Well, I called the company customer service about the Yeti model 3000 and he said that with my 1200 watt total draw he said the unit would power for about 2-2.5 hours. He said it doesn’t get hot but the fan would be on a lot.
ozzy
ozzy
Sell your $$$ cables and conditioners... affordable LITHIUM is here!
I wanted to give you a frame of reference as to where I'm coming from and most importantly a first impression after 24hrs!
I've been an addict since my first system of KEF Concord speakers, Crimson Electric amps and an Ariston turntable back in college in '81. Since then I've been down the entire Linn system with Active Kabers, Full Meridian active system with DSP5200's as well as some burly NZ Perraux mono blocks with Sonus Faber when I lived in NZ. Since moving to the US in 2001 I've been through years of altercations between solid state camps from Bel Canto, Levinson stereo 336 to mono 436's, 532H and Mac 452 to speakers from B&W 802N and D2 to Wilson Sophia 2's, Sonus Faber Amati Homage and Revel Studio 2's. I've tried conditioners from Transparent, AQ Niagra, Isotek and others and every time come back to a decent cable straight from the wall.
Three years ago I took the plunge and went down the Devialet rabbit hole, streaming direct from a MacBook Air with ROON my Devialet D200 (soon to become a D400) drives my Focal Utopia Diablos via Analysis Plus Solo Crystal 8 speaker cables (and that's another whole can of worms with enormous cable differences), a JL Audio Fathom F110 (also about to be doubled up) rounds it out. My livening room is about 22x25 with 10ft ceilings and partially treated as best I can accommodate.
Suffice to say, I've been around the block with hifi, listened to way more than my fair share at dealers and friends with diverse systems and currently run one of the most reveling systems I've ever heard. Sure, there's not that thick syrupy warmth the tube guys will clammer for, but then I'm hearing so much further into not just tonality but intent within the playing.
If you read the review in Enjoy the Music from Tom Lyle, you'd see he equates the GZ Yeti to the $30k Stromtank. His review was the $400 Yeti 400. The Yeti 1000 was $1099, the 3kW Yeti 3000 is $2999 and will power almost anything. So, like Tom I took the plunge and bought a Yeti 1000 figuring it'd have plenty of 'headroom' for my meagre 600w consumption. (Though I have since plugged my JL Audio Fathom in too)
After playing the "FedEx f'ed up" again game, I finally went to their depot and picked up my new toy myself. After a handful of songs to establish a baseline for the evening, I simply plugged the Yeti 1000 in, reconnected the Devialet and sat back... My girlfriend was first to break the silence and then immediately regretted it as I couldn't help myself interrupting her for the next half hour of gushing over what a profound difference it was making.
H-U-G-E. Truly component level and an absolute game changer.
I was immediately texting my good friend with his PS Audio Directstream, Gryphon Diablo, Audio Physic Avantera III all powered by the latest Synergistic Research Powercell 12SE and Gallileo power cord with AQ Hurricane to each component - SELL- SELL- SELL it all, get a Goal Zero!
We stayed up until 2am listening, flipped it back for a handful of now unlistenable tracks and then back again to Yeti 1000 happiness. In over six hours of powering my Devialet and Fathom at 90+db levels it'd dropped to a laughable 98%. I'm guessing that means it'd run off the grid for 300hrs or more? That's probably a several months of listening for most people. Who even cares, it simply sounds spectacular and the single biggest improvement I've ever heard from anything less than a major amp or speaker upgrade.
I know my system is fairly frugal and green running, my buddy Matts, Gryphon would probably need the 3000W Yeti as his amp pulls 1900W at full song and his full stack of components albeit front end certainly add a few hundred more. He's headed down to me in a couple of week with a stack of exotic power cables and conditioners to try and I can't wait to share my results - I'm guessing he'll want to steal it away for his own demo right after. I would imagine he'd even get away with the Yeti 1000, so long as he doesn't run it too hard?
