Just curious regarding 'headroom' (and potentially limiting it using a power conditioner): can someone link to articles where they measured the actual draw of (high power) amps? I would assume the outpout power demand peaks are very short and should be 'covered' by large capacitors, with the resulting input power demand (draw) peaks being in a range that a power conditioner should NOT limit.
I need to read up on the limitation of my simple and cheap conditioner, but envision a real world test: my air compressor (rated at 3.7 kW or 32A at 115V) draws a LOT (i.e. needs a LOT of head room), and its headroom IS noticeably limited (light bulbs dim when in DRAWS). When connecting it my conditioner, any 'headroom limiting' would be evident by the lights bulbs dimming a lot more and longer.
Reverse test: my ICE design sub amp has a 1.325kVA rating for the transformer. Transformer power output is supplemented by a capacitor rated for 10000 mF at 160 VDC. The rated power consumption listed on the back plate for the amplifier is 1200W at 115V. That amp driven hard does NOT result in 'dimming' (my visual sign for 'headroom limiting'). Maybe a bit more of this helps with headroom?
But again, someone surely has measured such 'headroom limiting' from the power source. Sounds to me more like an issue of the power supply of the amp not having sufficient power STORAGE to cover the peak demand? Reference the car guys with their gigantic power storage to overcome 'headroom limitation from power source'.