Price Paid:  $350.00 from crutchfield

Summary:
Last of the lifetime warranty protectors.The 1500 is everything the others reviewers are stating.The newer unit 5100 isn't.Both of the upgrade units stopped working.When you return unit under warranty you must pay shipping back and forth in my case $42.00.Panamax does't state this anywhere.

Strengths:
Very good for the price.

Weaknesses:
Panamax customer service skills.I spoke to maryann about return of unit.She wanted me to upgrade again.I said no.She didn't state that I will have to pay return shipping also when I returned defective 5100.Move on to other companies.

Similar Products Used:
All panamax.Soon to be brick audio with a real ten year warranty.

Price Paid:  $250.00 from Comsumer-Direct Ware

Summary:
I bought this for a small secondary system that my father has set up in front of his La-Z-Boy chair and it served in that capacity well for about four years.

I recently broke down the system and rebuilt it without a component type surge protector and decided that it was time that I wrote a review of this product.

I also have the Monster 5000 unit and it, in contrast to the Panamax, has a bulk and ostentatious feeling quality to it that is appealing when you look it over. However, the tremendous depth of the Monster can lead to conflicts with power cables in the back of a rack. So the relatively shallow depth of this Panamax 1500 unit is a blessing.

Its filtration properties, inprovements on video preformance and other such attributes will be left to the "audiophile/videophile" contingent.

It worked when I installed it. Nothing plugged into in ever failed (and we had some power problems over that time too} And when I moved it on to another system it continues to work. So I am satisfied.

However, think these glorified powerstrips in component shape are mostly aesthetical anyway. I figure it is better than having two six plug strips laying on the floor or shelf of a rack.

Strengths:
-Clean front panel
-Shallow depth leaves room for plugs in cabinet.
-Still works after several years.
-Handled power "issues" in the neighborhood without incident.
-Nothing connected to it ever failed.
-Nice solid build quality. It isn't as showy as the Monster but doesn't feel like a cheap-O either.

Weaknesses:
-It cost $200+ for a 10 outlet powerstrip with an aluminum faceplate.

-The ON/OFF button is recessed into the faceplate and can leave doubt if you successfully shut it off.

-Doesn't "ring the bell" aesthetically. Now fancy, backlit, voltage or current flow meters to Wow the neighbors.

Similar Products Used:
Monster Power 5000

Panamax Max 5510 ( with glowing meters and brushed silver faceplate--awful pretty!)

Home Depot El cheap-o fused power strip.

Price Paid:  $199.00 from etronics.com

Summary:
When I hookedup the Panamax 1500 I was amazed. I thought I had a pretty quiet system, and good cable tv reception. But the difference was not subtle! The sound was noticeably cleaner immediately. My wife called out from the next room "Wow! The music sounds great!" TV was already good and not really improved, though TV sound was. VCR picture was better--clearer, less grainy. I also liked the build quality--a solid piece of equipment. I got the best improvement of all when I listened to music on digital cable, probably because both the AC power and the cable were filtered. A friend listened and walked over to the phone and ordered one after ten minutes. A great product! It really works!

Strengths:
Works as advertised, well built, not ridiculously expensive.

Weaknesses:
None that I know of.

Similar Products Used:
Newpoint surge protector

Price Paid:  $150.00 from Ebay

Summary:
All the power Hiss sound is gone !!! and before this Max 1500 ~~ when I turned on my Amp, I got a loud thud when it kicked on - Power up and that is GONE so I love that. I thought this unit was over kill for me, But am verrrry happy I got it.

Strengths:
Looks good - Cuts out hiss noise ~~ works great ~ Am overall very happy with mine

Weaknesses:
price ~ Dimmer ~ needs remote

Price Paid:  $172.00 from Hi-Fi Buys

Summary:
I purchased this unit new, in the box at Hi-Fi Buys during a clearance sale. They were changing over to the Monster power centers and were dumping all the Panamax rack mounted units. It sat in the closet for several months with my other components while we renovated our den.

When we connected it, we noticed a significant increase in the picture quality from our cable TV. Since then, we have switched over to DirecTV. I was very pleased that the Max 1500 has the DSS cable and telephone connections which the Max 1000+ does not.

The unit comes with ten AC outlets, four on all the time, four switched, and two delayed. It also has a trigger that can be plugged into a switched outlet on a receiver or other equipment to allow the Max 1500 to be remote controlled.

I leave the unit on all time and don't use the trigger, so all ten outlets are always on. I have a Sony DSS receiver, A/V receiver, Betamax, VHS, CD player, tape deck, turn table, and TV all plugged in and never noticed the unit feeling even warm.

As mentioned above, the picture quality on the cable TV improved noticeably when the Max 1500 was first connected. The audio components were hooked up later but we used new interconnects and speaker wires so everything sounds better, but I don't know what impact the Max 1500 made.

The unit does what it is supposed to do, looks good, and I have the peace of mind knowing that my A/V gear is protected from surges from any direction. Somebody was thinking when they designed this. Five stars.

Strengths:
DSS cable and telephone connections, 10 outlets, voltage indicator lites.

Weaknesses:
None so far.

Similar Products Used:
Panamax 500DBS, Max 1000+