I've been an addict since my first system of KEF Concord speakers, Crimson Electric amps and an Ariston turntable back in college in '81. Since then I've been down the entire Linn system with Active Kabers, Full Meridian active system with DSP5200's as well as some burly NZ Perraux mono blocks with Sonus Faber when I lived in NZ. Since moving to the US in 2001 I've been through years of altercations between solid state camps from Bel Canto, Levinson stereo 336 to mono 436's, 532H and Mac 452 to speakers from B&W 802N and D2 to Wilson Sophia 2's, Sonus Faber Amati Homage and Revel Studio 2's. I've tried conditioners from Transparent, AQ Niagra, Isotek and others and every time come back to a decent cable straight from the wall.
Three years ago I took the plunge and went down the Devialet rabbit hole, streaming direct from a MacBook Air with ROON my Devialet D200 (soon to become a D400) drives my Focal Utopia Diablos via Analysis Plus Solo Crystal 8 speaker cables (and that's another whole can of worms with enormous cable differences), a JL Audio Fathom F110 (also about to be doubled up) rounds it out. My livening room is about 22x25 with 10ft ceilings and partially treated as best I can accommodate.
Suffice to say, I've been around the block with hifi, listened to way more than my fair share at dealers and friends with diverse systems and currently run one of the most reveling systems I've ever heard. Sure, there's not that thick syrupy warmth the tube guys will clammer for, but then I'm hearing so much further into not just tonality but intent within the playing.
If you read the review in Enjoy the Music from Tom Lyle, you'd see he equates the GZ Yeti to the $30k Stromtank. His review was the $400 Yeti 400. The Yeti 1000 was $1099, the 3kW Yeti 3000 is $2999 and will power almost anything. So, like Tom I took the plunge and bought a Yeti 1000 figuring it'd have plenty of 'headroom' for my meagre 600w consumption. (Though I have since plugged my JL Audio Fathom in too)
After playing the "FedEx f'ed up" again game, I finally went to their depot and picked up my new toy myself. After a handful of songs to establish a baseline for the evening, I simply plugged the Yeti 1000 in, reconnected the Devialet and sat back... My girlfriend was first to break the silence and then immediately regretted it as I couldn't help myself interrupting her for the next half hour of gushing over what a profound difference it was making.
H-U-G-E. Truly component level and an absolute game changer.
I was immediately texting my good friend with his PS Audio Directstream, Gryphon Diablo, Audio Physic Avantera III all powered by the latest Synergistic Research Powercell 12SE and Gallileo power cord with AQ Hurricane to each component - SELL- SELL- SELL it all, get a Goal Zero!
We stayed up until 2am listening, flipped it back for a handful of now unlistenable tracks and then back again to Yeti 1000 happiness. In over six hours of powering my Devialet and Fathom at 90+db levels it'd dropped to a laughable 98%. I'm guessing that means it'd run off the grid for 300hrs or more? That's probably a several months of listening for most people. Who even cares, it simply sounds spectacular and the single biggest improvement I've ever heard from anything less than a major amp or speaker upgrade.
I know my system is fairly frugal and green running, my buddy Matts, Gryphon would probably need the 3000W Yeti as his amp pulls 1900W at full song and his full stack of components albeit front end certainly add a few hundred more. He's headed down to me in a couple of week with a stack of exotic power cables and conditioners to try and I can't wait to share my results - I'm guessing he'll want to steal it away for his own demo right after. I would imagine he'd even get away with the Yeti 1000, so long as he doesn't run it too hard?
