In need of a travel machine; Z1 or Transcend Auto?

Been an APAP user for about 4 years, had a S8 (which I currently use for travelling) and a S9 for nightly sleeping; can't sleep without them anymore. Standard Resmed Mirage Liberty mask (mouth mask with nasal pillows). Although I dont mind the S8 on the road but the bulk and weight does make it difficult at times. I travel almost every second week for work and a lighter machine would really be helpful.

Been looking at the Z1 and Transcend Auto. There are posts which suggest that the Transcend is superior but no detail as to why the user returned the Z1 in favor of a Transcend Auto. The Z1 is clearly smaller, newer and more portable. The Transcend is "auto" and portable enough. The prices are about the same. Both received posts about noise level being a little high when masks are attached.

What I havent been able to find is a side by side comparison or an good summary of the pros and cons for both. Unfortunately, I have no local store with both of these products where I can get an unbias opinion. I will likely order online as the online prices vs. local prices differences are crazy.

I am wondering if someone is able to provide me with some perspective on the brands and the units. Do they work well with the standard size Resmed masks. Finally, does going from a APAP like a S9 to a CPAP like Z1 require a lot of "getting used to"; is it even possible?

Thanks in advance for any help you can give this newbie.

You can always use our sponsor's site, CPAP.com to compare CPAP equipment, and read the reviews.

https://www.cpap.com/cpap-compare-chart/travel-CPAP

If you are used to an Auto, I wouldn't recommend any straight cpap machine;
unless you have rented that one for a week, and feel happy with it.
My back-up machine is bulkier than the ones you are considering, but it has worked for me for over a week straight.
If my Autoset were to turn up dead or missing, I could stick with the Intellipap indefinitely if I had to.
It also cost less, too.

star444 wrote:You can always use our sponsor's site, CPAP.com to compare CPAP equipment, and read the reviews.

https://www.cpap.com/cpap-compare-chart/travel-CPAP

Thank you very much for the link, I read many of the reviews on the site but the main thing which alarmed me is this statistic:
the Z1 is 0.625 lb machine only and 3.76 lb. total weight, which means the power supply is 2.1 lb; heavy-ish but not bad
the Transcend Auto is 0.9 lb machine only and 6.5 lb total weight; that makes the Transcend power supply a hefty 5.6 lb!!! yikes!
my old S8 is 3lb. in total with no power supply to deal with.

I am beginning to wonder about switching now. I am also a little annoyed that none of the demonstration videos of pictures show the power supply. I now have to research about if my S8 will work in Europe (220V).

tyjkhw wrote:
Thank you very much for the link, I read many of the reviews on the site but the main thing which alarmed me is this statistic:
the Z1 is 0.625 lb machine only and 3.76 lb. total weight, which means the power supply is 2.1 lb; heavy-ish but not bad
the Transcend Auto is 0.9 lb machine only and 6.5 lb total weight; that makes the Transcend power supply a hefty 5.6 lb!!! yikes!
my old S8 is 3lb. in total with no power supply to deal with.

The total weight includes the pump, humidifier, power supply, hose and mask, and the tote bag. Transcend and Z1 like to push the tiny size of the pump, but Transcend's humidifier makes it bigger than a PRS1 or S9, and Z1 doesn't have a regular humidifier. I don't bother with the humidifier when boating or camping (or in Florida), but most hotels crank the A/C and are pretty dry. My preference is simply to have a duplicate of my home machine.

from my S8 autoset II manual

Power Supply
• Input range for S8 AutoSet II with HumidAire 3i: 100–240 V, 50/60 Hz; 110 V,
400 Hz; 2.5 A <140 VA (110 W) (maximum power consumption).

So it looks like it works on European style power.
I was thinking the same about the travel machines. My S8 elite that I use for travel is about 6 X 6 X 5 and 3 lbs without the humidifier, not a great deal larger than the so-called travel machines when their power brick is considered - and only one piece to contend with.

I can't speak for the Transcend Auto, but I have the second generation Transcend CPAP and the power brick is small and light, and comes with a nice long cord. I suspect the same is true of the Auto ... You might want to verify the brick weight.

levman wrote:I can't speak for the Transcend Auto, but I have the second generation Transcend CPAP and the power brick is small and light, and comes with a nice long cord. I suspect the same is true of the Auto ... You might want to verify the brick weight.

