INTRODUCTION

    I can't speak about every country in the world but where i live every summer the electrical grid has serious issues due to increased electricity demand (people have their air conditioners on 24/7) which in turn results in severe fluctuations and even blackouts. Luckily i don't live in one of the areas which get hit the most by these but they do occur quite often which is why I've always used UPS systems for my computers, TVs and even refrigerators (2 years ago i also installed a voltage control relay which works quite well, at least for all those devices i don't really need running on battery power). That being said judging by the number of requests i received right after my last UPS review/comparison (APC vs Legrand - read about it here) it really looks like electrical grid issues seem to be a widespread problem and not something that just occurs here. So, with me today i have yet another UPS model, the Ellipse PRO 1600 (ELP1600IEC) by Eaton.

    Eaton’s electrical business is a global leader with expertise in power distribution and circuit protection; power quality, back-up power and energy storage; control and automation; life safety and security; structural solutions; solutions for harsh and hazardous environments; and engineering services. Eaton is positioned through its global solutions to answer customers’ most critical electrical power management challenges.

    Just like both the APC BX1400U-GR and the Legrand Keor SP 1500VA which i reviewed/compared lately the Eaton Ellipse PRO 1600 (available in 650/860/1200/1600VA) is also a line-interactive model but unlike the former in order to output a more stable waveform (steady output voltage even if the input voltage varies over the wide range of 150V-285V) it packs booster and fader Automatic Voltage Regulation (AVR). The Ellipse PRO 1600 also sports an 1.7inch LCD display (device status and measurements), automatic surge reduction (complete protection against power surges - IEC 61643-1 standard), telephone line & modem/fax protection (two RJ11 connectors), horizontal or vertical placement, EcoControl function (automatically shuts down attached devices when your workstation/system is turned off) and a USB host port via which you can use Eaton's UPS Companion software (enables safe system shutdown, energy usage metering and easy configuration of UPS settings). As for the included batteries Eaton has used two 12V 9.0Ah maintenance-free sealed lead-acid batteries (charge/discharge/storage temperature range: -15°C/45°C) easily replaceable by the end user.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

The box has a large product picture at the front right under the company logo and next to the main product features.

On the left side of the box Eaton has placed a quick comparison between the 1200VA and 1600VA models in 2 languages.

A few words about Eaton are printed on the right side of the box just over three pictures showcasing the 3 different socket versions (i received the IEC one).

Another product picture is located at the rear of the box (right over a quick comparison of all Ellipse PRO models) and is used to showcase the main product features.

The Ellipse PRO 1600 is wrapped inside a plastic bag and placed between two foam spacers.

Along with the Ellipse PRO 1600 Eaton packs two C14 το C13 power cords, a USB cable, safety information, warranty information paper and the user guide.

THE ELLIPSE PRO 1600

The Ellipse PRO 1600 is a medium sized UPS that measures 390mm in length, 275mm in height and 82mm in width (275mm width and 82mm height if you decide to position it horizontally).

If you’re wondering about size, I placed the Eaton Ellipse PRO 1600 right next to the CyberPower CP1500EPFCLCD and the APC BX1400U-GR.

At the front Eaton has placed a small 1.7inch LCD screen right next to indicator selection and on/off power buttons.

The 4 power socket at the top of the Ellipse PRO 1600 are surge protected and fully support their EcoControl function which turns off any devices connected to your system once the system is turned off (like a printer or an external HDD).

A 60mm exhaust fan is also located on top of the Ellipse PRO 1600 (active cooling).

Moving at the rear we find the USB host port (UPS companion software), two RJ11 ports (telephone/internet), 4 C13 power sockets (both surge protected and powered), C14 input socket and the reset button (circuit breaker).

Eaton also tags the top and rear power sockets so you’ll know which supports what.

At the base you can see what batteries are included in the Ellipse PRO 1600 (12V/9.0Ah) for when you’ll be required to change them.

