A home theater power manager is a device you can use to provide surge protection and power distribution to all the different devices you have in your home theater setup. You might have heard of them before or seen one in someone else’s home. Since they can be an expensive purchase, you might be wondering if you should buy one or not. 

Home theater managers can protect your devices from power surges, filter out excess noise, and help you organize your theater room. They can be expensive though and not everyone recommends them. 

You should get all the details about home theater power managers before buying one. This guide will cover everything you need to know so you can make an informed decision before choosing whether to buy one or not. 

The Purpose of Home Theater Power Managers

A home theater power manager has three main purposes. Let’s go over each one below.

Filters Out Noise

The first is that it filters out noise. This means you will be able to hear your TV shows and movies better since excess noise is filtered out. 

Regulates Electricity Distribution

The second purpose is that they regulate power. They improve the quality of electricity and make sure that power is distributed evenly to all the devices plugged into the manager. The improved electricity also helps to filtrate noise. 

Protects from Power Surges

The third purpose is that it protects all your home theater equipment from power surges. This can also protect your devices and increase their lifespan. This is especially important if you live in an area with excessive power outages or unstable power supply. 

One Home Theater Power Manager Does Everything

If you have a full home theater setup, you have many different devices and cables to plug in. This means you will need many different power strips for all the different cables which can cause some to get tangled and damaged. 

A power manager will give you one single place to plug in all the devices. You also won’t need to have several power strips all over the room. This gives your room a much more organized and cleaner atmosphere. 

One single place to plug everything in also makes the environment safer for pets and children since there are fewer things to trip over. 

Not Everyone Needs a Home Theater Power Manager 

While power managers are convenient, not everyone needs one. Some newer homes are built with better electrical installations which means your normal outlets and power strips will protect from surges. 

Dirty power is also rare in these homes. This means your power quality is efficient and stable. However, older homes might have old installations and are more likely to experience surges. Underdeveloped countries also have more problems with power quality so you might need a home theater manager depending on where you live. 

If you experience dirty power, you can greatly benefit from a power manager. You will know your home has dirty power if you experience any of the following:

  • Your speakers make a popping noiseYour lights hum when you first turn them on You hear clicking noises when using high-power devices like a hair dryer or kettle

If you’re not sure whether you have dirty power or not, you can call an electrician and have them inspect your lights and devices. 

You also definitely need a power manager if you live in an area where there are many lightning strikes or where the power frequently fluctuates or randomly turns off several times in one day. 

Home Theater Power Managers Reduce Noise 

Most home theater managers are fitted with a purifier that allows them to filter out what they call dirty power. 

Since it’s able to filter out power that is not needed for your devices, it can also filter out excess noises. 

All your equipment will also be plugged into the power manager which means you do not need a ground loop. A ground loop has multiple paths for electricity while the home theater manager will only have one. 

This can reduce extra hums and noises that can make it harder to view your shows and movies from your home theater TV. 

Home Theater Power Managers Can Be Expensive 

While shopping for home theater managers, you will probably see all kinds of different prices. Some are as low as $50 while some can be $5,000 or more. Knowing which one to buy can be difficult. 

The ones that are around $50 are usually just surge protectors. While this is helpful, it’s not the same as a home theater manager. If you’re on a tight budget, you will need to spend at least $100 to have a manager that performs well. 

If you want a home theater manager that performs well and also cuts out excess noise, you should plan to spend $300 or more. However, some protection is better than none, so you can start with a cheaper one and then get a better one later in the game. 

The main difference is that the cheaper ones cannot filter out noise efficiently. So, you will have protection against power surges, but you will still hear hums and noises that interfere with your viewing. 

There’s no need to buy a home theater manager that costs a couple of thousands of dollars unless you are using professional theater equipment. The ones in the range of $300-$1000 are perfect options for most homes. 

Not Everyone Recommends Home Theater Power Managers 

Some people will actually tell you that a power manager does more harm than good. 

Somehome theater power managers don’t know the difference between dirty power noise and regular noise. So, you might end up having some noises filtered out that shouldn’t be. 

This will make the audio of your movies lose some of their dynamics. This is why it’s important to buy a good quality power manager and to make sure and read the reviews before making a purchase. 

Power Managers Are Not the Same as Surge Protectors 

Some people think that power managers and surge protectors are the same, but they are not. Surge protectors are often cheaper and only protect your equipment from having issues after a surge. 

Surge Protectors

Surge protectors will not always protect against lightning strikes. This is because lighting has too high of a voltage for the surge protector to absorb all the energy. The surge protector can explode and cause damage to all the devices plugged into it. 

Home Theater Power Managers

Power managers use a technology called Extreme Voltage Shutdown (EVS). This allows power managers to provide a better and safer way to protect against surges. 

Power managers are more complex and also have more features than plain surge protectors:

  • Protects from under voltage when voltage drops below 80 or 85VLower clamping voltages Lower response times when surges happen Deliver cleaner power Provide a cleaner sound Automatically shuts down all units when there is too much current

Now, let’s see some of the best ones you can get for your home theater.

Best Power Managers 

If you have decided you want a home theater power manager, you might be wondering which one to buy.

Here are some of the most highly rated ones:

  • Panamax MR5100 is one of the best managers you can buy for under $500. It’s compact and very simple to connect and use. They also have a LED for voltage so you can always monitor the current coming in and out. AudioQuest Niagara 1200 is a great choice for those with a high-end budget. It has a simple and elegant design with 7 outlets. It protects from under and over voltage and has a noise dissipation system.

Now you know everything about home theater power managers.

Final Thoughts 

Home theater power managers are meant to protect all your devices from power surges. They also filter out excess noise to give you a cleaner sound when watching TV. They have many different prices depending on your budget and help you organize your home theater room.