I am a total novice at this and am looking for expert advice. My husband and I have just moved into a new house, and we are getting ready to have our audio/video components for a home theater installed. We purchased them a couple of years ago, but due to building delays, we are just having the installation done now. The system is nothing fancy: - TV - VCR - DVD player - cassette deck - turntable - CD player - surround sound speakers, plus subwoofer, center speaker, etc. - receiver for all but the satellite - satellite receiver
I think this is it. The salesman at the home theater store is telling us we should also buy a line conditioner now, but I'm skeptical. Is this necessary? The one he has recommended is $350, but I'm sorry, I don't know the model/manufacturer. The stereo equipment is JVC, the TV and VCR are Mitsubishi, and the receiver is Marantz. I can't remember the DVD player or speakers. Why wouldn't he have mentioned the line conditioner 2 years ago?
Also, everything will sit together on one wall - the TV in the center, video components in a rack to the left, and audio components to the right. We are not putting speakers in any other rooms except the one where the equipment will sit.
tough call, specially on a forum such as this. Some people swear by it and will defend its necessity to their dying breath and there are those who believe that it is another scam perpetuated by companies to get more money out of audio nuts such as us.
I suggest you do more research on the subject and check on the claims made by the manufacturer if the conditions they say to improve upon are valid and if they even exist. What does the salesman know about power conditioners?? Is he an electrician or an electrical engineer who can back up the benefits of having a power conditioner?? Can he demonstrate the benefits at all?? In the end you have to decide whether the money you spend on this product is worth it, do you see or hear the benefits or do you want to protect your investment against power surges by using such a product or can you get by with a less expensive yet effective surge protector??
cheers
Anonymous
Posted on
I bought a Monster HT2600 power conditioner and noticed a slight clearer sound coming from my denon 1804 reciever. To the average listener, he/she would probably not notice a damn thing. Many highend recievers have built-in filters that don't necessitate using a power conditioner. If you don't decide on a power conditioner; definately get a surge protector.
but they don't cost $350, unless your buying a top of the line TripLite unit... which is the Industry Leader in Industrial/Electrical/Electronic systems, when it comes to Line Conditioners.... they Usually make everyones else's Line Conditioners....
I Usually pick Line conditioners at Swap meets for no more than $20 bucks... Corporations are always surplusing their equipment out of IT departments and computer rooms.... Best place to buy them cheap... Bigger is better, when it comes to Line conditioners... all they are is a 1:1 transformers which suppresses High voltage and spikes in AC....
The line conditioner that was suggested was one of Monster's models, I don't remember which one. It was to eliminate the RF and some other type of interference, and had different filters for each type of equipment plugged into it. At least, that's what I understood the sales guy to say. I ended up deciding against the line conditioner, and bought just a surge suppressor. The guy at the store couldn't show me enough of a difference between w/ and w/o a line conditioner to justify the expense. I don't have a particularly sensitive ear. The computer show and swap meet is a really good idea, though, for future equipment. I hadn't thought of that. Thanks.
just bought a 61 inch DLP Samsung rear projection tv... have PS2, vcr, dvd, dish blah blah blah... guy was recommending buying a $600 line conditioner!!! is it worth it?!!... i'm reading about line conditioners now so any info would help :-)
The other aspect is where you live - Down in Phoenix, the electrical storms are so prevelant that most supermarkets carry a wide selection of surge protectors - and not just whimpy ones. But having moved up to Colorado recently, I am finding that the selection of both is considerably smaller.
No question about it - at the very least you want a surge protector in there to protect your equipment, and something in a reasonable price range. As to the line conditioner - well almost everyone has a return policy. Consider an in-home A/B test. Listen to classical mucis and watch some nice video - once on a general surge protector and then on a line conditioner. See if you notice a difference.
There are also things that the line conditioner might not be able to help with. Recently in our neighborhood someone has hooked up something that is generating quite a bit of interferrence with my general atmospheric antenna, and the signal it provides. My circits are quite, but surge protector or line conditioner in or out I still have garbage coming in from a foreign source.