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Power Conditioning / Surge Protection

I am looking for some advice on power conditioning and surge protection.  I have a dedicated circuit for my two channel system with eight outlets. Years ago I was talked into buying a couple of Richard Gray Power Stations which I still have in the system. Because of the logistics of my system they have served as additional outlets when power cords weren’t long enough but honestly I don’t know a damn thing about power conditioning or surge protection and whether I’m doing harm or good to my system.  I have a turntable, phono stage, music server, streamer, CD player, integrated amp and dual powered subs so I have a lot of need for power. I’m interested in protecting my equipment but I don’t want to muddy things up either. I’m willing to scrap the Richard Grays and either replace them with something else if there are better options.

I would greatly appreciate any advice from those who know about these things. I’m very happy with my equipment but feel the power issue is lacking or, at best, not well thought out. 
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vinylvalet
906 posts
 
You're welcome tvad. It made a nice difference in my system.
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vinylvalet
906 posts
 
Just on the dedicated audio line.
audio2design
1,351 posts
 
Call me skeptical about the environmental protections products as described.  I read the marketing blurb and the patents for the so called "waveform" correction.  Their marketing blurb w.r.t. other surge protectors requiring a good ground to work and theirs does not is just that, marketing. There is no basis for their claim especially. Their waveform correction technology does nothing to protect surges from line or neutral to ground which are important.  Their technology, distilled, is a capacitor across the AC line. They put a inductor in front of the capacitor (and the MOV and gas discharge tube according to the patent), claiming the inductor smooths the clamping. It may do that. It will definitely decrease the effectiveness of the clamping.
sokogear
1,097 posts
 
Appreciate all the EE arguments.Reminds me of college boring lectures.

Keep it simple...where are you going to plug these things into? Certainly not a power strip.  I have a Furman 15 and it does the job. It protects the equipment and has tons of outlets and even recommends certain components go into certain outlet banks.

If a power cord becomes loose or disconnects, it will shut down that component, it will protect against spikes in the power supplied by utilities. Not sure about direct lightning strikes, but the more likely event of a power outage, it will protect as it will shut off the power to the components more smoothly than if there were no conditioner. I think the system sounded a little better when I started using it, but I wouldn't make that the basis of a decision.

You can get a good deal on a used one, so you won't be talking about a whole lot of investment.
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