Price Wheeler Brick Wall 8R15AUD Others
Price Wheeler Brick Wall 8R15AUD Others
USER REVIEWS
[Dec 20, 2003]
GreenHornet
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
Best surge protection there is. Does wonders to improve sound quality. Also helps with video quality. Low cost makes Brick Wall surge suppressors one of the best bargains out there.
Weakness:
None I bought the Brick Wall Models 8R15AUD and PW2RAUD for protecting my home theater several years ago. Not only are my electronics fully protected but I also got better sound in the bargain. I didn't know how much better until I recently did a direct comparison against the Monster Power HTPS7000 ($1295). My Onkyo TX-DS989 ver.2 receiver (910 watts) is plugged into the PW2AUD, which is plugged into a dedicated 20-amp AC line. All low current sources go into the 8R15AUD .. which separates the high current from the low current electronics. After replacing this setup with the MP 7000 and running through a half day's worth of reference DVD's, I came to the conclusion that what I gained in video enhancement, I lost in sound quality. Big surprise! The picture on my 60" Pioneer Elite RPTV was definitely better, but at the cost of a significant drop in sound quality .. dynamics and spaciousness in particular. The soundfield was still there, but more distant and softer than before. That elusive "jump factor" I enjoyed so much before .. was now suddenly gone! This was no contest! The Brick Wall surge suppressor/power conditioners outperformed the highly rated Monster Power HTPS7000 on sound quality. But it couldn't match the improved picture quality I got with the MP7000. I saw some improvement with the Brick Walls, but not on the order of the MP7000. After removing the MP7000 for return to the manufacturer .. and saving myself $1295 in the process .. I was happy to see that I got my "jump factor" back when the Brick Walls were put back in the system. And I was still happy with the picture on my RPRV. There is nothing like having both pieces of equipment on hand to test against each other in an A-B test. It takes a lot of time, but the results are worth it! It will quickly help to separate "fact" from "fiction". Sort of like the difference between opinions based on fact and those based simply on marketing hype designed to sell as much product as possible. When you prove it to yourself, there is little room for doubt. In this case, none whatsoever. Similar Products Used: Monster Power HTPS7000 |
[Aug 01, 2003]
pataburd
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
Economical and effective. The best surge protection available as well as easily recognizable audible improvement from its filtering/line conditioning stages.
Weakness:
I wish it had an IEC socket for a power cord upgrade. I just purchased the Brick Wall, non-Audio, 2R15. Since I only run a dedicated headphone system (consisting of DVD/SACD/CD source, headphone amp and associated cables) with minimal power draw, the representative I spoke with at Price Wheeler said the "AUD" version was not necessary. (The surge suppression and filtering specs for the AUD and non-AUD versions of the 2R are identical.) Ordering went very smoothly, and shipping went very, very quickly. Aside from the instantaneous peace of mind (from damaging powerline surges) that I gained from installing the 2R15, I was delighted to hear a cleaner, more detailed, dynamic and spacious character imparted to the playback. In short, I am absolutely delighted with my purchase. At this price, you simply cannot go wrong! SYSTEM: SONY ns755v DVD/SACD/CD player zcore Silver Axis interconnect Corda HA-2 headphone amplifier Virtual Mode PC-2 power cord (for HA-2) Brick Wall 2R15 surge suppressor/filter Similar Products Used: Cheap, mass-market power strips, Virtual Mode Clear Power 1 and Clear Power 2 |
[Jan 25, 2003]
rgravlin
AudioPhile
Strength:
Build quality, performance, lack of esoteric hyperbole.
