Description
The 15 Amp P-1800 AR delivers a stable 120 volts of AC power to protect equipment from problems caused by AC line voltage irregularities such as sags, brownouts, or over voltages – all of which can cause sensitive electronic equipment to malfunction or sustain damage. The P-1800 AR accepts input voltages over a wide AC voltage range and transforms it to a constant output of 120V, +/- 5V. Voltages beyond that range may also be converted to usable levels, depending on the range variance. Additionally, the P-1800 AR is a full-featured power conditioner that filters and purifies AC power, reducing line noise and ensuring optimum performance. Not only will your equipment perform better with Furman’s Linear Filtering Technology (Lift), but it will also be fully protected by our exclusive Series Multi-Stage Protection (SMP), and Extreme Voltage Shutdown (EVS). This circuitry provides the highest level of power protection available.
xyz –
Works fine for 2.1 audio, but suggests false accuracyThe product does regulate voltage within a +/-5 Volt output range. It does NOT produce rocksteady 120 V output.I verified that by feeding the P-1800 AR into a Furman Elite 15i Power conditioner with its own volt meter and they agree +/- 1 V so within measurement error.The volt meter shows voltage in single volt increments (precision), but accuracy according to manual is +/- 1.5 V. Current meter shows increments of 0.1 A (precision), but accuracy is +/- 0.5 A, which is rather coarse for a 12-15 A rated device. The amp meter, though, gives some assurance that the equipment is used within its specified rated range. I use it on a HiFi system with the electronics and tube gear. Top power consumption is about 1.2 A (+/- 0.5), so this unit will be sufficient for the vast majority of 2/2.1 channel audio, unless you run giant mono blocks.The best part is that the P-1800 AR can deal with line voltages down to around 90 V (seen recently at our home) and up-regulates those to around 108 V. Audio electronics can stop working with input voltages below 100 V.
Richard J. Mcgrath –
4 weeks after installing the Furman … a tree branch hit the power line, and the transformer (on the street) explodedI am using this to protect the electronics in my living room: the TV, Amplifier, DVR, laptop computers, etc.Install is easy. No need to read the manual. Give it power, plug in your devices, and let it run. By default, the display on the front shows voltage. I changed mine to amps, a single button click, and I reduced the brightness to its minimum, press and hold. When the TV, Amp, and speakers are running, it shows 5 amps, else 1 amp (router, DVR, etc.). I like this view. If I accidentally leave the TV amplifier on, I can see it immediately in the readout.As luck would have it (or not), 4 weeks after installing the Furman, the transformer outside of our house exploded. As I understand it, these transformers have internal backups, so as one circuit blows out, another takes over, until finally all 4 of them are gone and you lose power for good. As each of the circuits blows, the power is restored momentarily, only to go again. So what happened?Items that weren’t protected, like my electric stove and the ceiling lights, flicked on and off rapidly for 30 seconds as the transformer went through its death throes.What the Furman did was interesting. As soon as the voltage went too far out of range (I am presuming it alternated between low and high), it cut power to the outlets, protecting them from the voltage swings. While the stove and the lights were flicking on and off, everything protected by the Furman was safely off.Unlike other voltage regulators (I own an APC LE1200 and a Tripp Lite LC1800), this one doesn’t click as it shifts the voltage back into range.Build quality appears good, and the unit runs cool to the touch.Although the P-1800 is designed to be rack mounted, i run mine on a shelf in the entertainment center, which works fine.I also use a Furman AC-215A to protect my fridge. The AC-215 is a smaller unit with two outlets, and is light enough to sit on top of the fridge. Again, appears very well made.I should also note that I did not notice any difference in picture quality or sound due to the cleaner power. That wasn’t why I bought the unit, it was purely for protection.A final note. Several years ago, I used an APC Back-Ups Uninterruptible Power Supply. A storm hit, and fried my $2,000 server that was supposedly protected by the APC. I don’t buy UPS units any more. I have found that it is safer to let devices power down than to provide DC converted power as the battery backed systems do. Better to have no power, than bad power.
