APC review or panamax

So the Panamax 5300 has 10 outlets and the other two both have 8.

If it were me I would go with the 5300. Both brands are good as are all three products, however the 5300 has the most outlets which allows for better connectivity and flexibility when adding in new components.

It also depends on how many components you have. I personally have 9 pieces of gear (AVR, Amp, Sub, DVR, Router, TT, Bluray player, Xbox360, Laserdisc player) + 1 TV so I personally need 10 outlets min unless I pull some gear out of my system (which I dont plan to do).

If this is for a 2 channel rig, go with the cheaper of the 2 8 outlet models since you shouldnt have that many components.

Also something to think about is making sure if your connecting power to also connect LAN data lines, otherwise your still technically unprotected. In my case I use Uverse and they have a data jack that sends my TV to the router. I need 1 LAN in (to connect the incoming line to the protector) and 1 LAN out (to run that now protected LAN line to the router).

If one of them has voltage regulation, I'd choose that one regardless of the number of outlets. Voltage regulation is a nice feature to have especially during times of brown-outs, etc.

H9

APC does have a 10 outlet option (not sure of cost):

http://www.apc.com/products/resource/include/techspec_index.cfm?base_sku=C5BLK

as well as a 12 outlet option:

http://www.apc.com/products/resource/include/techspec_index.cfm?base_sku=C10BLK

I have a Tripp Lite LCR-2400 for my HT and a Panamax 5100 for my 2 ch system. I would rate both at very good performance for removing noise from the AC feed and not limiting amplifier current draw. If I had to buy a new power conditioner it would probably be a Panamax.

^^^^ or you can just buy one that matches your gear, looks nice on your rack, has pretty blue lights and nice meters, etc.

Since I have current direct experience with APC the H10 or H15 would do everything you need.

I'm sure Panamax has an equivalent that would work as well.

All three brands you mention have great products. If you increase your budget and want something a tad more audiophile rated you could look at PS Audio.

H9

EndersShadow wrote: »

As to what the difference between the H10 and H15 is I couldnt tell you...

The H15 has a nicer more comprehensive display, more outlets, more capacity if the OP goes to APC's site you can do a spec comparison there.

H9

digitalvideo wrote: »

Why mov based plug-in surge protectors should be avoided...

How to Choose a Surge Protector:

http://www.djsociety.org/Surge_1.htm

Here we go again, the SurgeX troll :biggrin:

Please let's stick to the OP needs this time (he took the time to star a second thread since his original one moved away from his needs and was turning into a best product contest). I believe we all aware of MOVs pros and cons and it is NOT the subject at hand!

BTW; the OP is not looking for an SP (stay away from that world! somebody is googling that word and pops up every time it comes up here at CP) but a line conditioner (the SP is normally included in good ones)

I say panamax as they are cheap , look great and get the job done

avoid the big box stores when buying and look around on amazon for great deals on conditioners

heiney9 wrote: »

If one of them has voltage regulation, I'd choose that one regardless of the number of outlets. Voltage regulation is a nice feature to have especially during times of brown-outs, etc.

H9

I have 3 Panamaxs and never had any problem with them, although I will be upgrading my two-channel Panamax to a $5k device in the future.

Anyway, one night in the HT I was playing music, and was watching the voltage meter on the Panamax, and it would be steady, and then drop into the 90s, and go back up into the low 100s. I thought PG&E was having power problems, but it was a breaker going bad. As soon as the power dropped below 90 then BAM. The Panamax shut everything down so fast that the sudden quiet was like an explosion. They said it monitored the voltage, and it does.

myke wrote: »

Stupid question:

Regarding the APC 10H, when it says:

"Rated Watt Capacity (continuous): 1000 Watts"

does that mean the 5x200w amp i'm going to be plugging into it along with my 58" plasma and other gear will I need more capacity? Should I go to the APC 15H for more capacity?

ONLY if your amp is maxed out on power, which is an unlikely event. However the H15 isnt a bad call either.

myke wrote: »

as far as what i'm looking for is Surge suppression, filter line noise, filter surrounding appliances and pops when fleuresents turn on. Not to mention to condition the lines for amps, avr, & other gear as well as protect them. Living in NC I think I have decent power (no brown-outs etc....) aside from the occasional loss or surge. Dont know much about frequency coming in etc.. Also don't know what I don't know if that makes sense.

How often do incandescent bulbs dim to less than 50% intensity. If not, then voltages are virtually unchanged as far as electronics are concerned.

Line frequency is another strawman. A mythical problem created subjectively in advertising to promote their product as a solution.

Noise from AC mains must be eliminated by numerous and superior filters inside electronics. Noise entering via other paths (ie safety ground, signal ground loops) requires other considerations. No magic box is permitted to block or filter noise on a safety ground wire.

Surge suppression is not found in the specs of any of those requested products (APC, Panamax, Tripplite). If it does protection, then its numeric specs define protection from each type of surge in numbers. If no protection numbers exist, then it does ineffective protection. Anyone making subjective claims is essentially lying. It does protection only if numbers define that protection.

Numbers such as 3000 or 5000 joules will somehow absorb surges that are hundreds of thousands of joules? Hardly. Those power conditioners claim to absorb tiny surges that do not harm appliances. Do not claim to protect from surges that actually do damage. Such surges, that can overwhelm protection already inside appliances, occur maybe once every seven years.

If a supply inside your electronics is defective (does not filter noise), then a serious series mode filter maybe needed. Those are heavy. That kind of filtering comes from companies such as Zerosurge, Surgex, and Brickwall. Better is to solve the problem where it was supposed to be solved - inside electronics.

And finally, this quote is not from specs and is an obvious electrical lie: "Fail-safe thermal fusing acts like an additional circuit breaker, shutting down the unit and connected equipment in the event of a catastrophic surge"

Fail-safe thermal fuses are necessary because the protector is grossly undersized. Thermal fuses disconnect protector circuits as fast as possible when a destructive surge (hundreds of thousands of joules) is being absorbed by its near zero joules (3000 or 5000). If thermal fuses do not disconnect protector parts fast enough, then a house fire may result. Meanwhile, those thermal fuses also leave that surge connected to adjacent electronics.

Protectors that are properly designed to do protection will even earth direct lightning strikes - and remain functional

You must decide what you want to cure. Noise and surges cannot be solved at the same location. Your power conditioner claims near zero protection from surges that are not typically destructive. But that is only obvious by always reading spec numbers. Honest answers cannot and do not exist in any reply that is subjective. Only numbers for the APC, Panamax, and Tripplite define what it really does.