is surge protection needed ?

  • Thread starter Deleted member 188516
  • Start date
D

Deleted member 188516

Guest
my past systems always consisted of just a cd player and integrated amplifier.
these components were always plugged "direct" to a double wall socket.
(socket right behind system so no need for an extension block / strip).
i never really considered it but is surge protection really a problem, and, are surge protection devices / extension blocks just an accessory or a necessity ?
 
Last edited by a moderator:

abacus

Well-known member
A decent quality surge suppressor (Avoid a conditioner unless of professional (Expensive) grade) is always best to have, as while it will not improve the sound it will give your equipment protection if a fault occurs on the mains; (Something shorts out and trips the breaker etc.) also you would be surprised how variable and dirty the mains actually is (Particularly if you are in a built up or industrial area) so it will also reduce the amount of work the equipment power supply has to do which will increase its longevity. (The most common fault that occurs in equipment is the power supply)

Bill
 
  • Like
Reactions: shadders
D

Deleted member 188516

Guest
Have one, but no idea whether I'd have had a problem if I hadn't!

(You could argue that cost is negligible and that equipment can be pretty steep, so on balance why not?)

apparently big surges or spikes will blow equipment up !

however its the "minor" surges that apparently degrade sound quality (?).

may i ask how does the sound of your system change when you remove the isotek minisub out of the circuit ?
 
D

Deleted member 188516

Guest
A decent quality surge suppressor (Avoid a conditioner unless of professional (Expensive) grade) is always best to have, as while it will not improve the sound it will give your equipment protection if a fault occurs on the mains; (Something shorts out and trips the breaker etc.) also you would be surprised how variable and dirty the mains actually is (Particularly if you are in a built up or industrial area) so it will also reduce the amount of work the equipment power supply has to do which will increase its longevity. (The most common fault that occurs in equipment is the power supply)

Bill

may i ask are there any products you use and could recommend for a simple cd player plus integrated amplifier system ?
 
D

Deleted member 188516

Guest
Given the modest cost, I think surge protection is a sensible precaution, hopefully never tested. Both my headphone amp and my PC are connected via Belkin surge protectors. e.g. https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=belkin+surge+protector&rh=n:560798,p_89:Belkin&dc&qid=1601114939&rnid=1632651031&ref=sr_nr_p_89_1

thanks for the link. these look handy :-
 
D

Deleted member 188516

Guest
Most of mine are Belkin, and I always make sure that the low power items use 1 power strip and the high power items use a separate power strip. (The warrantee also comes in handy just in case)

Bill

so, if like me, you have a double wall socket right behind your system which allows components to be plugged in "direct" would (2 of these) belkin products in the below link be recommended ?

(i'm guessing by plugging the cd player and integrated amplifier into the separate sockets its the same as using 2 separate power strips for each component ?)

 
may i ask how does the sound of your system change when you remove the isotek minisub out of the circuit ?

I haven't run my system without it since I bought it (June 2002), and therefore nothing I own now has been used whilst connected directly to the wall. When I did first get it, the only noticeable difference was better stereo separation, width-wise - not what I expected as it wasn't something mentioned in the reviews I read. I don't have enough wall sockets to take it out, but as it also surge-protects I can't see a reason to bother anyway.
 

Belerofon

Well-known member
Aug 9, 2020
66
17
45
Visit site
my past systems always consisted of just a cd player and integrated amplifier.
these components were always plugged "direct" to a double wall socket.
(socket right behind system so no need for an extension block / strip).
i never really considered it but is surge protection really a problem, and, are surge protection devices / extension blocks just an accessory or a necessity ?
I my case, power conditioner affects sound, cheap one and expensive one too (my case was isotek aquarius) since then i say powe cond. are snake oil. About power surge, in case direct lightning strike no power surge in the world protect you, what i'm doing in storms etc is plug off my equipment from wall socket. Best power surge without cost.
 

