Power Conditioner question

marcpam

I have done numerous searches on the web on whether a power conditioner is worth it. I am looking at the Monster HTS5100MKII. What do you guys think and is it worth the money?

wingnut4772

I have a Monster HTS2500. I got it when I was starting my HT and then it was a nice improvement. Now I have a dedicated 20 amp circuit and I prefer not to use it for my main amp and pre as it sounds better without it. I do use it for my DVD and mono blocks though because I only have one 20 amp outlet.

Early B.

The specific unit you referenced is not really worth the money, IMO. There are plenty of other less expensive options out there than Monster that do the same thing or better. Try TrippLite.

marcpam

ok guys, I was able to get my hands on this unit at Circuit City for $518 out the door. Not bad, considering the list price is $800.

drew spelts

I just bought a used Furman power conditioner off of ebay and I will say this with absolute certainty. I had to turn the base on my sub down 3 points within my receiver. I am no longer looking for a bigger amp because I am so pleased with the sound that it is unbelieveable now. I have to be carefull aby more because I can turn it up to lud withought relizing it and hurt my hearing. I think it just made everything better and hurt not a single aspect of my HT.

univera

I understand power conditioners, but why would a PC make something sound worse? I would think it would only improve the sound. And, what is a dedicated circuit and what is the need? Is it the idea that you have a dedicated, clean source of voltage that isn't subject to the voltage from the rest of the house? I'm not new to the game, just new to the minutia....I have used Panamax in the past, but it went dead.

drew spelts

The dedicated circuit is power that goes to only one dual outlet in a room. No lights or window AC or fan share this circuit. The only things you will plug into this circuit is your AV gear. This should reduce noise within the components because there is less noise being introduced into the line. Just like if you are trying to watch TV and someone is vacuming it causes lots of static to appear on the screen. Its not just the screen thats getting the static it is the sound as well. I imagine if I build a Theater room from scratch I will have a 30 amp dedicated circuit.

Skynut

univera wrote:

I understand power conditioners, but why would a PC make something sound worse? I would think it would only improve the sound.

A power conditioner can limit the headroom of the amp or reduce the dynamics.
When I ran my Subs through my Panamax they lost alot of volume. Later I bought PSAudio upc-200's (two of them), they do not restrict current. When they went in to the system I had to re-adjust my bass levels again.

Un restricted current is something to look for if you are using a power conditioner for amps.

unc2701

Yeah, there are very few that don't restrict current- Tripplite, and PS are the only ones I know about without getting into the real high end stuff. I know a few amp manufacturers even recommend against using conditioners.

wingnut4772

My Earthquake amp came with explicit instructions NOT to use one.

univera

Skynut wrote:

A power conditioner can limit the headroom of the amp or reduce the dynamics.
When I ran my Subs through my Panamax they lost alot of volume. Later I bought PSAudio upc-200's (two of them), they do not restrict current. When they went in to the system I had to re-adjust my bass levels again.

Un restricted current is something to look for if you are using a power conditioner for amps.

Great info. Thanks. My mind is being conditioned as well...

univera

drew spelts wrote:

The dedicated circuit is power that goes to only one dual outlet in a room. No lights or window AC or fan share this circuit. The only things you will plug into this circuit is your AV gear. This should reduce noise within the components because there is less noise being introduced into the line. Just like if you are trying to watch TV and someone is vacuming it causes lots of static to appear on the screen. Its not just the screen thats getting the static it is the sound as well. I imagine if I build a Theater room from scratch I will have a 30 amp dedicated circuit.

So, to make sure I am clear, if I flipped the breaker for this circuit, nothing else in the room should be affected except the one, dual outlet plug? This doesn't just mean not plugging anything else into that outlet. I have an electrician coming to do some work. Is this pretty easy to have done?

drew spelts

Depends on the distance the room is from the fuse box and wether or not this is a place in the fuse box for another fuse. Do you have a crawl space under your floor or an attic for the electrician to gain easy access to the room. Do you want the outlet installed on an outside wall of the house that has insulation within it. Just think about these things before he gets there. If the fuse box is big enough for another fuse to tap into the power then he will just run a long wire or two to the dual outlet either through the basement/crawlspace or through the attic. Of corse he is gona chare you though so be prepared. My guess would be $175 or more (including materials) but I have never had this done. And yes you are right about the breaker.

univera

drew spelts wrote:

Depends on the distance the room is from the fuse box and wether or not this is a place in the fuse box for another fuse. Do you have a crawl space under your floor or an attic for the electrician to gain easy access to the room. Do you want the outlet installed on an outside wall of the house that has insulation within it. Just think about these things before he gets there. If the fuse box is big enough for another fuse to tap into the power then he will just run a long wire or two to the dual outlet either through the basement/crawlspace or through the attic. Of corse he is gona chare you though so be prepared. My guess would be $175 or more (including materials) but I have never had this done. And yes you are right about the breaker.

I do have attic space. In fact, I had an extra outlet wired in my home for a future flat panel tv. I don't know if that was a good idea since it is behind the wall and will ultimately require cutting into the wall. I don't know what I was thinking. It actually could be right behind the fuse box as I believe I am going to set up my rack there, so it could be a very short run of wire. A friend mentioned he has 4 dedicated circuits. One for the cd player alone. Is it additionally important to isolate the digital domain?

Skynut

univera wrote:

A friend mentioned he has 4 dedicated circuits. One for the cd player alone. Is it additionally important to isolate the digital domain?

This is where a power conditioner should be used.
The cd player and processor do not generate spikes during dynamic passages but they can cause interference with each other and should be isolated. A decent power conditioner will allow you to power these components on isolated banks of power.

unc2701

A dedicated circuit is going to have a limited ability to isolated your gear from other noisy components in your house.

The main thing they do is provide your gear with plenty of current. Each of my amps has a max current draw around 20amps. While its unlikely that I'll actually pop a 20a breaker, I was definitely getting a "brown out" kinda effect on 15a circuits and I repeatedly popped a 15a breaker with both of them on one circuit. So- did out your manual and looks up the max power consumption in watts for your amplifers & subwoofers & other heavy current gear. Divide this by 110 (or whatever your local voltage is. This will tell you about how much current that piece of gear needs. Example: Bryston 9b can pull 2295 watts; divide by 110 gives you 20.86amps. I need a 20 amp circuit just for that amplifier.

now about isolation: in the breaker box put the circuits for your audio gear as far as possible from all motors, fans and flourscent lights. Beyond that you just gotta get lucky.

Electricians: figure on at least $80 an hour. You can probably make it go faster by drilling holes for them before they get there, running conduit, etc but it'll only help if you know what you're doing.