LoveElectronics –
Be carefulIt’s unfortunate that I have to write this review. I’m not sure if it’s Amazon that is at fault or Furman, however someone definitely tried to pull a fast one. This item is clearly a very critical device in any equipment chain. I paid for a brand new device and it arrived as repackaged device. The unit itself didn’t look used, however it was clearly repackaged in it’s original box (damaged, and not sealed) and other little things like not having a clear film protector over the LCD readout, and etc. A device like this is clearly used to keep critical equipment running at all times. Getting the device in a repackaged/damaged box is not the feeling of assurance you want out of this product.I’m a prime member and ordered through amazon because I get everything in 3 days or less. Instead, I now have to ship back, wait for the unit to arrive at it’s destination, and wait for amazon to ship back again (most likely at normal shipping speeds). So, what I thought was an advantage of ordering through Amazon, will not put me with the unit for for probably 3 weeks.
T. Harris –
Recommend but know what you are gettingThis device is whisper quiet and cost more than the Panamex but is far better in my view. Voltage correction seems to start about 3.5 from 120. I thought it corrected regardless, like 119.5 to 120.0 but it does not you need to be off a bit before it kicks in. but once it does the output is spot on at 120.0 (at least for the ranges I have experienced with input as low as 112). In contrast the Panamex will not correct until you are at 115 or 125, and it buzzes when it is turned on and when it corrects voltage and when it just sits there sometimes. And it won’t correct to precisely 120.0 it often over-corrected to 122 or 123. I had two Panamexs for a short period returned them, have two Furmans, now. And there is no audible sound that comes out of the Furman.
Mike D –
Good, but doesn’t correct for frequency.This is a heavy duty (and quite heavy) AVR! I kept it despite it not working for what I was hoping it would work for. Our backup generator puts out dirty power. While the Furman will do AVR, it will not correct for frequency, which is what I needed.
Anton Kaioukov –
Every pro musician must have one.Does what it is made to do: regulates crappy voltage. In my practice studio it goes from 103 to 117 volts and is never steady. The voltage regulator helps to keep the sound of my guitar always the same, it prevents my tube rack amp to keep the same sound no matter where I play.
Vic in Portland –
NopeTLDR; Probably fine for small amperage loads, but adds worse issues above 5 amps.I live in an old 1930s era apartment building, with old (cloth insulated) wiring, distributing rather poor quality San Francisco electric. It’s the kind of place where running the toaster and the microwave at the same time will definitely brown/dim the lights if it doesn’t cause a fuse bulb to blow and/or the 15amp breaker downstairs to trip. The entire apartment has 15amps; which should probably be illegal, if not cruel and unusual punishment. So when I say I wanted to “clean and protect” the AC to the oh so fancy all tube stereo, I want it to have the proper context.The power conditioner is always on, and has a mild buzz coming from it. I didn’t concern myself with it as it required my head to be resting against it to hear. Turn on the preamp (McIntosh C2300) and the buzz get a little louder. The noise is coming from the conditioner not the speakers. Turn on the first power amp (Manley Neo Classic 250) and the amperage jumps to a little less than 3amps, and the buzzing jumps up in volume a few notches. Turn on the second amp and this conditioner thinks it is center stage, audible from the next room over, negating any quiet or detailed listening. I found it had actually introduced a new buzz coming from the speakers where none was apparent before. One of my measures of clarity is to select “MC Phono” with no record playing and turn the volume up to max to listen for “imperfections”. The buzzing made this a heartbreaking experience. The internet suggested multiple “ground loop” solutions, some helpful but none complete even in combination. I stopped short of disassembling the conditioner to search for a “loose transformer”. I’ll need to replace this unit with something worthy. I need a bit more than a fancy power strip.
David Bond –
Great for tube or s/s/ gear.This is an excellent overvolt and undervolt protector for all electronic gear, including vintage tube equipment
Amazon Customer –
great productgreat product
Alberto Gabriel Leal Charles –
NiceI have very bad voltage stability at my studio and it protects my gear. Very good product.