IsoTek V5 Syncro Uni 10 and IsoTek V5 Syncro Uni 16

The English company IsoTek Power Systems Ltd. has been a recognised specialist in the field of power supply for many years, with the aim of developing solutions that provide a solid, reliable basis for audio and video systems free from interference. This also includes the solutions that the company brought onto the market a good 15 years ago and which served to eliminate direct current components in alternating current, the so-called DC Cancelling System.

This is now presented by IsoTek in the latest version with a significantly improved design in the form of the new solutions IsoTek V5 Syncro Uni 10 and IsoTek V5 Syncro Uni 16.

Direct current in the network

According to IsoTek, so-called direct current in the mains is becoming an ever-increasing problem for audio and video, as it prevents electronic components from realising their full potential and, worse still, clearly results in a loss of sound quality. According to the English specialist, direct current impairs the performance and linearity of the power supply of electronic devices.

IsoTek cites a wide range of devices as the cause of this, from hair dryers and coffee machines to simple devices such as dimmers for lights. However, IsoTek also identifies PV systems and fast-charging stations for electric vehicles as a reason for the increasing proportion of direct current in the alternating current grid, whereby the sources of interference may not even be in your own household, but in the neighbourhood or far beyond.

IsoTek refers to this as a problem with regard to an imbalance in the sine wave of the grid on the zero-volt line. According to the company, this can cause significant mechanical vibrations in products, not only in amplifiers, but in all electronics, drastically affecting performance.

Foto © IsoTek Power Systems Ltd. | IsoTek V5 Syncro Uni 10 and IsoTek V5 Syncro Uni 16

Foto © IsoTek Power Systems Ltd. | IsoTek V5 Syncro Uni 10 and IsoTek V5 Syncro Uni 16

Foto © IsoTek Power Systems Ltd. | IsoTek V5 Syncro Uni 10 and IsoTek V5 Syncro Uni 16

Foto © IsoTek Power Systems Ltd. | IsoTek V5 Syncro Uni 10 and IsoTek V5 Syncro Uni 16

IsoTek V5 Syncro Uni 10 and IsoTek V5 Syncro Uni 16 as flexible problem solvers

The IsoTek V5 Syncro Uni 10 and IsoTek V5 Syncro Uni 16 systems are solutions that reduce the DC component in the AC mains and effectively attenuate background interference, as IsoTek promises. This should eliminate transformer vibrations and humming and also reduce interference from micro-resonances, which not only improves the sound, but also extends the service life of the devices as less heat is generated.

It is very important to mention that the IsoTek V5 Syncro Uni 10 and IsoTek V5 Syncro Uni 16 solutions are simply inserted at the beginning of the power supply in HiFi or AV systems.

IsoTek explicitly emphasises that with the IsoTek V5 Syncro Uni 10 and IsoTek V5 Syncro Uni 16 systems, there is no need to fear any loss of dynamics; on the contrary, these are actually improved and a reduction in distortion is achieved, resulting in a more open, detailed reproduction over a wide frequency range.

Improved design compared to previous solutions

The new IsoTek V5 Syncro Uni 10 and IsoTek V5 Syncro Uni 16 solutions are primarily characterised by the fact that they achieve a higher current capacity and lower impedance.

The manufacturer claims that the IsoTek V5 Syncro Uni 10 has 60 per cent more current capacity and an internal peak current of 16 A, while the IsoTek V5 Syncro Uni 16 has 260 per cent more current capacity and a peak current of 32 A.

This is achieved thanks to a completely redesigned circuit board that deliberately uses a lot of copper conductors, more than twice as much as the industry standard. In addition, the IsoTek V5 Syncro Uni 10 uses 16 capacitors for an output of 75.000 µF and the IsoTek V5 Syncro Uni 16 even uses 32 capacitors for 169.000 μF. According to the manufacturer, all electrical components in this new V5 version have been upgraded and overspecified to provide overvoltage protection of 500 A peak.

Although the circuit board of the IsoTek V5 Syncro Uni 10 can easily be operated internally with 16 A, which enables a maximum transmission of up to 3.680 W, the device has been conservatively limited to the standard 10 A to ensure absolute reliability and constant performance. The same applies to the IsoTek V5 Syncro Uni 16, which is even said to be capable of 32 A, i.e. 7.360 W, but here too the decision was made in favour of the 16 A standard.

The company also explicitly emphasises that it relies solely on high-quality components for the internal cabling and that the two solutions can, in principle, be used with any power cable. Nevertheless, the company naturally recommends products from its own production.

Both solutions have a steel and aluminium housing, which measures 100 mm in width, 85 mm in height and 250 mm in depth for the IsoTek V5 Syncro Uni 10 and weighs 1,5 kg. The IsoTek V5 Syncro Uni 16 is a device that measures 150 mm wide, 85 mm high and 250 mm deep and weighs 2 kg.

Prices and availability

According to the manufacturer, the new IsoTek V5 Syncro Uni 10 and IsoTek V5 Syncro Uni 16 solutions are already available from specialist retailers these days, with a recommended retail price of € 599,- for the IsoTek V5 Syncro Uni 10 and € 699,- for the IsoTek V5 Syncro Uni 16.

Getting to the point

The new IsoTek V5 Syncro Uni 10 and IsoTek V5 Syncro Uni 16 solutions are intended to provide tools from the specialist IsoTek Power Systems Ltd. that drastically reduce transformer vibrations and humming from transformers in electronic devices or, in the best case, suppress them completely, as they eliminate the cause – direct current components in the alternating current network – particularly effectively.