Dedicated Line - Things to consider

Paul of PS Audio suggests a dedicated 10 gauge line for each audio component. In my case, that would be six separate 10 gauge copper romex lines feeding 6 individual outlets. I am thinking of doing it with a subpanel installed and a revamping of the ground too.

Or not. LOL

@immatthewj please let us know what you’ve heard as a result of the test when you get around to it

@audphile1 , over the past couple of weeks I put in some sessions on the new dedicated circuits that I replaced the old "dedicated circuits" with. What I have is three lines of 12-2 going from the outlets in my listening room directly to my electrical panel which is also in my listening room.

The new circuits are all on the same leg. At the top of that leg is the washing machine which is never operating when I am listening, next is one of my old "dedicated circuits" and that breaker is tripped to ’off’’ and then my new circuits starting with ’1’ at the top, then ’2’ & ’3’ at the bottom.

The configuration that I had started with was: circuit 1 had my SLP-05/circuit 2 had my Cary V12 and my ancient M&K sub which came from M&K with a 2 blade nonremovable power line/circuit 3 was my Marantz SA10 which also came with a 2 blade receptacle and a removable 2 blade power cord.

As I typed previously, the way I would reconfigure would not be ideal. I turned breakers 1 & 2 ’off’ and used only 3 which is the last breaker in use on that leg. In lieu of buying two strips, I used a grounded 3 into 1 adapter plug and put my v12 on one end and my M&K on the other side, nothing in the middle. I don’t see why this should be and worse than a strip, and extra cord is actually eliminated. About 25 years ago a dealer in Filthadelphia (who was good at selling me stuff back in the days of wine & neurosis when I had more money than brains) sold me "The Promethean Audio Products Power Flo Power Conditioner." I used it sometimes and other times I didn’t. I never could tell if I thought I could hear a difference or not, therefore I often went by the theory that it was just something else in between my components and my previous "dedicated circuits." Even though I don’t trust it completely, I broke it out tonight to fill in as a second strip. It has six outlets, three on either side of the nonremovable grounded & braided power cord; I put the SA10 on the extreme left and the SLP-05 on the extreme right (not that that probably makes any difference).

I let the system warm up for nearly an hour while I made dinner and then dined, and then I started using the 3 circuit configuration described above. I first listened to a 4 song live promo the Cowboy Junkies had released when they were touring the Black Eyed Man CD because I like it and am familiar with it: the sound staging and the revealing detail. Then I listened to the Cowboy Junkies Analogue Productions "Trinity Sessions" SACD becuse this may be what I consider to be my sonically best CD and I have been listening to various digital pressings since 1993 or so.

Then I reconfigured to the 1 circuit system that I described above.

To be clear, I liked my system on 3 circuits. On a good night with the lights turned out and my eyes closed with a good source CD the lateral & horizontal size of the sound stage exceeds the boundaries of my smallish listening room; & that sound stage is filled with detail. This did not change for better or worse on 1 circuit. On 3 circuits (alluding to the two CDs I chose to do this "A/B") I have never felt that Ms. Timmins’ vocals were screechy or hard edged. Quite the opposite.

I was not predisposed to feeling that one way would be better than the other. However, I honestly believe that her voice was slightly softer sounding and slightly rounder sounding on 1 circuit. I also felt that the sparkle had slightly more sparkle.

Okay, sorry, but after all that, this is all I am going to say about the sonic comparison for the time being. I hate doing A/Bs because I don’t have the vocabulary to describe what I think I might be hearing and I don’t think my ears are good enough for this hobby. BUT, I do think that over an extended period of time spent listening, even though I consciously don’t think I am hearing a difference (unless it gets suddenly worse), I DO think that without consciously realizing it, I am, in fact, deriving more pleasure from my listening sessions.

Also there are other factors that may have had an effect on tonight’s comparison. The addition of the old power conditioner for the pre and the digital front end, for example, maybe it was making a difference but I never took the time to listen for it. Also, in some locations my three circuits are not routed with near the separation that Jea suggested they should be. I can fix that, but it will be a lot more work, starting in the attic (that will be the easy part) and then in the wall. (I spent so much time in that attic back in November, I don’t know how many times I said to myself, but out loud, "I don’t ever want to go up here again.") And I know what I need to do with the interior wall of my listening room, but I am not looking forward to doing it.

So for me, going forward, I’d like to put some more sessions in using one circuit, and then I’d like to repeat tonight’s test, but in reverse. I seem to better realize I am hearing changes when they get worse vs when they get better. Something else I would like to experiment with would be the power conditioner/strip from Fuhrman that I put a link to within one of those threads I pasted above. They are available from MD, and from the open box specials MD is always advertising, they must be very good about honoring their money back policy on returns. The reason I would like to try it is because it features a couple of inputs that are theoretically isolated for digital. ErikSquires seemed to like that one.

I still say that when you go the dedicated route that you should put at least two in. That will give you the option to experiment, and if you do or don’t do it yourself, I don’t think the labor should be much more for 2 vs 1. Also, I’d say to go to the thread that I pasted previously (this one would be the thread that I started) and read the replies by Jea that relate to how the Romex should ideally be routed.

After I play around some more, I’ll come back to this thread with updates.