powersurge protector question

[chicoaudio]

I am setting up my surround system for the first time and I am currently using two "cheap" surge protectors for all of the equipment. I have noticed for anywhere between $50-200 (and up) I can get an official audio surge protector, and some come with noise filters. Are these worth the money or are they a ploy to take the consumers money and not provide a noticable difference?

[topspeed]

I don't personally use one (my amp has a power conditioner built-in) but my friend who is an EE swears by his. The funny thing is he is as skeptical as they come to audio myths and snake-oil although he does build and sell some pretty nice tube amps. The fact that the conditioner made such a noticeable difference in video quality I think bothers him because according to him, it shouldn't have. Try one out for yourself and if it doesn't improve your rig, return it. Simple.

[Rycher]

I am setting up my surround system for the first time and I am currently using two "cheap" surge protectors for all of the equipment. I have noticed for anywhere between $50-200 (and up) I can get an official audio surge protector, and some come with noise filters. Are these worth the money or are they a ploy to take the consumers money and not provide a noticable difference?

I have been into high end electronics for a very long time and I can tell you that they are worth it - to a point. Fact: AC voltage does fluctuate in a home and cause video distortions and sound problems due to the power regulators in the components not getting a "healthy" dose of 120 volts. Fact: home A/C power is "dirty" due to the nature of power transmitters and repeaters used by the electric company. The deal is any type of protection is better than none, but delicate A/V components need "better than average" protection. Monster Cable has a complete line of conditioners and power filters for A/V. They are a sound investment. Many people do not believe in power conditioners, and more than a few like to bash Monster Cable. But the point is if you spend thousands of dollars in electronics, why would you protect it with a $15.00 protector from Wallmart? I've owned Monster products since day one, I believe in them, I believe it's a worthy investment.

[nightflier]

I also use a Monster power center. The one thing I noticed right away is that it improved the video quality (less snow, less jitter, better picture, etc.). I don't know if it helped to improve the sound of my components, but I certainly feel much more comfortable knowing it is there. I also insured my components with Monster as well, so make sure you buy from an authorized reseller. Maybe it's just snake-oil, but I rarely worry about power now, so I guess if it made no other difference, at least it bought me peace-of-mind.

But before your spend hundreds on one of these, I would follow the advice of the other posters and buy one from CC so that you can return it in case it doesn't do anything for you. If you can't afford one of these, at the very least buy a solid computer power strip for ~$30, it will be better than nothing at all, especially if you have an old house or see a lot of thunder storms.

[Woochifer]

I'm somewhere in the middle on this. I have not noticed any audible differences in my system after I got a Monster Power surge suppressor with the line filter built in (my friend sold it to me for half off, so it was price comparable to other brands at that point), but I did notice that my old satellite box stopped locking up for a while once I started plugging everything into that strip. So, depending on your particular situation, it might provide some benefit.