Thanks for all the input. I was more or less looking at protection for the equipment. $20 surge protectors that I know of can't handle the joules produced by even a small surge. We had a squirrel commit suicide by steping across the poles of a transformer and my neighbor lost his Sony power supply and his A/V receiver. I know - it could be anything along the way from poor grounding in the house to cheap equipment that caused it. But something like APC or Belkin would have paid to replace it if the surge wasn't stopped. I just thought four grand for a TV and 1500 for a receiver is a lot to skimp on a surge protection. Cables are important too. I am NOT one of those that think $2 interconnect is the same as a $1000 one like SkiTaos states. I know line stabilizers (like I like to call them) do make a difference in computers and other electronic devices. Not in the sound, but in the equipment.
