Big stereo a problem for UPS?

yh125d

Diamond Member
Dec 23, 2006
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I just got a new bigger UPS for my main computer, and I currently have my stereo amp running off of it as well, it's a CyberPower CP1350PFCLCD rated for 810 watts.

My amp is a NAD C370, and when listening to it around my max volume it uses even more power than I realized. It can spike up to around 550w on it's own, and by watching PowerPanel it jumps around pretty quickly from ~175w total UPS power to ~675w total UPS power.

Now, even at 675w it's over 100w below the rated capacity, and when I have the stereo up it uses a lot more power than even gaming load, but should I worry about the big, rapid swings in load? Could that be hard on the UPS and cause premature failure? In 3 seconds it can make a 500w swing up and down and everywhere between, and it's constant (due to the dynamic nature of music vs a pegged gpu at 100%). Now I don't always listen to it that loud, under more normal usage it peaks at around 300w, but if I'm in a mood to rock out I don't want to be worrying about the UPS.

Should I get a UPS dedicated to the stereo, or maybe just put it on the surge only side? It ran on surge only on my old UPS so I'm not all THAT worried, but its not a cheap amp and I wouldn't mind it being more protected

Thoughts?

Thanks
 

TemjinGold

Diamond Member
Dec 16, 2006
3,050
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91
Why are you even putting it through a UPS? Are you that intent on rocking out during a power outage?
 

yh125d

Diamond Member
Dec 23, 2006
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No, I would of course shut it down immediately. But I don't want to have it crash while pulling 500w, it seems like it would be harder on that than say, one of my external drives. I don't have a lot of power outages but when I do it starts by dimming, browning out, then off, and flickering on and off for a few seconds before dropping completely. Those times in particular worry me. In the other places I've lived, it's just dropped immediately, a "clean break", if you will
 

Blain

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
23,643
3
81
Total outages aren't the only reason to run electronics from an UPS.
I run mine from AVR UPS's, mostly for spikes & brownouts.
 

imagoon

Diamond Member
Feb 19, 2003
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Most home UPS units can't handle the peak swings like that well esp when they flip to battery. I personally would hook that up to the surge side and leave it off the battery side.

Worst case if the power goes off, a peak swing (bass hit etc) may cause the UPS to go in to overload and drop the load.
 

alkemyst

No Lifer
Feb 13, 2001
83,769
19
81
QFT a stereo is not a device that should be on a UPS. Surge Protection and Power Conditioning are what you should look at to protect it.