Protecting home theater equipment from surges, brownouts, and lighting strikes
Home theater systems range in price between $50 to several millions of dollars. Some entry level home theater systems start out with a low-cost display for $50-$500+ and later one may add an entry level stereo or surround system for several hundred dollars. Some high-end home theater systems range in price from several hundreds of thousands of dollars to several millions of dollars. Many consumers have home theater systems costing several thousands of dollars and generally under $10,000. Many middle-class Americans if they are videophiles or audiophiles can easily have home theater systems ranging in price between $10,000-$100,000+. Some people instead of buying a new car or truck every 10 to 20 years will take their hard-earned money from their job and spend $50,000-$100,000+ on a home theater system.
This free post I am writing is from my personal and professional experience of installing and maintaining surge protection, line conditioners, and UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) systems for over 20 years. This is like a free user review and is not an in-depth professional article with graphs and test results that would take weeks and months to write with detailed test results ran. So, this brief user review will contain brief useful information on how to protect one’s equipment from surges, brownouts, and sometimes from lighting strikes under ideal conditions.
Keep in mind the power protection equipment I mention are all 120 volts 60Hz models made for the USA that can only be used in North America and other places in the world that have an electrical outlet rated for 120 volts 60Hz. If one is located in Europe, most of Asia, Africa, and Australia then the better quality more efficient 220-240 volts AC at 50Hz technology is used. Many companies like Cyberpower Systems makes UPS units that have a 230 volt 50Hz input that operate similar to the 120Hz 60Hz USA power protection equipment models. Power protection equipment are designed for either 120 volts 60Hz or 230 volts 50Hz and will not work and sometimes will be destroyed when connected to the wrong voltage.
The following are all USA models that also work in Canada and Mexico
Even if one only has a very low-cost computer, TV, or home theater system at the very minimum they should be buying a cheap surge protector for under $10 to protect one’s equipment against power surges. The joules rating on a surge protector or UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) means that is the amount of energy that can be absorbed before the surge protector or UPS fails. The higher the joules rating the better the surge protector or UPS. This high-end Belkin surge protector from Amazon has a 4,320 joules protection rating for only around $41.99 with free shipping. A pack of 5 costs around $199.44. This is a quality Belkin surge protector that was released back on 7-2-2007. But keep in mind surge protectors will not protect one’s electronic equipment from brownouts which are a drop in voltage, one needs a UPS for that.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000JE9LD4?th=1 (Belkin surge protector)
In the old days back in the 1990’s (late 20th Century) before UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) became popular, people would purchase line conditioners that had an EMI/RFI filters to clean up the noise on the electrical powerline, and also line conditioners had very basic automatic voltage regulators for $150+ entry level models. Line conditioners would provide surge protection and brownout protection, but since there was no battery backup for power at a certain point the line conditioner would just turn off the equipment when the voltage dropped too low in order to protect the equipment from brownouts. Now many modern day UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) systems all have both surge protection and brownout protection along with the higher end models offering EMI/RFI filtering with automatic voltage regulators.
A UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) systems ranges in price between $60 to over one million dollars. A large Mansion, business, or home might have a whole house UPS system that powers the entire building until the natural gas whole house generator kicks in within 30 seconds to a minute. A desktop computer requires an external UPS system so that the operating system or data on the solid-state drive is not damaged during a brief power outage. 100% of all Notebook/Laptop computers have built in UPS systems with the internal battery and external power supply. So, with a Notebook/Laptop all one needs is a low-cost surge protector since one already has a built in UPS system thanks to the internal battery that provides power during a power outage. The only major advantage of a Notebook/Laptop computer when compared to a desktop computer, is that Notebook/Laptop computers are portable where desktop computers are more powerful and are designed for one location in the house or office building. Small UPS systems are normally placed on things like the router and network switches in the home or office so that one does not lose Internet service during a power outage. All telephone companies, cable TV companies, and satellite companies have UPS systems with backup generators so that their networks are up and running 24 x 7. The most reliable and cheapest power comes from multibillion-dollar nuclear power plants and underground military based nuclear power plants that are so reliable that UPS systems very rarely are engaged for surge and brownout protection. Other power plants like solar, wind, and various other designs can sometimes have small to large changes in power levels that are beyond the control of the power company.
