Dedicated circuits

If a train leaves New York travelling at 60 MPH, and a Hot Air Balloon can accend at a rate of 5 feet per second when the ambient air temp is 78.3 degrees, can I still hear any difference between a 12 gauge 15 amp line and a 10 gauge 20 amp line, when playing side two of Zappa's Burnt Weeney Sandwich LP?  Feel free to discuss ad nauseam.  🤣

thanks mike @ditusa 

Hey @dpop 

While you are correct that Watts = V * A, the way linear amps work (with the exception of Sanders' Magtech) is that the rail voltages WILL sag if the line voltage sags.  There's no adjustment feature without a voltage regulator such as a Furman with an AVR feature. 

Does this sagging matter?  Well, possibly.  I think this would be a good case study for Amir to do, to compare output linearity with input AC voltage on a linear amp. Due to the way current amplification works, and moderate amounts of feedback we normally pretend it doesn't.

PS - I have a modest 120W/channel integrated amplifier on a Furman AVR which lets me monitor line voltage AND see instantly if the taps are switching to compensate, as @dpop imagined amps do (they don't, but an AVR does!) .  I echo the sentiments that while the inrush current can cause significant sag, during actual playback actual current needs are small and I rarely see more than 2 V of AC line voltage fluctuations, even with the TV and Home Theater receiver feeding off the same line too.

@bigtwin

If a train leaves New York travelling at 60 MPH, and a Hot Air Balloon can accend at a rate of 5 feet per second when the ambient air temp is 78.3 degrees, can I still hear any difference between a 12 gauge 15 amp line and a 10 gauge 20 amp line, when playing side two of Zappa’s Burnt Weeney Sandwich LP?

Depends on if you’re sitting in the sweet spot or not, when the last time you cleaned your stylus was, and if you're listening to the Japanese pressing or not. 😎

Thankfully I can also have a sense of humor about this stuff.