Thanks @goose,
The answer is "both".
I've invested a tidy sum on my system, and I feel incredibly lucky to finally be able enjoy listening without constantly thinking about tweaks or upgrades. I simply wish to protect my investment. Whether that means installing a whole house surge protector or a plug-in wall unit really doesn't matter so long as I'm not going backwards by introducing any deleterious effects.
If the whole house option is the way to go then I'd simply buy a longer power cable to reach the outlet. I'm not using anything super exotic or expensive (AudioQuest NRG X3).
If there are added benefits to the plug-in wall option (ie. noise filtering) well that's just an added bonus, but not something I really need.
Being a 20amp circuit I just don't know which option is the best in terms of protection and fidelity.