What is the best non-conditioning surge protector
Currently, I have an AudioQuest Niagara 1200 power conditioner with surge protection. I thought I loved it until I decided to unplug my Atoll IN300 from it and plug it into the wall (just so you know, I don’t have an audiophile duplex in the wall). I was expecting the sound to be brighter with a little more coloration. To my surprise, the Atoll sounded so much better than it did connected to the Niagara. I could actually hear my components and how amazing they really are. So next, I decided to unplug my Pontus ii and Hermes from the Niagara, and the sound improved even more. I’ve had the Pontus for a month and liked it (the soundstage is gigantic) but thought the Qutest had more detail and was wondering why I bought the Pontus. Removing all three from the Niagra, I have fallen in love with the sound of the Pontus and my setup. I think the Niagara’s conditioning completely changed the sound of my system resulting in loss of detail. I have a Furman and hooked up the Pontus and Hermes to it and it sounded the same as when they were connected to the socket. I want to protect my setup so my question is, what is the best non-conditioning surge protector on the market?
After moving to the lightning capitol of the US, I have a whole house surge protector installed and I use Brickwall on my AV system (although it provides minimal filtering, I have not found any issue with its use); also the type of protection that Brickwall provides is non-sacrificial. I believe Surge X uses the same type of technology as well. You may want to research them and see if this may be useful for you. Good Luck! DeeCee |
@ozzy - I’m using a cheap Audioquest NRG-Y3. I know I should step up but I want to buy a better power cord for the pontus ii and then upgrade the power cord on the 1200. I’m using a Cardas Clear on the Atoll. I’m sure if I upgraded the NRG-Y3 the 1200 would sound better. I have to say, the Atoll connected to the out sounds pretty good. The shunyata venom ps10 sounds pretty intriguing too. |
