I’ve always believed that the best power is what comes directly out of the wall. For me, AC line conditioners have always sucked the life out of the music. I’ve tried a few conditioners but need to confess never tried anything in the thousand dollar and up category. My power consisted of dedicated 20amp circuits for each amplifier and a dedicated circuit for my digital front end. I remember the first listen to clean power when I added those dedicated circuits. The results were breathtaking to me. The old cliche of a quieter background, bigger soundstage, extended highs and deeper bass is how I’d describe what delivering cleaner power did for my system. I’m guessing to summarize what I did hear was simply a lower floor noise in my system. A lower floor noise just made everything sound better.
A 12v-48v lithium LiFePO4 battery and a “pure sine wave” inverter are very cost effective compared to what we spend on a piece of hardware in this hobby. LiFePO4 batteries have dropped significantly in price over the last couple of years and with the acceptance of solar power and more Bommers traveling in RV’s, the inverter market has grown exponentially. The threads I could find on this topic mentions very positive results using a battery to power their systems. The information on-line is somewhat limited and offer little if any comparison between inverters as well as how much inverter and battery does one needs to run their front end and amplifier(s).
I’m sure some of you think that by adding an inverter will add noise back into the system and you are correct. The only thing I can attest is that my system sounds cleaner and more articulate with the inverter and battery power compared to dedicated circuits off the grid.
It has been mentioned that to truly take advantages of what an off grid system can offer, your system needs to be somewhat resolving. My system consists of Harbeth loudspeakers driven by Quicksilver mono blocks. To complement the bottom end is a RSL subwoofer. My modest front end is comprised of a Topping linestage and DAC.
My auxiliary components like FMC’s, network switch and renderer are all powered by aftermarket linear or SMPS with the exception of my M4 MacMini which is used as a streamer. I have a small fiber bridge located between switch and DAC. All music files are being processed with HQPlayer and JPlay to manage my music. All music files are streamed from Qobuz.
Prior to investing in off-grid power, I discovered an on-line tread that I’ll link here describing how by simply powering a music system by a battery power station can transform things by getting your system clean power. These all-in-one power stations can be purchased through Amazon and they range from a few hundred bucks to a few thousand all depending on how much power one needs.
By eliminating the power station’s fancy housing, power ports and interfaces and by putting together selected components, one can save a ton of money and get a better result. You’d pick and choose the inverter you want as well as battery capacity. Once you figure your components out, it will take you just minutes to connect everything up.
I decided to go the a la carte route. My initial thought was to get more inverter than what I actually need. More is always better mentality since if one has extra power, it’s good to have headroom in reserves. I quickly realized the drawback to overkill in this regard. A larger inverter consumes more power than a smaller one. Larger inverters need larger gauge cables and a bigger battery. Most inverters range from 200 watts to 5000 watts and above. Also make sure you use a “pure sine wave” and not a “modified sine wave inverter”. Pure sine wave inverters are designed for sensitive electronics where modified sine wave inverters are manufactured with a price point in mind and are normally used with things like power tools.
I decided to initially just to power my DAC and preamp off battery power. The reasoning was both financial and because my front end is physically separated from my amps and I wanted to take things slow at first. It would be easy to add a second off grid system for my amps at a later date. In fact it may be better having separate battery based systems to keep the digital separated from my amps.
I needed to figure how much inverter I actually needed. My DAC and linestage consumed a whopping 2 watts at idle and 16 watts at full consumption. I made the decision to try a 250 watt inverter by Victron and a 600 watt inverter by Giandel, for both companies, their smallest offerings. The price for each inverter was $98 and $86 dollars respectively. Inverters come in two flavors, low and high frequency. The Victron was low and Giandel high. I wanted to compare both versions to see what sounded best to me. Just a quick note on Giandel and Victron. As mentioned earlier, the cost of these inverters are relatively inexpensive. I wanted to try the very best that I could find and the Giandel and Victron are two brands that always came out on top when educating myself with these devices.
Most inverters come in 12, 24, 36, and 48 volt variants. If I were going to power my amps, I would have opted for a 48 volt model. As you go up in power requirements, a 48 volt inverter makes sense as they are built and run more efficiently, requiring smaller cabling and run cooler. For smaller wattage requirements, 12 volts systems make sense due to cost consideration.
After listening and comparing both low and high frequency inverters for just a few minutes, it was clear to me which variant I preferred. I did force myself to listen to both inverters for the better part of the day but things didn’t change and it was easy for me to pick a winner after playing just a couple tracks. Although the Giandel sounded better than my 20amp dedicated line from the grid, I preferred the sound of the Victron. The music when playing through the Victron just had more weight and body to it and it sounded a tad smoother. The Giandel did sound very good and for some it may sound better than the Victron in their system. The negative regarding the Victron is that the model I chose only has a single receptacle so I need to add one. The Giandel came with two. I ended up putting a couple JPS Labs receptacles in a metal box and attached it with an aftermarket power cord. I will note that I do have a ground to earth connection as back when I installed my dedicated circuits I installed a grounding rod.
These inverters do have fans that should come on if the unit is working close to its limitations. In the time that I’ve been using them, I’ve never heard the fan engage. Some have mentioned that because Victron’s have a larger large internal transformer, they can hum. So far, my inverter has been dead quiet.
Up to this point, I’ve been using a 60ah lithium battery that I hijacked from my boat’s sonar. I wanted to try battery power before any real investment. I do have on order a 12v 100ah battery with Bluetooth monitoring from LiTime. I wanted a battery with Bluetooth monitoring so that I can monitor my battery level. From what I’ve researched, LiTime is a reputable company that makes good quality products. Batteries can be found for less but you want something that is manufactured at a higher standard. YouTube videos comparing various battery manufacturers were eye opening as some of the lesser known brands have less than satisfactory build quality standards in my opinion. Keep in mind that lithium batteries can be a fire hazard.
A separate battery charger compatible with lithium batteries is needed to charge the battery once depleted. I’m using a Noco Genius 10A charger because I already owned one and I believe Noco makes some of the better battery chargers on the market. You can find more cost effective solutions. I disconnect the battery from the inverter when I charge the battery using a batter disconnect. Charging is done overnight as it takes roughly 6 to 8 hours to fully charge my 60ah battery.
I can currently listen to music four to five hours a day and I can go days in between charges.
The benefits of off grid power for me is significant.
If I ever decide to power my Quicksilver Monos, I’d likely do a 48v 1200 watt system. I’m guessing the inverter, charger combined with battery would be in the $500- $700 price range. Most financial resources here are due to the cost of a 48v battery.
My Cost Breakdown to power my DAC and Line Stage:
Victron 12v/250 Inverter $86
8awg wire; 6 feet plus ring connectors $15
Li Time 100ah LiFePO4 $230
Noco Genius 10A charger $100
Battery Disconnect $15
All parts except 8 gauge wire purchase from Amazon. Wire from Home Depot. Putting things together is super easy with no prior electrical skills needed. The entire installation process should take less than 15 minutes.
For those of you thinking about a dedicated circuit or for those where one is not feasible, this solution is a no brainer. It’s the best $446 dollars I’ve ever spend in this hobby. Give it a try. Improvements are not subtle!
