Yep, most of the surge suppresion devices on the market even state they do not protect against direct lightning strikes, and it is important to note the joule rating to see why. The average lightning strike is between one and ten
billion joules, whereas the average power strip surge protector only works in a range between an average of 1000 to 5000 joules (on some of the better models). That said, a direct lightning strike is a HT system's worst enemy (maybe besides a spilled sippy cup).
If you don't know a
joule is simply a measurement of energy, usually expressed in terms of newton-meters or in this case, Coulomb-volts (amount of energy needed to move one coulomb of charge within one volt potential difference). The coulomb is a figure used to express a number of free electrons (the basic components of electrical current), expressed as 6.02 x 10e23, or 6.022 with 23 zeroes behind it - passing through a given point in one second of time (i.e., coulombs per second), gives us both magnitude and directional flow, commonly defined as electrical current. One coulomb passing by a given point in one second equals one Ampere, by the way.
Nevertheless, you would be unwise to not have at least a common surge suppressor hooked up to your system, as this will certainly help protect against the normal spikes and surges that come through the grid and into your home. This is what they are designed to do.
I'd say the jury is probably still out (and will likely stay out) on whether or not the power conditioner devices truly have a remarkable impact on audio/video quality, as some say yes, others say hell no, and ad infinitum.
