Home theatre is a modern-day entertainment product. It is mostly used for experiencing high-quality music. But many people used it to enhance the sound quality of television. And If you recently bought a home theatre, which is very expensive and you are thinking about how to keep it safe and long-lasting. A home theatre power manager may be a good option.
But many questions may arise at the time of buying. For instance, Is it necessary? Will power manager can impact sound quality? Moreover, a power manager of a home theatre can cost from hundred dollars to premium products of thousands of dollars. Is this huge amount of investment really worth it?
There are a lot of dispute comments over it. Some experts say it is a must for a high-end home theater or audiophile. While another group expert says it is entirely a scam. A power manager is nothing but a waste of money.
If you go through this article sincerely, you will get the right idea. What a power manager is? What is it for? Why should we need it? And some other extra information about it. Before starting, let me clear you one thing, “power conditioner” and “power manager” are here the same meaning word used interchangeably.
What Is Dirty Power?
Let’s know first the dirty power. Because dirty power is directly involved in the home theatre power manager.
Dirty power is an umbrella term. That is majorly used for abnormalities of electricity. This problematics of electricity is also caused by a wide range of power issues. Moreover, these power problematics issues are expensive, disruptive, and spiny.
High-frequency electrical noise, lightning, and power surges and spikes come under dirty power. Sensitive materials of any electrical goods are affected by the dirty power.
How Dirty Power Affects Home Theatre?
- Brittle components of your home theatre might be damaged by the problematic power supply. That might lead to a staving of the home theatre.
- The electrical noise from AC outlets might damage any sensitive components of electronics goods including home theatre,
- Electromagnetic fields generate from power cables, microwaves, and other gadgets pollute the power flowing from sockets.
- Most home theatres are not seriously protected from dirty power.
What is a home theatre power manager?
Home theatre power conditioner or aka power manager is the process of creating stable and clean power. If you live in an area where power issues are frequent for lightning surges. Then you need to buy a power manager for your home theatre.
You may plug all the electronic devices into the power conditioner. That can control all the power distribution. Moreover, it will obstruct the power spikes during the power surges. In other words, it will help you to protect your home theatre and other expensive electronic items from damage.
What does It look Like?
From the surface, the device looks like a cable-tv set-top box. These items are designed such that they are equipped with any rack and have a lot of ports on the rear panel. These multiple ports are for different and specific use. For instance, some are for high voltages, power amplifiers, and so on.
The front panel of the home theatre power manager generally has a small LED screen. That shows voltage and other features, depending on the power manager model and company. Almost every brand of power conditioner offers a power switch. You can cut off the power of all electronic items at once.
A power manager can be found at a few hundred dollars. However, some large bulky power managers are worth $5000 to $9000 and more. These types of power conditioners are about 50 pounds.
What Does A Power Condiner Do?
A power manager not only keeps your electronic device safe but also makes sure that your electronic device gets clean energy. Power managers are generally used in sound-sensitive cases. Because audio-related issues are very sensitive to noise and interference.
If you are a voice-over artist or you have a studio and amplifier, a power manager could enhance your sound experience.
Features Of Power Manager?
- A power manager helps to keep electronic devices safe and secure by monitoring the AC distribution power.
- A power manager can help you to manage a high-risk environment.
- This item can give you high quality of security against electrical surges.
- If you gave a home theatre you might buy one for better sound enhancement.
- These gadgets protect your electronic items from power surges and dirty power.
- A power manager can become safeguard your electronic items.
- The power manager shielded the other electronic items and increased their lifespan.
- Constantly using devices needs a power manager for better service.
Extra Benefit You can get From A Power manager-
Simple Cable Management-
The most leverage thing of a power manager is cable management. Power conditioners are designed such that they have easily put in a rack and generally they have eight or more eight ports.
You can plug multiple electronic gadgets at once into a power manager. Moreover, you can switch off and switch on anytime with this gadget. For instance, you can plug your TV, home theatre, and subwoofer same time into a power manager.
Keep Away White Noise-
Another given advantage of power managers is they eliminate noise that amplifiers draw together. For an audio studio, a power manager is a must. If you are getting a whimper coming from an amplifier, chances are high that a power manager can help you to clean. Moreover cleaning up your power line’s noise will minimize the probability of amplifier picking noise.
Protect Electronic Gadgets-
You already know that the key features of the power manager are to reduce the risk of damage to electronic goods and gadgets. In fact, majorly people buy power managers for these reasons. The constant use of any electrical goods needs a power manager. For instance, your home theater’s fragile components will be safe if you use a home theatre power manager.
Do I Need A Power manager?
This is a very tricky question to answer. Because there are various types of people and their opinion on power manager is different. But you need it for protection or better quality.
If you are living in an area where lightning surges are quite often or frequent power surges happen, then a home theatre power manager is not an accessory item there. In fact, it is a necessary gadget.
