Surge/Power Conditioning For Amplifiers

The Chang Lightspeed model 9900 Amp has 30 amp current capacity, does not constrain dynamics, is Stereophile recommended technology, has integral surge protection, is priced around $900 list, is available cheaper if you know where to shop. Others such as the Audio Magic Stealth or their new Matrix offer similar protection; no doubt there are others too. Not all conditioners constrain dynamics, contrary to the claims of the uninitiated.
In my electrical environment I'd feel very insecure plugging my amp directly to line, although I have done that & it consequently blew up during a storm. Of course I have a whole-house industrial model Joslyn gas-discharge surge protector installed at my fusebox panel, which helps to minimize the damage to repairable status vs. totally destroyed. The equipment that was plugged into the Chang survived completely intact.

Bob pretty much answered it. Just going to add that most balanced core filtering devices do not limit current transfer such as the Audio Magic Stealth. Also, PS Audio Ultimate Outlet and Blue Circle Music Ring are these types of line filter too. Not sure about the BC, but the Stealth and UO has surge protection.

I have not found a conditioner that doesn't soften transients or roll off the top of my 190 watt ss amp, although I certainly haven't tried em all. I plug it into the wall, but I share your concern about protecting it. And the rest of my system, notwithstanding that I have a PLC with surge suppression on the front end. It's all hooked up to the amp, so the spike will just go up the chain. I remember seeing something on one of the many dedicated line threads about putting a surge suppressor on the service into your house, which sounds like a great idea, but I've never followed up.

I own two Inouye Line Conditioners and, until recently, was using one in my audio system and one for the TV. After taking a look at the Inouye web page (interesting reading)

http://www.inouye.bc.ca/manual1.htm

I am now using the one conditioner just for the integrated (fairly low power-70/80 watts per channel) with very good results. High powered amps may be a different story, but the dedicated plc for amps is an interesting idea.

You can easily and cheaply protect your gear from surges by unplugging when it is not in use! Having said this, I admit that I use PS Audio Ultimate Outlets on my amps, but I always unplug when thunderstorms are in the forecast. Your money may be better spent on replacement insurance for your gear rather than thousands of dollars in power conditioning/surge protection. Regardless of the models I tried, I never found a power conditioner that "improved" an amp, especially when on a dedicated circuit.

Hey Y'all,

I just added a Balanced Power Technology BPT-2.5 Ultra. The Ultra part adds silver internal wiring, Bybee filters and Auric caps. The unit has had an incredible effect on my system. I have 11 units in my system, including the Plinius SA-250 MkIV and an Aragon 8008X3B. I have noticed great improvement in both audio and video performance. The thing that pertains to this thread is the BPT does not choke my amps at all. In fact, there seems to be more head room and better dynamics with the BPT then before I added it. I was using a PS Audio Ultimate Outlet High Current 15 amp to run the two amps seperate from the rest of my gear, but I have since sold it because the BPT is that good........John

The only surge or power conditioner I would even consider would be the PS Audio Ultimate Outlet or a Power Plant P-600 or P-1200. The U/O will quiet line noise by 40db and protect against surges. I use two high current U/O with two Classe 25 power amps and very happy with the results. Take it one step further use a U/O and a power plant P-600 or P-1200, one of the best combos in my opinion. Happy Listening!