150 responses Add your response
I just plugged in a Yeti 500 Lithium for my front end (pre, DAC, Relocker, music server, TT) which draws 123 watts according to the read out. The fan, which is loud, has been on since I powered up and has not shut down even if I start charging unit while I'm playing. The benefits to SQ are not subtle, in fact startling, but the fan is a killer--at least with my set up where the equipment rack is on the right hand wall 8 or so feet from my ears. Too bad. Have to return. Question: would the Yeti 1000 not have to go into fan mode given my relatively light load? Thanks, Steve |
So, I got the 1000 yesterday and it was at 82% charge. I used it for about 1 hr. and the crazy loud fan came on. I let it charge overnight and this afternoon before listening it was at 100%. My watt load showed about 250w. I listened for almost an hour an the fan turned on. Not going to work for me. Going back. Oh well... |
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I find the fan comes on after an hour or two of listening, last for maybe 15-30 mins and then goes off again for ages. Might come on twice in a whole evening. I unplug while listening as I think it does sound best that way and plug in and charge overnight. Loud listening drops from 100% to maybe 80 something percent over the course of 5-6 hrs of listening. It's a small price to pay for the improvement. |
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I unplugged my pre from the Yeti 400, so just DAC, relocker, and music server are being powered. The fan has not turned on so I've had a chance to do some critical listening. (FYI the load is now only 70 watts.) Still a huge bump in SQ--even with just the digital being powered it sounds very close to what it did with the pre plugged in. Making me think most of the benefit is realized by digital front end. Most noticeable improvements are to sound stage: wider, more separation between instruments, greater air and presence. Then tone and timbre being cleaner and richer--very noticeable on strings. Bass is bigger and better defined. Voices are spooky present. My background was already pretty black (ZOTL Ultralinear Amp), but now even more so to where I can detect the walls of a room in live recordings. I am motivated to make this work. Will return the 400 and try the 1400 I believe. Just can't give all this good stuff up. Game changer. |
Big, I used the 1000 with an AudioValve Assistent 100 MK2 tube amp. I really didn’t notice much difference sonically - maybe just a slightly quieter background but the fan of course killed that. My DAC and amp are plugged into a Core Power Tech CPT1800 balanced conditioner which plugs into the 1000. |
Stephendunn: I suggest trying quiet USB fans to cool the Yeti, and maybe the internal fans will stay turned off. I recently purchased "AC Infinity Multifan S Series - Quiet USB Cooling Fans S4" on Amazon for $13.99 each. I use them to cool my MFA Luminescence tube pre-amp and Pass Labs XA-25 amp. The fans are very quiet, and maintain air flow that draws heat from my equipment. I'm amazed how effective they are. For example, the Pass Labs XA-25 runs class A, and its heat sinks get hot, but with the fans they only get warm. I power the USB fans with an Anker PowerCore from Amazon, but the fans can also be plugged into a USB wall wart charger. Hopefully, the Yeti's heat disbursement design is efficient enough for the Multifans to be effective. |
runeenur Thanks for the tip, but the odd thing about the fan on the Yeti 400 is that it comes on immediately with a load over 130 watts or so. Meaning the battery is totally at room temperature. Then it will stay on for 20 minutes or so and go off--even though, theoretically, the battery is continuing to get warmer. So the fan appears not to be entirely thermostatically controlled. I've been listening with just my pre amp powered by the Yeti and the improvement in SQ is not as great when I have my digital front end plugged in. Mainly a loss of the richer tone and texture. But most of the sound stage improvement is there. Interesting. |
So.. I have a 400 being shipped as I type. I will have an Aurender A10 ( integrated music player/ dac) and a Micro Zotl 2.0s pre plugged in. Together about 70 watts per manufacturer. Just wondered if the fan only comes on when the 400 gets warm? Does it come on during the charging cycle?. Always something coming up in this crazy hobby, the rabbit hole continues..... |
benzman From my experience with my Yeti 400 with a 70 watt load (exactly what my Shindo Giscours draws) you will get about 45 minutes (less time if you listen loud) before the fan comes on. It stays on for about 3-4 minutes, then won't come back on again for 20-25 minutes. As I mentioned in previous post, if I plug in my entire front end, about 130 watts, the fan turns on as soon as I power up and stays on. I'm send the 400 back and going with a 1400. |