Dirty power is a common thing these days. The more often occurs irregularities are frequency and voltage variations and power surges. Dirty power easily affects the sound quality of your home theatre. Moreover, this dirty power damages the types of equipment of a home theatre. And if you facing these issues anytime, it will be better to own a home theatre power conditioner.
A low-level signal which goes along with a real power signal is called normal mode noise. Sometimes, you may listen to some extra noise from your speaker, that is the normal mode noise. A power manager could filter that noise and improve the quality of the sound experience.
In conclusion, a power manager cleans your power and offers a better-sounding experience.
Why do Some Oppose Against Power Manager?
However, many people do not like the use of a power manager in the home theatre. They give some different opinions on these gadgets.
They believe that power manager protects equipment from lightning and power surges. But they share different experiences on sound quality. They find that a power conditioner removes the noise. However, it sometimes removes the sound effect that is not supposed to do. Therefore, the original audio lost its quality and became lifeless.
Paul McGowan an expert from PS Audio once said a power conditioner suppose to “rob the music of its life and bleach the sound”. He also said that a power manager is very expensive to afford.
Can A Power Manager Increase Sound Quality?
A lot of factors depend on better sound quality. There are some managers in the market, which cut the noise and also cut out very few original audio signals, which cost the music slightly.
However, the results of sound quality depend on a power manager’s model too. If your electric power line has a lot of noise, you can improve it with a quality power manager.
My personal opinion is if you have the option of a home theatre power manager, check the quality of the audio. At first, do with a power manager and without a power manager. You will get to know the difference between the two. Then choose it wisely.
Guidance To Buy A Power Manager-
If you make up your mind to buy a home theatre a power conditioner, let me give you some tips on it. These tricks will help you to buy a good power manager. Let’s go one by one.
● Power Cable-
A long power cord is a useful thing. The long power cord filters enough noise. Moreover, it offers a better installation experience. In fact, you have to take care that the power cord must be inviolable, reliable, and easy to use.
● Voltage Range-
The ideal voltage for a power manager is 120V to 400V. So, by buying a better voltage range power manager you can trust that your electronics items are safe and protected.
● Ports Available-
Before going to buy, please check how many ports you need. And in the buying time trying to select one that has an extra outlet thank you currently need. Therefore you can secure future points.
● Surge Protection-
Check whether the power conditioner offers a surge protector or not. Look out for the power manager that offers surge protectors. And this will long last your home theatre.
● UL Certification-
In conclusion, check the most important thing, Underwriters Laboratories certification. In the market, there is a wide range of power managers, that are not UL certified. However, UL certification has more authority and trust.
What Should Be The Ideal Budget For A Power Manager?
There is a wide range of power managers available in the market in each category of price. You will find a $100-$500 power manager. In fact, you can find a power manager worth $50. However, some opines that these $50 power managers have actually surged, protectors.
If you need to buy a power manager of good quality, you have to spend at least $300. That is the best range for a power conditioner. But you can buy a $50 to $150 power manager if you have a tight budget. However, you know that the quality will be never the same. But at least any protection is better than no protection, you can get with a cheaper home theatre power manager.
High-end professional power manager worth $5000 or more. But you don’t need to spend too much. You can choose one that cost around $300 to $500 and is best for home theatre and other electronic home devices.
Top 3 Power Managers You Might Consider-
Already we mentioned that there is a lot of power manager available in each price range. For a quick suggestion, here we provide 3 different types of power manger. We differentiate the category with the price range.
● Niagara 5000 Power Manager-
We recommend it for high-budgeters. This is 3 rd product of Audio Quest’s power conditioner series. Its weight is almost 38lbs. It is as large as a desktop monitor case. However, it plays an incredible job while filtering the noise. Moreover, it is one of the few power conditioners that is rated under 30 in power line noise meters.
● Panamax M5400 Power Manager-
This power manager is for the mid-range section. It provides level 4 power noise filtration. That well enough reduces power line noise. It has also a LED screen. You can get some important information about it.
It has 10 ports to use. And surge protection rate is 2125 joules. It is the best for those who want a power manager near $1000.
● Furman PL-8C Power Manager-
It is an entry-level power manager. You will get most of the features like noise filters and surge protection. As it is a budget segment product it will give you a basic noise filter. It has 8 outlets to use. If you are looking for a budget segment power manager, you can surely select this one. It will not regret you.
Conclusion-
The matter of a home theatre power manager is tricky. If you want a power manager or not, it will all be up to you. Moreover, your budget and setup are also important for it.
A power manager protects your electronic gadgets from lightning strikes and power surges. You can rely on the power manager during lightning storm time. It may give you better sound quality depending on the noise of your electricity.
My personal suggestion is a mid-range power manager is the best to use. It will keep calm in a stormy time. Moreover, your electronic items will be safe from dirty power too.
