[Chipbyrd]

I am a newbie audiophile.  I have been reading about power conditioners.  Is this an important upgrade for sound?  Or is it mostly for protection.  By plugging in multiple pieces of equipment to one of the contraptions, does it balance the output of power.  I really wish I had paid attention in physics.  Thanks.

[Speedskater]

For a start, "power conditioner" is a vague term.
It may mean any combination of:
Interference filter
Surge protection
Automatic line voltage adjustment
Isolation Transformer
UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) and this term has different meanings.
Balanced AC line power

[Big Red Machine]

I am a newbie audiophile.  I have been reading about power conditioners.  Is this an important upgrade for sound?  Or is it mostly for protection.  By plugging in multiple pieces of equipment to one of the contraptions, does it balance the output of power.  I really wish I had paid attention in physics.  Thanks.

Some want protection.  Some need protection depending on where they live.

I prefer noise reduction over protection.  You can get both if you need it.

And then some units are passive and some are active.  Many times, not always, active units have lower capacity and work well on the front end electronics.  Many times, not always, passive units work best with amplifiers to not constrict any electrons from flowing.  They also work well on the front end.  I have 2 units in evaluation right now and both are passive with some protection (I believe both do).

More knowledgeable folks will be along here soon.

[Mike82]

I've  been doing audio for about 40 years, was a reviewer for SoundStage! and American Wired, and owned an audio shop. I've tried several power products oover the past 15 years, namely balanced power supplies, power regenerators, various filtering devices, quantum products, isolation transformers, power cord filters, trick outlets, chokes, expensive power cords, etc., ad nauseum.

Here's my advice. If you have your own place, have an dedicated 20 amp outlet installed, maybe 2 if you have a lot if gear.  Cost will be around $200.00 and install quality receptacles. Without a doubt, this is the most effective step and should be the first thing you do.

After that, you will neeed to identify what specific power related issues you have in your area. It may be voltage fluctuations/brown-outs, EMI/RFI, power surges, especially if you live in a city or apartment, etc.  You can research this topic here and other places. Each problem susally requires a specific solution. It is important to identify problems since you can end up spending a lot of money to fix a problem that isn't impacting your system. I speak from experience on this.
 
That being said, you might want to start with an isolation transformer for your source components, mainly to isolate digital sources from other components. . A 3 or 4 amp Powervar or ONEAC can be found on Ebay for $50-100. Try it on your TV too. I LOVE these, especially since they are cheap to buy and can be applied in all situations with good effect.

If you decide to buy anything new, make sure you get a return option if it doesn't work like you hope it would.

[musicmaniac]

I've  been doing audio for about 40 years, was a reviewer for SoundStage! and American Wired, and owned an audio shop. I've tried several power products oover the past 15 years, namely balanced power supplies, power regenerators, various filtering devices, quantum products, isolation transformers, power cord filters, trick outlets, chokes, expensive power cords, etc., ad nauseum.

Here's my advice. If you have your own place, have an dedicated 20 amp outlet installed, maybe 2 if you have a lot if gear.  Cost will be around $200.00 and install quality receptacles. Without a doubt, this is the most effective step and should be the first thing you do.

After that, you will neeed to identify what specific power related issues you have in your area. It may be voltage fluctuations/brown-outs, EMI/RFI, power surges, especially if you live in a city or apartment, etc.  You can research this topic here and other places. Each problem susally requires a specific solution. It is important to identify problems since you can end up spending a lot of money to fix a problem that isn't impacting your system. I speak form experience on this.
 
That being said, you might want to start with an isolation transformer for your source components, mainly to isolate digital sources form other components. . A 3 or 4 amp Powervar or ONEAC can be found on Ebay for $50-100. Try it on your TV too. I LOVE these, especially since they are cheap to buy and can be applied in all situations with good effect.

If you decide to buy anything new, make sure you get a return option if it doesn't work like you hope it would.

This is great info but I have another question. I've already got the dedicated 20amp outlet but what type of receptacle are you talking about and where can one get one? Thanks

[Mike82]

The better outlets are like Porter Ports, Furutech. Maestro, Oyaide or even the hospital grade Hubbell or Leviton and cost between $10-$100.  These offer better construction, less resonance and tighter grip strength. Any of these are a far cry from the contractor grade garbage typically put into homes.

[Big Red Machine]

I like Maestro, around $75.

[Elizabeth]

For a new person to 'power conditioning' i sugget reading a lot of this stuff before buying anything.
The good line from the mains service is good.
A $3 heavy duty oulet does 95% of what  the expensive ones do.
As long as the outlet is a good grade of outlet, $3 is all you need to pay for the wall duplex. I prefer Pass & Seymour myself (from Menards) rather than the crummy Levitron from Home Depot.

For conditioning, the idea is a lower noise floor.
For protection, the idea is no fried electronics.
Two different issues.
Most folks do not need voltage regulation.

A cheap 'starter' conditioner, like an old Adcom is a good place to start. Under a hundred bucks..
Later you can move it to your TV when you upgrade.. if ever.

I now use two expensive conditioners, but started with a cheap powercord, and an Adcom.
I still use the $3 Pass and Seymour outlets