Do power conditioners really help?

Flemke and Cornfed are right in my opinion. Try to get the old type screw in ceramic fuses instead of circuit breakers. These things are reported as noisy.

The dedicated line is the first line of defense. If you can install one, go for it.

Since you are using a receiver, pretty much any power conditioner will constrict dynamics. That's why the dedicated line should be the first step. Then I'd go for the Tice Video SOLO...

I dunno, cfb. I'm rather skeptical of tweaks but it is so easy for me to demonstrate that my Monster 5000 makes a huge difference in video and audio that even the most hardened objectivists end up saying "Yup, yup." I put in my power conditioner first, then added my dedicated circuits. I didn't really see any difference when the new power cut in. Now, if I turned off the Monster, the new power was better than the old power, but the Monster made a much greater change than the new wiring, fuses, etc. I suspect it has to do with individual circumstances of power quality.

I'd say do both.

Will

You can see the Richard Grey P.C. difference right on your
TV.It gets better with the more AC problems you might have
and don't even notice.Your 'blacks' will become really black
not some darker shade of grey.Skin tones look normal not
washed out.PC cords can make a diff but its not as easy to tell w/o a hi rez system. Video cables can make a Big and
easily seen diff, espec S and component cables.

I tried numerous power conditioners and did not have too much luck with them. The inserted the PS Audio PowerPlant in front of my CD Player and Preamp. I bought it used, thinking I'd be selling it in a few days, but it's amazing and will stay. More clarity and more defined bass were the major improvements. The other thing is that my power amp is on a dedicated circuit, which made for better dynamics.

Niels.