Good outlet for amplifiers


I have a circuit in my listening room for my amplifiers and it uses a dedicated ground.  Right now I have two duplex outlets connected - and I use the primary outlet (first on the run) for the amps (reserve secondary for subwoofers if needed).  I would like to install better quality outlets for this - two duplex, set up for a dedicated ground.  I could see spending $100-$200 per duplex, if that gets me something decent.  I want it to grip the plugs well.  Recommendations?

PS - I'm running two VAC Phi-200 amplifiers (200w tube amps, KT88)

peter_s

Yes, as you described, there is a green insulated wire included in the run.  I will need to open things up to see if there is also a bare copper wire for grounding the box and to confirm that the box is metal... but I know we used an armored cable running on the outside of the wall to get this additional dedicated circuit to my amps, and so the armor on the cable acts as further shielding/ground, but is not the same as the green wire (isolated) ground. 

ya, that would be a good idea. Saves a lot of guess work what the electrician used.

Don't forget to turn off the breaker. Verify the circuit is dead.

While looking inside the outlet box look for two green insulated ground wires.

Write down the number of, and colors of, all the wires in the armor cable.

Are you sure the duplex outlet(s) are IG grounding type? They are orange in color or have an orange triangle on the face plate? Like this one for example.

Here is an example of a Hubbell IG Hospital Grade duplex receptacle.

I assume your house is wood framing. Why did you go with IG outlets and IG ground. What did the electrician say about it? Or was it his suggestion?

I'm glad you didn't say the IG ground wire connects to a dedicated ground rod. That's usually the cause.

FWIW not that many IG outlets are installed these days. They really are only used in commercial and industrial facilities. They where big in the 1970s, 1980s, and into the 1990s but really dropped off in the 2000s. 

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Hi Peter, I use a pair of PS Audio PowerPort Classics. They have a fantastic grip on heavy power cords. I haven't worried about connections since I installed them in 2007. It looks like PS Audio stopped making them, but I see them for sale on HiFi Heaven website. The price is reasonable at $50 each. The Furutech GTX-D NCF(R) are quite pricey at $281 each. I hopes this helps. 

Edit:

This armored cable is apparently MC cable. Manufacture calls it Metal Clad. Must be new. I have never seen MC cable with a bare aluminum ground wire. Junk for feeding audio equipment, imo.

I doubt very much that’s what you have. No way that could be considered as an IG conductor.

This is AC armored cable. A different animal than MC cable.

 

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@mingles Said:

I use a pair of PS Audio PowerPort Classics. They have a fantastic grip on heavy power cords. I haven't worried about connections since I installed them in 2007. It looks like PS Audio stopped making them, but I see them for sale on HiFi Heaven website. The price is reasonable at $50 each.

@mingles , sorry to say the one on HiFi Heaven website is not the same outlet as the PS Audio PowerPort Classics.

The ones you installed in 2007 were made by Hubbell. The real deal... I have no idea who makes the ones shown in the HiFi Heaven Website. Not Hubbell though, imo.

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