At Red Wine Audio, we strongly advocate the use of high current, sealed lead-acid (SLA) battery power in all our products. The power supply section used in a home audio component is critical to its sonic performance. Conventional high-end audio products that run on AC (alternating current… 50 or 60Hz) power use a power supply unit to convert the high voltage AC to lower voltage DC (direct current). Typically, the power supply is installed inside of the audio component.

In the case of a linear power supply, the AC is passed through a transformer, diodes, voltage regulators, and other components and the output is lower voltage DC used by the audio component’s circuitry. This conversion process is far from perfect. There is noise generated from the rectification process of the diodes, the coupling of the magnetic fields of the AC power supply onto other internal components, and noise that already exists on the AC power line (from computers, household appliances, local industry, etc.). No matter what power conditioning equipment is used, this noise finds its way through the power supply onto the DC voltage rails at the power supply unit’s output.

In the case of audio electronics that use switch-mode power supplies (SMPS), there is even more noise to deal with from the high-frequency switching and harmonics that are at the heart of the SMPS design.

This noise is not only conducted into the lower voltage DC rails at the output of the power supply, but it is also radiated in the air as electromagnetic interference (EMI). This EMI couples onto other internal components and sometimes even escapes the enclosure and causes interference with other components nearby (e.g. FM radio, amplifier, etc.). It also works its way back into your AC power line and pollutes your other components that are connected to it - even when power conditioning equipment is used.

We believe that the best source of power for audio equipment is one that skips the entire AC to DC conversion process. Choosing battery power (which is inherently DC) frees your music from the noise and grunge of AC power. However, not all types of batteries are ideal for high-end audio applications.

We believe that SLA batteries do a remarkable job because they have very low internal resistance and they are very robust in delivering clean power (high-current). This should be no surprise as the lead-acid battery family is used to crank over your automobile’s heavy engine via its starter. There are no transformers, diodes, voltage regulators, and other components in the path choking the delivery of current in an SLA battery. Large “soda can” sized storage capacitors are not needed, nor are power-conditioning equipment, dedicated power lines to the circuit panel, after-market power cords, and “magic” outlets and plugs (and we all have seen how expensive these power improvement products can be)!

In our products, the power path is kept very "short and sweet." The only component between the SLA battery power supply and product circuitry is our custom-designed SMART module (SLA battery Monitoring and Auto Recharge circuiT). This Red Wine Audio innovation continuously monitors the voltage of the internal SLA batteries. If the voltage drops too low, the SMART module automatically turns off the product and begins the battery recharge process for you. With the SMART module, any user concern of accidentally damaging the internal SLA batteries by forgetting to turn off the product is eliminated.

Every Red Wine Audio SLA battery powered component is isolated from each other and the AC power line. This is what we mean by “off-the-grid” – completely skipping the AC to DC conversion process and all the negative attributes associated with it. We believe that once you hear the difference that a complete “off-the-grid” audio system makes, you will never go back.

Have any questions about SLA battery power that are not answered above? Feel free to contact us to discuss.

< back to previous page