Audiophiles hifi appreciation thread old and new

There are two kinds of transient suppressor, and you should probably have both.

1. Switched inductive loads (mostly motors in a domestic environment) generate transients, and these should be suppressed at source with what amounts to a high pass filter bridging the switch contacts, which is usually the control switch itself but also the commutator in the case of commutated motors.
   
2. Equipment will receive power line transients from equipment on the local network, but also from events far upstream on the distribution network e.g. lightning strikes. Sensitive (because delicate, or because transients affect the signals in an annoying way) equipment should be protected from these by using a transient suppressor between the mains power network and the equipment power inlet. These can be bought commonly as either mains plugs or socket-strip extension leads.