Weakness:
Non changeable power cord. In my search for the "Holy Power Grail", I have auditioned a number of units and ownb this one plus an ETA Systems PD10VRS. The Brickwall does a remarkable job and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to improve their system for not a lot of $$. Don't waste your money on a PS Audio overpriced product. Their products are good, but very overpriced. The sound? More dynamics and much better bass from my home theater system and the picture is sharper as well. Definetly worth it. That said, if you are looking for voltage regulation along with line cleanup, check out ETA Sytems products. I use the PD10VRS in my Stax Omega2 based system and the sound is unreal. Similar Products Used: PS Audio, Panamax, Tripp Lite, ETA |
[Dec 05, 2001]
Jack
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
Great power protection, great build quality, no sound problems
Weakness:
No coax filtering For the money, there is no better way to protect your system. I live in the lighting capital, Tampa, FL. This is mandatory for anyone here. It doesn't use MOV's for protection (like Monster or Panamax or APC). Those products basically do nothing in a bad lightning storm. Similar Products Used: Adcom ACE-615, Monster HTS1000, Panamax |
[Dec 27, 2001]
Randy Nicolosi
Audiophile
Strength:
Fantastic performance, elegant design, built to last...
Weakness:
None This is the best power conditioner I have ever used, even in audio applications. It made mincemeat of the highly touted PS Audio Power Plant. My system is fairly resolving, and the presence of the BW filter is totally convincing. The sound is much cleaner, tighter, and involving. If you value the subtlety that high end audio offers then you must hear the Brick Wall filter in your system. In 25 years of being an audiophile I cannot offer a higher recommendation for a power filter. This really works, and it is based on real science. Similar Products Used: Monster Cable, PS Audio, Virtual Mode, Tripplite, etc. |
[Sep 03, 1999]
Dan
an Audiophile
Just recently purchased the Brick Wall line filter. It improved every aspect of my home theater, including cleaner picture, quieter audio background, smoother highs, and tighter bass. I would rate the improvement on the same level as a class upgrade in amplifier. Highly recommended |
[Nov 01, 1999]
Julien
Audiophile
Strength:
Robust protection
Weakness:
see review I have one for my computer, one 15 amp for my AV and one 20 amp for the stereo. Similar Products Used: API PowerPack II |
[Oct 12, 1999]
Marc
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
Very well made. No doubt this unit is able to absorb a lot bigger power surges than its competition, due to its
Weakness:
Don't think this technology has much business in a high end system-see review below. Tried this one in my system for the 30 day trial offered from the manufacturer. Similar Products Used: Tice Microblock, Powerblock, Monster HTS2000. |
[Jul 17, 2000]
Marc Bratton
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
Absolutely unstoppable surge protection!
Weakness:
Captive power cord, while very robust, is not exactly audiophile territory. Still, hard to see how this unit could be bettered, at this price. In my review of the 8R15AUD below, I sort of dissed it because I felt it to be too current limiting. At the time, I was using an integrated amp, and that was my experience. This review is of their PW2AUD, which is a 2 outlet unit which is designed with 20 amp components, only with a regular 15 amp power cord, which is captive. It was designed specifically with the audiophile and home theater user in mind. I am using this unit upstream of my Monster HTS 2000, which has all the front end components plugged into it. Am now using a Conrad Johnson MV50 power amp, which is plugged into the 2nd outlet of the PW2AUD. With this configuration, I am happy to report that there is NO limitation of dynamics, or collapsing of the soundstage apparent...and believe me, I tried, by really pushing the system. It is also a good line conditioner...I got a slightly blacker, quieter background. As a consequence, I could hear the trailing edges of notes longer...the acoustic venue was more apparent. Instruments seemed slightly fuller, rounder, more present. I'd classify this effect as "slight, but definitely noticable". Similar Products Used: Tice Microblock Monster HTS 2000 |
[Dec 06, 2000]
Tommy
Audiophile
Strength:
Best Surge protection available. Subtle but effective line conditioning/filtering. No choking of Dynamics whatsoever in my system. Good quality (if not great) duplex outlet. Solid build.
Weakness:
None at the price point, especially considering it was purchased mainly for surge protection. This is for the PW2RAUD .... Audio version, 20 amp guts but 15 amp cord and rating. Similar Products Used: Tripp, API, Monster, Panamax ...... |