98 MACWORLD APRIL 2020
WORKINGMAC REVIEW: AUSTERE VII SERIESVII Series apart is its
price tag: The eight-
outlet model reviewed
here will set you back a
cool $200. There’s also
a six-outlet model for
$180 (go.macworld.
com/8180), and an
Austere V Series that
can handle fewer power
surges before its MOVs
are consumed (the V
Series is rated for 3,000
joules, versus 4,000
joules for the VII series). Prices for the V
Series are $150 for the eight-outlet model
(go.macworld.com/8out) and $130 for the
six-outlet version (go.macworld.com/6out).
What do you get for all that cash? In
addition to being beautiful to look at, the
Austere VII Series provides over-current
protection via an onboard 15-amp circuit
breaker, EMI and RFI filtration that insulates
the power signal from interference that
can manifest itself as noise in your audio
system and visual distortion in your video
components, and outlets that are
electronically isolated from each other.
Austere says it uses “flameless” MOVs that
won’t catch fire when they can no longer
absorb voltage above the surge
protector’s clamping level.
The Austere VII Series can also provide
power to USB devices. On the end
opposite its own power cord, you’ll find
two USB Type A charging ports, two
USB-C charging ports, and one USB-C PD
charging port delivering up to 45 watts.
Ultimately, your device will determine how
much power it will accept, however; the
Google Pixel 2 XL smartphone that I use,
for instance, will only draw 18 watts
regardless of how much power the
charger can deliver. A newer tablet or a
laptop, on the other hand, could suck
down all that juice—which means you
could leave its power adapter in your
backpack, so you don’t need to remember
to unplug and pack it every time you hit
the road.
Three semi-circular blue LEDs inform
you of the Austere VII Series’s status: The
first indicates that the strip is powered on,
the second lets you know that the circuitThe Austere VII Series’s own plug is oriented at a 45-degree
angle, so it won’t block an adjacent outlet.