As expected, the LCD screen provides you with information including the VA/W of the current load, load percentage, remaining time and voltage.

UPS COMPANION SOFTWARE

You can download the UPS companion software from the Eaton Ellipse PRO product page.

The UPS companion software is nothing fancy, just a small window from where you can check the current power status (running on battery or wall power, battery capacity, estimated runtime, output load and energy consumption) and adjust several settings.

Both the serial number and firmware version of the Ellipse PRO 1600 are listed in the about tab.

TESTING METHODOLOGY

     I decided to test all UPS models that make it here in real world scenarios so what better way to do that than to use one of my TV sets and one of my test rigs? So, to check battery life I’m using a 55-inch SONY 4K TV paired with the HD Dune Pro 4K II player (4K MVK playback) and the X79 test rig (while playing several game titles). Needless to say, power draw is not 100% fixed but I did measure the minimum and maximum numbers during all tests which don’t exceed 10W for the first and 20W for the latter (so do keep this in mind).

    To simulate real power outages, I will be turning the corresponding power switch in the lab a total of 5 times (5 for each test), 3 of which I will pushing it back on immediately and 2 which I will allow a couple of minutes to pass. If any of the UPS models I test fail to protect the connected equipment (or fail to keep it running) I will be sure to mention it at the end of the review.

    As for noise levels I’ll be using the ExTech HD600 decibel meter placed 5cm away from each UPS model (i will not however be recording beeping sounds coming from their internal speakers).

TEST RESULTS

CONCLUSION

   Eaton may not be quite as popular/well known in the consumer market as for example APC but they too are considered to be an industry leader and judging by the performance of their Ellipse PROP 1600 IEC (ELP1600IEC) i think it's clear why that is. This may be a rather compact UPS model but it surpasses even the rackmount (not to mention twice as large and heavy) PR1500ELCDRTXL2U by Cyberpower. Granted the Cyberpower model is a couple of years older (2011/2013) but still when launched it cost roughly 30% more compared to the Ellipse PRO 1600 and aside being quite louder it also uses twice as many batteries (hopefully Cyberpower sends something newer for me to compare the Ellipse PRO 1600 with). Battery life aside however the Ellipse PRO 1600 did very well during every other test i could think off (including turning off the main power of the entire office numerous times). My sole "issue" (if i can even call it that) is its active cooling system which doesn't stop even for a single moment. Yes, it only climbs all the way to 61.6dBA when providing devices with power but even when it doesn't the fan still produces a slight hum (42.2dBA worth) so i wouldn't recommended placing it near where you sleep (although this isn't exactly a consumer model so that shouldn't matter to anyone). Another tiny issue i encountered was with the accuracy of the remaining battery life indication on the LCD screen. It would just reach zero (-----) and the UPS would keep going for several more minutes. Again, this isn't game breaking but for people who may pay attention to it i feel Eaton should make it more accurate. As for the UPS companion software it's certainly very easy to use but since it's been around for almost 13 years now i really do believe it needs a new design.

   So how much does the Ellipse PRO 1600 by Eaton cost today? Well, you can currently get your very own for USD559 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for just 321Euros inside the EU (Amazon.de). Obviously, I do think that Eaton should take a look at pricing on the other side of the Atlantic but for EU based residents the Ellipse PRO 1600 is priced very well (always based on its performance and what I’ve seen by other models). That being said consumers on a tight budget may want to look elsewhere (I’ll do my best to test something lower-end from the Eaton UPS line) but for people who can afford to spend more the Ellipse PRO 1600 Is a very good and solid choice which is also why it gets the Golden Award.

PROS

- Excellent Battery Life (Performance)
- 8 Plugs (4 Powered & 4 Surge Protected)
- 1600VA/1000W
- LCD Display
- Electrical Protections
- Available Models (DIN/FR/IEC)
- Vertical / Horizontal Placement
- Price (EU)

CONS

- Noise Levels
- Price (USA)