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I bought a Yet 400 last week and have found similar improvements in depth and width of soundstage as described by the OP when directly powering my DAC. However there seemed to be a drop in bass depth and speed / impact compared to using AC outlet power connected to my power conditioner (see below). Here is my setup: Ayre QX-5 Twenty, Ayre AX-5 Twenty, both usually connected to an Ayre L-5xe power conditioner with Ayre (Cardas) PCs. Interconnects: Cardas Clear XLR. Nordost Bronze sort kones under QX-5 and AX-5. All components on Quadraspire Sunoco Vent Bamboo racks. Speakers: KEF Blade 2. Speaker cables: Cardas Clear. Nordost Bronze sort kones under QX-5 and AX-5 (also provided striking improvements in SQ and staging). Myrtle wood blocks under L-5xe. I was a good friend of Charles Hansen (Ayre Acoustics) hence “Ayrefan” but I still consider myself a relative newbie to HiFi and working on how best to describe changes in SQ. According to the display on the Yeti, the Ayre QX-5 20 only draws 47W when operating in DAC mode so I could play for a 1.5 hours before fan activated on Yeti 400 (lead acid) with the QX-5 connected directly to the Yeti with an Ayre PC. However I wanted to try powering both the QX-5 and AX-5 connected to the L-5xe power conditioner so I purchased a Yeti 1400 lithium which arrived today. After topping up the Yeti 1400 (fitted with MPPT charger) and connecting it to the L-5xe, I found that the QX-5 / AX-5 combo only draws ~150W at my usual listening volume (“24 out of 46” on AX-5) with a max of 170W indicated for a bass heavy track (volume at 26). Given the Yeti 1400 is rated at a max of 1500W continuous it hardly broke a sweat. I played music for 2 hours without the fan activating at all and available power only dropped by 9%. Will try a longer listening session tomorrow to see how long Yeti 1400 goes before fan kicks in. Okay, how did the system sound?. When I first switched from wall AC power (after 2 hour warm up for whole system) to Yeti 1400, soundstage was bigger in depth (front and rear) and some width. Sound clarity and background great and bass depth similar to AC outlet power i.e. better than powering QX-5 directly with Yeti 400. However, the transient (attack?) on vocals and particularly bass seemed slightly slower / softened. I have to admit I was a bit worried. Interestingly as the system played for longer with the Yeti 1400 the speed of attack on vocals improved a lot and same with bass impact. Soundstage is more enveloping with Yeti 1400 and whole sound of system is a bit warmer / mellow. Doesn’t quite slap you in the face like my system can on some tracks when powered from the wall (which can be fun). I have found that some vocals in certain tracks that could border on being bright using AC outlet power are better with Yeti 1400. With the big Yeti powering the whole system via the Ayre power conditioner the bass depth / impact is restored compared to just powering the QX-5 directly with the Yeti 400. So far I am pleased, but Yeti 1400 apparently seems to need to break in a bit more and I will have to listen to a greater variety of tracks to get a better idea of what changes in SQ it is making. Going to switch Yeti to powering HT system and see what happens. Boulder 200 solar panels arrive tomorrow so going to augment recharging with solar energy via MPPT charger. It is worth noting that the MPPT charger allows me to charge Yet 1400 at 150w (adding charger from Yeti 400 also) from wall AC compared to ~60w with standard charger. Can combine wall AC charging with solar to speed recharging if necessary at max input charge is 350W. It is worth noting that despite a higher battery capacity, the Yeti 3000 also has a maximum output of 1500W continuous (3000 surge) i.e. same at Yeti 1400. So far I would recommend buying the Yet 1400. |
ayrefan Thanks for your insightful analysis. From what you say about the difference in SQ between the Yeti 400 and the1400, one might deduce that the greater "headroom" between the load and maximum output yields better results--beyond just getting the fan to remain silent for longer. I'm interested to see once I get my 1400 on board. Also interesting to consider there might be a burn in time for these devices. Why not? Everything else I've used in my system has improved after burn in. It also will be interesting to test whether the Yeti benefits from isolation footers. I see you use Kones. Have you tried those under the 1400? My SR power conditioner benefits from Stillpoints, so I'll A/B those on the 1400 down the road. One issue that has been raised but not really resolved--and it may be system dependent--is whether to use your power conditioner with the Yeti or not. I have not done extensive listening, but my initial impression is that it sounds better without my power conditioner, even though I've been using a run of the mill power strip instead. Would be interested to know what your ears tell you about this issue. The slight softening of transients and warmer tone you allude to might be related to using the PC. Lots to learn. |
