Audioquest Niagara 5000 or 7000

jafant

If you live far outside of a U.S. city or rural area(s), then, you will not require one.

I'm not sure why you think this. There are many variables in AC power, including how well the utility maintains its system. Living in a rural area is no guarantee of clean power. In farming communities, equipment used by farmers (such as milking machines) can be as much of an influencing factor as manufacturing equipment in urban areas.

jafant I just had a dedicated 20 amp line installed with an Audioquest NRG outlet.

I have the Niagara 5000. I’d say it definitely has no negative impact, but in my situation it certainly wasn’t a life changer. I do think we have clean power here so for someone with dirty power it might make a bigger difference. What you do get, and I needed, is non-sacrificial surge protection as well as high voltage protection. It is a well built unit and the plugs have perhaps an even stronger grip than advertised. The difference between the 5000 and 7000, besides $4K in cost, are the isolation transformers for the lower powered components in the 7000. The high current bank is identical between the 5000 and 7000. One thing to consider is the 7000 can have some transformer hum, which can be increased if using it with tube electronics. The 5000 operates dead silent.