Review: Deity SPD-1 Smart Battery Distrobution for Location Sound
Disclosure: This product was sent to me for free by Deity in order to get a review of their product.
The SPD-1 is Deity’s battery distribution unit for smart batteries intended for location sound bags or compact sound carts. It’s features & cost make it one of the most compelling options on the market today. When considering what power distro makes sense for your location sound bag, this should definitely be in consideration.
Deity SPD-1 Features
The SPD-1 offers a fantastic feature set including multiple power input options, protection circuits, USB output, a smart battery data display, and for an incredible price given its feature set.
Power Inputs
The Deity SPD-1 offers two TA4 power inputs and one USB C power input.
Two TA4 Power Inputs
The SPD-1 offers two TA4 power inputs for smart batteries and will carry data from the batteries (on pins 2 & 3) back to the SPD-1 for display. The TA4 inputs are rated at a max draw of 10 amps max for the unit (5A max per output group). The TA4s prioritize whichever source’s voltage is higher, and once equal they draw in parallel. Non-smart power sources can also be used but data read outs will be limited.
A Warning About Pinout – Not all manufactures use the same pinout standard for TA4 connectors, and using one with the wrong pinout will damage your Deity SPD-1 if power is applied to pins 2 & 3. Remote Audio & PSC NP1 to TA4 battery cups and Remote Audio Hi-Q Battery Cup to TA4F should not be used since they apply power to pins 2 & 3 (Data & Clock respectively). Deity follows the same standard used by Sound Devices, Audioroot, Film Devices, COGA, Sound Guy Solutions, and Remote Audio’s Hi-Q Battery SmartCup to TA4F is compatible.
USB C Power In
The SPD-1’s USB C input can power your bag off of USB C power sources capable of providing 12 volts DC. This is one feature I initially overlooked thinking that it has no place in a professional workflow, but I’ve come around on this. While this would never be my first choice as a power source, in the event of a battery cup going down or something similar, the USB C acts as an emergency power input. The ubiquitous availability of USB C power banks and laptop battery chargers throughout the world means you could always find a solution should you find yourself without the ability to use smart batteries.
Power Outputs
4 Pin Hirose
The Deity SPD-1 features six hirose (4 pin) outputs in two output groups. Group I has two hirose outputs, where as Group II has four outputs. Each output group is rated at 5 amps max with every output on Group II having 2 amp auto reseting fuses.
USB A
The front panel has a USB A port (5v/2a) for charing your phone or anything else you might need usb A power for. This USB port is only active when either the Group I or Group II switches are active; That way when you are powered down, the usb power circuit doesn’t continue to drain your batteries.
Locking Power Switches
The locking toggle switches feel great, and are of comparable in quality to any other battery distribution unit on the market. In fact, the switches are so familia that I suspect it is the same component that I used years ago on my (now retired) DIY battery distro and that Audioroot use on their distros. The switches feel identical and the bases look the same, so I suspect its the same component with different toggle switch actuator caps covering them.
Display & Battery Data
The 1.1” color display shows you relevant information including remaining battery run time, battery percentage, battery voltage, total draw in watts, battery amperage draw, battery cycle count, battery cell temperature, battery “fuel” gauges showing charge levels, and more. Should you encounter an over voltage, the warning will appear on the screen as well.
Smart Battery Cup Included with SPD-1
The Deity SPD-1 Includes a Deity SPD-T4BATT smart battery cup in the box to get you started. Considering one battery cup comes with the unit, that further makes this a cost effective option since other power distro manufacturers do not include a battery cup with their battery distros generally.
Build Quality
The build quality is excellent, with a lightweight aluminum chassis, a screen that can hold up to abuse, and high quality locking toggle switches, I’m very happy with how this power distro is built. This battery distribution unit is truly at a quality level that can be trusted by professional sound mixers.
Final Thoughts About The Deity SPD-1
The Deity SPD-1 battery distribution unit has one of the best feature sets available of any comparable product with a significantly lower price point. The build quality is excellent, and has all the features needed by professional production sound mixers. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this unit to other sound mixers. The SPD-1 has become a daily driver for me integrated into my Sound Devices Scorpio bag.
While very minor, should they make a revision to its design at some point, it would be great to have the options to display temperature in fahrenheit and select input priority rather than voltage priority for power sources.
All in all, the SPD-1 is a fantastic product from Deity, and I’m loving the direction Deity is moving towards with their focus on creating high quality accessories for location sound mixers. This would be my first choice for a power distribution unit based on what’s currently available from every manufacturer. Since it has one of the best feature sets and it’s pricing is very reasonable for what it offers, I see it as a no brainer for anyone looking to get a new battery distro for their location sound equipment.
