Power Conditioning on the Cheap


This is my first post here after a bit of lurking, so please be gentle.  I realize this subject must come up a fair amount and I've read erik_squires blog posts on the subject, but I was hoping to get the community's opinion on the relative merits of a few relatively basic power conditioners.  I've narrowed my list down to a few options at a range of (fairly modest) price points.  From low to high they are:

Furman PST-8D

ifi Power Station

Furman Elite-15 PF I

Shunyata PS10 w/ Venom Defender

Audioquest Niagara 1200

In a perfect world where I didn't have a limited budget I would probably buy something higher up the line from Shunyata, but since we live in a decidedly imperfect world, these are my options, although I would welcome other suggestions that fit within this price range.

I should also probably mention that while I value subjective reports on the sound quality of various products, generally speaking I give more weight to objective measurements or at least arguments based in sound science.  More embarrassingly, I also place a certain amount of value on aesthetics.  Aesthetic taste being inherently subjective, (a debatable point, but for the sake of argument lets just assume that it's true) lets just say that when I lust after completely unobtainable equipment it tends to be from companies like Soulution or Pilium rather than Dan D'Agostino or darTZeel.

incorporeus

Although I don't have a dedicated 20 amp spur I agree with the posts above that is a solid investment. I've witnessed before and after results. That being said I've had a whole house surge protector for 15 + years. It has never tripped during any storms or power outages. I personally don’t like any filtration between my A/C outlets and my gear. I also don’t like fuses, switches, lights, capasitors etc. anything that gets in the way of the incoming A/C. I’ve used the Naim Wiremold power strip for 20 + years. 9 quality outlets, captive cord. Why captive? Because some high dollar power conditioning units use a $5. cheap EC connections that does more harm than good. Captive also means no breaks in the A/C connection > direction > Wire to wire. The Wiremold is Star Grounded sharing only one common ground. All outlets are tied to the main incoming power line. Non current limiting and all aluminum construction. Now they come Cryogenicly Treated as well. 

 

 Holographic Open Soundstage and purify the music for only $200. It's awsome in my 12K system....better than my 600 dollar PS Audio conditioner...What is it ....AudioQuest POWER QUEST 2...6 outlets with 3 Linear power outlets and 2 Hi Gain outlets...No Sacrificial surge protection   7 ft ac cable  Unlimited Joule protection.  The best $200 I ever spent . Forget all those overpriced units. This one is just as good and you can save a bundle.  Audio Advisor. Try it for 30 days.

@mitch2  Damn good idea but the cost might not be as affordable as you think.  Running dedicated power line depends on several factors such as electrical needs, distance and whether or not you need to cut into drywall to run new wiring. If extensive work is needed to run wires in your home, the project could cost as much as a few thousand dollars.

Last year I went through a search for a small size power conditioner for my computer and digital audio setup.  The lower level Furman's were okay, but they only had 3 outlets on the rear (6 plugs).  Also, the Furman has a single filter design.  I looked at the Audioquest products, but rejected them because of the silver-plated components.  I ended up getting a PS Audio Dectet.  Review and teardown here:

https://www.audioaficionado.org/showthread.php?t=19276

It has 5 outlets (10 plugs) and actually three separate filters for three high current A/C zones.  It's more like a large power strip similar to the Audioquest, but does not use silver-plated components (if you are critical about that).  And it uses better outlets than the Furman.  Can use any high current power cord for A/C input.  Retail is now $750, but you can sometimes find these used for less.  The PS Audio Dectet worked out great for my scenario.