Tweakers' Asylum: REVIEW: Furman PL-8 Series II Power Conditioner/Surge Protector by kh6idf

Model:	PL-8 Series II
Category:	Power Conditioner/Surge Protector
Suggested Retail Price:	$189
Description:	8-outlet pro audio power conditioner
Manufacturer URL:	Furman
Model Picture:	View

Review by kh6idf on June 01, 2008 at 07:34:23
IP Address: 98.194.229.125 Add Your Review
for the PL-8 Series II

After finding some of my nonvolatile memory settings scrambled due to a power surge of some sort, I decided it was time to add a level of power protection to my system. A previous experience with a generic surge suppressor power strip was not encouraging - it flattened the 3-d sound into 2-d. I decided to try this Furman power conditioner on advice from a musician friend. It's made to be placed at the top of a pro audio rack, and has two pull-out LED lamps that allow the equipment below to be illuminated. I don't have any use for this feature but there is not a model without the lamps. There are several other models with voltage/current meters of various sorts, but the unit reviewed is the basic model without any meters (the rest of the circuitry is identical except for the lack of meters).

The manufacturer's web site describes this unit as providing surge protection with the benefit of not having to replace any components after a surge has been absorbed (short of a direct lightning strike anyway), and additionally if provides noise filtering on the ac line. There are two sets of four outlets at the rear and one additional convenience outlet on the front panel. The 8 outlets on the rear panel are grouped into 4 'analog' and 4 'digital' outlets, with presumably an isolation transformer between the two. I plugged my Squeezebox switching supply, the two Behringer units into the digital side, and the amp,preamp and turntable into the analog side. There is a big on/off switch which activates an internal relay (Furman claims this switch/relay can handle the large loads of power amps at turn-on) and this switch has a bright orange light behind it which I found annoyingly bright. This was quickly solved by application of some flat black automotive touch-up paint.

How does it sound? And does it flatten the 3-d soundstage like the cheap power strip did? After listening for a month I can report that it has no negative effect on the sound at all that I can hear. I tried plugging the amp straight into the wall outlet then plugging it into the Furman unit and heard no degradation of performance. So even for high current devices like amplifiers it seems to do its job without any audible side-effects.

I can't really say how many power surges it has protected me from in the past month other than to say all the connected equipment is still working fine. Also, short of physically pulling the plug during a storm, all 8 outlets can be switched off with the one switch on the front panel.

I had fairly quiet ac power before installing the Furman unit, so I'm not sure how much I notice the powerline noise filtering, but now if I turn the preamp gain all the way up and place my ear next to the speaker it is dead silent, with all connected devices switched on.

The PL-8 series II seems to be a decent budget power conditioner with a generous 8/9-outlets and available at pro-audio stores such as guitar center, etc for around $160.

Product Weakness:	Power switch has annoyingt bright orange light.<br>pull-out LED lights may be unnecessary if not in a rack system.<br>Supplied 10-foot ac cord is not removable.
Product Strengths:	No negative effects on audio quality.<br>8 rear ac outlets.<br>No replacement of components needed after a surge event.

Associated Equipment for this Review:

Amplifier: Linn LK280
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): Linn LK1
Sources (CDP/Turntable): Sony NS500V, Squeezebox 3, Rega planar 2
Speakers: Magnepan SMGc
Cables/Interconnects: Linn (Interconnect) Monster (speaker)
Music Used (Genre/Selections): varied
Room Size (LxWxH): 15 x 10.5 x 8
Room Comments/Treatments: acoustic wedge foam behind/around speakers
Time Period/Length of Audition: 1 month
Other (Power Conditioner etc.): Behringer SRC2496/DEQ2496
Type of Audition/Review: Product Owner
Your System (if other than home audition): home audition

Amplifier:	Linn LK280
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	Linn LK1
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	Sony NS500V, Squeezebox 3, Rega planar 2
Speakers:	Magnepan SMGc
Cables/Interconnects:	Linn (Interconnect) Monster (speaker)
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	varied
Room Size (LxWxH):	15 x 10.5 x 8
Room Comments/Treatments:	acoustic wedge foam behind/around speakers
Time Period/Length of Audition:	1 month
Other (Power Conditioner etc.):	Behringer SRC2496/DEQ2496
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner
Your System (if other than home audition):	home audition