Using battery power to go off the City's power grid


I'm using a Bluetti AC200MAX 2,200 watt expandable power station to take my system off the city's power grid.  It runs off a lithium ion phosphate battery with a 4,800 watt pure sine wave inverter. My total system only takes about 450 watts so I have never heard the fan kick on - it is totally silent. The music comes from a completely black background, with a huge soundstage that sounds very natural. I know that Ric Schultz has talked about these types of setups and there is a very expensive Stromtank battery system that is marketed to audiophiles. Anyone else tried this type of setup in their audio system?

Here is a link to a review:

 

128x128sbayne

sirnui

... a few key things that a powerful battery/inverter system offers over the average 15A wall outlet. It’s separated from what can be a noisy grid ...

And replaces it with a potentially noisy inverter.

It can offer more dynamic power (from a large bank of capacitors?) ...

Greater than the dynamic power available from your local electric utility, which uses banks of capacitors at the substation? I don’t think so.

... it can offer a better AC sinewave (better THD) to power supplies that were designed with perfect AC sinewaves in mind.

A good power supply doesn’t require "perfect AC sinewaves."

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sirnui

... a few key things that a powerful battery/inverter system offers over the average 15A wall outlet. It’s separated from what can be a noisy grid ...

And replaces it with a potentially noisy inverter.

The inverter will have noise of its own so it comes down to the lesser of two evils for noise.  Even in the suburbs where I live, the data is telling me my Giandel inverter has slightly better AC Total Harmonic Distortion than the wall AC.  I use to own a power conditioner that showed AC THD.

It can offer more dynamic power (from a large bank of capacitors?) ...

Greater than the dynamic power available from your local electric utility, which uses banks of capacitors at the substation? I don’t think so.

Those substations are not a few feet away from the audio system.  Any power reservoir from the susbstation needs to travel many feet and it will have to go through transformers and the house wiring and electrical outlets likely rated for 15A.  The audio system is not seeing anything close to what the substation can offer for power.  But in my case with the Giandel 5000W and using the High Current terminals, my ceiling is not limited to 15A.  Doing the math, 5000W / 120V = 41.67A.  Now, max power is not really what I'm going for but it's beneficial to have wires and circuits that were designed to handle that kind of power.  This can come into play during moments of sudden and quick power draws.  I once had Kii Three active speakers hooked up to the battery/inverter system.  They were not class A monoblocks but not once did I feel the power was lacking when I turned up the volume.

... it can offer a better AC sinewave (better THD) to power supplies that were designed with perfect AC sinewaves in mind.

A good power supply doesn’t require "perfect AC sinewaves."

I didn't use the word "require".  I generally believe if dirt goes in, then dirt comes out.  If a clean AC sinewave goes into a power supply, then clean DC power comes out.  If a jagged AC sinewave goes into a power supply, the DC signal out would likely have artifacts(noise) from the jaggedness of the AC sinewave.

I have an academic background in EE.  I have a BS and MS in Computer Engineering.  I don't share this to say I know everything about electricity because I don't.  I share this because the decisions I've made regarding how I deal with power in my audio system is helped from this EE knowledge or whatever is left of it.  I don't do EE for a living.  But above all, I try the gear and nothing beats actual experience.  Theory is nice but actually applying theory is better.

Any power reservoir from the susbstation needs to travel many feet and it will have to go through transformers and the house wiring and electrical outlets likely rated for 15A. The audio system is not seeing anything close to what the substation can offer for power ... I have an academic background in EE. I have a BS and MS in Computer Engineering ... Theory is nice but actually applying theory is better.

Electric power can be distributed over hundreds of miles with minimal losses.

The line feeding my house originates at the substation as a 12,470/7,200 volt wye circuit. That is a very common distribution scheme in the US, and it’s a big step up from the old delta circuit that my utility previously used. Either way, you don’t want that 7,200 VAC anywhere near your system.

My audio system uses dedicated, derated 20A lines and my utility - which is not a very good one, by the way - has no trouble delivering power on demand. If there is any doubt about your utility’s ability to deliver sufficient power, a "beast of burden test" will settle it. You would need a massive bank of batteries and capacitors to come even close to delivering the power a proper utility offers.

 

@sirnui    , thank you again for all the detailed information you are writing

I have tried Shunyata’s top of the line conditioners (Everest on down) on a battery/inverter and it makes a big difference. I have also tried Puritan conditioners and they make a noticeable difference as well. Value wise, the Puritan conditioners are hard to beat but I’ve found Shunyata TOTL to be better than Puritan TOTL. I can recommend both.

Yes , the Everest and Denali have very good reputation as line conditioners  , and they are very effective at avoiding pollution between components of the audio system which is by the way some time a stronger pollution than from the AC line .

Cost wise the puritan is 1/3 of the Denali and 1/5 of the Everest therefore hard to beat .

In fact you have now If I understand well two separated battery inverter system 

- One for DAC ,preamp ,Amp  with Shunyata Typhon 

- The second one for  Lumin streamer , switch etc...

Since I have a friend with a Denali  , I will do the test  with this conditionner .