Also, generators very in quality, and even the best models do not offer as clean of output when compared to the power companies' grid that sometimes costs billions of dollars. Generators are known for causing surges and brownouts with the sine wave not being pure many times. A UPS system is a must have product to protect equipment when running on unstable generator power. In the USA a power company tries to stay at around 120 volts AC at 60Hz but sometimes can have minor changes in power like 115-125 volts AC range during various times during the day or night. In general, the automatic voltage regulators in power supplies for computers, TV’s, projectors, and A/V receivers can handle voltages between 100 to 130 volts AC at 60Hz and compensate for the changes. However, having stable voltages around 120 volts AC will make the power supply and overall equipment last longer. If one gets voltages above 131 volts AC that is too much voltage and is considered a surge and the UPS will automatically engage the voltage regulator which results in switching from grid power onto battery power to protect one from a surge. Also, if the voltage falls below 100 volts AC that is too low of voltage and a UPS will take one off grid power and engage battery power to protect one from a brownout. Some higher end pure sine wave UPS units are so good that any voltage below 116 volts or above 124 volts will automatically be regulated back to the 118 to 121 volts AC range. Anyone that has a whole house natural gas generator, wind turbine power, solar power, or other authorized government approved backup power generator system should also own a UPS system for anything in their house they do not want to lose power on. Since it takes 30 seconds to 1 minute for a natural gas generator to automatically startup during a power outage and if one was in the middle of an important stock trade or watching the end of a favorite movie, they do not want to experience a power outage or a home network router outage for a minute or so. Even losing power for just one second to one’s router will result in around a 5-minute Internet outage in one’s house that was caused by the customer, since the customer lost power in their home, but a small low-cost UPS system could have prevented that customer caused Internet outage from occurring. Therefore, UPS systems are ideal for people with whole house natural gas generators. However, even if one does not have a small generator or other means to power one’s home during a power outage, a UPS system is ideal for protecting one’s equipment during surges and brownouts that normally occur just before a power outage. While some UPS systems can last over 1 hour on batteries depending on the load, some UPS systems will last no longer than 2.5 minutes and will be just enough time to shut off the computer properly and shut off the projector properly. A UPS system is ideal for projectors since it keeps the bulbs and electronics cool during a power outage by keeping the fans in the projector active (which extends the life of the light engine). Also keep in mind batteries in UPS systems last between 2 to 5 years and sometimes 7 years or longer. But if one is constantly draining the batteries down to close to zero percent before a recharge, then the batteries may need to be replaced every 2 years instead of 5 years or longer (the more the batteries are used the less their lifespan will be). Some UPS systems use one 12-volt battery, two 12-volt batteries (24 volts in series), or four 12-volt batteries (48 volts in series). The two and four battery systems are sometimes in battery packs that can be purchased as a complete battery pack or one can save money by rebuilding a battery pack if they are knowledgeable on how to wire up a battery pack. Cellphones, Smartphones, UPS systems, and anything with a rechargeable battery can start on fire if the battery malfunctions. I have personally over the 20+ years of using UPS systems never seen one start on fire since they have massive safety certifications, however I have seen some original factory installed battery packs go bad after 5+ years and malfunction and the battery heats up and changes shape and melts due to a battery malfunction. However, the plastic cases used for UPS systems is a special design to withstand heat and stop a fire from occurring. But the high-end UPS systems with a massive amount of safety certifications have metal cases which keeps the batteries enclosed if they were to malfunction and melt. Metal has a much higher melting temperature then plastic. Any battery that may start on fire or melt out of shape will be contained inside the metal UPS case. But in general lead acid batteries that UPS systems use is being made safer and less likely to melt out of shape (some brands and models of batteries are safer than others). Some UPS systems after 7 to 20+ years break and will no longer turn on and need replaced since they were surged to death during many thunderstorms. I have used various UPS power backup systems over the last 20+ years like Belkin and CyperPower systems. But in general, for quality first and price second, I prefer CyberPower systems UPS systems which is a USA company that has their products made in China and other countries. The higher end models currently appear to be made in China exclusively since China has excellent quality workmanship. Also, in general UPS systems offer less joules protection then a surge protector. UPS systems might only offer between 526 joules to 2,430 joules depending on the model number. But even when compared to a surge protector that offers 4,320 joules protection for $41.99, the surge protector offers overall less power protection when compared to the UPS system because the surge protector is unable to protect one from brownouts and is unable to provide automatic voltage regulators like a quality UPS system offers.