I reviewed another site which suggested that the power supply to the Transcend Auto to be 0.65 lb. and the Z1 power supply to be 4 oz. This makes the Z1 very attractive at a total weight of .875 lb (machine + power supply). This makes the Transcend Auto at 1.55 lb. These numbers make more sense.

tyjkhw,

You specified that you accounted for the Transcend Power supply weighing 5.6 lbs.

On the compare charts, you will see a "Machine Weight", which is the weight of the machine alone, with no other items. There is also a "Entire Weight", which is the weight of not only the machine and power supply, but also that of the machine with heated humidifier, if available.

I believe in your comment you simply subtracted the "Entire Weight" from the "Machine Weight" and accounted for that difference to be the weight of the power supply, but in this instance, it is not the case. The entire weight of 6.5 lbs for the Transcend Travel CPAP Machine includes the newly released Transcend Heated Humidifier. The Z1 machine does not have a traditional heated humidifier, and therefore the "Entire Weight" for this machine will be much less.

The Transcend Auto machine alone weighs 0.9 lbs, and its power supply weighs 0.5 lbs. Combined, the machine and power supply are 1.4 lbs.

The Z1 machine weighs 0.625 lbs, and its power supply weighs 0.6 lbs. Combined, the machine and power supply are 1.2 lbs.

- Carolyn

tyjkhw wrote:There are posts which suggest that the Transcend is superior but no detail as to why the user returned the Z1 in favor of a Transcend Auto.

I returned it because it didn't provide the volume of air I needed for my Quattro Air mask. When hooked up, the volume of air couldn't maintain the emergency valve closed. I brought it back to the DME and had it checked. He couldn't explain it. All I know is that the Transcend Auto is small, easy to program and it is Auto which the Z1 is not.

Don't believe all that Hype btw...

I've used both, the Transcend does an adequate job and is great when you really need to pack light and tight. I would not consider either machine other than for travel - humidifier is a must for home therapy and the Transcend is ok to get by with for travel for a few days.

Now obviously this is just my opinion so take it for what it's worth, I have been on xpap for nine years and have had/used many different machines from four different manufacturers -- I have never had a breathing problem with any of them except for the HDM Z1! It is by far and away the worst excuse for a cpap I have ever tried!! I tried it on both available breathing settings, 1 and 2, I tried different pressure settings from 7cm up to 13cm and you end up fighting the machine for every breath, both on inhale and exhale! It was so bad I ended up with a migraine headache in just an hour.

Bottom line: Transcend is adequate for travel, nice to pack and carry, and the xpap therapy works well, it breathes ok even on the straight cpap machine. The lack of humidifier is a trade off but doesn't hurt if you are traveling to sea level or a humid environment, only tolerable if traveling to a dry or higher altitude area, but you can get used to no humidifier for a few days if need be. The Z1 -- all I can say is: STAY AWAY FROM THIS MACHINE AT ALL COSTS!

TangledHose wrote:The Z1 -- all I can say is: STAY AWAY FROM THIS MACHINE AT ALL COSTS!

Ditto

I could really use help with a confusing factor about the Transcend. Many say how quiet the system is, others say how incredibly loud it is. Usually the discussion is the Transcend makes the "mask" louder. I'm really interested in the Transcend (probably the Auto), but not interested if it is loud.

Is it only loud with certain masks? Is it always loud but some don't much care?

JBW@SJC wrote:Is it only loud with certain masks? Is it always loud but some don't much care?

I'm also very interested to know the answer to this. I just got a Transcend a few days ago, as VitalAire is selling them 40% off for $450 in Canada right now. My everyday CPAP is a Fisher & Paykel SleepStyle 200 with a ResMed Mirage Liberty mask. The only noise coming out of that at any time is a soft hiss. But trying the Liberty on my Transcend, it's a different story. Quiet on the exhale, but it's got a loud windy noise happening on the inhale. I checked some forums, and people complain of noise while using the humidifier, but I'm not using one on my Transcend. I followed Transcend's FAQ to try and fix the noise, but no difference. I tried the hose I use on my SleepStyle, still loud. So today I took the unit in to VitalAire along with my mask, and I tested it with a different machine. Same thing. So it's not the machine, it's not the tubing. Maybe it's the mask.

I'm due for a new mask in a few months, so I might pick out another so I can test it with the Transcend. I'll update my post with the results.

Do you think the noise is coming from the vents on the mask? One easy way to tell is to cover the vents on the mask with your fingers and see if the noise goes away.