kenratboy Posted September 15, 2004 Share Posted September 15, 2004 I recently read this article from Audioholics: http://www.audioholics.com/productreviews/avhardware/monster_HTS-3500a.php And got to wondering, are these things really worth a danm? I think they look cool, and I assume the better ones (like the one in question - $400) are very good surge protectors. However, do they actually help your system by giving your gear better power and reducing noise and interference? I do not know. If you are just a Monster hater, use Panamax or any other brands. I just want to know if these things are worth it. So we are on the same page, lets talk about using a $400 power center in a $5,000 system (not like a Sony boombox or anything!) Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dale W Posted September 15, 2004 Share Posted September 15, 2004 I have 2 of these ( pictures avalible if wanted ) personaly besides the surge protection i like the step up and step down power of the components. I did have a minor line hum before installing the two of them , now it's gone . Who's product is better ? I don't know , i buy whats local and warrentable in my area . They all basicly do the same job . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenratboy Posted September 15, 2004 Author Share Posted September 15, 2004 Cool, I want to here more stuff like you said (killing minor line hum or whatever) - I sell them and want to actually have some conviction and data to sell them with, not hype! - see, I'm honest Do they use MOV's or series protection? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dale W Posted September 15, 2004 Share Posted September 15, 2004 Some of these products will do a " stellar " job in certain areas while others might notice nothing at all . When conditioning A/C one must always see whats in close proximity to your dwelling , your line feeds different branchs which all put some kind of crap back into the line . Have you ever been watching a ball game or intresting program ? then the wife or your mom fires up a mixmaster or electric knife in the kitchen !! what happens to the picture on the tv ????? That is crap fed back into the grid of the house by the electric moter of the devise in question , the exact same thing can happen in the area your power lines branch from . If your drawning from residential as well as light industrial then interference can come thru. None of us will ever see the same potential . Get what i'm saying ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicholtl Posted September 16, 2004 Share Posted September 16, 2004 Yeah, it does kind of depend on where you live. If you live in an apartment or condo or somewhere that suffers from shared power lines, chances are you're getting more than just dirty power. Maybe when the fridge turns on, or someone fires up an electric drill, or a high-powered lamp is flipped on, the voltage running through your place sags. The lights dim. Your TV picture turns to sh!t. Maybe you've noticed some days your system sounds great, and the picture is stellar, and the next day everything leaves you wondering if you were dreaming because it sounds so bad. On the other hand, perhaps you're lucky and live somewhere where you receive relatively steady 120 volt power. I have Monster's 2 top of the line units (HTPS 7000 and AVS 2000), and I've not really noticed any dramatic difference in anything. Well, perhaps the color saturation on my TV was slightly better, but it could just be placebo as well. Granted, I only have my source components plugged into them (HD tuner, CD changer, DVD player, VCR, etc.), as any attempt to plug an amp (much less both of my amps) into them would fry the units faster than the blink of an eye. So if nothing else, you might want to think about a Monster unit for surge protection. While people might disagree with me on this, PS Audio makes several products, such as their Power Director, Ultimate Outlets, and Power Plants, that have been proven to clean up, filter, balance, and maintain steady AC current via computer tests and sine wave analysis. I myself have demoed these products when attached and not attached to high-end gear, and the difference is nothing less than dramatic. I was sold. Wider sound stage, more presence in the mid-range, tighter bass, all that jazz, and then some. Call me a fanboy, maybe I am, but these things DO work. They are what Monster only dreams on achieving, multiplied by 10. And no, it's not snake oil, smoke and mirrors, placebo, or anything else you want to call it. They're more than just line conditioners, which is what Monster's products are. Problem is that you pay a hefty (and I do mean hefty) price for these... ...the Power Plant alone costs $4000. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dkp Posted September 16, 2004 Share Posted September 16, 2004 I use one in my system (HTS 5100) and got it for a song ($300). It did clean up the video through my projection unit somewhat (for television, not DVDs). If there was much of a difference in the audio, I did not notice it. David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fini Posted September 16, 2004 Share Posted September 16, 2004 I heard miner line hum, back in '49 in the gold fields. We men entertained each other by putting on Broadway shows. We did not have sheet music, and none of us could remember the words. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilMays Posted September 16, 2004 Share Posted September 16, 2004 Fini - Thats funny and I don't even understand it! DKP - What do you mean it cleaned up your video? Did it give you a better picture from cable/sat or what? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dkp Posted September 16, 2004 Share Posted September 16, 2004 ---------------- On 9/16/2004 11:51:28 AM PhilMays wrote: Fini - Thats funny and I don't even understand it! DKP - What do you mean it cleaned up your video? Did it give you a better picture from cable/sat or what? ---------------- PhilMays-yes, cable television seemed to be significantly better when running it through the Monster unit. We had some friends over for the super bowl and the picture was less than satisfactory. I added the unit sometime later and the picture was much better. David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteelerFan Posted September 16, 2004 Share Posted September 16, 2004 Will any of these power conditoners/surge protectors really do anything for a hum problem? One of these units is about the only option I've left to try to cure mine. Otherwise, I'm working on getting used to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenratboy Posted September 17, 2004 Author Share Posted September 17, 2004 ---------------- On 9/16/2004 8:35:51 PM SteelerFan wrote: Will any of these power conditoners/surge protectors really do anything for a hum problem? One of these units is about the only option I've left to try to cure mine. Otherwise, I'm working on getting used to it. ---------------- Yes, that is the idea of it - obviously it is not a cure-all, so just try it!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boomer9911 Posted September 17, 2004 Share Posted September 17, 2004 I have said it before and will say it again, they PROTECT...I use a MONSTER HTPS7000 POWER CENTRE, they work as they are described to and have had NO problems, bravo Monster... Long story short, I lived in an isolated community in the high Arctic years ago, where the power was supplied by diesel generator, 3 of them, 1 full time, 1 part time, and last, stand by....go figure eh... At that time I used an Adcom ACE-515 Enhancer..did the job, oh yeah..protected my equipment period. PS. haven't seen anything clean up a video signal better...audio hasn't impressed me yet, but video quality has... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dkp Posted September 17, 2004 Share Posted September 17, 2004 ---------------- On 9/16/2004 8:35:51 PM SteelerFan wrote: Will any of these power conditoners/surge protectors really do anything for a hum problem? One of these units is about the only option I've left to try to cure mine. Otherwise, I'm working on getting used to it. ---------------- Steelerfan-well, I had a subwoofer hum issue as well-more likely than not caused by a ground loop issue. I made several changes at once, so I'm not sure if which variable got rid of the hum. Here are the changes I made, hope it helps. Receiver changed-this should not eliminate a loop problem. The sub is now plugged into the Monster unit. Before it was on another outlet, so I cannot say for sure that it was the Monster unit that got rid of the hum. Plugging both into the same outlet may have alleviated the issue as well. Cable television now runs through the Monster unit. My understanding is that the cable for the television should be grounded when it enters the house. I don't believe mine is, and that may have caused the loop issue. It is now connected through the Monster unit, so again, I cannot say for sure that the Monster unit eliminated the loop. Good luck! David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jzoz01 Posted September 17, 2004 Share Posted September 17, 2004 Just stepping up to a larger power center (5100) from the 3600 I saw a difference in my picture, on both cable and dvd. These things work and are a great investment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilMays Posted September 17, 2004 Share Posted September 17, 2004 Would that apply to satelite as well? Anyone have experience with that? So the cable runs into the unit then out to your reciever... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sanman023 Posted September 17, 2004 Share Posted September 17, 2004 i bought the monster hts 5100, 1100, 200 for their warranty.....wasnt looking any improvement in audio or video.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fini Posted September 17, 2004 Share Posted September 17, 2004 Oh, BTW, before the show, the other miners and I used a dandruff shampoo and a power conditioner. It controlled my spikes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilMays Posted September 17, 2004 Share Posted September 17, 2004 Fini - Your Funny!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenratboy Posted September 17, 2004 Author Share Posted September 17, 2004 ---------------- On 9/17/2004 11:21:30 AM PhilMays wrote: Fini - Your Funny!!! ---------------- Not exactly what I was thinking, but OK... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dodger Posted September 17, 2004 Share Posted September 17, 2004 My wife does a lot of seamstress/sewing. When she would run her machine, even though I have ISOBARS, there would be herringbone pattern and hum in the picture of the television. I bought one of the Radio Shack single outlet power surge, RFI/EMI controllor/Filters. Plugged her sewing machine into that then into wall outlet. Now she can sew all she wants with the same machine with no affect on the television picture. Sometimes and I say sometimes, you have to isolate the offending appliance if you can narrow it down. dodger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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