One should use a calculator to add up the maximum wattage one needs for the equipment that they want UPS power backup protection on. While a low cost 510 watt or 1000-watt model might be fine for 30 minutes to one hour of power for a router one uses for Internet. Many peoples home theater systems are over 1000 watts and a 1500-watt model is ideal for many home theater systems. Also, the higher the load the less time one will be on power backup, the lower the load the more time one has to power equipment. If one attempts to use more wattage then what the UPS system is rated for then the UPS system will shut down and will not be able to be used until items are unplugged from the UPS. The most common problem people have when buying a UPS is that they buy models that do not offer enough wattage output. Even if one buys a 1500-watt UPS system that only offers 6.5 minutes at 1500 watts, if they have only a 200-watt load from their computer they will get over an hour of power backup on a 1500-watt UPS system. The load used for the connected devices and watts capacity of the UPS are very important factors. Also, voltage and load information on some of the UPS systems LCD displays are not as accurate as a real digital AC voltmeter.
Cyberpower EC850LCD is a low cost 510 watt simulated sine wave unit for around $109.95 (this is an entry level UPS unit). I would not recommend buying any UPS systems below this model. For example, the 390-watt Cyberpower EC650LCD for $87.95 has a bad design where instead of having a low battery light that comes on or beeps the unit will turn completely off in 2-5 years when the battery goes bad. The company should redesign the EC650LCD so that when the battery goes bad that the unit stays on when connected to the grid power, instead of shutting off completely and the only way to get It back on is to replace the battery. Bad design. Also, the smaller 12-volt battery is harder to find and lower capacity in the EC650LCD. The Cyberpower EC850LCD is a much better entry level 510 watt simulated sine wave UPS system. When the battery goes bad in 2-5 years the unit stays on as long as there is power from the grid (power from the local power company is called grid power). Also, there is low battery indicators on the LCD screen and beeping to let one know that the battery needs replaced if one wants power during a power outage. The EC850LCD uses an easy to find full size 12-volt UPS battery that will need to be replaced in 2-5 years. A fully functional battery offers 2.3 minutes of power backup at 510-watt load, or 7.9 minutes at 255-watt load. The Cyberpower EC850LCD offers 526 joules protection from surges. This EC850LCD uses a simulated sine wave when on battery, which is a lower quality sine wave. The power company and other more expensive UPS units use a pure sine wave that is cleaner and better when compared to a simulated sine wave output. When on grid power I measured the pure sine wave at 121.7 volts AC, but when I ran on batteries for brownout and power outage protection using under 40 watt load the EC850LCD was outputting a simulated sine wave at 101.2 volts AC. 101.2 volts AC will protect against brownouts but better quality UPS systems will have around 120 volts output. The bad damaging brownouts occur below 100 volts like in the 80 volts and lower range that destroys electronics. So at least this UPS unit stays at a constant 101.2 volts AC output when using a digital AC meter plugged into the unit’s electrical outlet to verify what the under 40-watt load is doing. But one may want to only use this UPS system when protecting equipment between $200 to $1,000 and for areas that have a space issue where larger UPS systems cannot be used. If one is only getting 101.2 volts with a simulated sine wave when on battery, one’s power supply in their equipment has to use automatic voltage regulators to bring the voltage back up to 120 volts AC. This is the limitation of this low cost 510-watt unit using one 12-volt DC battery with a low-cost built-in inverter to offer 101.2 volts 60Hz of AC output with simulated sine wave. Good for low-cost equipment and space issues, but there are much better UPS systems on the market. Unit has no fans so makes almost zero noise unless there is a warning beeps (LCD screen flashes basic messages).
