Power Line Conditioner: Will it reduce line noise in Home Theater Setup

NACZ3 · 02-13-2003, 01:59 PM

Will a power line conditioner like the one made by APC from Dell SB here:
http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/P...=04&iCompatid=

or the Belkin Surge Protector + V regulator + line noise UPS here:

http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/P...=04&iCompatid=

reduce power line noise in hifi equipment like the ones made by monster cable here:

http://www.monstercable.com/power/lineHomePower.asp

Just curious. Will there be any noticeable difference in using a standard UPS or power line conditioner vice nothing? vice the Monster Cable boxes?

Thanks.

i6s1 · 02-14-2003, 03:30 PM

I don't think it will reduce noise, in fact a UPS may even add noise. A UPS puts out a square wave. The harmonics coming from a square wave are even worse then the ones coming from a sinewave. No problem for a computer, because all the frequencies it uses are in the MHz range, way out of reach of harmonics from 60Hz signal. For audio equipment, harmonics are in the audio range. For the most part though, the power supply on a decent amp should be enough to clean up even the noisiest incoming signal, be it from the powerco or from a UPS. Getting an expensive conditioner from Monster is just doubling up your ability to clean incoming power. If you have a specific problem with noise, figure out where it's coming from before buying anything. If you just want the UPS to protect the equipment from damage, then the Dell/Belkin UPS will do the trick.

DSummer · 04-09-2003, 12:18 AM

The best way to reduce noise without any trade off is using an isolated transformer. Those noise filters are actually made up of coils and capacitors, will be a gain in video, but probably a trade off of audio (cut off the high frequency) UPS is mainly a backup power source only.

ufcrusher · 04-09-2003, 12:57 AM

The monster clean power units will actually get rid of a lot of noise from your system. It will improve your picture quality on your television and it will improve the sound quality of your system.

To be honest it really is going to depend on the quality of your equipment. If you have a cheap receiver, crappy speakers, and a quasar tv...then you would do better to take the few hundred bucks that you would spend on a clean power unit and start saving towards some more expensive equipment. However if you have good quality stuff its going to clean everything up.

Examples of things that its going to remove... brown down from fridge going on (problem for many people in apartments)...static noise in the system...things like that.

As for UPS's they generally arent clean power units, although there are some exceptions. Monster cable uses several different filters (varies by the model) which filter specifically for video and audio applications. I have a clean power unit on my HT and when I worked selling the equipment I used to demo the difference for people by plugging the units into a regular surge protector vs. a clean power unit. I never met anyone would couldnt see the difference and most customers could hear the difference too.

02-13-2003, 01:59 PM	#1
NACZ3 Ensign Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 9	Power Line Conditioner: Will it reduce line noise in Home Theater Setup Will a power line conditioner like the one made by APC from Dell SB here: http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/P...=04&iCompatid= or the Belkin Surge Protector + V regulator + line noise UPS here: http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/P...=04&iCompatid= reduce power line noise in hifi equipment like the ones made by monster cable here: http://www.monstercable.com/power/lineHomePower.asp Just curious. Will there be any noticeable difference in using a standard UPS or power line conditioner vice nothing? vice the Monster Cable boxes? Thanks.

02-14-2003, 03:30 PM	#2
i6s1 Lieutenant Commander Join Date: Feb 2000 Location: Vancouver Posts: 905	I don't think it will reduce noise, in fact a UPS may even add noise. A UPS puts out a square wave. The harmonics coming from a square wave are even worse then the ones coming from a sinewave. No problem for a computer, because all the frequencies it uses are in the MHz range, way out of reach of harmonics from 60Hz signal. For audio equipment, harmonics are in the audio range. For the most part though, the power supply on a decent amp should be enough to clean up even the noisiest incoming signal, be it from the powerco or from a UPS. Getting an expensive conditioner from Monster is just doubling up your ability to clean incoming power. If you have a specific problem with noise, figure out where it's coming from before buying anything. If you just want the UPS to protect the equipment from damage, then the Dell/Belkin UPS will do the trick. __________________ YVAN EHT NIOJ

04-09-2003, 12:57 AM	#4
ufcrusher Admiral Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Boca Raton, FL: By way of: Poway, CA; Gainesville, Fl; Penn Valley, Pa. Posts: 5,680	The monster clean power units will actually get rid of a lot of noise from your system. It will improve your picture quality on your television and it will improve the sound quality of your system. To be honest it really is going to depend on the quality of your equipment. If you have a cheap receiver, crappy speakers, and a quasar tv...then you would do better to take the few hundred bucks that you would spend on a clean power unit and start saving towards some more expensive equipment. However if you have good quality stuff its going to clean everything up. Examples of things that its going to remove... brown down from fridge going on (problem for many people in apartments)...static noise in the system...things like that. As for UPS's they generally arent clean power units, although there are some exceptions. Monster cable uses several different filters (varies by the model) which filter specifically for video and audio applications. I have a clean power unit on my HT and when I worked selling the equipment I used to demo the difference for people by plugging the units into a regular surge protector vs. a clean power unit. I never met anyone would couldnt see the difference and most customers could hear the difference too. __________________ Welcome my son, welcome to the machine...Where have you been? It's alright we know where you've been....

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04-09-2003, 12:18 AM	#3
DSummer Ensign Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 10	The best way to reduce noise without any trade off is using an isolated transformer. Those noise filters are actually made up of coils and capacitors, will be a gain in video, but probably a trade off of audio (cut off the high frequency) UPS is mainly a backup power source only.

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