Power Conditioners do not solve any of these common problems:
See PDF here read pages 38 11 12 13
Mike
Don't try to fix these electrical prolbems with a conditioner!
Over the years of hanging out here I’ve seen a lot of audiophiles with significant electrical problems try to fix them with a power conditioner. Lordy. Look I’m a big fan of power conditioners and as you all know recommend Furman often... but they can’t fix what they can’t fix, and may mask serious problems.
Ignoring an electrical problem in your home is to ignore a property and life safety issue.
Lights flickering? Feel a tingle when you touch your equipment (or washer or range)?
We are used to seeing famous authors recommend weird/bespoke AC panel solutions, or isolated circuits, which of course are not free. My two recommendations here will set you back $20 or less.
A tool every audiophile, no, every homeowner should have is an AC outlet tester. You can get them at any hardware store but I like the cheap-o Kawaits style from Amazon because they include AC voltage AND, critically, Neutral to Earth voltages. All you have to do is plug it in and watch the AC. Is your AC stable while playing music? Does the N-E ever rise above 2 Volts? Do the red lights on the top light up as they should? Then you are good. (PS, a nice voltage meter is better and more reliable, but this is an excellent and safe alternative for those who don’t have a soldering gun in their desk at all times. ) . Don’t stop at your audio rack, check your other outlets too, especially if you’ve moved into an old home.
The other recommendation is to at least inspect your outlet. If it’s just old anyway replace it with an outlet that is rated for commercial AND residential. About $5-$7. Make sure your outlets are using screw down terminals and not back-stabbed (i.e. push in) terminals. I wrote more about this here. Again, I know there are many here who are going to recommend bespoke extremely expensive jewel like outlets. My feelings about all that are in the blog. My point in this post is to suggest super cheap tests and improvements any audiophile can afford.
Be safe. If you see signs of electrical problems don’t patch over them with a conditioner.
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@ditusa thanks for posting that PDF. |
@erik_squires Is the the One you recommend in your post? It’s on sale fir &12.58. |
- There seem to be like 6 versions of that which are identical except for the brand. None of them are "laboratory grade" or anything but all super convenient. Cheap, easy to use, you can leave them plugged in for days and monitor your AC, that alone makes them useful even if you have a nice multi-meter. In addition to the standard 3 light wiring checks which you can find from any hardware store electrical department these have two features I really like. One is Voltage reading, two is the Neutral to earth voltage, which is important in assessing both neutral connectivity as well as voltage sagging under load. Even if you get a bad one, worth buying two. I wish I could find a higher end version from Klein or Fluke or something but so far I’ve not found one with the N-E reading.
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That’s not how I would phrase it. I’d say this is what you should do to make sure your wiring is performing as intended. It doesn’t even have to be for your stereo or TV.
Wiring mistakes can and do happen. I moved into my current home when it was 15 and I found half a dozen issues. Do you have to check every outlet in every home? Maybe not... but if you feel like you have an actual AC problem maybe don’t try to fix it with a conditioner first. You also don't immediately have to go get a new panel with a dedicated line. This post is about how homeowners should check their important outlets first, with an absolute minimum of spend. Make sure your outlet is wired correctly and has a working ground. Then we can talk about power conditioners. I do worry about back-stabbed outlets however. Technically they are OK but I removed everyone I could find in my home. Having said all that, my HT system is fed by a Furman with a voltage regulator which gives me rock solid voltage regardless of the air conditioning, range or even most brown outs. However, it cannot fix a host of other problems I checked for first. |
- 25 posts total