No stranger to audio interfacing devices — ranging from direct boxes to splitters, isolators, instrument preamps, switchers, load boxes, amp simulators, effects pedals and more — Radial Engineering has built a solid and dependable reputation for solving problems facing serious musicians and audio professionals worldwide since 1992. Along the way, this Canadian company branched out, launching acoustical products developer Primacoustics in 2000, acquiring industry-leading company Jensen Transformers in 2014 and adding two hi-fi divisions (Hafler and Dynaco) to its roster.
Now, Radial Engineering takes another step forward, this time debuting the first two entries in its new “Power Series” product line, designed by audio guru and grounding, AC power and connectivity authority Bill Whitlock, the former president and chief engineer of Jensen Transformers — definitely the right person for the job.
The Power-1 ($109/street) and Power-2 ($199/street) units from Radial Engineering are housed in rugged, single-rackspace packages. These provide filtering against radio-frequency interference, along with peace-of-mind surge protection for venues, touring and portable live sound reinforcement applications — essentially designed to offer anyone protection from AC power surges that can instantaneously damage or destroy electronic gear.
Features, Functions
Features common to both the Power-1 and Power-2 include: protection from damaging electrical power surges that can occur along AC power lines; a high-rejection RF interference filter; eight rear-mounted outlets switched via an illuminated front panel rocker switch; overload circuit breaker protection; and a fault-protection indicator LED that glows whenever surge protection is active to all the outlets. The front panels also have a convenient 5-volt USB Type-A charging port, which is unswitched, so, for example, you can charge devices (say, during break time) while the rear outlets are powered down. Either way, the surge protection is always active to all outlets whenever the unit is plugged in and connected to an AC power source.
A nice touch is that four of the rear panel outlets on both units are widely spaced (as shown in the photo) to accommodate those ubiquitous wall-wart power supplies that we’ve all grown to despise. This can be an issue on some competing products that might offer eight outlets but some may be inaccessible due to wide power supplies covering adjacent outlets.
Despite having different numbers of outlets, the overall total rating for either unit is 15 amps; going beyond that limit will trip the (thankfully resettable) rear panel circuit breaker. The permanently attached 9-foot AC cable will be appreciated by anyone at a gig where the AC wall outlet is just slightly out of reach of the shorter 4- or 6-foot cables on some competing units.
Key Differences
The Power-1 has three unswitched front panel outlets, while Power-2 has one. Of course, the Power-2 features a rotary dimmer that controls the intensity of its slide-out tray with multicolor LED illumination that lights your rack. A momentary push switch jogs between seven available colors (green, red, yellow, blue, violet, pink, white and an “off” setting); and as with the front panel convenience outlet, the LED lighting is active even when the rear outlets are switched off.
With a gentle press, Power-2’s LED tray pops out slightly and must be pulled outward to its open position. Pushing it back into the unit locks the tray into place for transport. Additionally, the LED lights on the tray are automatically shut off once the tray is fully locked into its storage position. BTW, the lighting tray stays cool during operation and its 4” x 8” top surface provides a convenient place to set small items, such as a cell phone while it’s charging.
Getting Physical
Both units are constructed of heavy gauge steel and the build quality is excellent. Radial Engineering touts the high quality of the U.S.-made MOV (Metal Oxide Varistor) component that provides the surge protection. This is said to offer superior thermal protection and a long lifespan, along with using shunt-mode technology and it avoids passing contaminated signals to ground for a lower system noise. Probably voiding the warranty, I popped the cover and was impressed by the rugged, clean layout; these units are obviously built for the long haul.
While the two units have a single-rack chassis, the Power-1 is 7.5” deep and weighs in at 6 pounds. The Power-2 is substantially beefier at 11.5” deep and tipping the scales at nearly 11 pounds. In most situations, depth is not an important factor. However, in some instances — such as a narrow depth case carrying either “money channel” vocal processing or a wireless mic (or IEM) rack for portable/rental applications — rack depth is something to consider, and the unit will be even deeper when you add in any cables or power supplies connected to the rear outlets.
The Verdict
I liked both of these units, but particularly the Power-2. It is important to know both of these devices are voltage spike surge suppressors — and not voltage regulators that compensate for variances in the line voltage. I don’t live in an area with heavy lightning activity, where surge suppressor(s) are an absolute must. However, I regularly do gigs in heavy RF traffic areas, where the AC supply is uncertain (or I don’t know what else may be on the circuit) and every bit of protection — both surge and RFI suppression — can make for a smooth gig. I like that.
At a Glance:
Protection and Convenience
Radial Engineering has introduced the first two entries in its new “Power Series” product line, their Power-1 & Power-2 Surge Suppressor/Power Conditioners. Switchable outlets, USB charging, protection from AC power surges and RFI filtering… What’s not to like?
Radial Engineering
Power-1/Power-2
PROS
- Solid build quality
- Versatile feature set
- Power surge protection
- Wide-set outlets accommodate
wall warts
CONS
- Power-2 is deep, heavy
Stats
- Voltage: 120 VAC; 50/60 Hz
- Load Rating: 15 amps total
- Total Outlets: Power-1, 11; Power-2, 9
- Weight: Power-1, 6.13 pounds; Power-2, 10.9 pounds
- Street Price: Power-1, $109;Power-2, $199
- Warranty: 3-year, transferable
- Manufacturer: Radial Engineering
- More Info: www.radialeng.com
