If you live in any part of the world, then you need a Home Theatre Power Manager. It just goes without saying because the power voltage in this our Fatherland can sometimes do the most.
A few weeks ago, I had to replace my light bulb, my extension socket and my phone charger because they all blew up due to a very high voltage power that we had for about a week.
One moment, we are whining that there’s not been light for days (which is actually unlike Ibadan, if you live in this city, you know the power here is entirely consistent). The next minute, power has now come but blowing up everything in the house, such that we had to switch off everything, down to wall sockets.
It was such a week, and having to replace all of those items was not exactly funny, but that is what happens when you don’t have a home theatre power manager. Armed with that experience, I now know better and seriously looking to buy a power manager because, as the popular saying goes, once beaten, twice shy(smiles).
Basically, a home theatre power manager helps to protect your electronic devices from power spikes, surges and disruptions. You know, sometimes, the elements, which could either be human(PHCN) or natural(thunder, storms and lightning), can just decide to be happy and cause some disruptions in power and these disruptions are capable of damaging your home appliances. So a power manager does well in managing such situations and keeping your appliances safe.
Having to replace one appliance or the other every now and then is outrightly not friendly on anyone’s pocket, which is why getting a home theatre power manager is the wise way to go.
Check out the list of our recommended “Multi Channel Home Theatre“.
What a Home Theatre Power Manager can Do
Although I have already hinted about this earlier but let me further emphasize the importance of this device.
The long and short of it is that a power manager ensures the safe, reliable, efficient and compliant operation of electricity distribution in your home. They help you;
- Avoid electrical disasters
- Recover from outages more quickly and safely.
- Optimize maintenance and get more life from electrical assets.
Why do you need a Home Theatre Power Manager?
- Home theatre power managers are not just accessories but a necessity. You are not buying them as a piece of goodwill or just some decor for your living room. Instead, buying one of them is you securing your home from the possible event of a fire outbreak caused by an electrical surge or damage of appliances(home theatres).
- You need a power manager simply because having one is the safest thing to do. I don’t know if you know the trouble involved in setting up a home theatre. Now, imagine having gone through all of that, only for your set-up to develop an issue because of power disruptions and all of such.
- Also, you should ensure your devices with a power manager to avoid stories that touch(regrets).
Factors to Consider Before Buying a Home Theatre Power Manager
Just as it is with pretty much everything in life, they are some basic things you want to have in mind before getting to buy a power manager. So there are;
Budget
How much the price of a thing is, is always almost the first question people ask, isn’t it? So here we go. When it comes to power managers, you don’t want to be ”frugal” about how much you spend, as a good one will always likely be on the high side. More so, the more expensive ones also have more outlets and having more outlets is all wins.
Quality
The quality and the budget are almost seamless. On the most part, the more expensive ones are the most guaranteed ones(good quality). So like I said before, try not to be frugal about it.
Number and Position of Outlets
Without even saying it, you know it is best if you have more outlets that you don’t even have to use rather than needing more space and having to scratch your brain( yes, you heard me right, I said brain). Away from that, also remember that they are different shapes of plug-ins. So you might also want to consider that by ensuring that those shapes are the same with your appliances or devices.
Size
This is largely dependent on where you will want to mount your power manager and also on the weight of devices it will be managing. So keep that in mind as well before buying your power manager.
8 Home Theatre Power Manager that We Recommend
There are definitely more, but these are the carefully selected top 8 we would love to recommend.
1. Panamax MR4300 Power Line Conditioner and Surge Protector
Panamax is one of the leading brands since the history of home theatre power managers, and the best overall is their Panamax MR4300.
To begin with, it has over 9 outlets and what makes it such a go-to is the fact that it has an Automatic Voltage Monitoring Technology. This is what ensures that in case there’s an under-voltage(low current) or an over-voltage(high current), power to your home theatre automatically closes off.
Then when normal voltage returns, power resumes to your home theatre. A red indicator LED display indicates that to you.
Next to that is their Protect or Disconnect Technology, which allows power to automatically cut off from your home theatre in events where the power surge is beyond the handling capacity of the MR3400.
So with these two concepts in place( Automatic Voltage Monitoring Technology and the Protect or Disconnect Technology), you are guaranteed ultimate protection against internal equipment damage(That is so reassuring). More features are listed below;
- Sleek and modern design
- Has lifetime warranty
- 15Amp circuit breaker
- Convenient and clean LED display
- Front panel convenience
- outlet
2. Panama’s MR4000 8-Outlet Home Theatre Power Management
Let’s just say this is a cheaper and more budget-friendly version of the Panamax MR4300 as they share almost the same features.
The MR4000 also supports automatic voltage monitoring and protect or disconnect the system as well as a 15Amp circuit breaker. What makes it different from the MR4300 is that it has 8(that is, seven rear panel outlets and one front panel outlet), does not have a LED display and has no USB port for charging.
Then, for the noise filtration part, it has 2 level noise filtration while the MR4300 has 3.
