Hi Nsgarch, thanks for the update (actually I haven't followed any other Exact Power threads lately, so sorry for making you reiterate stuff you've posted before).
Let me state for the record that, while you may be qualified to commment on an electrical engineer's capabilities or the vagaries of the powerline, I am not. But I will share my own experience using the EP-15A in relation to the issues you raise.
My EP-15A is I believe the first version sold, at least in terms of cosmetics (after it replaced the model that preceded it -- the EP-2000 or something like that?), but I don't recall at this point what substantive differences (if any) may have pertained between it and a later version. It's plugged into the common 15A house wiring and breaker-board via a 3-pronged outlet and cord, no upgraded or dedicated circuit or added earth grounding.
I have no idea whether or not my unit has the added thermistor you mention, but as I'm sure you know, it does by design momentarily switch over to straight wall power when the draw exceeds its capacity, as during power amp turn-on (or very occasionally during program peaks at the highest listening levels, to allow unimpeded dynamics). I would have thought that this feature might itself innoculate the unit against damage from excessive current draw. The high-powered amps I've used with the EP include tube monoblocks rated 225wpc and solid-state stereo and monoblock models rated from 400wpc to 500wpc, the latter types in bi-amp combination.
Other than during vacations, my EP is normally left continually on (except for when heavy weather threatens and I unplug the entire system), my amps usually not. As per Equi=Tech's recommendation, the 2Q is normally also left permanently on whenever the EP is powered-up, but in any case it doesn't seem to draw an inrush current at turn-on equal to what any of my power amps do, as it has only rarely (maybe 5% of the times I've turned it on) caused the EP to default to wall power, whereas the power amps virtually always do. (The Power Wedge Ultra doesn't have an On/Off switch, which sonically speaking I think is even better -- but there isn't a draw issue either there or with the source gear connected to it.)
Of the amps I mentioned, the tube monoblocks seemed to cause the biggest powerline sag at turn-on, and if not staggered would routinely trip the house circuit-breaker. Yet none of this has ever caused any problem for or with my EP, which has in fact been totally problem-free in the several years I've had it (knock on wood) through thousands of amplifer turn-on cycles, as well as many powerline interruptions sufficient to cause it to reset (easy to see in retrospect because I normally keep the digital display switched off and it defaults to On mode).
So for me at least, so far so good (my criteria being entirely sonic and not alleged lightning-strike protection) -- and I wouldn't bother with the extra expense did not the b.p.t.'s I'm using in conjunction make a worthwhile improvement over using the EP-15A alone (and vice versa).
Let me state for the record that, while you may be qualified to commment on an electrical engineer's capabilities or the vagaries of the powerline, I am not. But I will share my own experience using the EP-15A in relation to the issues you raise.
My EP-15A is I believe the first version sold, at least in terms of cosmetics (after it replaced the model that preceded it -- the EP-2000 or something like that?), but I don't recall at this point what substantive differences (if any) may have pertained between it and a later version. It's plugged into the common 15A house wiring and breaker-board via a 3-pronged outlet and cord, no upgraded or dedicated circuit or added earth grounding.
I have no idea whether or not my unit has the added thermistor you mention, but as I'm sure you know, it does by design momentarily switch over to straight wall power when the draw exceeds its capacity, as during power amp turn-on (or very occasionally during program peaks at the highest listening levels, to allow unimpeded dynamics). I would have thought that this feature might itself innoculate the unit against damage from excessive current draw. The high-powered amps I've used with the EP include tube monoblocks rated 225wpc and solid-state stereo and monoblock models rated from 400wpc to 500wpc, the latter types in bi-amp combination.
Other than during vacations, my EP is normally left continually on (except for when heavy weather threatens and I unplug the entire system), my amps usually not. As per Equi=Tech's recommendation, the 2Q is normally also left permanently on whenever the EP is powered-up, but in any case it doesn't seem to draw an inrush current at turn-on equal to what any of my power amps do, as it has only rarely (maybe 5% of the times I've turned it on) caused the EP to default to wall power, whereas the power amps virtually always do. (The Power Wedge Ultra doesn't have an On/Off switch, which sonically speaking I think is even better -- but there isn't a draw issue either there or with the source gear connected to it.)
Of the amps I mentioned, the tube monoblocks seemed to cause the biggest powerline sag at turn-on, and if not staggered would routinely trip the house circuit-breaker. Yet none of this has ever caused any problem for or with my EP, which has in fact been totally problem-free in the several years I've had it (knock on wood) through thousands of amplifer turn-on cycles, as well as many powerline interruptions sufficient to cause it to reset (easy to see in retrospect because I normally keep the digital display switched off and it defaults to On mode).
So for me at least, so far so good (my criteria being entirely sonic and not alleged lightning-strike protection) -- and I wouldn't bother with the extra expense did not the b.p.t.'s I'm using in conjunction make a worthwhile improvement over using the EP-15A alone (and vice versa).
