As part of a home theatre system, I have been looking into purchasing a line conditioner. To be honest, I have no idea what to look for. It isn't that difficult to compare products such as speakers and amps. You can easily find the specs and even most novices know what to look for when comparing and contrasting. However,I dont find that to be the case for line conditioners. I know all line conditioners generally offer surge protection and you can read the joule rating. I know they have voltage regulators. What I dont know is how to compare model X to model Y. What makes one better than the other aside from product reputation? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

KC_Mike,

I don't know how long you've been following this board, but it's positively crawling with evidence-obsessed engineers. I do believe line conditioners fall into that "no proof they do anything except in rare circumstances" category of AV gear...much like fancy speaker wire, pricey interconnects, etc.

They've just gotten through chewing up and spitting out somebody extolling the virtues of break-in. Be forewarned, you've just opened up a moderate-sized can of worms...

Mike, we use mainly APC brand voltage regulators for our network servers. They have a good reputation and reliability. They will not be the cheapest however, but I can stand by their quality. We use ones with built-in batteries so we have 24 hour operation after a electrical outage, I doubt you need a backup like that, but they do sell just the regulators and I believe they have built-in surge protection as well. Brownouts (low voltage) can be as destructive as a surge and that's where a regulator would help.

If you use one for what DanTana suggests, I have no problem with it. Some people are a bit more anal about power protection and I live in a desert with no weather so I don't share that obsession. Additionally, if that's your goal, the uber-expensive audiophile stuff is ridiculously, and needlessly, expensive. If you think having a "clean" AC signal is going to lead to better music, you're mistaken. I've designed switch mode power supplies before. If your receiver's supply is so poorly designed as to allow harmonics from the AC signal to disperse themselves through the circuitry, you ought to return your receiver and never buy from that company again as their designers are clearly idiots. If I could design a switch mode supply that didn't do this in my senior year of college, certainly an experienced designer should have no trouble.

I use a simple Belkin power surge protector bought from any big box store for twenty bucks.
LIghtning strikes are about all i'm concerned about.

There is no such thing as power 'cleaning' b/c lemme tell ya, electrons could NOT get any cleaner than they already are.

When I was putting together my Home theater equipment, the salesman showed me the monster power conditioner that according to him I "must" have to ensure quality performance of my system and to protect my expensive equipment from the harmful effect of "dirty" power coming from the wall.

I decided to buy a regular $30 surge protector/power strip because I really needed a power strip for added outlet. Based on my research I also found out that:

1. The power company deals with lightning strikes all the time and they have more expensive equipment to protect. Their lightning protection should also protect your equipment. Just in case it strikes pretty close to your house, you cannot expect any kind of conditioner/surge protector to stop it. It can jump several feet while the circuitry in your lightning protection is how many millimeters?

2. Unless the conditioner you are buying has enough stored power (batteries) or it regenerates the electricity, how could you expect it to condition the power?

3. You equipment manufacturer is aware of the normal voltage fluctuation from the wall and their equipment are designed to take it.

4. Unless you use a generator at your backyard for your power, the one from the wall is clean enough.

Most people have "replacement cost" house insurance so for them a lightning strike may be a ticket to happiness, I know it was for me .

My uneducated brain tells me that having a dedicated circuit(s) for your equipment is about the best you can do.

Well I surely didn't intend to open a can of worms. I was only asking how to compare one conditioner to another. I am aware of the debated validity of 'line conditioning'. Personally, I just want the surge protection. A power conditioner can provide that while maintaining the aesthetics of my living room (would fit nicely into my rack and would aviod having a powerband lying around on the floor etc.).
Even though I only want one for the power surge protection, I just can't part with my hard earned dollars without doing the homework. Thanks everybody for your input....its what makes this board enjoyable and educational.

A line conditioner can add consistency to a sound system for sure.
If anyone in Canada wants to try a good 'cheapie' one, find a dealer in your area that carries the Technicontact ones. They have a power strip with audible alarm, RF noise suppression, ins and outs for phone and coax and space to fit wall warts too. The model is called PA22 and sells for about $60.00CAN.
I have all my audio gear plugged through it, except my power amp, and most pleased with what it does for so little.

Some of the audio-oriented power conditioners are definitely overpriced, but I do think there is a quality difference between some of the more moderately priced units from companies such as Panamax and the inexpensive computer-oriented surge protectors. Things such as noise filtering, high-current outlets, switched outlets, etc are all useful to have.

One thing you should be aware is that the type of surge-protection used in really cheap surge protectors can limit the amount of current drawn by high-current devices such as multi-channel amps. So even if you don't believe the hype about power "conditioning", I would at least look for a unit that has some outlets specifically marked as being for high-current devices.

I went with one of the Panamax units because it had two high-current outlets, two banks of switched outlets (useful for making sure the pre/pro powers on before the amp/sub), as well as coax filters for UHF/VHF and satellite.