Power Conditioner/Surge Protector Options

Lordmelton,

What you say is true and fits in with my original point. My real issue is not so much about surge protection (I know that is in my thread title) but more needing more outlets for the various components. I’m Ok with plugging the Amp and Sub directly into the wall on a dedicated line, but that leaves no positions for the other components to plug into. The options are limited and results varied with any Audiophile type of ’power strip’ which circles back to a power conditioner and here we are again with which one works (and doesn’t limit current), improves or at least doesn't degrade sound quality, while not costing as much as an Amp!....

That is why I prefer to turn to a scientific explanation of the technology and why it works rather than just saying that it does and you should take a $2-5K leap of faith!

I agree, but if a products achieves a scientific benchmark but doesn’t give you the sound improvements you’re looking for, then what’s the point? I’d suggest reading reviews of Niagara, Audience, Synergistic, Shunyata, etc. and go with the one that seems to match best wit your sonic preferences. They’re all great, so choose based on what you’re looking for. I bought a used Audience AR1p and plugged a Wiremold power strip into it for my HeadFi setup and am really happy although I don’t have separation between digital and analog components, which is important, but then I had to pick my financial battles. Best of luck.

@steakster  I was talking independently about surge protection and power conditioning.

Anything in the power line to protect from surges will degrade sound and will limit the KVA demand from power amplifiers. High transient current demand from power amps will decrease voltage if it's restricted. Current up, voltage down. That's why sometimes the lights in your house will dim because the voltage is low.

A voltage regulator cannot maintain correct voltage if it doesn't have a big torroidial transformer to back it up. That's why strip power conditioners/surge protectors need to be fed from a power supply if you are using them with amps.

I only use Class A-A/B amps if you're using Class D or 5w tube amps this doesn't apply.

@lordmelton, that’s not quite right. The lights dip as the capacitors charge and then come back. If the lights dim then stay dim, that’s a different story. Nelson Pass addresses this in one of his papers. The current isn’t usually an issue in most households with typical class A or A/B amps. Monster amps can hit the line hard, but for the most part they are not the norm. It’s how “clean” the power is that is the problem. Again, if your lights are dimming during playback that’s a problem. But highly unlikely in typical households. The reason to use a dedicated line has some validity to current, but really it’s to clean up the circuit of unwanted noise producers.