Difference between Back-UPS & Back-UPS PRO

[Anonymous user]

Hi. I'm trying to figure out what UPS is best for my setup which basically consists of my PC computer (tower + 23'' lcd monitor) + a pair of active studio monitors (speakers, these are the delicate part of the setup and the reason I'm getting the UPS).

Really all I need to know is the difference in features between those two families of UPS, since I'm trying to get the best in terms of performance that I can that will protect the speakers in case of surges or spikes as well as under or over voltage. Specifically the models I'm looking at are the BR900G vs the BX1100CI, which I can get at the same price. Both accommodate the total power draw perfectly, but I prefer quality and performance over things like autonomy, or overhead for future additions to the system.

Any insight is greatly appreciated.

Tomas

[Anonymous user]

For the current Back-UPS and Back-UPS Pro product line, I don't believe there is much difference beyond what gets printed on the front panel. (The Back-UPS Pro may add the ability to regulate both high and low line voltage, and may also provide for simple signaling over an RS-232 serial port as compared to the regular Back-UPS. I'm not 100% sure. Here in the US we don't have anything like the BX1100CI design.)

Since you mentioned a desire to have the best protection for your monitor speakers, I would actually recommend that you look at a Smart-UPS model. The inverter circuit used in the Back-UPS and Back-UPS pro may cause your speakers to buzz or produce other undesirable sounds. Damage to the speakers would be very unlikely. The 750 VA and larger Smart-UPS products have a true sine wave inverter whose output is of very high quality and would match exactly what you get from your electrical utility.

[Anonymous user · Accepted solution]

Thank you for your answer.

On 7/4/2017 6:47 PM, William said:

I would actually recommend that you look at a Smart-UPS model. The inverter circuit used in the Back-UPS and Back-UPS pro may cause your speakers to buzz or produce other undesirable sounds.

Yeah, that was my main concern, unfortunately the smart ups are out of my budget. I suppose the best answer is to get the back-UPS Pro and keep the speakers connected to the 'surge only' outlets (the non-pro models have no separate surge only outlets, only battery), that way they will still be protected but won't be getting the square wave from the battery. Do you think that should work or am I missing something?

[SimpleTronix]

Comparing Back UPS XS vs Pro 1350 - 1500 from ~ 2010:

First, Back UPS Pro has an extra relay.  I originally thought it was there for extra charging, but it may be there for the "Master / Controlled By Master" behavior.

Back UPS Pro seemed to consume max ~ 44W during charging compared to max ~ 22W for Back UPS XS.  However, the max current which Back UPS Pro delivered was ~ 850ma while XS was ~ 650mA.

Maybe the Back UPS Pro version I tested was defective, or maybe it had the AVR capability others mentioned.  When idling, Back UPS Pro consumed ~ 20W compared to only ~ 5W for Back UPS XS.  Back UPS Pro transformer was also getting reasonably warm, suggesting that some load went into the transformer.

When I tested the Back UPS Pro transformer inside Back UPS XS, it worked exactly the same during both charging and discharging, and there was no extra load at idle like the Back UPS Pro had.  Suggesting that the behavior with transformer getting warm was due to electronics and not the transformer itself.

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The reason i was looking into that was that I wanted to power one of these UPSes with marine batteries.  I tested CyberPower 1350 AVR from 2020, and although it had the best idle characteristics, it only charged batteries at max 450mA.  Also tested an older CyberPower from ~ 2010, and it had the same charging current.  Tested Back UPS RS 1300 from ~ 2010, and it only had ~ 400mA max charging current. 

Back UPS XS seemed to be best overall model for modification with marine batteries.  While Back UPS RS 1300 or CyberPower 1350 seemed like the best UPS for normal use.