https://www.cyberpowersystems.com/pr...ic/ec850lcd/#/
https://www.newegg.com/cyberpower-ec...82E16842102216
Uses one 12 volt battery every 2-5+ years for around $22 after shipping and taxes.
https://batterysharks.com/sigmastek-sp12-9-battery.html
The Cyberpower CP1500PFCLCD is a low-cost entry level pure sine wave 1000-watt UPS for around $219.95. This unit has 1445 joules protection. And offers 2.5 minutes of power backup if the load is 1000 watts, or 10 minutes of power backup if the load is 500 watts. However, even though this is a nice two battery system that has a neat LCD screen with pure sine wave output (plus quiet fan comes on to keep batteries cool). The one issue with this entry level pure sine wave unit is that while on the grid at around 120 volts AC the unit works fine, but off the grid when running on battery during brownouts or power outages the pure sine wave output when using a load below 200 watts was only around 115 volts AC output and not a stable 118 to 121 volt AC range that the top of the line pure sine wave units output. But much better then the EC850LCD that takes one 12-volt DC battery and inverts the output to 101.2 volts AC output. The CP1500PFCLCD has two 12-volt DC batteries in series to do 24 volts DC that is inverted to a stable 115 volts AC output. But still not as good as grid power or the best pure sine wave systems on the market. Some power supplies in computers or OLED screens will use automatic voltage regulators to bring the 115 volts AC back up to 120 volts. But the dangerous brownouts that occur below 100 volts AC one will have protection from since this unit offers a stable pure sine wave 115 volts AC output when on batteries. For an additional $309.95 one can plug in a Cyberpower RMCARD205 that adds a ethernet jack for remote monitoring of the CP1500PFCLCD UPS system. That card has an optional temperature and humidity sensor so one can login and see the room temperature and humidity level (But I never tried that feature). The RMCARD205 is included with some UPS systems costing $1,239.95+ and since the card costs $309.95 it is more expensive than the CP1500PFCLCD UPS system that costs around $219.95. So, most people do not buy the ethernet card for this UPS system, but it is nice the card does exist. Maybe in the future Cyberpower systems might want to consider making all future UPS systems with a built in ethernet jack, then maybe the cost of an ethernet jack or add on network card might be only $100 instead of $309.95 (also a future design should offer 1,000Mbps speed instead of maximum speed being 100Mbps for the ethernet port). This Cyberpower CP1500PFCLCD system is recommended for someone that does not want to spend more then $219.95 on a UPS system and that needs no more then 1000 watts of power. But if someone has a desktop computer over $2,000 or a home theater system costing more then $2,000, they might want to consider going up to a higher model of UPS system.
https://www.cyberpowersystems.com/pr...p1500pfclcd/#/
https://www.cyberpowersystems.com/pr...are/rmcard205/
https://www.newegg.com/cyberpower-cp...82E16842102134
https://www.newegg.com/cyberpower-rm...82E16842102260
Uses a 24-volt DC battery pack called RB1280X2B for $114.95. However, a skilled technician can rebuild the battery pack with two brand new 12-volt DC batteries for around $44 after shipping and taxes. Two batteries in series to produce 24 volts DC inverted to 115 volts AC 60Hz output.
https://www.cyberpowersystems.com/pr...ies/rb1280x2b/
Uses two 12-volt DC batteries every 2-5+ years
https://batterysharks.com/sigmastek-sp12-9-battery.html
The $1,000-$1,239.95 price level is for some Cyberpower 1500 watt pure sine wave UPS systems that offer just as good or better-quality output when compared to the grid power from the power company. These 1500-watt units are pure sine wave units and Cyberpower is on the third generation with each generation being better quality. The first-generation models that I started purchasing back in 2008 for computer and home entertainment systems were less expensive at around $700 but they also had some issues with super noisy fans and after being 7 to 16 years old sometimes after turning them off they would not turn on again. Those first-generation models went out of production in 2015. Starting in the year 2015 the second-generation models called the PR1500LCDRTXL2UN were released for around $1,000 with better specs and I have a couple from 2015 that are still working perfectly fine in the year 2024 with the issue of turning them off and on will always result in them coming back on again since that issue was fixed in the second-generation models. So far after nine years of running them 24 x 7 I have not seen a PR1500LCDRTXL2UN needing to be replaced. However, some people with home entertainment systems that need 1500 watts of protection do not like the noisy fans on these models since when on battery they go to full speed noisy fan mode to keep the batteries cool. When the grid line voltage is 120.3 volts AC, the PR1500LCDRTXL2UN on battery with a under 200-watt load outputs a constant 121.8 volts AC output (pure sine wave). However, the PR1500LCDRTXL2UN went out of production in 2023. And in its place the new improved third generation unit came out in 2023 called the PR1500RTXL2UCN that is super quiet with most of the time zero noise while on battery power.
