Power conditioner: Monster or Panamax? (1 Viewer)

[myke]

Troy,

Thanks for the explanation. If I'm understanding it correctly, the primary benefit of a power conditioner is that they isolate components from each other. I had never considered that this might be an issue. I understand that putting a power amp on the same circuit as a refrigerator isn't such a great idea, as the compressor will add noise to the line that will effect the power amp. But what you're saying is, that the power amp(s) may be generating noise that could effect the other components?

 

[Troy McHenry]

Myke,

EXACTLY! what I meant. Electrical component interaction plays a key role. Using the APC unit effectively does that for everything else in your house from affecting your audio stuff (since it regenerates the power) but still you'll have interactions from everything plugged into the APC (and I'm still not 100% sure your refridgerator turning won't still effect yoru audio). Since I believe you said your model was the 1400 I think you have 6 outlets? So definitely somethings could still interact, Power amps are notrious for screwing with stuff, but the worst I would say are TV's and cable boxes. Since these are usually connected to your cable, all sorts of stuff come of them.

One tweak I recommend and that I use in my house is I put fairly large ferrite donuts (like the type AudioQuest makes) on the power cords of all my large electrical applicances (refridge, TV, any space heaters, or even your APC perhaps).

-Troy

 

[terry deto]

Panamax MAX 5100 for $189.00 at y3kdigital

use coupon code freeship490 for free shipping

 

[KeithH]

Terry, welcome to the Forum. That's a great price for the MAX 5100. Have you ever ordered from y3kdigital.com before? At that price, I doubt they are an authorized Panamax dealer.

 

[KeithH]

Terry, I went to y3kdigital.com's web site. This is not the type of dealer I am comfortable ordering from. I found the following statement on their "Info" page, and it doesn't sit well with me:

-We are Agents for our customers and do not stock inventory on any of the merchandise listed for sale. We are not authorized dealers for the products we carry, we are brokers connecting buyers and sellers together. All orders are processed daily and are usually drop shipped directly from our affiliate warehouses shortly after.

I have come across a number of electronics web sites that use this exact statement. It doesn't give me a fuzzy feeling. I appreciate the suggestion anyway.

 

[Mike Knapp]

If you havent yet decided on a brand, I would check www.vansevers.com.
I uses his products exclusively in my system. I have 5 units of his in my Home Theater system and Audio system combined. I also use his power cords.
I know Mike personally and I have heard his audio rig many times and it is the best sounding audio system I have heard, due in no small part to his power conditioners. He will customize the unit for you and he offers a money back guarantee if you cant tell the difference after it is installed.
If all you want is surge protection, go with whatever is on sale, if you want more. do some more research. BTW...try getting one of the manufacturers to pay for a 2K processor or a a 1500 dollar DVD transport etc. Read the fine print.
Mike

 

[KeithH]

Mike, thanks for offering your insight here. I will check out VansEvers' web site. I have heard of their products, but have not researched them. Thanks again.

 

[KeithH]

Mike, one more thing. Out of curiosity, which VansEvers' power conditioner(s) do you use and what swayed you to one model over another?

 

[Brian-W]

Well, I'm using a Tripp-Lite LCR2400. Doesn't tout the biggest numbers, but is effective in my opinion. Hard to know since my house has never been struck by lightning.
Anyway, 1440 joule protection, 2400watts support, $25,000 equipment protection, lifetime insurance.
http://www.tripplite.com/products/co...?model=LCR2400
Just another opinion
-brian

 

[KeithH]

Thanks, Brian. I should have known this would happen. I asked about Monster and Panamax and must be up to around ten brands to consider.

 

[terry deto]

sorry, but that coupon code is wrong. no free shipping.
but that is the price they are selling the max 5100 for.
have not purchased from them yet, but I talked to them on the phone(1-888-5098898). decided to look some more for a lower price before pulling the trigger.:frowning:

 

[KeithH]

Terry, thanks for the update. As I said, I am not comfortable with what I read about y3kdigital.com. Also, if I go with a Panamax unit, I will probably go with the MAX 5300. It looks to be a better model. Besides, I really like the look of the analog meter.

 

[Steven Hen]

I agree with Mike. If you are looking for a quality power conditioner, you should check out Vansevers. I have the model 85 and model 11 video and am very impressed with it.

 

[KeithH]

Steven, thanks for the input. It's always nice to get a second opinion.

 

[Lawrence X]

I've tried some of the gear you're all asking about. I started with a Brick wall surge supressor. Even though it doesn't pretend to be a line conditioner, it had a big impact on the sound of my HT. Warmth and ambience were instantly gone from my system. Nice sharp high's and great imaging, but not a good substitute for me.

Next I demoed the monster HTS 3600. Here again the warmth was sucked out (to a lesser degree) and there were also improvements to dynamics, detail and soundstage, but overall I preferred the system without. On less dynamic systems it could make a nice difference though.

Now I've purchased the PS Audio 200 which is basically 2 upgraded Ultimate Outlets in one casing. Like the others, it's brightened the sound, and it too will probably go back. It's the best of the 3, being more natural sounding than the Monster, and better balanced than the Brick Wall.

But for $500, I should be getting audio improvement, meaning I should be enjoying the sound more. It's not happening for me.

I have a fairly pricey system consisting of all Cary HT gear and am using a dedicated circuit for audio. Maybe these would all sound better if my power was dirtier, equipment less sensitive, etc. Who knows?