In a nutshell, its features are;
- 15Amp built-in circuit breaker
- Uses exclusive AVM technology
- Sleek and modern design
- Has 8 power outlets
- Very budget-friendly
- Front panel convenience outlet
- Has warranty
3. Panamax MX5102 Home Theatre Power Management with Battery Backup
Panamax MX5102 can best be described as an all-in-one. It is the most comprehensive of all the home theatre power managers as it combines Power Management, Surge Protection (AVM) and Battery Backup. Let’s get to know it much better.
MX5102 power manager uses the AVM technology both for cases of over voltage and under voltage with 10 rear panel outlets, of which 2 are backed up with a 600VA UPS. This comes in very handy in cases of a power outage, as many AV system components benefit from uninterrupted power.
The Learning IR Control is another special feature of the MX5102. What this feature does is let users program MX5102 to send ”standby” or ”shut down” commands to certain components of your AV equipment.
Much more, the MX5102 uses Level 3 Power Cleaning and Linear Filtration that eliminates usual occurrences of electrical interference. So, this allows your devices to experience cleaner power and perform at their level best. To sum it up, its details goes below;
- Has 10 outlets
- Dual learning IR function
- Has Li-ion battery backup and can act as a power bank/UPS
- Quite expensive
- Uses exclusive AVM technology.
4. Panamax M8-AV-PRO Hi-Definition 8 Outlet Surge Protector
How the name just outrightly says ”Surge Protector” does it for me with this particular power manager because a power surge can be a terrorist.
Well, this one is not so different from the other Panama models when it comes to the overall working of the power manager as it also uses the AVM technology as well as the Protector Disconnects technology that we have learnt about earlier while on the other Panamax products.
However, what stands the Panamax M8-AV-PRO out is its own unique and portable design(If you are one to like portable things, then this could be for you). Plus, its portability also makes it a great choice for users that may also have to move their power managers around quite often.
In addition, considering the fact that most Panamax models are suitable for rack mounting, it is another plus for the M8-AV-PRO as it can be either be racked or wall-mounted. In summary, here you go;
- Portability and ease of mobility
- It has a lifetime warranty
- Quite pocket-friendly
- Flexible in regards to where it can be mounted
- Uses exclusive AVM technology
5. Panamax MX5400-PM 11 Outlet Home Theater Power Conditioner
You know in life, there is quality and is quality ( I hope you saw what I did there) because this Panamax M5400-PM is Quality.
No no, don’t take your face away thinking I am only bluffing because I will explain better what l mean. The highlight of this power manager is that it has 5 isolated noise filter banks that work to ensure that there is no contamination of power from one outlet bank to the other.
Adding to that, the M5400-PM uses level 4 noise filtration, which works to ensure that your home theatre has an improved sound quality by cleaning the noise throughout the AC bandwidth.
Similar to the other Panamax models, it also uses AVM technology and conclusively, the M5400 is one of the best power managers because of its level 4 noise filtration and AVM technology. These two features combined make the power manager what the streets will classify as ”dope”. So, pinpoint it to;
- Has 11 outlets for AC power, one in the front.
- Level 4 noise filtration against dirty power.
- Had 5 isolated noise filters
- It comes with a USB charging port for charging phones and electronics.
6. Furman M-8X2 Merit Series 8 Outlet Power Conditioner and Surge Protector
If you are looking to mount your power manager on a rack? Then this is your best bet.
A Furman is budget-friendly yet has 9 outlets, with one of them being at the front of the power manager. It also has a standard spike and surges protection that takes care of your digital equipment, preventing them from the regular power surges and spikes. However, it has;
- No USB port
- No lifetime warranty
But if rack-mountable and budget-friendly are your search guides, this is the go-to choice.
7. Furman SS6B Power Conditioner
Some people just like the basics. They are not just given to pomp and pageantry. So if you are one of such basic types of people, then this is for you. Furman SS6B is a very basic home theatre power manager, which is why it doesn’t even have a model.
It comes in two variants, the block variant and the strip variant. It includes a surge protector(at least that’s one basic thing a power manager should have, and it does) and also has a basic level EMI and RFI filter for your audio equipment.
It will not reduce noise contamination as much as you would like, but the top of the list is, it will protect your equipment from power surges. To make simple;
- It is the most budget-friendly power manager
- Has a 15-foot power cord
- Noise clearance is good enough
- No USB port for charging
8. Furman PL-8C 15 Amp, Advanced Level Conditioning
Like the popular saying goes, last but not the least is the Furman PL-8C 15Amp, Advanced Level Conditioning.
The Furman PL-8C has 9AC outlets, one of them being at the front for added convenience, with retractable LED lamps to keep your home aglow or, better still, illuminate your home theatre base.
Its most unique feature is the SMP technology, which is the Series Multi-Stage Protection. Now, how this works is, Furman’s SMP uses a network of harmful power surges by capturing uncontrollable incoming line voltage and converting it to heat. Then, the rest of the energy is absorbed by the device.
Which of these Home Theatre Power Manager is the Best?
With all that has been said, from the beginning up until this point, the decision of which power manager to go for is still very up to you. But if our recommendation will hold so much? Then we will recommend the Panamax 5400-PM.
It will obviously cost you some good bucks, but in retrospect, you will be glad you made the investment once and for all as it will keep your prized home theatre and other appliances safe from power surges and never fail at it.
If you have questions, queries or comments, please do well to say them in the comment section below. We would really love for you to join the conversation.