February 2006 Reviewed by Roger Kanno	Empower EM2100 Power Conditioner

Description Model: Empower EM2100 Price: $1800 USD Dimensions: 19"W x 3.5"H x 10.5"D Weight: 16.6 pounds Warranty: Ten years parts and labor; five years on control and display components	Features Surgex power conditioning and surge suppression 14 hospital-grade outlets Programmable on/off delays for three banks of four outlets Two outlets always on Front-panel LCD display Peak-reading AC voltage meter Remote input and output control options Out-of-range AC voltage shutdown

Reviews of power products usually begin with the writer stating that some people consider it absurd that power products can noticeably affect a system’s performance. I use moderately priced power cords and a high-quality power bar in my system, but no expensive power-conditioning or power-regeneration products. Although I believe that high-quality power products can improve a system’s performance, I’ve typically found that those improvements are relatively minor compared with upgrading other components such as electronics and speakers.

Empower describes their EM2100 as an "AC control system" incorporating Surgex power-conditioning and surge-protection technologies. In addition to cleaning up the power, it offers many programmable safety and power-management features that the user can configure to control a complex A/V system. Although it costs a substantial $1800 USD, Empower claims that the EM2100 provides clean, interference-free power and reliable protection from power surges and transients that few other products can offer.

The right stuff

The EM2100 is a microprocessor-controlled, 15-amp power conditioner with 14 hospital-grade outlets, housed in an attractive, rack-mountable enclosure of shielded black steel that measures 19"W x 3.5"H x 10.5"D. A milled-aluminum faceplate accommodates the recessed power button and a three-line LCD display that continually updates the unit’s operating status (one line of the display is a peak-reading AC voltage meter). The EM2100 is solidly built, weighs 16.6 pounds, and includes a hardwired JPS Labs Optimized Field Matrix AC cord to provide power from the wall.

As far as I could deduce, the Surgex power-conditioning system employed by the EM2100 consists of three parts. True Series Mode surge protection, with diagnostic circuitry, protects against catastrophic damage from very large power surges and cumulative damage from recurring power-line transients. Impedance Tolerant EMI/RFI Filtering removes interference caused by other electronic devices in your home and other sources, and Inrush Current Elimination (ICE) circuitry provides soft turn-on to prevent problems caused by large amounts of current being drawn when devices such as powerful amplifiers are switched on. Most important, Empower claims that all of this is accomplished without limiting current, which could adversely affect the performance of power-hungry components.

The power of flexibility

Each of the EM2100’s three banks of four outlets each can be programmed to turn on with separate delays, while the remaining two outlets remain on at all times. But its power-conditioning abilities are only part of the EM2100’s story.

A plug-in Phoenix terminal block provides two-way remote-control connections. It supports several types of switches, such as DC voltage or physical contact, and both momentary (open) and latching (closed). Any one of these types of switches can be used to turn the EM2100 on or off. A DC or contact override input can force the unit on or off with programmable delays that are useful for safety reasons, or for external control, and, as the name suggests, works regardless of any other input signal. A 12V DC output and auxiliary relay contact with optional delay can be used to provide feedback or control other components. The 12V DC output can also be used to power LEDs to provide remote confirmation of the EM2100’s status.

An out-of-range AC voltage shutdown allows the user to turn off the EM2100 if the incoming AC voltage falls outside a specified range. The lower limit is adjustable from 90V to 110V, the upper limit from 130V to 150V. The Restore function can be used to power up the EM2100 after shutdown due to loss of AC power, out-of-range AC voltage, or by an override signal. Once the condition that caused the shutdown is no longer present, Restore turns the EM2100 back on. A self-test failure shutdown function can turn the EM2100 off if the Surgex power-protection circuitry is found to be operating outside its specifications. Finally, a password option prevents unauthorized access to the Empower’s programming modes.

With all of its programmable features, setup and operation of the EM2100 can be as elaborate or as simple as the user requires. It can be used to control power to multiple components in a complex A/V system, and can even be linked to other EM2100s. You can also disregard its programming capabilities altogether and use it only for its Surgex power-conditioning and surge-suppression system.

Powering up

I didn’t try the EM2100’s sophisticated programmable features, but simply used it to replace an Essential Sound Products A/V Power-Flow Pro power bar in my system. I usually leave all of my components powered up except for the television. The EM2100’s conditioned power and protection circuits were used with all of the components in my system -- DVD players, surround-sound processor, TV, over-the-air HDTV tuner, and two power amps -- except for the subwoofer, which sits far away from the rest of the equipment, on the opposite side of the room.

See no evil

The first thing I noticed after plugging my system into the EM2100 was how much better the video looked. It was not a night-and-day difference, but everything was subtly improved. Colors appeared more saturated, detail increased, and blacks were deep and gorgeous.

In his review of the Blue Circle BC606 Music Bar, Jeff Van Dyne conceded that Sylvester Stallone’s Driven may not be classic cinema, but its outstanding video transfer is a great tool for evaluating picture quality. The vibrant colors and hyper-paced action of the open-wheel race scenes were reproduced without a hint of noise. The astonishingly realistic outdoor scenes almost gave the impression of being there on race day, and the details of cars as they zoomed by were rock solid. I at first thought that the picture was slightly washed out, but after careful inspection saw that there was actually a better gradation of colors and light levels that increased the picture’s overall realism.

