Questions about the Monster Reference PowerCenter (HTS 3600)

[REDWING3139]

Are these items worth the money do they really make an audible difference in the sound quality what about picture quality? are they worth it?

[polkatese]

http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=25254&highlight=hts3600

[mantis]

Yes they do. Experience one and never go back. Monster isn't the only product thats like that, there are man yother brands for you to research as well.

Dan

[schwarcw]

I have a Monster 3500 and like it. I bought it for a very reasonable price. The only thing I don't like about Monster power centers is that you can't replace the stock power cord. I'll probably upgrade this component down the line but it was a good deal for a very functional unit.

[cheddar]

There sure are a lot of threads on these things. I have an htps 7000 from Monster. I know that some people have said power conditioners can rob power from your amps and affect the bass. I even had my 7000 plugged into a monster power strip plugged into the wall at one point and I really just couldn't tell any difference improvement or degredation wise.

I think from reading other posts that it really may depend on the equipment chain and the power you're getting from the wall in the first place. My power voltage is pretty stable 118-122 and I've never heard any interference on my speakers before I used the power conditioner. Also, it could be that components in my system are compensating for any drain the filtering might cause. My amps keep sending power to my speakers for a few seconds if I turn them off. So I'm no expert, but they're storing power somehow before delivering it.

You don't lose much by demoing a unit you can return to a big box store. I think that's the only way you can know if it will make a difference in sound quality for your particular set-up. I think how power quality and how components interact with each other is just too variable to say how much you need or don't need to lay out the dough for a power conditioner.

BTW, my 7000 did a great job of getting rid of the ghosting and zebra bars I sometimes got around some cable tv stations. So if you have problems with PQ like that, I highly recommend them.

[cheddar]

Oh yeah, for those with power spike problems, I've heard that even top of the line conditioners from many companies will slowly degrade over time 'cause the MOVs that absorb the spikes are designed to burn out as they absorb the surge.

Some companies like Furman design more robust solutions for pro audio. They seem to be a better bang for the buck too.

http://www.furmansound.com/