AC is AC ... is not ...
The "standard" allows for some major fluctuations for what comes into the house from the street. I've got a whole house surge protector that takes care of the big lumps, and plugging a Kill-A-Watt tester into an outlet every now and then shows that the power here ain't all that bad, but ...
Tubes are another story I guess. Solid state can take a lot more abuse without going under. I understand voltage changes that might be considered normal can shorten tube life considerably, and I'm sure we've all noticed that bottles aren't all the inexpensive. So ...
I just ordered an APC Line-R 1200VA Automatic Voltage Regulator.
It's not a backup unit - I've got a couple of those collecting dust as the batteries don't last and cost almost as much as a new unit. It's got a relay that taps the transformer based on what's coming in and either bumps it up, tones it down, or passes it thru untouched. Real compact so I can put it in the cabinet. It has three outlets, which should be perfect for the ST-120 I got coming, a tube phono stage, and my Maverick D1+ DAC.
And ya ... I could go a lot better for a lot more, but I think this is better than nothing ... these get real good reviews for other stuff too, like computers and LCD tvs that tend to be a bit more sensitive to dirty AC.
Only complaint I've seen on the APC is the relay is a bit loud, but ... I imagine it's quieter than exploding tubes or me crying about them when they die. The APC was under $50, so I don't expect perfection ... just protection ...
Thoughts?