I was kind of surprised by the references here of a lack of marketing material on the RSA website concerning protection so I went and looked.
Each product description lists "Protection" as part of the description and in the product brochure that is on the site it gives more "protection" detail. But understandably it focuses on the fact that RSA PLCs give protection without compromising dynamics, restricting power, while still lowering the noise floor and yet increasing transparency and detail.
This was a quote on the e-brochure
"To provide safety measures to insure against
component threatening blackouts, brownouts, and
severe line spikes without limiting current"
Further almost all PLC products use filters and fuses as protection from electrical gremlins and as such my experience has been that these filters and fuses cause a compromise in power limiting and in dynamics, noise floor, detail, transparency, etc. That is with the exception of RSA Power Line Conditioners. I researched the heck out of PLCs to find just the right one, if it even existed. As of today my experience along with the same experiences as several others on this forum have found that the RSA delivers on its promised benefits. That is not to say that there may not be another PLC that can do the same, it just that I tried several and the difference in the RSA units was striking.
I currently have two 20 amp dedicated lines for my 5.1 CLX-based system and 2 dedicated 20 amp lines to my main 7.2 ML home theater system upstairs. I also run a RSA unit for my bedroom which is a 7.1 ML based HT system. I had other types of PLCs in before discovering the RSAs because the power here in Indiana is sketchy at best. Surges, spikes, brownouts and lightning strikes happen here on average more than once a week. Not to mention noisey and unstable AC due to the grain elevator which runs 24/7 and is practically next door. After losing thousands of dollars on sensitive equipment when I first moved in, I installed PLCs and UPSs thoughout the property. Going naked to a 20 amp circuit is not an option, although we don't have a single curtain in any window in the house and I have been known to go outside nak........okay that's a different discussion.
Anyway, the point is that I believe most RSA dealers will allow you to do an in-house demo, that way you can see for yourself, the benefits of PLC the RSA way versus naked to your 20 amp circuit or against another PLC, there really is a difference and the difference sounds way better IMHO and I am not alone on this......although it is because I am alone that I can go outside nake........sorry different discussion.