When using a power conditioner, why is it advised to run amps directly to the wall?


I have seen it recommended that power for amplifiers should be run directly from the wall outlet vs through the power conditioner. Why?  
I have a 5.1 HT setup with all McIntosh electronics including three monoblocks and one stereo amp. I have everything running power from the MOC1500 Power Control Center. 
Look forward to learning. 

jfrost27

Showing 1 response by cueball9

Just my .02....

Some things to consider; First. If you plug into the wall outlet, you are plugging into a shared circuit.  It was not designed to be a "clean" circuit for audio.  It just meets the basic needs of your everyday house.  Lamps, Coffeemaker etc.

Second, the Amp customer service guy is solving your problem in the easiest way possible.  They are thinking you probably have a cheap component in your system and the simplest solution is to just by-pass that component.

Lastly.  No one here mentioned "Protection".  When you buy a conditioner, it also acts as a surge protector.  It is a dual use machine.  Without any kind of protection, you can sacrifice your equipment to the junk heap. 

I just put together my new system.  $25k.  I got a Furman Elite and followed their advice and had a dedicated 20a line installed.  This might seem excessive to some people but the $150 they charged to install the line and the $850 I paid Crutchfield for the Furman seemed like a bargain compared to the cost of the amps.  The NAD C298 amps I use sound fantastic and they are run through the Furman.

And...I don't lose any sleep worrying about what a lightening surge will do to my system.  Don't be swayed by internet myths. 

Of course a cheap component might affect your sound quality. It's the same old "you get what you pay for".  Think about it; if conditioners REALLY did what these people claim, how long do you think they would be on the market?