Stephendunn, First off I should mention that despite being a Brit, I live in Melbourne Australia and all my Ayre gear was configured at the factory to run on 240v / 50-60hz. I moved to Australia about 5 years ago from Denver Colorado which is where I met Charley Hansen. My Ayre components were shipped to Melbourne. Therefore my Yeti 1400 puts out 230v / 50hz which seems to still work fine for the Ayre QX-5 20 and AX-5 20. So today with a few more hours running time on the Yeti 1400 I have compared running: 1. the QX-5 directly from the Yeti via Ayre PC (though I had to use a US to Aus plug adapter as PC has US plug) 2. QX-5 and AX-5 powered from the L-5xe connected to the Yeti 1400 3. QX-5 and AX-5 powered from the L-5xe connected to the AC outlet. Clear winner was option 2 ie powering everything with the Yeti 1400 via the L-5xe. Significantly bigger soundstage in all dimensions with better spatial separation of instruments / vocals compared to wall AC power and still ahead of just powering the QX-5 (option 1) where soundstage was not quite as big or well defined. Bass impact speed and depth are now just as good using Yeti option 2 as when using the AC outlet. Quieter elements in some tracks are now also more clearly defined in terms of their resolution and within soundstage. So best SQ overall with Yeti 1400 connected to Ayre L-5xe power conditioner. I used the Yeti 1400 last night for 4 hrs to power my HT system (Oppo 203, Marantz AV8802A and three Exposure 3010S2 monoblocks plus AX-5 to combine for 5.1 system with KEF R series surrounds plus Blades. HSU VTF15 Sub powered separately from wall outlet. Turned out I got the best sound when just powering the Marantz with all else on wall AC power. However most of the HT system is plugged into an Isotek Polaris power strip and not the Ayre L-5xe which likely accounts for this result (Ayre L-5xe far better at isolating components outputs). So, I agree with your idea that the greater headroom between the load and maximum output provided by the Yeti 1400 over the 400 allows the 1400 to more rapidly respond to system load demands, certainly for my relatively low to mid-range power demands (150 to 170W). Whether the fact that my system runs on 230V is making a difference compared to US 120V / 60hz, I leave for discussion by experts on the forum. I have not tried placing the Yeti 1400 on isolation footers but well worth testing. The way I have my Quadraspire racks configured at the moment there is not enough vertical space to insert Nordost sort kones under the L-5xe. I tried using some Isoacoustics Orea Indigos under the L-5xe but they just killed the richness of harmonics / musicality that using myrtle blocks provides. Charley Hansen insisted the L-5xe be placed on myrtle blocks and so far they are the best. I’m not sure he would approve of the Nordost BC sort kones I have under the QX-5 and AX-5 which made the SQ slightly brighter but provided a big jump in soundstage which is a forte of the KEF Blade 2s. While we are on the subject of isolators, adding Isoacoustics Gaia 1 footers to the Blade 2s also made a significant improvement in staging and clarity. |
One last quick update before my Yeti 400 goes back (because of the lithium battery GZ has to send a special return box). I tried the 400 powering just my ZOTL Ultralinear amp--all front end components back to the SR power conditioner. I noticed a slight loss of dynamics and softening of transients (that aryefan also alluded to). The amp drew 120 watts at rest and 140-145 during peaks. We'll see what happens with the 1400. |
Unfortunately the Yeti 400 will not work for me. I got about 50 minutes before the fan came on when powering an Aurender A10. The fan stayed on about ten minutes and then came back on 30 or so minutes later. It did sound pretty good but I had to remove the Aurender from the Audience conditioner so I lost that advantage. The big Yeti is probably the right one but I think I can spend that money more wisely in my system. |
gme109 Unfortunately I am temporarily buried by the avalanche of moving. I should surface around the end of the month and then plan on installing the 1400 in the new digs. I can say that having sent the 400 back, I totally miss what it was doing for my SQ. (Yes, I'm listening while I pack all my LPs. Help!) Steve |
