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Hubbell HG, Surge Protected & IG, Anyone use this?

I was researching Hospital Grade Isolated Ground power receptacles and came across these in Hubbell's catalog, which combines Hospital Grade, Surge Protection and Isolated Ground in one receptacle.

Part numbers with a prefix of IG8262 (15AMP) and IG8362 (20AMP). These parts come in 6 colors (Blue, Ivory, Gray, White, Orange and Red) and have a rating of "240 Joules/13000A per mode" and meet UL Stds 1449 2nd edition and the 15AMP version is CSA Certified. I called Hubbell Tech Services and asked what if anything is the difference besides the added surge protection compared to the HG IG8300 that is so well known on this forum. The answer: The IG8262/IG8362 uses a steel strap, is riveted and may not grip as well as the 8300 but is still a HG quality receptacle. The Tech Person could not answer any audio related questions.

Two questions relating to the IG8262 (15AMP) and IG8362 (20AMP): see background below for details of my setup/config
1. How will the built in surge protector affect the quality & flow of the power and/or sound compared to the IG8300.
2. How will the steel strap and rivets affect the quality of the power and/or sound compared to the IG8300. (which as many of you know, does not use steel or rivets)

I wanted to use the following color scheme for all the HS IG receptacles and the Hubbell IG8x62 series has the colors, but the IG8300 only comes in Orange, PS Audio Power Port only in Gray, etc.: Orange for UPS protected devices, Gray for filtered/conditioned protected devices and White for supplying power to a protection device (ie: filter/conditioner and/or UPS) or Subwoofer. (Std non-dedicated, non-protected outlets are white without the HG IG symbols)

I will gladly sacrifice color for better power flow and better sound quality if I have to! The bottom line: Is there a difference that I may hear based on the background & equipment detailed below.

Any other options for HG & IG audio quality receptacles in the colors above? (with or without the surge protection)

David
Sun Certified Network Administrator and MCSE
----------------------------
Background:
- New 1yr old house and finishing the basement with a Theater and Equipment Room, etc.
- Whole House Surge Protector (new APC: PMP2X) installed at main service panel.
- A subpanel in the Equipment Room (ER) wired from the main service panel using a dedicated 80AMP circuit breaker and in wall 4-gauge Hospital Grade MC-4-2 line. (MC-4-2 is Hospital Grade wire that uses a metal flex conduit w/ 4-gauge solid 2-conductor plus a 6-gauge solid insulated ground)

- The subpanel in the ER supplies:
- AV Equipment Cabinet from a 20AMP circuit using 10-gauge MC-10-2 wire (same as above but w/ 10-gauge 2-conductor & 12-gauge ground) and metal boxes.
- Two subwoofers each on their own 20AMP circuits using 10-gauge MC-10-2 wire and metal boxes. (one circuit to the front subwoofer and the 2nd to the rear sub)
- Computer/LAN Cabinet (APC 2200XL UPS) on a 30AMP/120V circuit using 10-gauge MC-10-2 wire and metal boxes.

- The AV Cabinet is protected first by a Monster Power AVS 2000 then an HTPS 7000 which is plugged into the AVS2000 (per tech engineers at Monster). (

- Patch outlets (type yet to be determined) in the wall next to the AV Cabinet supply outlet and more next to the UPS supply outlet will be used to power the other end of each patch outlet. A heavy power cord (TBD, suggestions?) will connect the filtered/protected power output from the Monster HTPS 7000 to the Patch Outlet in order to energize a given Patch line. (think of each of these as a dedicated run, in-wall extension cord using MC-10-2 or MC-12-2. 10-gauge for RPTV and future ceiling projector runs and 12-gauge for the Crestron touch panel outlet in the theater and non-audio or non-computer related outlets that still benefit from HG IG on UPS protection such as two separate runs to the Study on the main floor for the computers, etc.)

For the subwoofers (not supplied from HTPS 7000), I will use the "Monster Cable Subwoofer PowerCenter SW 200 with Clean Power Stage 1 v2.0" because it provides 1110-joule surge protection vs the 240 in the IG8362.

