Product Review: Monster Power Home Theatre Reference PowerCenter HTS3500

Everyone needs a good surge protector. Especially if you have really expensive equipment, and have power surges frequently. I use to buy cheap power surge protectors and use them until they wouldn't work anymore. Until one Christmas, I received a Monster Power Home Theatre Reference PowerCenter. At first I wondered what it was, until I read the manual. After that, I thought it would just be a larger version of a cheap surge protector. I also didn't think I could use it, since it said Home Theatre on it. Well, I plugged it in, and all my computer stuff and my television into it, and turned it on. I didn't think it was anything too spectacular, but I was wrong. Especially after a few power outages, all I did was turn the switched outlets on, and everything worked as it normally would. In the past, when I used the cheap power surge protectors, I lost a good desktop to a surge.

The computer wouldn't run right an I took it in to the repair shop, and nobody could figure out what was wrong with it. The computer would shut off at random times. One of the people that worked there asked me if I was running the computer during a surge, and I told them I had. I then found out that power surges are bad, especially to computers. Since I have alot of things to plug in, I am always afraid I will overload a regular surge protector. However, the Monster power can handle alot of power. Theres a guage in the front that tells you how many volts you are currently using, with the minimum being 100, and a maximum of 130. Currently, I have around 6 out of the total 8 plugs being used, and it is only at 120 volts. What I also like about this surge protector, is that it reminds me of a breaker system.

In other words, when a surge comes through, or the power goes out, the surge protector somehow kicks off, while saving everything that is plugged into it. Now, when the power returns, you have to press the "on" switch that is on the front of the surge protector. Once you press on, the four red LED indicator lights will turn on, one at a time. Meaning that everything is working. There are also 2 green LED lights in front of the red ones that let you know your stuff is being protected and that the system is grounded. I have had my Monster Power surge protector for over 3 years now, and the only thing that has gone wrong with it, is the backlight to the power guage has burned out. However, that is understandable, being that you cannot turn the backlight off. Other than that, this protector has worked perfectly, and nothing that was ever plugged into it during an outage or a surge has ever broken.

Look no further if you are in need of a good surge protector.