GM, I've never had any surge needs and AV equipment with a power supply section already provides all the "conditioning" to the power coming out of the wall which the engineers found to be necessary. My view therefore is to spend your money on something more useful.
I agree, in general, with what John has to say. I would never claim that my PureAV equipment makes my system sound better.
(DISCLAIMER: I live in a suburban area of a large city, so my power's "condition" is likely just fine. Things might be different if you live in a more rural setting. Although, it
was my power company (First Energy) who brought you the massive East coast blackout a few years ago
, and who has more outages than a modern power company company should
)
But, I also agree with Homedad who said "
John, there may not be a need for conditioning and the like, but it sure is nice to have something pretty with tons of outlets to plug your equipment into. 
" I bought the PureAVs for the convenience they provide, and for their good looks while providing same. I've no idea if they actually would save my equipment in case of a massive surge (and hope I never find out), but the alleged surge protection and battery backup do provide a modicum of peace of mind.
I am, however, very fond of one of JohnK's favorite sayings which goes something like "A destructive power surge is just God's way of telling you that it's time to upgrade."