BTW, I am somewhat surprised by the mixed response to hearing SQ enhancement using the GS battery as a power source. I would not think the improvements to be that system dependent--everyone should benefit from cleaner power--but the difference is likely attributable to two factors: 1) everyone's home power is different 2) the effectiveness of your power conditioner. We have no consensus (if there is such a thing in audio) if the battery pack is best with or without a conditioner--again probably system dependent--but those who are hearing little or no upgrade using the GS probably have very clean power and/or a good conditioner/regenerator. Mine is a SR Powercell 10 SE which brought an remarkable improvement to my system. And I've never thought of my house power as particularly bad--I prefer my amp plugged directly to the upgraded wall socket. But just to be on the safe side, I'm not purchasing the 1400 until my system is installed in the new house and I'm familiar enough with the new SQ to be sure the battery pack sounds as good there as it does here. |
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eliz. I feel you girlfriend. I basically gave my PPP away after having it fully rebuilt but still had fan issues, even when the system wasn't playing. I just didn't feel right selling it for $800, so I sold it for $300 with full buyer beware cautions. I now have a Core Power 1800, having worked my way up from 300 to 600 to 1200, and finally the 1800. It's a really great power conditioner until the next best comes along, and we know it will |
My french dac Nos of Starting Point Systems Tda 1543 is designed with an internal battery that I connect to an external lithium battery with great results...I charge it one in a week...Then I love my lithium battery... I had already treat all my electrical grid with passive filtration with stones and crystals, the amplifier is connected to the wall with a power conditioner... The results when you have a cleaned electrical source is awesome... For me the cleanliness of the grid, the house grid and also the audio grid, is THE most important upgrade... If I had money I would buy a yeti for my amp but the fan and the price is a no go for me...One thing is certain, audiophile change their gear often because their equipment is never at his peak quality potential because of the noise floor of their electrical house grid and their audio grid also... |
I have been using my Yeti 1400 for several weeks now and the fan has not activated at all during play with my Ayre AX-5 / QX-5 drawing a combined 150 to 170 watts. Longest listening session has been 6 hours. The only time the fan activates is when I am recharging, which I do after and not during play. The soundstage and many other aspects of SQ have continued to improve as if the Yeti is breaking in. Yeti is connected to an Ayre L-5xe power conditioner. Fan has not been an issue and SQ improvements have been significant. |
glennewdick said: Anyone know what the quality of AC coming out of the Yeti is like? all good to have a power generator but if its as dirty as the wall why bother? I don't doubt anyone's experience here but I would like to know the quality of power coming out of this unit. I also don't understand any of the science behind lithium for power vs. lead acid or plugged into a power conditioner. I use balanced power for my entire system and am very pleased with the results. How would lithium batteries improve upon that? |
I called Goal Zero and asked them a few questions regarding to the db rating of the fan, and output distortion. Here is their email response: I was finally able to catch up with our engineers and they have informed us that the fans can get as loud as:
-45db at ½ a meter
The AC inverter has a distortion rating of less than 5%. Hopefully this is helpful! Let us know if you have any other questions on these.
Thanks for supporting Goal Zero!
Best, Brogen Reed Solution Center Representative Also after doing more research, it looks like this lithium-ion battery power supply might be a better option. https://inergytek.com/products/apex It’s lighter, it charges a whole lot quicker, 500 watt max input, it has six 120v outlets. From what I’ve heard and watched on YouTube videos, the fan is very quiet. Can also daisy chain more lithium batteries. It’s also on sale right now, plus an extra 20% off using special code. Total sale price is $1300.
https://youtu.be/aWAQexIm3Rs |
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I have been following this thread for the use of the the Goal Zero Yeti, and then suddenly came across this on Kickstarter and took a plunge of getting the 1300 unit. Close to half the price of the Yeti1400. Let's see how it works out as I will just use my digital front end for it. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ecoflow/delta-the-new-standard-of-battery-powered-generator |
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