In personal discussions with two Companies who's gear I own - Krell and Musical Fidelity - they both said, without allowing me to quote them, over the phone, to not use any type of conditioner or suppression device, unless you have massive interference problems(not storms, etc, but RFI Interference). We are fortunate to live in the countryside outside of Pittsburgh, and have our own transformer for power for our log home. Many, many storms, etc, never a problem, leave equipment on 24/7. I do, however, have photos and a DVD of all my equipment in the fireproof box, and talked with my insurance company - that's why you pay all those homeowner premiums that never get utilized - hopefully you never need them. I encourage all to review their policies, however, periodically, to ensure(no pun intended) that you receive purchase/replacement value, not current market value - under most circumstances.
Some areas do need them, I understand, and to each his own, but from my experience, for my system, an unnecessary expense. If I had a completely irreplaceable piece of gear, akin to a '58 Les Paul, I might change my tune(again, no pun intended), but that is rare in the audophile world. An insurance settlement would be an upgrade, as this stuff depreciates faster than a new Pontiac. Good luck in your quest.
