You always want a power conditioner and surge protector. Always. One with good EMI filtering is important. Look for something that will handle an 8000A surge or more and suppress EMI, sometimes called RFI, down at least 30 dB out to 30 MHz or more. Most EMI problems are solved when suppression is down 30 to 40 dB across the board but really 60 dB is far better. The problem is paying for that added 20 to 30 dB of suppression. That is my recommended minimum. If you want more, then look at the regenerative units, but they get very pricey.
I live in SC, and in California before then (PG&E!). I would not plug anything directly into the wall outside of major appliances and lamps. The threat of damage due to surges is real. I recently lost a Macbook which I had forgotten was left on the charger overnight during a lightning storm. Now, should you buy a very expensive "power conditioner" that isn't even UL rated as a surge protector? Not as far as I'm concerned. :) Here's my recommendations right now:
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On a related note, I just went down a long thread about amplifiers elsewhere and I found this online review for an amp of brand X. The guy, hilariously IMHO, goes on at length about how terrible Krell amplifiers were because he bought 2 different models and they each failed in a month. What he misses, based on his own description, is that both of his amps were taken out by electrical surges. Don't be that guy. |
Thank you all very much for your input. I am a bit confused by spatialking's information and whether the power filter I found is suitable? I found an APC AV C Type 2 outlet with let through voltage rating of / 40 volts (under 40 volts) and a surge energy rating of 1890 J (joules). The product data sheet does not speak to amps. The EMI/RFI Noise rejection is 55 dB. I would use this product, if appropriate, as a dedicated surge/noise protector one per REL S/810 sub-woofer. The subwoofer is rated at 800 watts and -6dB at 19 Hz. |
As a general rule, never plug anything worth a premium directly into the wall unless you have whole house surge protection installed, i.e., Get an electrician in and get a Siemens unit or similar installed. It is not just a safety net for audio equipment, but also for all your expensive home appliances and so on.
If you want any additional conditioning to improve sonics of any amps, powered subs w/plate amps, etc, try the Audioquest Powerquest series. Plug your subs into the outlets dedicated for power amps. You would go higher up on the power conditioning expense chain if you're dealing with cost no object gear. https://www.audioadvice.com/audioquest-powerquest-505-power-conditioner |