Power Conditioner/surge protector. Which one to choose?? Is it even necessary? Please help (1 Viewer)

[ArnoldChiari]

I am setting up a new HT system and i need a good power conditioner/surge protector to protect all my new equipment. Which brand and models do you recommend or own yourself? Any problems with them?


I am considering buying either Monster, APC, Furman, or Panamax but not sure which brand or model is the best for me.

Alot of people hate on Monster for being overpriced in general, so i'de like to hear some opinions on that.

There was a concern regarding not hooking up your sub/amp to the APC unit because it messes it up....im not sure about this....anyone else heard anything like that? I dont think this can be true....APC makes good reliable products, so i dunno what to think.

I heard great things about Panamax, and that Furman is just decent.

I dont want to spend too much, but i also want my equipment to be protected and work well. I think my max is $500.

Some people say that these things are just a big waste of money, and that unless your house has some history of electrical problems, you dont really need one. But i'm paranoid and need some sort of protection in order to have piece of mind. What is your opinion on this?

My HT system so far: Panasonic Viera TC-P50V10, SVS 5.1 audio system, Pioneer Elite Blu Ray player BDP-23FD, Pioneer Elite A/V Reciever VSX-21TX, Direct TV HD DVR.

Thanks

 

[AudioENG]

[COLOR= #303030]I definitely think it's a good idea to have some protection for your equipment. Find one that is in a comfortable price range for you. I wouldn't go overboard in this area and put that much thought into it. The only one from your list I have personal experience with is monster. Yes overpriced, but I've never had any issues with mine or others I've dealt with. I've had the opportunity of seeing the inside of the power centers at a monster training and can see the benefits over just a regular $20 power strip. [/COLOR]

 

[Jason Charlton]

While I wholeheartily agree that surge protection for your gear is a must, and that you should invest more into a good strip than a bargain-basement $15-20 model, count me in as one of those skeptics of "power conditioning". Perhaps, as you mentioned, in older homes with questionable wiring, there might be some merit to it, but if I had any doubts about my home's electrical system, I'd put the money into getting the whole system fixed, rather than picking and choosing which appliances get the special treatment.

Just my opinion, of course, and I can certainly appreciate one's need for "peace of mind". Good luck in your search.

 

[ArnoldChiari]

Due to the fact that i'll be living in an area with a shotty and unreliable electrical grid, i think im going to go with the Panamax M5400-PM or one of the cheaper Panamax models.

I was also thinking about the APC HT15, but then i read that APC doesnt recommend hooking up your amp/sub to it because the unit might fry it due to some incompatibility or something (i read this from a few different sources - i cant find the threads right now, otherwise i would post it here for all to see).

I know most people are going to tell me i'm stupid and im wasting my money, but you can never trust the downtown Detroit power grid and i wouldnt have piece of mind at work knowing that my HT equipment at home may be getting violated by the dirty electricity. Also, i will be renting only and wont be owning a place, so i wont be able to change the electrical system in the apartment.

Does anyone know if i also need a UPS (uninterruptable power supply) to plug into my Panamax in case the power completely goes out? My understanding is that the Panamax just protects against voltage fluctuations ("conditions" the power) and is a surge protector, but it does NOT have a backup power supply in case of a blackout. So i would want to protect my equipment against a blackout too, right?

Maybe i'm going overboard with all of this protection....i dunno. Let me know what you think. Thanks

 

[AudioENG]

You are right, it would just protect against fluctuations not total power outage. How often do you expect that the system would be powered up and then a complete blackout would occur? In my area this has never happened to me so for my needs I would never purchase one (UPS). But if it's within your budget and it'll help give you peace of mind about your equipment than there is definitely no harm.

 

[Jason Charlton]

A UPS will help protect your display devices by giving you a chance to power them down correctly, which means cycling the lamp through it's proper "cool down" cycle. This is particularly useful for front projectors, as they all contain high-powered lamps that run extremely hot. Bypassing the cooldown can shorten the life expectancy of the lamp, (which is an expensive part to replace) and can increase the risk of the bulb exploding, which could damage other parts of the display.

DLP and LCD rear projection sets would also benefit from this, as they too have single lamps that run very hot.

Plasma displays don't have this problem, and neither would LED-powered displays (someone please correct me if I'm wrong on that assumption).

I don't know how much of a benefit a UPS will provide for other HT equipment that doesn't require the extra cool-down period.

 

[CB750]

If you live or plan to live in Downtown Detroit I think your greater fear is returning home from work and finding your equipment stolen rather than problems with your DTE Energy power grid. Invest in a good surge protector and spend the balance of your budget in upgrading your home security. Many factors go into electric grid problems many are beyond the control of your provider.

 

[Espy77]

Does anyone know for sure if lcd/plasma are unaffected by sudden blackouts?

 

[CB750]

From what I understand its not the sudden blackout our loss of power that is the problem its when the power is restored. But the major destroyer of electronic equipment and electric motors is when the grid experiences a sudden spike in power from lighting strikes or when high voltage power lines which are above the lower voltage distribution lines might fall and make contact with those lower voltage lines sending a surge of higher voltage. Utilities try to protect the grid as much as possible but their are two many factors which can come into play and they are not always successful.

It's also sad that their is no national code or standard in effect to regulate the construction of electric grids. Local utilities are pretty much on their own in setting their own standards.

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

Does anyone know for sure if lcd/plasma are unaffected by sudden blackouts?

Nothing with an electrical cord is "unaffected" by power events like that. LCD and plasma may not have cool down issues with projection bulbs, but they have other components that are vulnerable to blackouts, brown-outs and the sudden restoration of power. Not to mention the fact that stored settings can be lost due to power events. I live in Florida, lightning capital of the United States, and I hardly plug in a desk lamp that isn't on some kind of surge protector. My computers and home entertainment stuff is on inexpensive, easy to maintain and replace UPS units. I happen to have gotten a good deal on a pair of Tripplite units in black and blend well with my entertainment unit and other equipment, and they keep my DVR going during those momentary power blips we seem to get every summer, and prevent my TV from losing its video settings. They also protect against surges.

Regards,


Joe