Electric Panel Surge protection

I have whole home surge protectors at my 2 panels - don’t know brand off hand; they were around $300-350  each installed. We get a lot of lightning with storms by me and have had strikes twice take out the panel protectors , but the protector prevented any damage. Net net check it every once and awhile to make sure it is still operating.   The electrician who installed mine told me that regardless of having the whole home protector at the panel to still use protectors at any equipment/appliances you want protected. I use ZeroSurge units for my 2 systems and a couple of tvs; Tripplite for modem, regular Lowes/HomeDepot ones for appliances.  I do use power conditioners for my 2 systems as well. 

@skads_187          More importantly, IMHO, find out what, if any limitations your home insurance policy has when it comes to replacing stereo equipment, regardless of the cause.  For example, my policy covers personal property, at replacement cost, to a maximum of $600,000.  There are no limits or maximums on individual items.  I do in fact have a whole house surge protector at the main panel, but it's the insurance policy that lets me sleep easy at night.  I see the speakers I bought a few years ago for $30K are poised to raise to $60K in 2026.  Ahhh, replacement cost.  Two more beautiful words have never been written.  Cheers.

This comes up so often I’ve written about it.  Bottom line is you need both, due to different clamping/let through voltages and the difference in voltage during a surge of an outlet that’s 30’ away vs. at the panel.  

In terms of brand, ideally the best are the one’s that fit in your panel like a breaker.  The leads used by surge protectors which are wired into the panel increase resistance and inductance which increases the let through voltage. 

Here is why you need both. 

Here is what I recommend for surge protectors at the outlet.

@facten  what kind of power conditioners do you use for your system?

@bigtwin Yes, its something im going to do tomorrow or next week and also find out if it adding it lowers the premium.

@erik_squires Wow, ok , so yes, I do need one in general, but , you are saying, I should still protect my audio gear with surge protection as well. 

Which then leads me to my next question, what do people do when they purchase those non current sacrificing conditioners , which mostly clean the line, example the SR Powercell 8 SX. I dont think it surge protects. Or in addition, ive seen many comments online to plug in the amp directly to the wall, which offers 0 protection. 

I guess Ill have to start looking at the Puritan again as an option, I think in terms of current, filtering, price and surge protection , it might be the best option? I will create another post for that not to get too off topic.

There are power surges from the electric utility coming through your panel.

And then there are lightning strikes which can enter from various points. My neighbor had lightning hit a tree then up from the ground through a gutter then to support rods in his elevated house. Fried his frig and two tvs.