I need a line conditioner/surge protector (1 Viewer)

[TylerZ]

I know there are several types/brands out there, Monster, Panamax, Furman are the ones I've heard about. One hi end store dropped their Monster line in favor of Furman. Salesguy said the Monster were sacrificial, and that if it does it's job as a surge protector I'd be back to buy a new one while the Furman could be reset. Any opinions on +'s or -'s either way? Is the voltage/current display worth it or just idiot lites. I'd like to keep it under $400 and I don't really care if it's a rack unit or a strip. TIA

 

[BrianTwig]

I have the PureAV PF60 and am happy with it. And you can get it for half your max budget.

Ample outlets (10 +1), and the ability to use delays and switching. Very nice.

 

[Brent_S]

I think first you need to decide what you're looking for. Power conditioning is a whole different ball game from surge protection. Searching here or the web should yield plenty of reading material on the subject. I read a pretty good thread on the differences either here, HTGuide, or AVS a few months back.

Don't know about the sacrificial protection of one brand compared to another, but I think Monster's warranty would include replacement of the device itself so you wouldn't have to buy a replacement.

Too bad you weren't shopping a few months ago. Parts Express had some so called "refurb" Monster HTS-3500s for $129. Bought one strictly for the switched outlet triggers since my prepro/amps don't have triggers. Pleasantly surprised to hear audible improvements in channel separation as well as eliminate a ground loop problem with the CATV line.

Monster as a Corporate Citizen is a different story...

-Brent

 

[JohnRice]

I have a Panamax and a couple Adcoms (do they still make them?) and they have all worked fine. As far as the (supposed) sacrificial factor of the Monster, I expect anything short of a lightning strike would not cause it to permanently shut off. A major part of your decision is probably the number of various outlets, timed switching and such. I recall I got the Adcoms because the Panamax didn't have high power, switched outlets. Might be mistaken. Anyway, if you want to run amps switched, it's a major consideration.

The Panamax has a voltage readout, so it is positioned to be visible, where the Adcoms are behind doors. Probably no critical function, exceppt it is interesting to see the voltage drop to 110 or even lower on hot summer days. You can also see the voltage fluctuate as the systems draws a lot of power during demanding portions of movies. It's amusing, if nothing else. Also, if they shut off completely due to insufficient voltage (brown-out), the display easily confirms that.

 

[Lew Crippen]

For quite a bit less than $400 you can get a UPS/Voltage Regulator/Surge Protector, with plenty of inputs (both on the UPS and only on surge/VR) and with connections for RG6 and phone lines.

APC makes some quality products—you can pretty much choose the price by how much kva and backup time you need. Belkin is another company that makes pretty sound products in this area.