Monster Cable MP AV 800 PowerCenter AV 800 with Surge Protection Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I bought two surge protectors at the same time. One was the Monster AV 800, the other was APC Performance SurgeArrest 11 (PF11VT3).

The Monster is fine. Most importantly, it should do a good job of what it is designed for: extension cord + surge protection. It does NOT have a phone line protection, just for coax cables. But if your only criteria is whether it does it's job, it gets an A in that area.

But, I'm more picky, so here are additional items for consideration:

It has a right angle plug allowing it to be plugged easily to a wall behind a desk or other tight spots. The plug is angled towards the right hand side, so it's better if you're going to keep the surge protector on the right hand side of the wall outlet. My equipment was on the left side of the outlet on the wall, so the plug looks a little weird for me; the APC unit has a left angle, so that was a better fit. Obviously this is purely cosmetic.

I also have mixed feelings about the color-coded outlets. They also come with stickers so that you can tag the power cords, so that you know which cord belongs to which unit. That certainly makes things easy when you need to unplug just one of the items. On the other hand, since each plug is titled with a specific equipment name (TV, VCR, DVD Player), if you are plugging something else, you are stuck with using one of the existing tags so you have to sub-optimize.Again, just a cosmetic complaint.

But, overall, the main reason I'm not as passionate about the AV800 is that it is not as good a value as APC Performance SurgeArrest model is. I bought both at the same price (About $30 on Amazon). But:
a) APC comes with phone line protection, Monster doesn't (and in fact, you can connect two equipments to the same phone line on APC, so it also acts as a phone-line splitter)
b) APC has safety shutters on its outlets, Monster doesn't (Although they do make it slightly more difficult to plug things in and out of the APC unit, and some complain about this. I find it as a useful feature)
c) APC has 11 outlets, Monster has 8.
d) On APC, 2 of the outlets are "always on", while the remaining 8 can be swtiched on and off using the switch on the unit. This is useful, if you are going on vacation and want to leave only your VCR or DVR on for recording, but want to cut power off from your amplifier, your TV, and any other equipment. When you initially set it up, just make sure to put your VCR on the always on plugs. Then you can flip the switch to off and leave. Monster AV800 does not have such a feature, so the switch turns all outlets off.
e) Cord Guide - APC also has a cord guide, so you can group all cords together and guide them from one end of the surge protector, making it look a little tidier. It's not perfect, but better than nothing (which is what Monster has).

Finally, if you are obsessed about the joule rating (I'm not), the APC also has a higher joule rating at 2030 joules.

They both get the basic job done, but the APC comes with more bells and whistles, making life just a little easier, but for the same price.

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Product Description:
Monster multiple surge guard circuitry absorbs harmful power surges to give you audio video system protectionharmful power surges and voltage spikes can travel up ac power and coax connections and damage your components. Lightning, automatic garage doors, power tools, refrigerators and fluorescent lights all cause power surges and voltage spikes that can travel up ac power lines and coax cables to damage the sensitive electronic circuitry of your connected audio video components.Ordinary surge protectors, or the so-called "value brands", often fail to provide the adequate level of protection your av components need.Plus, standard surge protectors often cause as much as 20 to 30db of signal loss which can adversely affect the output performance levels of coax connections. Proper connection to an advanced surge protector that offers integrated system protection can help minimize the risk of permanent surge damage. Unlike standard surge protectors, the monster PowerCenter av800 with Surgeguard protection provides multiple layers of defense against harmful surges.Strategically placed multiple metal oxide varasitors respond within one nanosecond (a billionth of a second) to power surges and voltage spikes before they can reach and damage your audio video components.Plus, monster's ultra-low loss RF circuitry minimizes signal loss to maintain the peak output performance of your coax connections. monster PowerCenters make life easier. Monster's flatprofile plug lets you push your furniture flush against the wall.And, with color-coded outlets and cord labels, you can avoid unplugging your VCR by mistake, causing it to blink "12:00".Finally, a generous eight-foot monster power cord, which is the optimum length to reach most electrical outlets, is included. Now you can get protection from harmful surges, voltage spikes and inconvenience!Monster's PowerCenters offer high performance solutions for today's technology challenges.

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