Friesiansam

Well-known member
I my case, power conditioner affects sound, cheap one and expensive one too (my case was isotek aquarius) since then i say powe cond. are snake oil. About power surge, in case direct lightning strike no power surge in the world protect you, what i'm doing in storms etc is plug off my equipment from wall socket. Best power surge without cost.
A surge protector is not a power conditioner, it's sole function is to protect against surges also, most good ones include a warranty that will give you some compensation if a protected item is damaged by a power surge whilst correctly plugged in. Damage due to a lightning strike is extremely unlikely in the UK, as the National Grid includes a lot of protection from surges caused by lightning.
 

Belerofon

Well-known member
Aug 9, 2020
66
17
45
Visit site
A surge protector is not a power conditioner, it's sole function is to protect against surges also, most good ones include a warranty that will give you some compensation if a protected item is damaged by a power surge whilst correctly plugged in. Damage due to a lightning strike is extremely unlikely in the UK, as the National Grid includes a lot of protection from surges caused by lightning.
Some people buy power conditioner for power surge that's why i mentioned them. I'm envy you, because here in Czech republic no manufactures of power surge pay you for damages even if they say so, i was looking for best power surge without any filtration, no luck. Any advice?
 

abacus

Well-known member
so, if like me, you have a double wall socket right behind your system which allows components to be plugged in "direct" would (2 of these) belkin products in the below link be recommended ?

(i'm guessing by plugging the cd player and integrated amplifier into the separate sockets its the same as using 2 separate power strips for each component ?)


They will be fine if you only have 2 items, but also think to the future where you might add additional equipment. (Although as there reasonably priced you could use them elsewhere if you need to change them for a power strip)

Bill
 

Simon 13th note

Well-known member
BANNED
Jul 27, 2020
183
75
170
Visit site
my electrical engineer friend tells me the MOV's used on surge bars (metal oxide varistors) are not good for current delivery. These are the little round things you'll see poking up. I'm not surprised at this.

My attitude is, in the UK at least, the supply is so reliable and unlikely to surge that if you've got great hifi just use good quality audiophile type power bars that let good current through. No busbar types that can choke current along the strip.

I think the mains board to your property will probably trip before it gets to the hifi and if you use conditioners then they might have some sort of protection too. I use an IsoTek Aquarius which is a great bit of kit.
 
D

Deleted member 188516

Guest
I brought a £10 one from Wilkinson's it does the job as my amplifier has a protection circuit which now and again use to go into protection mode but since using it i have not had any problems

may i ask have you tried plugging you amplifier direct to the wall ?
many claim thats the best method for connecting amplifiers as its the lowest impedance / most "direct" method.
 
D

Deleted member 116933

Guest
TBH nearly all surge protectors aren't worth the scratch and they can still blow fuses in your amp especially if it's on at the time due to sudden power loss, so what's the point! the fuse has done its job in the amp.

As long as the correct fuse is used in the plug that will blow before any damage happens to the amp. And if the surge is strong enough, lighting, for example, that will trip breaker box before even entering the main circuit.

In my experience, current dependant amps like Naim and Sugden like to be plugged straight into the wall and it's very noticeable.

Isn't it funny that no other electronic device in the house is surge protected, fridge, washing, machine, oven and so on, all arguably more susceptible to surges
 

TrevC

Well-known member
Isn't it funny that no other electronic device in the house is surge protected, fridge, washing, machine, oven and so on, all arguably more susceptible to surges
The devices that require them usually have them built in. In the kitchen you wouldn't want plug ins or extension leads all over the place. There was one built into my Bosch dishwasher where the capacitor on the circuit board exploded with a huge bang, Frightened the life out of me. I disconnected the capacitor, didn't bother replacing it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: daveh75
D

Deleted member 116933

Guest
Protection against mains spikes is recommended for computers, and I'd have thought hifi has more in common with that than the white goods just listed!

Not really, even ovens have little computers in them, clocks, programs and so on, some washing machines now have more processing power than the Apollo landers.

hi-fi and white goods have a lot in common more so than computers.

Surge protectors are completely useless for computers if you think about how they work. If you really care about computers, battery back up is the only way, as it saves the data from corrupt. Hard drives do not like sudden dismounts. Completely different beast
 

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts