General Asylum: REVIEW: American Power Conversion H10 Power Conditioner/Surge Protector by SF tech

Model:	H10
Category:	Power Conditioner/Surge Protector
Suggested Retail Price:	$300
Description:	Power Line Conditioner
Manufacturer URL:	American Power Conversion
Model Picture:	View

Review by SF tech ( P ) on June 09, 2006 at 10:55:15
IP Address: 216.100.227.202

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for the H10

I purchased this unit to stabilize the AC line which feeds all of the gear in my audio/video system. I was having problems with voltage sags that were dipping down to at least 105VAC, which were causing my Parasound A23 to shut itself off. Not a lot of fun when you're trying to listen to music or watch a movie (especially annoying when you miss a few seconds of dialogue!) Long story short: This thing works. When the voltage fluctuates it just calmly goes into one of its boost modes... no theatrics, no audible glitches in the audio, just the subtle click of a relay that you can't even hear if music is playing. Also does basic EMI/RFI filtering and has adjustable turn on delay for power amps. You can choose three levels of automatic voltage regulation: Narrow, Normal, and Wide. This optimizes the unit to deal with the severity of your power problem... Narrow for less severe sags and surges, Wide for worst case scenarios. Looks very nice, and you can dim the display LEDs or turn them off completely. It is built like a brick... case is solid. Open it up and you'll see nice component quality and layout, attention to detail is VERY nice considering the price (I got mine for $200). Does not change the character of the system's sound in a negative way. If anything, I'd say the dynamic range has widened a bit with the H10 in the system... sounds a little "cleaner" maybe. The main thing is that is does not seem to do any harm. I believe this piece of gear to be a fantastic bargain. It just does what it's supposed to do with no fuss.

Product Weakness: None, considering its price.
Product Strengths: Easy to set up, works like a charm.

Associated Equipment for this Review:
Amplifier:	Parasound Halo A23
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	Cary SLP-308
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	Pioneer DV-47ai
Speakers:	NHT Super Twos
Cables/Interconnects:	Tara Labs, Audioquest
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	Rock, Jazz, Electronica
Other (Power Conditioner etc.):	Shunyata Venom power cords
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner

Product Weakness:	None, considering its price.
Product Strengths:	Easy to set up, works like a charm.