Hi Fi Protection

[admin_exported]

All,

What do you use to protect your hi-fi? Currently I use a Tacima CS929 block, which is something of a mixed blessing. On the one hand I feel that my hi fi is protected from surges, and on the other hand, the mains conditioner appears to change the sound quality. It does add clarity, but I think the bass suffers for it.

I have a Cyrus 8vs2 amp and CD8x and ProAc Studio 110's.

My questions:

Is a surge protector strictly necessary? Don't the designers assume that there will be fluctuations in the mains supply and account for them? The tech blurb on the Cyrus site implies that the guts of the boxes perform power management functions as standard.....

I am also assuming that if lightening strikes nearby the power co. have surge protection we all benefit from?

Assuming I use a plug in surge socket instead of the Tacima, will it support a bog-standard 4 way socket strip/extension lead?

Is the stuff in Maplins as good as dedicated audiophile products?

Do surge protectors affect sound quality, or are they completely transparent?

Is a mains conditioner good/bad? Again, I assume the designers design the kit to sound the same wherever in the UK you plug your boxes?

I have to be honest, if it weren't for becoming interested in hi-fi, I wouldn't have given this a moments thought, although I do use surge protection for the PC.

Thanks in advance for any help you can give.

 

[idc]

Septicman, it is belt and braces and although electrical equipment can take variations there is still the possibility of a damage, so the surge protection. I lived somewhere were the mains supply was not very reliable and so got a Russ Andrews blue mains extension which I stll use. However, for sound quality I do not think it makes as much difference as mains conditioning. I use a Russ Andrews Silencer plugged into the mains extension and that does improve sound by removing back ground noise and better clarity. There are a lot of people very happy with products from Maplins and are happy to recommend them, such as a better power supply for the MF XcanV2 at £15 over another audiophile one from Rock Grotto at £70 odd.