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Adding a 2nd Power Condition vs. a Newer/Larger 1

OK, I am asking for advice on a current delimma. Currently, my main A/V system - in my "man cave" - is powered by a Monster Home Theater Reference HTS 3600 MkII. A pleasant problem to have - I have plumb run out of outlets. So, my question is:

What is the sonically superior solution? 1) I can either purchase a 2nd power conditioner (hopefully 1 identical to the one I have)...or, 2) just purchase a newer & larger one.

If I choose option 1, what is the best way to prevent potential ground loops? Do I plug it into the same outlet as the first one or into a separate one? 2 conditioners mean some components will have to plug into separate conditioners - how best to figure out which ones to be plugged into which conditioner?

If I choose option #2 - recommendations for a reasonably priced unit with loads of outlets. I am not intending to power one of the 5 NYC burroughs, but I do want the best unit I can afford from a sound reproduction perspective.

Thanks in advance for the quality answers I know I will receive.

OldManDave
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almarg's avatar
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almarg
9,670 posts
 
I would suggest a third option, which is much less expensive than the other two, and won't introduce ground loop issues. Just buy a quality power strip that does not have any filtering or surge suppression whatsoever, and use it to expand the number of outlets. Plug the power strip into one of the outlets on the HTS3600, and plug into the power strip two or three or four components (as necessary) which do not need to have any isolation or filtering between them (such as line-level analog components).

Regards,
-- Al
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gbart
290 posts
 
Yes. I would go for the Hammond strip with the "green dot" (hospital grade) duplex receptacles, which should have multiple-point contact versus one of the strips with the individual square outlets. The hospital grade receptacles are likely to provide better grip on your plugs in the short and longterm than the other outlet type, which usually have single-point contacts.
oldmandave's avatar
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oldmandave OP
24 posts
 
Thanks for the suggestion - I had thought of doing this, but was "certain" that doing this represents a fire hazard. I guess working in hospitals for the last 25 years & hearing the rant & rave about mere extension cords - the high-quality good ones - being a fire hazard alone and "chaining" them tantamount to blasphemy (instant hellfire & damnation), mades me a bit suspicious.
m297904
93 posts
 
The key to doing this safely is to recognize the power/current capacity. You would not want to do this with a couple of 1000 watt amps for instance. But you can safely do this with a number of your low power sources.
For isolation purposes, keep digital and analog sources separate per the labeling on the conditioner.

The problem with extension cords is that people run too much stuff into one outlet and exceed the capacity of the wiring - bad thing!
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