Specifications

Another aspect of the S20’s capabilities that deserves a brief discussion is the ability to the S20 to monitor and display
relevant information about the AV environment. At various times I have had the default display set to monitor input and
output voltage, power used, battery run time, and the temperature in the rack above the Theta amplifier using the supplied
termperature probe. It is certainly also interesting and informative to see how much power various components actually
use, and to see how much more power is used at high volume levels compared to a very low volume setting (not much
actually).
There are also a few nits to pick with the S20. My first complaint is that the blue light around the on/off button is too
bright and is not dimmed with the display or LED dimming settings. Also when the S20 goes into or out of the voltage
regulation mode, there is a slight click. I am not sure I have ever heard this click during real program material, but it is
worth mentioning for completeness, as some may find it distracting. It is not a problem for me. I have never heard the
cooling fan on the unit come on, so other than the occasional slight click, the S20 is completely quiet.
Overall in use, the S20 has been a delight. Having 12 voltage controlled, battery backed up, surge protected, power
sequenced and remote controlled outlets in one place is certainly very convenient. I have my power amp, my preamp, my
DISH DVR, HD DVD and BlueRay DVD players, the fans to cool the Theta, an external hard disk for the DISH DVR,
the projector, and my subwoofer all plugged directly into the S20. I also have a small outlet strip plugged into the S20
to handle the power modules (wall warts) associated with two Celadon IR to RS-232 converters, an HDMI switch, a
6-channel analog audio switch, my iPod dock, and the RF receiver for my Logitech remote.
I have now experienced several real power failures and if all the lights in the house are out, one might never know from
the AV system that anything was wrong with power, other than the warning beep from the APC. The picture and sound
just keep going with no glitches or change in quality. With everything running I typically have about 20 minutes of run
time on the batteries.
The object of such a battery back up system is not to finish the movie under battery power, but rather to allow time for
an orderly shut down of the system with time for projector bulbs to properly cool, etc. The standard S20 certainly does
that for me, but if one does have the option of adding additional battery power if you really do feel that you may need to
finish the movie. Or I could fire up the generator, and then I would really be glad that the S20 was filtering and voltage
regulating the AC my AV components were receiving.
Battery run time with the system “off” is typically more than two hours, which is convenient if you need to finish taping
a critical episode of you favorite TV program, but perhaps I should look at turning power off for a few more components
to extend this run time even more.
Conclusions
The S20 (and S15) from APC are not only battery backup systems but, also supply several other functions that can
enhance the performance and/or convenience of an AV or home theater system. I can honestly say that because it protects