Automatic Voltage Regulation for home theater gear (TV, stereo, etc.)

[jrichrds]

Monster Cable sells some ridiculously expensive Automatic Voltage Stabilizers for home theater systems. Granted...they're marketed towards the high end crowd. But are the ones for home theater systems designed any differently than the UPS backups with Automatic Voltage Regulation made for computers? Or are they pretty much the same thing fundamentally (e.g. same techniques for conditioning, same type of power output)...just marketed to a different crowd?

 

[KMurphy]

An AVR is not the same as a UPS.

The AVR just regulates voltage to prevent shutdowns during sags, dips and blips; equipment damage during swells and such.

A UPS will supply power during a complete loss of power until the standby battery runs out or mains power is restored.

The AVR for home equipment is a waste of money unless you live in a 3rd world country where power quality is an issue. Today's switched mode power supplies (found in all electronics equipment) is very tolerant to power quality problems and is in fact a source of noise and triplen harmonics which can cause excess heat in inductive devices such as transformers and motors. It's not really an issue though.

Bottom line, don't waste your money on anything monster sells. They just glamorize commercially available equipment at a significant markup.

 

[damonpip]

Good quality voltage stabilizers are not the same as the UPS w/ AVR for computers. I have no idea if Monster makes decent ones, but even if they do, they are sure to be overpriced.

Either way, they are a complete waste of money unless you have really high end audio equipment or really bad power quality.

 

[jrichrds]

Thanks for the responses!

 

[f95toli]

First of all:High-end Hifi and Home Theater systems NEVER just switched power supplies, they are considered to be way too noisy.
Bad power quality can definitly be a problem even with "normal" setups, usally the problems are causes by refrigerators, pumps computers etc.
That said these problems can usually be minimized by simply connecting the equipment in the right way, an AVR is rarely needed.

 

[f95toli]

I just remembered something: Some Class D amps actually use switched power supplies (I think there is a version of the B&W ICEPower module which uses a switched supply), but class A and AB amps as well as CD/DVD players and preamps/processors use conventional regulated supplies.