Although its settings are almost entirely computer-generated, Sin City was one of the best-looking DVDs of 2005, and it never looked better on my monitor than with the EM2100 in the system. The detail in faces, from the tiniest lines and wrinkles to Clive Owen’s individual facial hairs, was incredible. The minute ripples of raindrops in puddles in the opening scene had a three-dimensional quality I hadn’t noticed before. Not only were delicate imaging cues rendered with amazing delicacy, but brightly lit, high-contrast scenes were equally impressive. When Miho pulls Dwight from the tar pit, their pure-white-on-black silhouettes had eye-popping clarity.

Video from HDTV sources also benefited from the EM2100. Rad Bennett described the flyby shots of the Miami skyline from the CSI Miami DVD as an astonishing visual treat. These shots were simply stunning in high definition -- the depth and realism were spectacular. Rad may have thought he was looking at a postcard of Miami with the DVDs, but watching the HD broadcast of CSI Miami, I felt as if I was looking through a window.

Talk about picture-postcard visuals: the HDTV broadcast of Lost was some of the best-quality video I have ever seen. The beach scenes were particularly detailed, with brightly sunlit beaches and sparkling surf and spray that almost leapt off the screen. Even the leaves and vines in jungle-scene backgrounds were remarkably realistic, with lush, living quality. The video of less-well-photographed shows, such as Desperate Housewives and The Sopranos, was improved by the EM2100, though their pictures remained a bit soft and lacking in detail. With the EM2100, it was much easier to differentiate the quality of HDTV broadcasts that looked merely good from those that were truly great.

Hear no evil

While I had no trouble seeing the benefits of using the EM2100 in my home-theater system, hearing its good effects was not so easy. While such complex DVD mixes as The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King did sound more coherent, with better delineation of individual elements, the differences were subtle. The prodigious bass in this film was generally tighter and better defined. High frequencies were smoother, with less harshness of clashing armor and weapons during the many battle scenes. High-resolution multichannel audio from DVD-Audio discs, played back on the magnificent Arcam FMJ DV29 player, sounded outstanding. Seal’s Best 1991-2004 [DVD-A, Warner Bros. 48776-9] had a sparkling quality to the vocals that rivaled that of any other recording I have heard, regardless of format. Bass was again tight and responsive on cuts such as "Killer" and "My Vision," with a demarcation of individual instruments that made for an extremely clean, precise sound.

The EM2100’s most obvious enhancement of my system’s sound was with two-channel CDs. The Arcam FMJ DV29 is an excellent DVD-Audio/Video player, but it’s also a wonderful-sounding CD player, and adding the EM2100 to my system made me appreciate the quality of its CD playback even more. Straightforward acoustic tracks, such as those on Damien Rice’s O [CD, Vector CDW 48507], were striking in their clarity. The guitar sounded wonderfully rich with no sacrifice of transparency, and there was a plucky playfulness to "Amie." Songs such as "Blower’s Daughter" had plenty of bass, though it was still slightly boomy (probably an inherent fault of the recording). Nonetheless, the bass was more controlled and better defined with the EM2100 in the system. The piano on the title track of Johnny Cash’s American IV: The Man Comes Around [CD, American 4400770830] was big and commanding, and the guitar had plenty of bite without sounding brash. The system conveyed all of the emotion in Cash’s vocals while laying bare the effect on his voice of age and failing health.

No comparison

Compared to my system without power conditioning and only a high-quality power bar and power cords, the Empower EM2100 noticeably improved the overall quality of the video and, to a lesser extent, the audio. My ESP A/V Power-Flow Pro power bar ($500) cleans up the sound and picture of the system a little, but not to any easily noticeable extent. With the EM2100, the differences were not always tremendous, but were consistent and worthwhile.

Still, the differences were not so great that I ever thought I’d swapped out my amplifier, speakers, or video display. The difference was more like the cumulative effect of upgrading all of my system’s speaker cables, interconnects, and AC cords. HDTV broadcasts that had sometimes looked a little soft now had greater detail and more dimensionality, which added a sense of realism. This made the picture look more like what you expect from HD: very filmlike, less "digital."

The EM2100 also improved my system’s audio performance. CDs imaged more precisely, with sharper outlines, and I could hear into dense soundtrack mixes more clearly. In audiophile terms, there was more "air" around instruments. Everything was just a little bit clearer, film soundtracks somewhat less so.

Powering down

Yes, $1800 may seem a lot of money to pay for a power product. It is, but the Empower EM2100 also has sophisticated programmable power-management capabilities that allow it to be used as the control center of a complex A/V system, and its many advanced safety and convenience features are not typically found on otherwise similar products. And, in addition to its excellent power conditioning and surge suppression, the Empower provides flexibility and functionality that many other products do not -- even ones costing as much as or more than the EM2100.

Manufacturer contact information:

Empower
6131A Kellers Church Road
Pipersville, PA 18947
Phone: (215) 766-1240
Fax: (215) 766-9202

Website: www.empowerac.com

• Go Back