Classy design, excellent conditioning, easy to use

Could use more always on outlets

Used with my high-end equipment, I have acheived great sounds! When you spend $5,000+ on a home theater setup, why not protect your investment with PanaMax?

I have been pleased with mine and am glad I chose Panamax over Monster.

Similar Products Used:

N/A

Well built,it works,cleans up audio.

I've owned a Panamax 1000 since 1994.I believe that I got improved detail and tighter low end and improved picture for the $170.Besides you can touch just one button and have everything up and running and surge protected.Just recently we had a surge here and for the first time the max1000 kicked the reset.Probably saved me thousands of dollars of equipment damage.Its pretty ridiculous to spend thousands of
dollars on audio or video equipment and then butch about having to spend a couple hundred on a surge protector.You will have to pay a fee of about $27 to have your max 1000 serviced by Panamax.At first I did'nt like that idea too much, but hey if they last that long $27 ain't s#it!Do yourself a favor and get one.Great piece of equipment.

Joe Panamax

The price is great for the quality of the product and the 5-Million dollar lifetime warranty is a great bonus.
They can be purchased via mail order for additional savings.

None

The Panamax is a Power Conditioner that has served me well.
The unit features (4) switched outlets, (2) unswitched outlets & (2) switched with delay for power Amps.
I bought my first Max 1000+ about seven years ago when I first got into Home Theater seriously.
Earlier this year when my system recently outgrew it's maximum voltage supply (1800 Watts), instead of going with another brand of conditioner I decided to purchase a second MAX unit.
I live in a rural area that experiences many power anomalies with both under & over voltage conditions.
The (2) MAX units have protected my system without incident.

I have one MAX connected which protects my Lexicon Processor, Video Display, DVD, LD, VCR & RF Decoder.
The second protects my (2) power Amplifiers (220 X 3) used for L-C-R and (105 X 5) used for side & rear surrounds.
The 12-volt DC trigger output of the Lexicon processor controls the ON/OFF of the (2) delay outlets via the "line-sense" cable on the MAX.

Build quality

I bought this unit, because Monsoon season was bad and I need some protection, also it was an excuse to get a line conditioner. I heard stories that line conditioner could make a world if difference. And I got to say it did. But I can't say that I liked the effect. When I played my first CD it was Bright, Airy, and the High's sounded like cheap tin can claging together. (I have Mirage Bipolar 1090i's) so I'm used to a warm sound. Not total convinced that it was the Conditioners fault, I went back to the store and talk with my Sale Professional(hehe he likes his commissions). And decide to upgrade to some AudioQuest Opal and Emerald Cables. Now I must say it sounds great. The panamax is doing it's job nicely, and my system once again sound great. I'm not sure that the Panamax did all that much. But I live 1 mile from a power generation plant.

Does not get in the way of the music,video too. LED display for voltage status and rack mountable. Cheap good peace of mind. Way better than any of those Powerstrip cheapies out there.

needs more outlets..big surprise right?? More "always on OUTLETS would great too. Better out there for way more bucks,this one constricts dynamics on BIG power amplifiers. Better to use on your TV and lower draw gear.

I think a true measure of how a power conditioner is how it is able to stay out of the way of the entertainment. While listening to my gear, I have not noted any real improvement in performance, but that is good because that means it is not taking anything away either. Power Conditioners and surge arrest devices run the price gammut of cheap to steep. If you have the "average" gear, than the Panamax is definately the right choice, though I see these units constantly at many great high end shops, so they must do a credible job. Power amplifiers that are power hungry will not do well with this unit. My Rotel RMB-1095 sounded restricted in dynamics, but the detail improved a bit which I liked. The peace of mind is worth the price of admission against the power nasties out of the wall these days. I have all my low draw gear on it and my TV. The RF connections are included here from my antenna to VCR to TV. The picture looks really pretty much the same to me. I am not really sure if the improvement is yet realized. I like the idea of the master trigger line because it could come handy in some installations. The power meter which reads voltage status is a nice bonus too. So in summary, whether or not my gear actually improved/or will improve remains to seen/heard, but one main thing is certain, with Californias' power problems, how can my system go without?? If you live in a power polluted area can you system be without protection? V.C.
P.S. the Furman line of power conditioners were the other low buck units I looked at. They are priced less or the same depending on model as the Panamax. Basically, just get one and plug it into your system and protect it. Whether the Furman, or the Panamax.

Similar Products Used:

ISOBARS...APC..etc.

