakage can lower interference.
Lower noise = better sinad = more fidelity = incresed Performance.

Seems like many people here don't hang around in audio la-la land. Not that I blame them.
Yeah if your interested in science why hang out at the church?

I test audio devices every day in case you have forgotten that. And go to countless audio shows and see what power cables they have. They are by far 3-pin variety or the whole market for high-end power cables would fall apart.
The self proclaimed "high-end" is only a tiny fraction of the audio market.

This is in no way representative what average Joe uses to listen to music.
What consumers use has usually C7 plugs or even fixed cables. Or even USB.

I bet Amazon, Apple, Google, Sonos symphonic and so on sell more "smart" speakers than any of this niche "high-end" snake oil company's.
If you like it or not Average Joe ist listening to spottily over there amazone Alexa. AND they get probably Better sound quality out of it then some of the so esoteric audiofool stuff could ever give them even with the thickest after market power cable.

the whole market for high-end power cables would fall apart.

Maybe you overestimate the size of this market? or you don’t put it in relation to the rest of the bullshit free audio market.
 
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Lambda

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On Home Hifi amplifier and AV receivers is is not uncommon to have switched AC output to switch the rest of your system:
crexxwrj79d11.png


618jpoJzgUS._AC_SL1024_.jpg


I only ever see outlets without ground on this units.... this would be not very helpful if by far the most audio devices would need a 3 pin grounded plug?!

But i don’t know if someone is actually using this so lets have look at best selling / popular "hifi" items from Ideal (Germany)
1649592534504.png


There we have "Denon MPA-600" on the top by popular
What ever it is it is class 2 and don’t even have a removable power cable:
Denon_600NE_rk.jpg


Next is Yamaha S-201
1347159

Also Class 2

Marantz PM-7000 N:
1649592297245.png


Rotel A11 Tribute:
1649592376090.jpeg


on place 5 we have this 5000€ Denon thing maybe this is Class1?
1649592472373.jpeg

Nop Also class 2...

If you life in Silicon Valley and all your Friends are driving Tesla's its easy to assume all most cars are electric
 

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Yuhasz01

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New category needed: Add on products to compensate for purchase of ****** audio components. Put effort in technical and sonic selection of your audio equipment and interactions “first”.
 
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