Installing Dedicated Power Lines -- Need Advice


My general contractor is hiring a licensed electrician to install dedicated 20A lines for my audio system as part of a whole-apartment rewire and gut renovation.  While I'm sure the electrician is very capable, I'm also pretty sure he doesn't know anything about audio systems either.  Can any of you recommend a consultant or electrician who specializes in audio electrical I can hire to advise my electrician on how to best set up these lines?

Thanks!
dkidknow
I spent an afternoon listening to my amp with the O96 at In Living Stereo (where I buy a lot of my gear) and while I enjoyed the experience, i didn’t walk away loving them so much. It’s all moot with those speakers because my listening room at the new apartment will also be my living room, and there just isn’t the space for 18” wide speakers.

I’ve had the LM amp since 2014 and could easily relate to what Herb had to say about it when he wrote that review. The Super 9s will fit in my space and are quite nice, but I’m actually most excited about the Bache Audio speakers, which are also a Brooklyn product. I’ve spent an afternoon with the designer Greg Bellman, listening to his 002AB and Tribeca speakers at his showroom near the Navy Yards and will likely end up with one of those. Highly recommended for their immediacy.
I wonder if you like a little more forward presentation than I do, which is one way of characterizing the difference between the Os and the 9s.
I didn't know about Bache, but something like that might be true of them: looks like metal high end drivers, while I gravitate to silk.
In any case, you'll be getting a homegrown speaker, which is cool.


Circling back to the Decware vs. regenerator issue. Here is what P.S. Audio wrote to me when I asked them about using both: "I don’t agree with the statement from Decware [that Decware's conditioner can be used in addition to a regenerator]. We do not recommend a line conditioner in conjunction with our power regenerators. We do feel that they can limit the power coming in from the wall by using high/low pass filters which do essentially choke the electricity to the regenerator."

So, which is it? Decware's version of what is best or P.S. Audio's? @millercarbon  I'm still curious what you think since you have a lot of experience with power and also recommended the Decware.
@dkidknow - I think the biggest limitation may be that you are likely sharing power, or at least ground, with other units. I've never done a room in a coop or multi-unit building but only in single family houses. The dedicated lines give you some assurance that there are no noise inducing appliances on the same circuit as your hi-fi gear, but they all source back to a panel which feeds other equipment and in turn is tied to a common ground. In one house, I could hear certain lights and appliances despite dedicated lines in a listening room on the third floor of the house, at a remove from the noise inducing appliances. 
I was never too concerned about audiophile branded wire for the dedicated runs or even for the receptacles, going with 10 gauge and the Hubbell hospital grade receptacles I mentioned from Albert Porter. 
Your question about addressing problems at the source would lead me to ask how the power to your unit is wired from the building's utility room-- something you are probably not able to change, but an inspection by a qualified electrician may be informative. I also don't know what code permits you to build in (e.g. an isolation transformer) as opposed to a "black box" that connects to the receptacle. The gent I mentioned in an earlier post in this thread, @jea48, has especially deep knowledge of code and best practices. 

Circling back to the Decware vs. regenerator issue. Here is what P.S. Audio wrote to me when I asked them about using both: "I don’t agree with the statement from Decware [that Decware's conditioner can be used in addition to a regenerator]. We do not recommend a line conditioner in conjunction with our power regenerators. We do feel that they can limit the power coming in from the wall by using high/low pass filters which do essentially choke the electricity to the regenerator."

So, which is it? Decware's version of what is best or P.S. Audio's? @millercarbon  I'm still curious what you think since you have a lot of experience with power and also recommended the Decware.


First time I called a manufacturer asking about something like this was around 1992. Mr Aronov assured me they use only the finest caps and there is nothing to be gained and we will not be responsible when you ruin our fine amp. Went ahead and was shocked how much better it sounded with $5 worth of HEXFRED diodes. Liquid, deep, black, the works.  

Tried the same thing a few more times until I gave up, finally realizing no manufacturer will ever tell you the truth, "We use the cheapest parts we feel we can get away with, and why not, I have a family to feed, and have you seen what a Ferrari costs these days?"  

Hard to argue. But what about power cords, fuses, vibration control? Let me assure you, deja vu all over again.  

Not only manufacturers. When I was new to autocross I went around asking guys what tire pressure they run. It's a club, friendly competition, they will tell me, right? Ha! Don't make me laugh! One guy seriously told me he doesn't know- WHILE HOLDING THE GAUGE TO THE VALVE STEM!

Your homework assignment if you want to be the best audiophile you can be is to watch every episode of House, MD. There you will learn the most important lesson: here let me get you off to a good start- 
https://youtu.be/HgXpvzt7Qg8?t=105