Power conditioners a complete lie?

[saprano]

Im sure all of you always hear from people that these things do nothing for you HT, that all the claims about better PQ and AQ are BS, and that you dont need to spend all that money for surge protection all you need is a simple cheap surge protector and your good.

Many people seem to think power conditioners are a waste!

So i ask do any of you with a PC see or hear any difference when using one?
i want to get the APC H15 from buyuptime for real cheap but now i having second thoughts.

[JJ]

This is a debate. I'm about to type up my response, but first let me say I got my H15 from buyuptime.com and couldn't be happier.

Response in progress.

[crazyBLUE]

=
+! Cant Wait For This One !!!!!!

[crazyBLUE]

go Jj!!!

[JJ]

While it is very debatable, and I have read from multiple sources that this all could just be a waste of money and time - I bought it moreso for the surge protection than anything else. Living in South Florida and having frequent thunderstorms, power outages and whatnot, I felt it was invaluable. Plus, this unit does not sacrifice itself to save the equipment, which is what lesser units would do. Already this unit has stepped in admirably at least 5 times during storms, shutting itself off and then my equipment during lightning strikes, and everything is still top-notch. It even recommends to leave the unit on during the most fierce of storms - heck, I read on the Monster manual once for one of their units that they recommend you shut it off during storms! Defeats the purpose, eh? (trying to find the image someone had of it, lol) As far as upgrades in video and audio, they are negligible, in my instance, and any discerning by me, at least, is probably due to perceived improvement (I'd like to think a placebo, simply because I think they should get better, I see them as better). But, in my case, the protection it provides, especially to $7,000 worth of equipment is worth it to me. Panamax and APC are your BEST bets when it comes to this technology.

[ixlegitballinxl]

I didn't notice any PQ/AQ difference once i hooked mine up, but the peace of mind is priceless, several times I've had power surges, and the unit will turn itself off. You can't put a price on piece of mind.

I'd recommend a Panamax over any other brand ( Just because those blue circles look awesome )

[crazyBLUE]

Well Put In Every Aspect !! Makes Me Feel Like I Need To Replace Mine With The Panamax Or Apc Right Know Because Of The Large Amount I Have Invested In This !!!!

[saprano]

Originally Posted by JJxiv1215

While it is very debatable, and I have read from multiple sources that this all could just be a waste of money and time - I bought it moreso for the surge protection than anything else. Living in South Florida and having frequent thunderstorms, power outages and whatnot, I felt it was invaluable. Plus, this unit does not sacrifice itself to save the equipment, which is what lesser units would do. Already this unit has stepped in admirably at least 5 times during storms, shutting itself off and then my equipment during lightning strikes, and everything is still top-notch. It even recommends to leave the unit on during the most fierce of storms - heck, I read on the Monster manual once for one of their units that they recommend you shut it off during storms! Defeats the purpose, eh? (trying to find the image someone had of it, lol) As far as upgrades in video and audio, they are negligible, in my instance, and any discerning by me, at least, is probably due to perceived improvement (I'd like to think a placebo, simply because I think they should get better, I see them as better). But, in my case, the protection it provides, especially to $7,000 worth of equipment is worth it to me. Panamax and APC are your BEST bets when it comes to this technology.

Yea im sure a good PC is doing something rather than nothing, so you think i should just buy it and forget about all these stories?

I wanted the panamax 5400 but its $700 compared to the HP15 at $170.

[Oddiophile]

There are different classes of power conditioners out there.

You have surge protectors that just protect your equipment from power surges and spikes.

You have power conditioners that use filters to clean and condition noise off the power line. These typically also have surge protection built in, but they do nothing for voltage swings.

There are voltage stabilizers like Monster AVS2000 that will stabilize power fluctuations but but must be used with a power conditioner.

And there are power re-generators that will take the AC from the wall convert it to DC and then back to AC to feed your equipment. When the regenerator turns the DC back to AC is when it regenerates the power clean and without any noise, harmonics or power fluxuation. It doesn't try to condition your power but regenerates it to make it the cleanest possible.


I have been using PS Audio power plants for a few years and and won't go back. The results can be easily seen and heard. I have tried a number of power conditioners out there and some work better then others.

[Audiophilehi]

Originally Posted by Oddiophile

There are different classes of power conditioners out there.


I have been using PS Audio power plants for a few years and and won't go back. The results can be easily seen and heard. I have tried a number of power conditioners out there and some work better then others.

Same here. I currently have the PS Audio Power Plant Premier. You can easily hear and see the difference. Worth every penny IMHO.

[Driver_King]

Is this any good? (Compared to the APC) I also saw a two outlet power conditioner from Walmart that would be nice for my A2-300 that has no protection at all. Considering I live in "The Lightning Capital of The World" in Tampa Bay, Florida and have crappy "surge protectors" protecting all my equipment, I thought it would be a good time to get one for the new year. Thanks.

[bruss01]

Most people don't realize that a voltage "sag" is hard on electronic equipment. Ever notice when your AC kicks on or in some cases the fridge motor cycles, you get a momentary dimming of the house lights? Not a lot, but noticeable. Well, that's a power sag. Depending on what your local wiring is like, somebody running a blender or starting up a clothes dryer in the neighboring apartment can do this too. I've been told that this is hard on electronics over time, because whatever job they are doing, for that moment in time, they are being asked to do it with less voltage than they need.

This is why I am of the opinion that a surge suppressor strip such as is sold in hardware stores is insufficient. I have all my computer and network equipment attached to APC units. These not only prevent surges, but they also boost the power output to normal levels during a temporary sag. I have not had a failure of an electronic component plugged into one of these - EVER - in the years I have been doing this.

[Driver_King]

Is this a good deal? Would it be as good as the other unit you guys were showing me? Also, anyone have any opinions or suggestions for the other conditioners I posted earlier?

[Lucy Diamond]

I have a simple surge protector for my home theater and a completely tricked out rack mounted line conditioner to power my guitar amps (4 Mesa/ Booogies and vintage Marshall and a Vintage Fender) and I can't tell you a damn thing about the home audio portion of this thread but as soon as I bought my Furman, it tightened up the attack (when you hit a note) and the response (when the transformer fires the energy to the tube grid) like nobody's business. Mesas are super b*tchy when it comes to crap power and when you run that much pre-gain (5 stages) you hear the difference.

My point...if it is doing something for me as a guitarist, it MUST be doing something for You/me/ us as a home theater enthusiast.

[Strannix136]

I live in an apartment. Apartments are notorious for ground loops. I had a constant hum in my speakers, especially in the surrounds. I bought a Monster conditioner and the hum went away completely.