Furman vs Panamax vs Monster

[Hyfi]

My old Panamax unit is starting to flake out on me. The power button seems to not be completely disengaging so my Amp does not fully shut off which then causes the main circuit breaker to blow.

Looking at replacing it since it is 12 years old or more.

My choices would be

Panamax M4300-PM- $299
http://www.panamax.com/Products/A-V-Components/M4300-PM.aspx#tab_images

Furman ELITE-15i- $379
http://www.amazon.com/Furman-Elite-15i-7-Outlet-Linear-Filtering/dp/B000WV3J6O

Or the dreaded Monster HD IR 2550- $350
http://www.crutchfield.com/p_119HDP2550/Monster-HD-IR-2550.html?search=monster+surge+protector&ssi=0

My first take is that the Furman would be my best option. Can anyone comment on these or similar units? What do you use for surge and conditioning?

I have a dedicated circuit and mainly use the unit for a single turn on point as many of my components are not remote controlled. I also liked the incoming voltage readout letting me know when a brownout or spiking is going on.

I thought about possibly repairing the power switch of my existing Panamax but figure it's a good excuse to upgrade.

[frahengeo]

My old Panamax unit is starting to flake out on me. The power button seems to not be completely disengaging so my Amp does not fully shut off which then causes the main circuit breaker to blow.

Looking at replacing it since it is 12 years old or more.

My choices would be

Panamax M4300-PM- $299
http://www.panamax.com/Products/A-V-Components/M4300-PM.aspx#tab_images

Furman ELITE-15i- $379
http://www.amazon.com/Furman-Elite-15i-7-Outlet-Linear-Filtering/dp/B000WV3J6O

Or the dreaded Monster HD IR 2550- $350
http://www.crutchfield.com/p_119HDP2550/Monster-HD-IR-2550.html?search=monster+surge+protector&ssi=0

My first take is that the Furman would be my best option. Can anyone comment on these or similar units? What do you use for surge and conditioning?

I have a dedicated circuit and mainly use the unit for a single turn on point as many of my components are not remote controlled. I also liked the incoming voltage readout letting me know when a brownout or spiking is going on.

I thought about possibly repairing the power switch of my existing Panamax but figure it's a good excuse to upgrade.

Hyfi,

Take a look at this unit:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FBF08Q/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B000AHVGA6&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0NGX93QYK4351ESE4PR0

I have this unit as well as the Panamax M4300, but I like the APC unit better. Its a conditioner as well, better built/solid feel, more features, etc. Just wanted to give you another option to look into. If you don't need 15 Amps, there is also the H10 unit as well.

[blackraven]

Thanks for the link to the APC unit! I've been looking at Voltage regulators for a while and may purchase the APC for that price!

[Hyfi]

Hyfi,

Take a look at this unit:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FBF08Q/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B000AHVGA6&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0NGX93QYK4351ESE4PR0

I have this unit as well as the Panamax M4300, but I like the APC unit better. Its a conditioner as well, better built/solid feel, more features, etc. Just wanted to give you another option to look into. If you don't need 15 Amps, there is also the H10 unit as well.

Thanks for that! It is a nice alternative and cash is an issue as always these days.

[frahengeo]

Thanks for that! It is a nice alternative and cash is an issue as always these days.

BR and Hyfi,

If you are not in a hurry and don't mind a silver one, the silver APC units are often sold on Tigerdirect for ~$200. Just checked, but they are out of stock.

[blackraven]

Thanks for the tip!

[frenchmon]

For all that you are looking for in a unit, I use this and it works perfectly.

http://www.buy.com/prod/belkin-pureav-pf31-home-theater-power-console-5605j-belkin-pureav-pf31/q/loc/101/207514356.html


frenchmon

[blackraven]

That Belkin looks nice but I don't think it regulates voltage, it just protects against voltage spikes. I'm looking for something to keep a steady 120v's with at least 15amp rating. My Parasound amp draws 1500watts.

http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Product_Id=178415

[Hyfi]

The thing I like about the Furman is that the on-off switch is not a push button. That is what is failing on my Panamax but the APC is in the budget for my needs.

[squidboyw]

I just purchased two of the Furman Power Factor Pro units. These don't look as pretty as their home stereo units but behave just the same and can be had for less. I paid $285 each for new units in their boxes. I have tried a number of other power control / regulation units and find that the Furman units are a great value at their price. They replaced a George Tice Power Block & Titan setup in my system. The Furman units sounded good right out of the boxes.

[eisforelectronic]

surgeX

[Hyfi]

Looks like I need to make the deal on the APC unit. My Panamax keeps blowing my main circuit at power on. I don't want to spend the cash on the Furman unit and the APC appears to have more going for it at half the price. Both the Furman and Panamax look better and would fit in better but oh well.....

I had an Amazon page at $259 but it seems to have changed to $279 through VANS which has always been good.

I also noticed that the APC has a removable cord which is good. I always wondered how replacing the cord on a unit going to one of these Surge/Conditioners could make a difference if the cord coming from the wall was lesser. I would guess that doing a power cord replacement to the power unit would make more sense.

Thanks for the input and a beer for frahengeo who suggested the APC. It has nothing but great reviews.

[frahengeo]

Thanks for the input and a beer for frahengeo who suggested the APC. It has nothing but great reviews.

Hyfi,

Glad that I can help. The cord IS detachable. There are some other minor features on the APC that are somewhat interesting, but I'll leave it for you to discover.

[Hyfi]

Hyfi,

Glad that I can help. The cord IS detachable. There are some other minor features on the APC that are somewhat interesting, but I'll leave it for you to discover.

Should be here by Friday. Vanns is pretty quick for delivery, I purchased from them in the past.

I have to rearrange some gear to fit it in but that will give me an excuse to clean a bit.