Is Power Conditioning really needed?

[pat conlon]

<font color='#000000'>I wonder if I could get some opinions.
I have a B&amp;K AVR307, Paradigm Reference speakers, high quality interconnects and speaker cable, and I am ready to jump in with the new Denon 5900. I listen to CD's DVD-A and SACD but I do not listen to vinyl....I know all about surge and line protection, I have a Niles IPC-8PRO existing now on my system, protecting ac, phone,and coax.
My electrical utility, Southern Calif Edison, provides a reasonably consistent 120 volts, plus or minus 2%.
My system is on a dedicated 20 amp circuit with a quiet ground.

Sooo.... what's the scoop on these $800-$1800+ power line conditioners HiFi folks want to sell me?
They say I got to have one....It will really make a difference, they all say my equipment will sound better.

I might be inclined if I had a turntable and needed ultra precisce speed control to listen to vinyl, but I don't.

Sounds like snake oil to me, any thoughts? TIA Pat</font>

 

[Rip Van Woofer]

<font color='#000000'>Snake oil.

Unless you have seriously grungy power (and you don't, from your description) any decent audio gear already has more than adequate RF rejection, voltage regulation, and whatever else is needed to deal with the other electrical heebie-jeebies 99% of us are likely to encounter.

Even if you belong to the unfortunate 1%, I wouldn't waste my money on any of the &quot;audiophile&quot; power conditioners. The area is rife with frauds. At the very least, they are overpriced and at worst they are incompetently designed by dilettantes. (Frankly, the more I look at the more esoteric &quot;high-end&quot;, the more I think that that statement applies to the field as a whole, IMHO.) I would instead look at reputable, established manufacturers like Tripp Lite that build power supply regulation and surge protection equipment for computers and pro sound. Parts Express has a big honkin' rackmount Tripp Lite line conditioner for $459, for instance. There are others by them more suitable for domestic use in the $150-$300 range. That's the most I'd consider, and only if my power were generated by hamsters!

PS to the literal-minded: My stats are purely figures of speech!</font>