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 )

[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.

[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 !!!!

[ixlegitballinxl]

i've been scoping out the panamax 5300pm, just not in the mood to spend 300-400 on peace of mind right now lol

[Blu-Raider]

All static UPS systems are rectifier-inverter pairs.

[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.

[JJ]

Originally Posted by saprano

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 panamx 5400 but its $700 compared to the HP15 at $170.

Well, the H15 is $400+ stock. Slec, Johk, and I all swear by ours.

[saprano]

buyup has it for $170.

[JJ]

Originally Posted by saprano

buyup has it for $170.

I...I...I know, I bought mine from there, too. I'm just telling you that it is $400+ MSRP.

[saprano]

Oh sorry

[sokrman14]

I didnt notice it in the video at all, but I noticed a distinct improvement in the audio. Even my moronic roommate made a comment about it without even noticing I added a power conditioner. It really just cleaned up some excess noise and gave a very clear sound to voices and specific effects, and also tightened up the bass and made music a lot more natural sounding.

[Slec]

Originally Posted by JJxiv1215

Well, the H15 is $400+ stock. Slec, Johk, and I all swear by ours.

and here's why:

Originally Posted by Slec

Once in a blue moon an appliance would cause a little pop, which has since stopped. Now all I get is the very rare click from the APC unit and nothing but smooth (uninterrupted) sound from the speakers.

[Hammie]

Don't forget about Tripp-Lite. They have some good products as well.

[ak808]

I just bought an panamax 5300pm. Well PQ and AQ could always be questionable (although it did help seem to help with the audio side, mainly dialogue and I don't really have to crank the volume up as much) but, one thing is for certain it did get rid of the "pops" in my reciever. See before when I switched sources on my onkyo I would always hear a pop sound coming from the receiver. NOw that I hooked the panamax I haven't heard a pop yet.

[Beta Man]

I have a power conditioner...... I'd say depending on where you are with your setup, the $$$ to improvement ratio probably isn't worth it..... many people plunk down a lot of cash on fancy wires and power conditioners when the money can be better spent elsewhere, but over-all, I think they do have a benefit.