Current equipment details not listed above:
(all cables are Monster Cable brand off the shelf or custom lengths terminated at factory w/ Monster Locks for speaker and same grade terminators as off the shelf for all others including the in-wall runs)

- Denon AVR5803 as main for Theater (7.1 and 9.1 modes)
- Pioneer Elite PRO-710HD RPTV (wire: MVHDDB15, M1000CV-8M, etc.)
- Sony DVP-S7000 DVD Player (with factory upgrades) (wire: M1000v Silver Video component & COAX audio)
- Speakers: Snell:
- Main: E.5 (wire: M1.4s biwired)
- Center: CR.5 (wire: M1.2s)
- Rear (corners): K.5 (wire: M1.4s biwired)
- Side Surround: SR.5 (wire: MCX-2s)
- Rear Surrounds (EX): CLS.5 (wire: MCX-2s)
- Velodyne: HGS-15II (THX Ultra2 cert.) Front/Main Sub (wire: MSB850SW w/ supplied MSB850SW Y-splitter (1F-2M) and a factory custom MSB850SW Y-splitter (1M-2F) at Denon AVR5803 for signal to other Sub)
- Energy e:XL S10 10" Rear Sub (wire: MB400SW)
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hawkwindeb
bob_bundus
1,834 posts
 
done correctly: surge protection is NOT a one-step process, it's multi-staged & distributed. Power company has two protectors on the service pole: an open-arc grounding point & a high voltage MOV. Inside I use whole-house gas-tube discharge arrestor, followed by MOV's paralleled across a Wattgate 381 outlet, folowed by a line conditioner w\ integral surge protection, followed by MOV's that I've instaled internal to my components.
The HG / IG / protected outlet seems very worthwhile to try out. Install one or two outlets, then after breakin you may wish to compare with some others that have been recommended. If you don't perceive any differences-to-the better, then you know you're done. If you do perceive improvements w\ another outlet then you've pretty much answered your own question.
hawkwindeb OP
6 posts
 
Bob,
How long of a breakin period and what entails a breakin for an outlet? Time, amount of power flow, both?
Thanks
David
------------
Lak,
1. I would like to get the colors as long as it does not impact the sound quality.
2. The additional surge protection at the device protects from surges that initiate from inside the house as well as help keep the device plugged into the surge protector from sending surges to other devices (I asked Hubbell tech serv if the IG8x62 provided 2-way protection and he answered yes)
3. I agree with Bob that multiple layers of protection is best. "Defense in depth" (again, as long at it does not degrade sound quality)
4. For my computer equipment I use multiple surge protection devices. I will even place a surge protector between my UPS and the computers in the study since the computers are not plugged directly into the UPS. (goes through the patch line in the walls)
Thanks,
David
hawkwindeb OP
6 posts
 
This is a test to link my new registered user name to this thread
David
zorpman
87 posts
 
Although you have protected yourself from damn near everything but a close strike nuclear EMF pulse it would seem that your much is to much. Exactly what real world damage are you trying to prevent? A direct lightning strike to your home (not through the service panel)is the only possible threat this overkill might effect. Even then, a direct lightning strike has been seen to arc through almost any protection scheme. As long as you and your equipment don't share a Faraday cage with a 1000k Tesla coil, across the street from a steel mini-mill, in lightning alley, you appear to have lost the point IMHO.

Have you given any thought to the waveform deformation and phase distortion of all this protection? At some point it is like feeding prime rib to the dog. Whats the point other than for bragging rights? If that's the point, certainly carry on.
sean
6,231 posts
 
Zorpman: I agree whole-heartedly. Only thing is, some folks have had different i.e. "first hand" experiences in this type of situation. As such, going through the hassle of having to file a claim, fighting with the insurance company, replacing your gear, getting everything dialed back in again, etc... is NOT what they want to go through. In order to get around that point, they go "over-kill" to prevent such things from happening. It is a perfect example of the old saying "once bitten, twice shy". Then again, we might be singing the same tune if our gear had gotten "whacked" by lightning / voltage surges. Sean
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