Fight The Power

Recently our electrical service provider, PG&E, upgraded all the meters in our area. When they restored the power after replacing our meter, the electrical surge was so enormous it caused the television in my bedroom to come on by itself and erased all of the settings in the set. Because it was an old TV that used tick marks instead of numbers for the video settings, I had to redo the the video calibration for my TV.

Everybody knows to use surge protectors or uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) for their computers--I hope. Today's audio/video electronics need the same tender loving care to protect them from evil power surges, which may cause expensive damages in one swift stroke, or wear them down over time.

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What some folks are not aware of is that surge protectors typically use metal oxide varistors (MOV) that eventually will fail at some point from electrical surges. Once this part fails completely, your equipment is no longer protected, and the surge protector essentially becomes an ordinary AC power strip.

Therefore, it is important to occasionally check the surge protection light indicator to ensure that your equipment is still being protected from surges. Additionally, a lighted switch on a power strip does not necessarily mean it provides surge protection.

APC and Tripp-Lite are two reputable manufacturers of surge protectors. I suggest getting ones that have the highest Joules (J) rating, at least 1,000 to 2,000 Joules.

Another electrical problem that is as harmful as a surge is a "brownout," a partial loss of electricity, or under voltage. These can be momentary or long lasting. We had a brownout the other night that lasted for hours. In such situations, I would recommend turning off the electrical circuits at the main panel in your home, or building, until the electricity is fully restored.

Power line conditioning, or simply power conditioning, adds voltage regulation and AC noise filtration that is supposed to improve the sound and picture quality in A/V systems. The effectiveness of power conditioners in doing so can vary from product to product. Some power conditioners can also protect your equipment from brownouts.

Panamax and Monster Cable are two popular makers of power conditioners. Furman Sound, which for decades have made power conditioners for professional applications, has also entered the consumer market with their home theater products.

Some components and appliances draw a lot of electrical current, for example, audio power amplifiers, A/V receivers, and TV's. Some power conditioners can actually choke some of this current, potentially degrading the overall performance of your audio/video system. When shopping for a power conditioner, look for AC outlets specifically designed for high current electronics.

Finally, here's a quick tip: After calibrating their home theater systems, I always advise my clients to record all of the audio and video settings for future reference, in case anything gets accidentally altered or erased.

In some cases, the quickest way is to simply use a digital camera, and take snapshots of the settings in the menu screens (e.g., color, contrast, brightness, etc.). Remember to record all audio and video settings, i.e., speaker sizes, crossover, color temperature, etc.

Surge protection should be an integral part of every audio/video system. With power conditioning, you may even notice an improvement in the performance, or at least have some assurance that your equipment is getting the cleanest electricity possible. Considering what you have invested in an entire system, the costs of these electrical accessories should be negligible.