There are better UPS systems out there if one needs 2000 watts of power or even 3000 watts of power during a power outage or for brownout protection. However, the PR3000RTXL2UC for $2,035.95 has 3000 watts with a NEMA L5-30P input connector and the 2000-watt PR2000RTXL2UC model has a NEMA 5-20P input connector. Both of those connectors are usually used in office buildings with 30-amp and 20-amp electrical outlets. The average home in the USA is limited to a NEMA 5-15P electrical outlet with 15 amps. Which means the maximum most home electrical outlets can handle for a UPS system is 1500 watts. Therefore, the PR1500RTXL2UCN remains to be the best quality 1500-watt UPS system on the market that can be plugged into any common electrical outlet one finds in the home. If one needs more wattage, they need to either have an electrician rewire their home with a NEMA L5-30P for 3000 watts or instead have two NEMA 5-15P electrical outlets on different circuit breakers to use things like two separate 1500 watt UPS systems. But most home theater systems and home computers do not need anymore then 1500 watts of power.
The Cyberpower PR1500RTXL2UCN has a list price of $1,417 and a street price of $1,239.95. This is top of the line for 1500-watt pure sine wave power protection. Offers 2430 joules protection, 3-year warranty. On battery with a full load of 1500 watts offers 6.5 minutes of power backup. Half load at 750 watts offers 17.9 minutes of battery time. On a load around 200-300 watts under ideal conditions the 4 batteries last over one hour. With the grid line voltage varying between 118.2 volts to 120.2 volts that was the output voltage. But when ran on batteries for brownout protection or power outage this UPS with a load slightly below 200 watts was outputting a stable pure sine wave at 119.2 volts AC at 60Hz for over 30 minutes. When the battery capacity drained down from 100% to 25%, the output was sometimes at 119.1 volts AC and the lowest the voltage went was 118.7 volts AC. Nice stable output and is ideal for home theater systems costing $10,000 to over $400,000+. The pure sine wave on this UPS unit is sometimes cleaner than many peoples grid power output. For retail stores like Value Electronics this 1500-watt UPS would be ideal to keep the electronics in the store running 24 x 7 during a major thunderstorm. Some retail stores have backup natural gas generators but even if a retail store or customer does not have a natural gas backup generator, this pure sine wave unit will protect one’s equipment during brownouts and brief power outages. One of the nicest things about this third generation PR1500RTXL2UCN is that during the entire time I was on battery power for around an hour on a 200-watt load, the UPS was completely quiet with the three fans not running at all. I did a self-test and the fans work at variable speeds and pass the self-test but this amazing product only makes fan noise if the internal battery temperature or UPS unit gets warm and needs the fans turned on. After draining the batteries from 100% to 25% and after charging the batteries back up. Around 10 minutes after fast charging was completed (around 3 hours charging time instead of 12 hours for some cheaper models), there was a small amount of heat and the fans turned on at a very low speed to keep the unit cool. These PR1500RTXL2UCN are currently only made in China. The top-of-the-line flagship Cyperpower system products are made in China. China has excellent workmanship quality and the design of this UPS system is the best I have ever seen in terms of quality. If one was an engineer or scientist, they may want to visit China because of all the amazing things that China is creating in the 21st Century. The PR1500RTXL2UCN has amazing amount of setup menus for customizing the UPS system. It ships in default quiet mode with the unit only making noise if the battery is depleted below 35% with a low battery beeping sound. That can be disabled and many options to enable and disable alerts. Those that want to protect their OLED screen with 13.1 surround sound system will need the 1500 watts of protection. A year 2008 Pioneer PRO-141FD use to have a list price of $7,000 and on clearance was selling for $5,000 and then $3,500. A PR1500RTXL2UCN is ideal to offer protection for home theater systems that sometimes peeks over 