Home Theater Protection: How to Save your AV System

[gene]

There are many ways to ruin fragile speakers and expensive electronics, but there are just as many safeguards you can implement to protect your equipment. There are well known solutions, such as surge protectors, but power surges aren’t the only threat. You can also overheat amplifiers, melt tweeters, blow drives, burn out bulbs, or short receivers. By following the tips in this article, you can avoid the issues above and secure a long, healthy life for your equipment.

Read: How to Protect your Home Theater System

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

Instead of spending silly money on fancy power conditioner - just get used APC UPS with AVR (Automatic Voltage Regulation) and Pure AC output (not simulated AC)
You can't get better than that. I recently snagged one from ebay for about $50 shipped APC SUA750 Smart-UPS - it's a bit older model, but still provides the necessary protection

 

[JohnnieB]

A few years back I picked up 2 APC UPS ES550'S for $35 in the clearance isle at Wal-mart.
Always felt APC was good stuff.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

APC's ES 550 is nice enough unit, but it does little to protect brownouts
Johnnie - you might wanna try a bit harder then Walmart clearance rack, thou - I agree - price isn't bad.
but you know, what they say - you get what you pay for

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

Notice few details then buying UPS:
Topology: Line Interactive vs Stand-By
Waveform Type: Sine wave or Stepped approximation to a sine wave

and this important feature:
* Boost and Trim Automatic Voltage Regulation (AVR)
Gives higher application availability by correcting low and high voltage conditions without using the battery (not available on all models).


Also if you feel that UPS functionality is not required, you could just get the good AVR feature separately in this nifty product.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812106005
I bet it works just as good as this one :
http://www.amazon.com/PS-Audio-PPW-P10-US-B-Perfect-Power/dp/B00C0RCKP4/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1424150341&sr=1-2

 

[JohnnieB]

Thanks BSA. Yeah I don't normally shop w-m for my electronics
I couldn't pass up $15 a piece tho.

 

[its phillip]

I've got a couple of these:
http://smile.amazon.com/CyberPower-CP1500PFCLCD-Sinewave-Compatible-Mini-Tower/dp/B00429N19W/

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

I've got a couple of these:
http://smile.amazon.com/CyberPower-CP1500PFCLCD-Sinewave-Compatible-Mini-Tower/dp/B00429N19W/

good price, but for lower loads or shorted power outages, smaller and cheaper unit would work just as well:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00429N19W?pldnSite=1

 

[moves]

Do blackouts without protection harm Av equipment?