In Dubai, the grid is quite clean

My power products are IsoTek's Aquarius V5 and Corvus V5. In my own system their gains were mixed and subtle. That is not a sceptic talking: in Dubai where I am, the electrical grid is actually quite clean.

Then I have sat with systems in other buildings, on noisy power (for any reason), where a conditioner transformed the sound. Same kind of product, different wall socket, different verdict. The difference depends entirely on your electrical environment, at least for me.

This is why I never answer the power question before I know where the system lives. Power is the one category where the building and internal house infrastructure decides more than the brand. A clean grid leaves a conditioner little to clean, while a noisy one gives it real work to do. Your mileage, this is exactly what will vary.

The same goes for the old rule that you start with power cables, then interconnects, then speaker cables. I agree with it, but only on a fully curated high-end system that already has decent cables and some room treatment. In a starting system, other things are hurting your sound far more than the electricity, and those come first.

Is it snake oil? No. Is it universally necessary? Also no.