Furman Elite-15 DMi and Elite-20 PFi Power Conditioners Review

[gene]

Priced at $559 and $1,199 respectively, the Furman Elite-15 DMi and Elite-20 PFi aren't inexpensive line conditioners / surge protectors. However, they're solidly built and boast non-sacrificial series mode surge protection along with a few helpful features like switchable outlets and 12V triggers. The Elite 20 PFi also comes with "Power Factor Technology", which is a current reservoir which Furman claims will give your amplifier a boost during demanding peaks but we were unable to verify that claim. Regardless the products work well at providing surge protection and serving as a single place to make all of your power connections.

Furman Elite-15 DMi and Elite-20 PFi Power Conditioners Review

 

[audioq]

Thanks for the great review on Youtube. Given your testing I skipped the Elite 20PFi and bought the 15 DMi. I am replacing my amp(s) with a Parasound A21 and I have been reading in some forums that the amp should NOT be plugged into the power conditioner and I am not sure why. The Furman will operate to 15 amps which is the total amperage of my circuit. Why would one not want to plug the amp into the conditioner? What do you think?

 

[gene]

Thanks for the great review on Youtube. Given your testing I skipped the Elite 20PFi and bought the 15 DMi. I am replacing my amp(s) with a Parasound A21 and I have been reading in some forums that the amp should NOT be plugged into the power conditioner and I am not sure why. The Furman will operate to 15 amps which is the total amperage of my circuit. Why would one not want to plug the amp into the conditioner? What do you think?

Some power conditioners that are transformer isolated are rated at less power than big power amps. The Furman is NOT a transformer isolated power conditioner so it shouldn't be a problem.

The other reason is some amps have very large inrush currents due to the large capacitor banks. This can overtime stress the components in a power conditioner.

You can always check with Furman to see what they recommend but you will likely be OK plugging your Parasound into the high current plug.

Alternatively, it may be a good idea for you to plug all of your equipment into the Furman and then get one of these simple filter devices just for your power amps.

https://emotiva.com/products/accessories/cmx-2

 

[highfigh]

Some power conditioners that are transformer isolated are rated at less power than big power amps. The Furman is NOT a transformer isolated power conditioner so it shouldn't be a problem.

The other reason is some amps have very large inrush currents due to the large capacitor banks. This can overtime stress the components in a power conditioner.

You can always check with Furman to see what they recommend but you will likely be OK plugging your Parasound into the high current plug.

Alternatively, it may be a good idea for you to plug all of your equipment into the Furman and then get one of these simple filter devices just for your power amps.

https://emotiva.com/products/accessories/cmx-2

How would DC flow in a transformer when the power grid is non-rectified AC?

Also, how much filtering does a power amp really need? If the line voltage exceeds a certain level, I would hope a breaker or other protection device would open, somewhere. Obviously, the big amplifiers that are designed by people who are still striving for "straight wire with gain" and use nothing to protect anything might have a problem at >180VAC, but that's not common unless a transformer melts down or lightning strikes nearby, right?

After attending a Furman session at a distributor's open house, I spec'd a Furman Elite 15PFi in 2007 and none of the equipment has had any kind of problems from electrical issues, including lightning. I was in the room where the rack is located when lightning struck outside of the house as I was checking some of the remote control changes and when I saw the flash, I heard a loud 'snap' sound inside the room. I looked around and noticed that the ADT cellular module's "call for service" light was flashing- the antenna is next to the copper gutter at the 2nd floor roof line and it's not grounded. The power amps are powered by this unit but they don't draw a lot of current and I'm using one of the 'Amplifier' receptacles to power one for the 12VDC trigger and the other is un-switched, but the Mac amp has its own 12V trigger.

However they do it, this has worked flawlessly for almost 9 years.

 

[gene]

How would DC flow in a transformer when the power grid is non-rectified AC?

Also, how much filtering does a power amp really need? If the line voltage exceeds a certain level, I would hope a breaker or other protection device would open, somewhere. Obviously, the big amplifiers that are designed by people who are still striving for "straight wire with gain" and use nothing to protect anything might have a problem at >180VAC, but that's not common unless a transformer melts down or lightning strikes nearby, right?

After attending a Furman session at a distributor's open house, I spec'd a Furman Elite 15PFi in 2007 and none of the equipment has had any kind of problems from electrical issues, including lightning. I was in the room where the rack is located when lightning struck outside of the house as I was checking some of the remote control changes and when I saw the flash, I heard a loud 'snap' sound inside the room. I looked around and noticed that the ADT cellular module's "call for service" light was flashing- the antenna is next to the copper gutter at the 2nd floor roof line and it's not grounded. The power amps are powered by this unit but they don't draw a lot of current and I'm using one of the 'Amplifier' receptacles to power one for the 12VDC trigger and the other is un-switched, but the Mac amp has its own 12V trigger.

However they do it, this has worked flawlessly for almost 9 years.

Some power conditioners use isolation transformers to help isolate from ground loops. They are usually a 1:1 ratio so they don't change the voltage at all.

A good power amp should have all the filtration it needs both on the primary and after the rectification stage but I suppose more filtration can't hurt. I do like having regulated power conditioners that shut down during over/under voltage conditions since most breakers built into GFI's don't react quickly enough. I don't like to use battery back up conditioners for high current devices such as power amps. Most of them limit to only 12A max load and you also have to change the battery every 5 years or so. I stopped using them on everything but they aren't a bad idea to use on a projector to save a lamp during abrupt power loss.

 

[highfigh]

Some power conditioners use isolation transformers to help isolate from ground loops. They are usually a 1:1 ratio so they don't change the voltage at all.

A good power amp should have all the filtration it needs both on the primary and after the rectification stage but I suppose more filtration can't hurt. I do like having regulated power conditioners that shut down during over/under voltage conditions since most breakers built into GFI's don't react quickly enough. I don't like to use battery back up conditioners for high current devices such as power amps. Most of them limit to only 12A max load and you also have to change the battery every 5 years or so. I stopped using them on everything but they aren't a bad idea to use on a projector to save a lamp during abrupt power loss.

My system isn't huge or powerful, but I do like stable voltage, so I installed a Panamax that shuts off below 90VAC and above 140VAC- that's a classic case of "a little extra is too much" and I'd like to keep everything as stable as possible. I installed a Minuteman UPS in the office for the same people where the Furman is- one evening, he was writing something lengthy for an upcoming wedding and a storm blew in, with lots of lightning. At one point, the power went out, but the computer never missed a beat. He looked at his wife and said "Well, that just paid for itself".