Reprinted from CE Pro – Kevin Main, vice president of sales and marketing at Torus Power, spoke with CE Pro about power conditioning and surge protection, how Torus Power stands out among the rest, and integrators can demonstrate the effectiveness of power management products.
Torus takes a different approach to power conditioning and surge protection than many of its competitors. Can you briefly explain why the use of transformers is a valid approach to power management? At Torus Power we approach power management from the very foundation of the incoming main power source. Rather than using filters and chokes to ‘condition’ the power, we take a magnetic approach and completely isolate the audio/video/control equipment from the incoming power source using Plitron’s Toroidal Isolation transformers. This provides many benefits—first, the equipment is getting clean isolated power with the lowest possible noise floor. This means improved fidelity and resolution with audio and video performance. Second, The Torus Power design carefully balances the inherent inductance, capacitance and resistance characteristics of the toroidal transformer enabling the transformer to act as a very effective low pass filter; again adding to the improved soundstage and image in audio and video systems. Third, Torus Power provides very low source impedance to connected equipment, which enables high, instantaneous current delivery to the audio and video components. Torus Power isolation transformers can deliver up to 300A to 400A peaks when the system demands it which provides huge improvements in the system’s dynamic capability.
The Torus product line is also bigger and bulkier than many of its competitors’ products. Is this due to the transformer based technologies the company employs, and why is it necessary to use big and heavy transformers? A Torus Power isolation transformer uses a core with independent copper windings on both the input and output side of the transformer core. Electricity passes through the primary copper winding and energizes the transformer core. The secondary winding takes this energy and outputs clean, isolated electricity to the connected equipment. You can certainly filter the incoming voltage using smaller and lighter solutions that restrict portions of the electrical voltage, but providing isolation means using a larger and more robust solution. Using higher quality and heavier materials is what allows Torus Power to provide a best in class solution. Read More: Spotlight on Power Management
How does Torus provide surge protection, and is its surge protection recognized by any safety and/or government body? Throughout the Torus Power product line we have as many as four different ways of protecting the connected equipment. Many of our models combine all four of these technologies:
- On our wall mount, all-in-one and floor mount solutions we use Transient Voltage Surge Suppression (TVSS) on the input side of the transformer to protect equipment from generator turn-on spikes and catastrophic surges. This protection is also optional on our standard rack-mount units.
- Throughout our Automatic Voltage Regulation (AVR) series of products we are continually monitoring the fluctuation in the incoming voltage and seamlessly and instantaneously triggering compensating circuitry to ensure a stable and consistent output voltage.
- The inherent design of the transformer itself acts as a buffer to electrical surges by slowing down the speed of the electrical surge before the output side of the transformer winding.
- Torus Power uses Series Mode Surge Suppression (SMSS) on the output side of the isolation transformer to absorb surges more than 2V above peak line voltage. Torus Power surge suppression meets IEEE endurance standards of 3,000 Volts, 3,000 Amps, with 1,000 repeats.
What are some of the most effective ways for dealers to sell power management to clients? The most effective way that we have seen is to look at power isolation as the foundation for everything else that comes after. Providing the best possible foundation for power means increased reliability, performance and protection for the sensitive equipment that clients are using. Custom integrators that spec Torus Power on the first line of the quote are easily able to communicate the importance of clean isolated power to the client and are able to sell power as an important foundation for their work. Related: Exploring power transformer vs. Power Isolation
In a showroom setting are there any ways for dealers to demonstrate the effectiveness of power management products? I see a lot of dealers demonstrating Torus Power by using our solutions in their best rooms. In some cases, I have even seen dealers using our all-in-one panels that are designed for use in recording studios. The Torus Power all-in-one panel is designed to provide clean isolated power to as many as 24 different electrical circuits in the environment. This is a great solution for dealers that have multiple sound rooms and equipment racks. Of course a direct A/B comparison will mean going through a little effort for the customer, but it is very easy to identify the differences with Torus Power.
What are some of the tangible benefits that Torus products bring to the market besides protection? Torus Power is a really performance driven product. Yes, we do offer state-of-the-art protection, but where we really excel is in the performance that we offer. Connect audio equipment to a Torus Power isolation transformer and it comes alive with more dynamics, improved imaging and cleaner, enhanced bass. Video is crisper with darker blacks and brighter colors.
Bob is an audio enthusiast who has written about consumer electronics for various publications within Massachusetts before joining the staff of CE Pro in 2000. Bob is THX Level I certified, and he’s also taken classes from the Imaging Science Foundation (ISF) and Home Acoustics Alliance (HAA). In addition, he’s studied guitar and music theory at Sarrin Music Studios in Wakefield, Mass. Have a suggestion or a topic you want to read more about? Email Robert at rarcher@ehpub.com