Questions About Power Conditioner or Backup

[Prox]

It's that time again - I haven't purchased any new HT gear in too long and my itch is acting up. I was thinking that the next worthwhile addition would be a power conditioner or backup.

Right now I'm using some mid-grade surge protectors, but I feel I could do better. This brings me to my line of questioning for those older and/or wiser than I:

• Is it worth it to buy a power conditioner over simply better surge protection? Why?
• What type of quality improvements will I notice after I employing the use of a power conditioner?
• Do I / Why would I want a power conditioner + backup over just a power conditioner (assuming I'm okay with everything turning off if/when a loss of power occurs)?
• What are some good sub-$300 products to suit the determined need? Sub-$200? Sub-$100?

Any help would be much appreciated. This is an area I'm unfamiliar with, and I don't want to listen to salesmen before I listen to those without $$ in their eyes.