1000 watts when 7.1 speakers are being used. Anyone with an 8K OLED screen for $30,000+ will want a UPS system that offers 1500 watts of power protection. Included with the PR1500RTXL2UCN is the RMCARD205 that adds ethernet connection for remote monitoring. While I have not tried it there is an optional sensor for that card that suppose to offer room temperature and humidity monitoring which sounds very cool when login in from anywhere in the world. One can save $270 off their PR1500RTXL2UCN if they purchase it without the RMCARD205 that offers ethernet connection. That model is called PR1500RTXL2UC for $969.95 but it comes without the RMCARD205. But if one wants to add the RMCARD205 to the slot in the back it costs $309.95. Many people decide to buy the PR1500RTXL2UCN for $1,239.95 that comes with the RMCARD205 preinstalled. The PR1500RTXL2UCN is very well packed and so the faceplate does not get damaged for these third-generation models, the faceplate is shipped with the faceplate in padding on top of the box. Faceplate takes only a minute or two to install. However, I wish Cyberpower systems would make the power cord detachable and in padding, since then the connector on the end of the power cord would most likely not arrive damaged (power cord is hardwired into unit and is not detachable). These units are 81.8 pounds shipped and 67.7 pounds when out of the box with no brackets attached. So, since they are so heavy sometimes, they can arrive damaged. But buying from a dealer like Amazon or New Egg with a good exchange or return policy is ideal. But when buying one of these units check it out and have it run and pass a self-test to make sure everything is working, and if in worst case scenario if there is a problem then one can exchange or return it in 30 days with some dealers like New Egg paying for return shipping on damaged items. This UPS system is rack mountable and also sits on the floor vertically. Ideal for videophiles and audiophiles that need to protect expensive equipment. Audiophiles will like the quality EMI/RFI filtration for old analog amplifiers. Those that use HDMI digital bitstream for video and audio might not notice the difference between filtered power and unfiltered power. Uses a total of four 12-volt DC batteries in series for 48 volts DC and then a high-quality inverter to produce a stable 119.2 volts AC output at 60Hz that is pure sine wave when on batteries. Would be an ideal product for stores like Value Electronics to use in their showroom to protect their equipment. I am very amazed at the super high-end quality of this unit that is currently exclusively made in China. These high-end units use metal cases with three circuit breakers and have a massive amount of safety certifications.
https://www.cyberpowersystems.com/pr...r1500rtxl2ucn/ PR1500RTXL2UCN that comes with the ethernet card pre-installed.
https://www.newegg.com/cyberpower-pr...2FT-0008-004F2 PR1500RTXL2UCN
https://www.cyberpowersystems.com/pr...pr1500rtxl2uc/ PR1500RTXL2UC is exactly the same UPS but without the ethernet card installed in the expansion slot.
https://www.newegg.com/cyberpower-pr...2FT-0008-004F3 PR1500RTXL2UC
https://www.cyberpowersystems.com/pr...are/rmcard205/ (ethernet card)
https://www.newegg.com/cyberpower-rm...82E16842102260 (ethernet card)
Replacement battery pack is the RB1290X4J for $304.95. However, a skilled technician can rebuild the battery pack with four brand new 12-volt DC batteries for around $88 after shipping and taxes. Four 12-volt batteries in series to produce 48 volts DC inverted to 119.2 volts AC at 60Hz output.
https://www.cyberpowersystems.com/pr...ies/rb1290x4j/
Uses four 12-volt DC batteries every 2-5+ years
https://batterysharks.com/sigmastek-sp12-9-battery.html
All countries
Argentina
Austria
Belgium
Brazil
Bulgaria
Chile
China
Colombia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Estonia
Denmark
Finland
Greece
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
Indonesia
Ireland
Israel
India
Latvia
Lithuania
Malaysia
New Zealand
Norway
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Russia
Singapore
South Africa
South Korea
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Thailand
Turkey
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
Power protection and power backup information for OLED screens and projectors
Linear Mode