Being that the last guy didn't really review the quality of the component I'll try and make up for it. The great service he got is a Panamax guarantee with ANY of their products and is documented in the instruction/warranty/guarantee manual. Anyhow, I just got a Coaxmax6 a few minutes ago. It has ALL the same specs as the 1000+ (which is a Stereophile recommended component). The only thing it lacks is the rack-size dimensions, a couple of outlets, some lights, and a few other nice "convenience" features. But, at about 1/3 the cost of the 1000+ while still retaining all the performance, I don't need the extra stuff just for my music system. Maybe down the road I'll get a 1000+ for my home theatre system which is more what it's made for. As for sound improvements, I heard an immediate difference! Some people may think this is just some sort of psychological misperception, but it's NOT! I can't say it added a whole new dimension to the sound, but it does clean up the sound. The instruments have more air, crispness, definition, and a better sense of timing. Bass also seemed to have more heft as I was expecting. I noticed immediately that my Musical Fidelity A2 no longer hums when I turn it on too (no more hum thru my speakers either). In comparrison I was using a $50 surge protector from Radio Shack. Right now you're probably thinking, What's an audiophile doing in Radio Shack? Well, Radio Shack does actually make some good things for tweeking. I bought the surge protector from them before I knew anything about line noise, however they carry things like RF stoppers etc which are the same grade as Audioquest. Anyways, if you're look at getting a line conditioner/surge protector, just get one! That's all I can say. For the money the coaxmax6 is probably the best. You'd have to spend twice as much to get anything mildly better (Audio Power Pack 2 maybe). I didn't see any sense in spending $200 on a conditioner though. I'm sure the high priced ones are great, but when you think about other stuff you could buy for that kind of money....well you get the picture.

Sequential power-up. Looks nice enough to set on audio rack to get ungly cabling off the floor! Ok, not *that* nice - push it towards the back.

Untested.

After reading the current reviews I'm not so sure about the value and merit of my recent Max1000+ purchase. Poor grammar usage and flowery 'audio quality' adjectives used to describe new sonic characterisitcs of the owner's systems leaves me wondering about the quality of the reviewers.
I'm no grammarian and don't claim to be an audiophile, but it sure would be nice to read a review from someone who sounds like they know what they're talking about.
I'll repost after using my Max1000 and after some critical listening. Maybe I'll try the A/B or double-blind test, as well.
Good luck with your Max!

Similar Products Used:

Readily available surge protected power strips

Panamax as replaced my defective unit without any receipt over the phone. The whole process was absolutely painless and what a pleasure is it to deal with such competent company. I shipped my defective unit to them and they, right away sent me an other units.Perhaps Adcom should send some of their people at Panamax, they then would see first hand what service is all about.

Bernard Durand

Cheap piece of mind, Voltage display, reliability. Has been through many brown-outs, power failures and electrical storms with not an ounce of compaint.

Will not completely rid electricity of noise from other appliances.

I have had all my audio/video gear connected to the 1000 for the better part of 4 years and have yet to see it misbehave, or fail to protect my equipment reliably. Especially when one compares it to it's competitors and the price I paid, their is no question of it's value.
As far as restricted dynamics, well, I have had Classe', Parasound, PS Audio, Sony, Goldmund and now Harman Kardon amplification connected to this unit and have never perceived any lack of dynamics. The Parasound was the biggest of my amplifiers and could draw up to 800 watts if needed. Even then I can't imagine that I ever opened that amp up enough to approach an 800 watt draw!
That's not to say that some of these devices don't affect dynamics...
I once had a Adcome ACE-515 and believe it did restrict the dynamics of my Parasound. Of course that's one of the reasons I decided to get the Panamax.
I have never really done any A/B comparisons between the Panamax power and straight of the wall power. What I really care about is that the unit has done it's job and protected my equipment through numerous electrical storms, power surges, brown outs and power failures. Just this month, during a major snow storm, it proved it's value after power failed and became restored- all I heard was a relay click in both cases. I also like the fact that it's voltage meter educates the user to the stability of the voltage supply to one's house.
Overall a good, relaible product

Similar Products Used:

Tripp-Lite (early 90's 6 outlet model), Adcom ACE 515

great filtering of AC line, enough outlets and power handling capability, those cool LEDs

wish it had one more always on outlet

I purchased this product because I wanted good AC protection, especially with the widely varying voltage levels PG&E keeps sending down the line. (It also looks really cool in your equipment rack!)

I think the highs seem clearer in some way, but this could just be the power of suggestion. Other than that, I have noticed no improvement to sound or picture quality.

What I have noticed is a dramatic reduction in AC line noise. For example, when a blender or other appliance is used, it used to make pops in the audio and create snowy lines on the TV. With the Panamax in line, these effects are greatly reduced.

I have had mine for 9 months and no problems yet. I'm not sure what have caused units to fail for some of the reviewers below. I have heard tales of good customer service from other people.

Highly Recommended

Similar Products Used:

generic surge protector