advice on dedicated line

Al, in your post above, you write the following about surge protectors:

"I and a number of other members use this $259 8-outlet BrickWall surge suppressor/line filter with excellent results. Note that it provides some degree of noise filtering between each of its four duplex outlets, as well as between those outlets and the incoming AC."

You and I may have traded messages before about the benefits and downsides associated with surge protectors. Even still, let me pick it up one more time.

I use a surge protector for my electrical components, except for my subwoofer and power amp. In the later case, I seem to recall that ARC advised me to just plug it into the wall, for the reasons (benefits) you mentioned above. Namely, better access to AC current when the amp is drawing power, especially when handling dynamic transients. Of course, the downside is that my amp is more exposed to damage in case of an AC power surge (e.g., lightening strike).

Two questions. First, in your opinion, does the Brickwall surge protector constrict the amp's access to AC wall current to any significant extent, at least to the point where I might be able to detect a change in sonics?

Keep in mind that my amp is a 150 wpc tube amp. ARC specs it as drawing about 400 watts at idle and about 800 watts when pushing. In addition, the amp has a pretty robust power supply (1040 joules). I assume that the stored power supply would be tapped first during dynamic transients. Perhaps, the amp's power supply acts like a "shock absorber" in that the amp may not need to draw large amounts of AC power in a short time frame if it can draw off the internal power supply first. That's just an intuitive guess.

Second, in your opinion, how much risk is there that an AC power surge will and could take out my amp. I live in the Philly area and am tied into a large urban utility grid. And yes, we are affected by occassional power outages, espcially weather related (e.g., most recently resulting from the snow and ice storms affecting the NE).

On balance, do you think the risk of unprotected AC access outweighs the benefits of direct AC access, sans artifacts?

Thanks,

BIF

TLS, thanks for the inputs.

02-08-14: Bifwynne
In your opinion, does the Brickwall surge protector constrict the amp's access to AC wall current to any significant extent, at least to the point where I might be able to detect a change in sonics?

Bruce, I've never performed any carefully controlled experiments to assess that in my system. And in any event I would not want to extrapolate results in my system to other systems, especially those that include Class D amplification (for which AC current draw fluctuates dramatically with the dynamics of the music), such as you have in your subwoofer.

As I'm sure you realize, there are undoubtedly some audiophiles out there who would contend that it degrades the sound big-time, and others who would contend that it is completely transparent. And undoubtedly there are some who would reject it "a priori" because it does not have a detachable power cord that can be upgraded. I chose it after weighing the opinions and experiences of many others, as well as its design characteristics, which to me are suggestive of a "less is more" approach to line filtering, while of course taking its price into account.

In your opinion, how much risk is there that an AC power surge will and could take out my amp. I live in the Philly area and am tied into a large urban utility grid. And yes, we are affected by occasional power outages, especially weather related (e.g., most recently resulting from the snow and ice storms affecting the NE).

Your guess is as good as mine. I suppose a good answer would be that the risk is minimal but not negligible.

On balance, do you think the risk of unprotected AC access outweighs the benefits of direct AC access, sans artifacts?

Personally I would not want to have any expensive audio equipment unprotected, but obviously that's a personal decision that each audiophile has to make for him or her self.

Best,
-- Al

I live in philly in a neighborhood that runs off the same transformer and we're prone to lightening strikes. Even with my modest system I use a Furman Pro pwr strip for my Sunfire amp, but as Al stated, effect on SQ is system dependent. There have been more than a few nites where I've lost power and heard the breakers on the surge protectors click off. You have an awesome amp, Bifwynne and its worth trying one.
FWIW I like the design of the Brickwall with it's isolated receptacles

Uuuuhhm, maybe the most effectice "surge protector" for my amp is to simply pull the plug when not in use, and not to use my stereo during storms. The other gear is surge protected, if such devices even work.

Here's a question to all you knowledgeable folks...Its been mentioned many times to have the digital components on their own dedicated line; now I'm assuming this means a transport cabled to an external DAC or a hard drive setup.

Why is it recommended not to share the same AC line as analogue components?
Secondly, is a surge protector using isolated receptacles an alternative?
Thanks.