Home Theatre Power Manager – Ultimate Guide

Many experts suggest that owners install power management for their home theatre system when it comes to managing it. However, the majority of consumers think they don't require it for their home theatre system. However, the same majority is unaware of how crucial it is to have power management for their electronics and gadgets.

Having one can assist users to prevent damage or even destruction of their gadgets and equipment from "dirty" power, lightning surges, and power outages. Surge protectors, power regenerators, and UPS units are examples of devices that function similarly to power managers for home cinema systems.

The best home theatre power manager helps protect your expensive pieces of equipment and make them last longer than usual. If you are worried that a power outage might cause harm to your Home theater or other equipment then having a power manager is the best option.

Power Managers: What Exactly Are They?

From Furman Power

For those unfamiliar with power managers, they are devices designed for regulating AC power distribution to the devices it is connected with. Commonly known as “home theater power managers,” they are called “home theater power conditioners” by others.

Aside from regulating the power distribution to both of your electronics and devices, a power manager also offers surge protection and cleaning “dirty” power flow (by either reducing or eliminating AC noise).

For more advanced and expensive models, they can offer additional features such as sequential system power ON/OFF (controlled turning off and on of devices during low voltage) and over/under-voltage protection. There are also other features that will be incredibly beneficial for those owning many electronics and devices, such as a home theater system.

The Role of a Power Manager in a Home Theater System

When determining the role of power manager in your home theater system (and in other devices that are compatible with it), remember that it is basically divided into two parts: improving the performance of your home theater system by both enhancing the flow of electricity (noise filtration) and proper power distribution; the other part would be the protection it offers from power surges, where it extends the lifespan of your electronics and devices.

When used in conjunction with a home entertainment system, power management also plays the extra duty of creating a space that is much cleaner, neater, and more organized. All of the power cables and wirings that were previously dispersed throughout the system are now neatly tucked away in the system's back because of the power manager.

As can be seen in the previously provided image sample, most power managers feature connection and power connectors on the back. That reduces the possibility that you may trip over tangled and disorganized wires that would otherwise be present with your home theatre system if there is no power manager.

Is Having A Home Theater Power Manager Really a Necessity?

The simple answer for that question is basically no, but with some catches to it. For one, it will become a necessity if you want to properly protect your home theater system (and other devices connected to it) from power issues such as surges, power flow, etc. The other reason that it will become a necessity is due to the improvement it provides to your home theater’s performance.

If one's area frequently experiences a high density of lightning strikes or if their location is known to have very frequent power surges, they should ideally have a power manager for their home theatre system.

Many of today's gadgets and devices lack the safety required for either of those situations, which can seriously harm the fragile circuitry inside. Only a small number of premium and pricey devices come with that level of protection by default.

It is strongly encouraged to get a power manager if your location is also having "dirty" power (different abnormalities of the power's quality). However, most places in the globe today—especially in highly developed nations—experience less dirty power.

Dirty Power: How Does It Affect Your Home Theater?

As mentioned earlier, dirty power is the term for various kinds of anomalies that occur within the power’s quality. Do take note that dirty power can affect the overall performance output of your home theater system.

Additionally, it can even cause a malfunction in some instances, where it will be damaged beyond repair. Although not frequent, it could still happen to anyone not using a power manager. If there is a recorded case of high amounts of dirty power in your area, having a power manager/conditioner for your home theater system (and other electronics and devices) is a huge must.

Normal Noise Mode and Dirty Power: Their Connections

When it comes to dirty power, it can also come from the term called normal noise mode. That term means that a low-level AC signal from the audio source travels along with the original AC power signal. As a result of that hitchhiking, the noise produced from that action can be heard throughout your speaker’s output.

The issue also happens when connecting other components to your home theater system without a power manager. Such components may include an amplifier, receiver or set of speakers. You will eventually notice a popping noise or hum when using your home theater system. It can also be heard when opening the lights of your home or when using other plugged-in electronics or devices.

Do Hardcore Audiophiles Hate Power Managers?

You might be surprised to hear about this. Still, some hardcore audiophiles in the music community hate or advocate against the usage of home theater power managers and other similar devices to their audio peripherals.

Even though they do agree on the protection provided by power managers, they question the performance boost it gives to the systems and devices connected to it during usage.

A common complaint of those people is that power managers remove some sounds that they shouldn’t remove, such as bass and treble. Due to that issue, they claim that the sound produced by those systems with power managers is dull and lifeless as a result. They even claim that the dynamics that can be heard from an audio source are lost during the process wherein the power manager removes/regulates dirty power.

Instead, they are promoting the usage of power regenerators instead of power managers. Power regenerators are simply power managers but better, powerful, and more capable than the former.

The only huge downside for regenerators is that they are costly, and cost more than a manager. However, not all people can afford a regenerator, and that is why managers are still commonly used by the public today.

The solution for overcoming the said problem (according to them anyway) is via the installation of a dedicated, audio equipment-only power outlet in one’s home. By dedicating a separate power outlet from the rest of the appliances in one’s home, one can completely eliminate the noise being produced by dirty power.

No need for a regenerator for this dedicated outlet, as simply connecting it to the system’s amplifier unit or AVR is sufficient enough. However, take note that installing such a line is pretty expensive itself, costing around $200 to $1000 (depending on the installation and the professionals hired for it).

Furthermore, even though it is a dedicated line for audio equipment, it lacks the protection a power manager provides. Band next is a useful tool for finding and testing out similar music from your audiophile components.

Surge Protectors vs. Power Managers: What’s the Difference?

There is a device called a surge protector that is usually confused for power managers. Do take note that each device is different from the others, even though they have the same purpose. To put it simply, a surge protector is a simple, low-voltage capacity device that protects connected devices from power surges.

However, since it has only a low voltage capacity, it cannot handle sudden large power surges such as a lightning hit. Such an immediate power surge can potentially destroy a surge protector and the devices connected to it.

Meanwhile, most power managers/conditioners are designed to handle both low and high-voltage power surges. They use a technology called Extreme Voltage Shutdown (EVS), which automatically disconnects any device connected to it in the event of a sudden high-voltage surge. That ensures that your connected devices won’t be damaged or destroyed when that kind of incident happens.

Some of The Best Power Managers In the Market Today

Now, if you are interested in buying a power manager/conditioner for your own home theater system at home (and other electronics and devices you have), we have compiled a small list of the best-known, home theatre power manager that you can get in the current market today.