[jbsmith_05]

Not sure if this is the right place so mods please move if needed.


I want to get impressions of the monster power (or similar) surge protectors / power conditioner items. These are pretty pricey but have some convincing marketing material. I have a Samsung LCD, Tivo HD, Sony AV Receiver, Pioneer DVD (no blu-ray yet) and was wondering if these are worth the cost and if they actually worked. I get my HD via OTA DB4 wich is mounted to my old satellite mount.


Thanks for your input.

 

[Ken H]

Most Monster prodcts are overpriced. I'd look at professional A/V products, and computer products. Furman Sound has always been good.

http://www.furmansound.com/page.php?...E_APPLICATIONS

 

[nybbler]

Monster is right about one thing: There's lots of crap on the power line.


However, most of that is generated by switch-mode power supplies. Like the ones in your LCD TV, Tivo, etc. So what's the point of filtering the incoming power when the noise source is so much closer? There is none.

 

[ricky_rocket]

Monster is to much $$$. IMO Power conditioners get to the point of diminishing returns very quickly. Meaning don't spend a lot of money it's not worth it. I wouldn't spend more than $200.


I do think a power conditioner is necessary though. Mostly because it acts as a surge protector as well. When we were having an electrical storm mine was smart enough to shut off the power to my components.


I have this Belkin PureAV PF31 from Amazon. It was $150. It looks great (it comes in black or silver) and does the job very well.

http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-Home-Th...0673454&sr=8-5

 

[Glimmie]

Many models of the Monster power conditioners are not UL listed. They can easily afford the testing costs. This tell me the products may not be safe. Most other brands are UL or ETL listed.


Do you want electrical products in your home that have not been certified safe by a credited testing lab?

 

[m_vanmeter]

this unit by APC filters both surges and low voltage "sags" - most other units do not address low voltage conditions. Consider the APC H10 or H15 conditioners:

http://buy.apc.com/commerce/storefro...r+Conditioners

 

[squatpuke]

.

.

I have similar questions...I've just spent about 3 hours reading old posts on effectiveness of power conditioners...I'm not convinced, yet there are hundreds of consumer reviews of how great they are...so I'm left even more confused...


A couple of benjamins won't break me...so I'll probably purchase...



I'm leaning on these....

http://www.panamax.com/Products/A-V-.../M4300-PM.aspx

http://www.panamax.com/Products/A-V-.../M5300-EX.aspx

http://www.monstercable.com/productdisplay.asp?pin=1900



Anyone have specific feedback on any of this or these models?


tyia

 

[SMOKIN666]

I'm not a big fan of Monster (over priced), but after loosing my AVR to a power outage a few years ago bought the same strip from monster power you are looking at. Living in buffalo with frequent winter storms and power outages have not had a problem since. My father did fry a computer that was on a Monster Power strip and when called Monster replaced the surge protecter and computer PSU no questions asked.

 

[vdefrancjr]

I have the APC H15 and can vouch for it. It's one of the few power conditioners which also does voltage regulation (i.e. if the power voltage sages, this unit will boost it back up to keep it stable). For the price - nothing comes close in terms of features.


APC is well known and highly regaurded for their knowledge of power protection and warranty/claims submission.

 

[videobruce]

Monster Power; monster price, monster scam.

 

[JDM5LugHatch]

I just picked up the Panamax PM8HT from FireFold. Inexpensive and should get the job done with no problems. The Monster Power units like everyone has stated are over priced and in several instances have failed more than any of the other well known brands from what I have been able to find that is. I have my computer on a Belkin.

 

[steeler]



Quote:
Originally Posted by m_vanmeter /forum/post/15424482


this unit by APC filters both surges and low voltage "sags" - most other units do not address low voltage conditions. Consider the APC H10 or H15 conditioners:

http://buy.apc.com/commerce/storefro...r+Conditioners

This is a super deal. The black version is 349.00 for the H10 and 449.00 for the H15. The only difference is the color....silver vs black.

 

[kman62]



Quote:
Originally Posted by steeler /forum/post/15501775


This is a super deal. The black version is 349.00 for the H10 and 449.00 for the H15. The only difference is the color....silver vs black.

if it was a black one i would get it for 179.00 thats a good deal... don't like silver.....

 

[steeler]



Quote:
Originally Posted by kman62 /forum/post/15608664


if it was a black one i would get it for 179.00 thats a good deal... don't like silver.....

That's why it is basically half the price. I got the silver and it looks good with my setup.

 

[m_vanmeter]

the site audioholics dot com just posted an even better deal on APC H15's


in the blue tab bar, click on "Shop Online" and then go to the APC special sale section

 

[PaulGo]

I read a story about the Monster Power Conditioner about a year ago. The item became defective after the warranty expired. Monster refused to fix it for a fee or sell the user the part needed for repair. It appears they have no repair department - they will just replace the product if it is under warranty.

 

[MauneyM]



Quote:
Originally Posted by PaulGo /forum/post/15611767


I read a story about the Monster Power Conditioner about a year ago. The item became defective after the warranty expired. Monster refused to fix it for a fee or sell the user the part needed for repair. It appears they have no repair department - they will just replace the product if it is under warranty.

There is a good reason for this. The MOVs in a power conditioner or surge suppressor are considered consumables. Every time they take a transient "hit", they lose some of their capacity. Thus, if a TVSS or power conditioner has failed, it is very likely that even if you replaced the specific component that has failed, the rest of the unit has reached the end of its useful life. You'll notice that most "real" TVSS units (not the $9.99 surge strips) have indicators that let you know when the protection is no longer good; this is telling you that the MOVs have reached end-of-life and are no longer in the circuit. Once this happens, the unit is a paperweight and must be replaced. In fact, some of the larger TVSS units on the market have the MOVS encased in epoxy or sand (for fire prevention in a massive failure), and thus cannot be repaired under any circumstances.


There are some exceptions - there are some TVSS units on the market that have replaceable MOV modules. Most, however, are effectively disposable.


[FWIW, I wouldn't buy a Monster product myself due to their pricing and marketing strategies. Their warranty policy, though, is not unreasonable for this type of product.]

 

[steeler]



Quote:
Originally Posted by m_vanmeter /forum/post/15611458


the site audioholics dot com just posted an even better deal on APC H15's


in the blue tab bar, click on "Shop Online" and then go to the APC special sale section

TigerDirect has the H10 for $99.00. Damn I paid $134.00!!!!! This is a great piece of equipment.

 

[saturation]



Quote:
Originally Posted by steeler /forum/post/15612915


TigerDirect has the H10 for $99.00. Damn I paid $134.00!!!!! This is a great piece of equipment.

Can you review your H10 for us, or have you already and post a link to it?

 

[steeler]



Quote:
Originally Posted by saturation /forum/post/15620832


Can you review your H10 for us, or have you already and post a link to it?

What particular info are you after? Here is a link to their site http://www.apc.com/resource/include/techspec_index.cfm?base_sku=H10&tab=documentation .


Click on the documentation tab and you can view the owners manual.


The unit does everything it says it does, it looks good with my setup, the LED readouts are easy to read and understand, its made by a very reputable company and the price is right! What's not to like.


One nice feature that the H10 provides that most other units of comparable price don't offer is AVR (Automatic Voltage Regulation) which corrects low and high voltage conditions as well as power surges.


Also there is no need to go for the H15 the H10 can handle most home entertainment setups. I'm only using 40% capacity of my H10.


One other thing it comes in 2 colors black and silver, the black model goes for almost double the price just because it's black.