Panamax MAX 1500 Line Conditioner

Hardware Review by Yanman

 
 When redesigning our reference theater it was clear that we wanted to start from the ground (pun intended) up. So to make sure that the power was clean of noise, spikes and brownouts, we turned to Panamax.

The MAX 1500 is designed with the home theater enthusiast in mind. It has ten power outlets, divided into three banks; one that provides constant power, a second that grants switched power, and a third that is switched with a 30 second delay. By connecting your receiver to one of the switched power banks, you can turn your entire system on/off only using the remote for your receiver. In addition to the power outlets, there are ports to protect and filter antenna, satellite, cable and a phone line.

The Panamax MAX 1500 surge and power filters block destructive forces of lightning and power surges that can destroy sensitive home theater equipment. The system also helps maintain safe voltage levels to avoid "brownouts". A brownout is a condition that occurs when the power drops below a safe level yet does not completely go out. If you have seen the lights dim in your house and then get brighter, that was more than likely a brownout. Brownouts can cause long-term damage to your system even though they many times go unnoticed. An adjustable (for brightness level) LED readout on the front of the unit allows for a quick easy status of the incoming power.

The best thing about a line conditioner is its ability to remove the excess electricity "noise" from your audio and video system. Now video "noise" is easy to see, and you will immediately notice an improvement. Audio "noise" is a little harder to describe and more of an issue, Jack does a good job in describing what this is in his most recent "Jack's Corner".

Jack says that audio noise "is a difficult thing to explain if you haven't actually heard it. In most every average system there is some background noise that permeates any signal that passes through it. Imagine sitting in a room in a home located in a city. There are always noises that are in abundance such as lawnmowers, autos, trucks, planes overhead etc. If one lived in the city long enough, we get used to these noises and pay little or no attention to them. The sounds pass as merely background noise. Now, take a trip to the country and go outside at night and listen to a lack of noise. It almost sounds like you're in a vacuum. You are very aware of the quietness and might even mention it out loud." The MAX 1500 did this to the audio noise in our system.

The MAX 1500 did an excellent job of cleaning up both audio and video noise annoyances in the system we tested it on. And it has become the foundation for the new reference review system that we are building here at Yanman.com.

With the high cost of today's home theater equipment, it only makes sense to completely protect yourself from the inconsistencies that your power company can and will throw at you. Add to this its ability to absolutely clean up your picture and sound and the Panamax MAX 1500 is a must have at any price.

Visit Panamax on the Web at www.panamax.com.

Protected By Panamax

Our new reference theater is protected from noise, spikes and brownouts by the Panamax MAX 1500.

An adjustable (for brightness level) LED readout on the front of the unit allows for a quick easy status of the incoming power.