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AC Power

I have a relatively nice system, but have done nothing with my AC power, with the exception of upgraded PC’s and a cheap iFi plug in power conditioner. My question is multi fold… do I need to do something, and if so what? Dedicated line (15A or 20?)? Quality power conditioner? Both? Which one first? How do you tell?

My system is a combination of HT & 2 channel & I tend to use both simultaneously as I like to watch sports while listening to music.
My amp is (I think) a relatively low draw… Moon 330A, Rythmik sub, BHK pre, Aurender, Qutest w/Sbooster, R11’s. No high power amps are in my future & never listen above 75db. I do currently plug my amp directly into the wall. All my wall warts are gone. For my HT, add a 75” Sony TV, Marantz 7015 AVR & a Klipsch sub (although at zero volume the AVR & sub should not come into play).

I am considering buying the Furman IT-Reference 15i or 20i first as they are well reviewed & are priced very well on Amazon ($1,400 / $1,900). Before I pull the trigger, should I go dedicated power & at what amperage (my nephew, an EE & audiophile thinks I am drawing no more than 5 amps) as that will dictate the Furman model?

Interesting, my nephew thinks neither are worth the investment. His statement: “Do you have appliances on the circuit now? What kind of interference can they inject?...voltage drops would come from current draws...which trip breakers.
Not steady 60hz a good power supply handles. So it all comes back to was the power supply engineer dropped on his head as a child.”

”Personally I think it’s something audio people do when they have run out of gear to buy.”

Any thoughts or recommendations would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

signaforce
erik_squires
16,635 posts
 

Hi OP:

You are getting good advice. My observations, living in apartments and now a detached home is that most significant voltage fluctuations come from seasonal variations as well as major appliances (HVAC, dryer, etc.). It is _very_ rare to see a home user’s equipment draw enough to cause significant sag, but it does happen with mega heavy Class A amps.  I base this on having a Furman with voltage output and using plug in voltage monitors.  

The dedicated circuit may help reduce noise from other devices on the same circuit, such as for instance PCs, LED light strips, etc.

Based on this my advice is:

  • Get a whole house surge suppressor for basically everything not on a power strip (GFCI outlets, fire alarms, washer and dryer, etc.)
  • Get a Furman with SMP, LiFT and EVS to protect your gear from most voltage issues AND significantly reduce line noise, when present.
  • Optionally get a Furman with AR (voltage regulation). This will keep the voltage within 5 V regardless of your current draw or major appliance usage or season.

Personally I go with regulation over isolation, so this is a unit I really like.

signaforce's avatar
signaforce OP
312 posts
 

@erik_squires Thanks for your thoughts. My amp is just 5W class A before it changes to A/B.
I believe the Furman model I selected is their top model & has the features you recommend… but maybe not. Your link goes to a cross Atlantic yacht trip. Can you resend?

erik_squires
16,635 posts
 

OP:

So sorry about the bad link, this one should be correct. 5W is sipping off the power. Furman makes a lot of models geared towards either home or professional users. If you like that unit, stick to it. :)

I was just describing why my own gear is more focused on voltage regulation than isolation.

Isolation focuses on noise. Regulation focuses on keeping the line voltage as close to ideal 120V as possible, and tries to compensate for over and under voltages as they occur.

The unit you are suggesting has the most important features.  SMP, LiFT and EVS.  That will keep your gear noise free and healthy for a long time.

yogiboy's avatar
yogiboy
5,823 posts
 

Listen to your nephew. IMO, adding anything would be a waste of money!

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