Panamax M5400-PM 11-Outlet Home Theater Power Conditioner

I'll start with the surprising good news about this unit - after plugging my HT system components into this device, the picture got brighter on the high-end Sony TV. This was an unexpected shock to the two people who witnessed it because we both spontaneously noticed the picture quality change at the same time, and both of us are very suspicious of snake oil related claims. The power outlet I'm forced to use for our system is on the far end of a GFCI device, so that might be related (for one thing, I can't run ethernet over powerline with this outlet).We run the unit as always-on and control power to the components individually, so I can't speak to the timed shutdown and startup features. We don't have tube equipment or anything that needs to warm up. Our OLED TV prefers to have power at all times even when "off" so it can do panel self-maintenance and download firmware updates, and it controls the soundbar and subwoofer and rear speakers so there's no need for sequencing there. The streaming boxes (Roku, Apple) take little power, and the DVD player is turned on only when being used. So the Panamax is always on.I like the front meters that show both volts and amps, but the quality of the blue LEDs that light the meters is questionable - they are a bit cheap looking and the brightness adjustments are not sufficiently adjustable.This is in contrast to the rest of the unit which feels very solid and well built.The utility value of including protection for phone (landlines) and ethernet is questionable - if you can't provide protection at the point of entry into your house then they are mostly useless. Most HT systems are not located at the same place in the house as the point of entry for the phone lines and primary internet connection. The days of these kinds of things being useful are waning - I'd rather have another pair of outlets. Ditto for the USB port on the front - I've already got plenty of ways to charge my phone. When contemplating this box, I'm most of all interested solely in 120VAC power conditioning.There has been no transformer buzzing or any other kind of noise from the unit I got - it has been utterly silent at all times.We've had no power problems so far that would trip the over- or under-voltage reactions so I can't address how this unit behaves when something like that happens. And I hope I never have to. But the cost of this unit was about 10% of the cost of the electronic components it is protecting, so it feels like worthwhile insurance.*Update 03/05/2024* This product now costs $750, which is $300 more than when I bought it less than 3 months ago.

1/2/13 Update: Protection confirmed again! And, again, no simple surge protector would have done this. We experienced a very strange power outage. It appeared to begin with a surge followed by voltage dropping from 120V to 60V (where it remained for about an hour). The Panamax immediately cut the power to everything plugged into it and did not pass the 60V of power through to any of the devices during the outage. Low voltage (below 108V) can also harm electronics! For the rest of my devices (refrigerator, dishwasher, etc.) I had to manually trip the breakers so as to avoid damage to those devices. In the end (other than one CFL bulb), everything seemed to work normally (whether plugged into the Panamax or not). But, this sort of damage is cumulative and not always immediately evident. So, I'd say it is safe to assume that -- at a minimum -- the devices plugged into the Panamax had their life expectancy extended.7/26/10 Update: The voltage anomaly occurred! This weekend, my electric company -- with no apparent external factors involved -- pushed 125 to 127 volts into my home for the entire weekend (122 to 124 is normal for them). At 127 volts, the Buck stage kicked in and reduced the voltage to 117. The Buck stage continued to supply reduced voltage until the input voltage dropped to 123. The CBEMA curve suggests that computer equipment (and, presumably, other electronic equipment) is designed to function properly at plus or minus 10% of 120 volts. However, functioning properly is one thing and sustaining damage over time is another. This Panamax product is designed to keep the voltage within plus or minus 5% of 120 volts. This weekend, the product performed as advertised. In doing so, it might have prolonged the life of my home theater equipment. No simple surge protector could do that.Original review follows:Until a voltage anomaly occurs, it is hard to know how this unit performs. But, I have no reason to doubt the listed specifications. Based upon those specifications, this unit should provide far, FAR better protection than a simple surge protector. And, it appears to be a far better value than even the entry level voltage regulator from Monster, inc (the AVS 2000). The online manual for the AVS 2000 -- unlike this Panamax -- offers very few specifics on voltage regulation.Here in the wild, wild west, various critters tend to find their way into our electrical grid, thereby shorting things out in sometimes spectacular ways and creating all sorts of havoc, voltage anomalies and blackouts. The damage suffered by my previous A/V system -- then protected by a high quality surge protector -- may well have been caused by these errant critters. My hope and expectation is that this unit will substantially prolong the useful life of my new A/V system.Subjectively speaking, this unit does seem to have improved the picture and sound quality. But, I did not do any side-by-side testing.

Works great

Had to replace an older model that finally died after tons of power surges over the years. It took one storm too many but my entertainment center still runs great! This newer model seems like it will protect my system for years to come.

Ok, a big reason to get this is Peace of Mind! I don't know if its Placebo effect but I could tell a difference in quality in both Picture on my Oled TV and sound in my 7.1.4 speaker setup. There was a touch more of depth in the picture and clarity in the sound. It was not night and day but it was noticeable if you pay attention to it. The mileage may vary depending on everyone's current quality of power supply. Giving it a 4 star for the price - its definitely on the expensive side.I got two of these and can sleep peacefully at night!

Listen good, if you have thousands of dollars invested in a home entertainment system, Tv, computer or what-ever why would you risk loosing it ALL! Here in Kansas we have tornadoes and storms worse than Chicago! I know it’s not cheap and it’s a kick in the pants, but if you have a PC that’s over $500 a monitor $300 this little guys going to protect it. We have black outs 3-5 times a year here on average, and double that in power jolts ( when your lights go out and come right back on) this projects your gear. In 35 YEARS I’ve never lost any of my gear due to a storm, rise in power or drop in power. I own 2! - M5400 pm sorry there no photo.