Upgrading to a powerful HP amp, unsure about my power gear.


Hi all, in the next few days I'll be getting a very powerful HP amp, the Viva Egoista 845, which generates up to 15 W per channel. Right now my audio gear is powered by some mid-level Pangea cables connected to a Niagara 1200, which is itself connected to a NRG-Z3 cable to the wall. Everything works and sounds fine, but since I'm moving to such a high end amp I'm wondering if I should rethink my power setup. 

First off, should I consider a much higher priced power regenerator? Or is it better to keep the Niagara for all my other gear and then plug in the new amp directly into the wall using a good quality power cable? My place has decently clean energy, and also I'm worried about killing the dynamics of the amp by inserting a power regenerator behind it. 

Also, since this amp generates a lot of heat, I'm planning to put it somewhat further away from my listening station, and powering it on/off via the main switch will be a little more difficult. I've seen that the PS Audio Powerplant units have a remote on/off function. Would I be able to plug the amp in a Powerplant and then turn it on and off using the Powerplant's remote? Or would that damage the amp?

Would love to get some advice on this. Thanks!

txenakis

@txenakis

Wow, that is a lot of power for a headphone amp! Congrats on your purchase.

The purposes of a power conditioner is power factor correction, filtering noise/EMI/RF, protecting your audio gear (or any electronics) from lighting strikes, and ultimately, enabling your system to perform at the optimal level. No false marketing claims included...just honest specs and verified by 3rd party testing. Bantam clean power (USA company) is what I’m talking about.

A proper power conditioner need-not be expensive. It’s not like buying a sportscar.

Check my profile out to see what I’m using. Price is unbeatable for this level of performance + features. Casinos, banks, and various other businesses already use these units. For audio gear, taking the strain off internal power transformers by feeding the system clean AC means cooler-running audio gear, and longer lifespans.

Regarding power cables, the maximum temperature rating (105 degrees, and up to a certain rating in watts is all you need to know.

I’m from the IT industry as well, where we have seen power cables catch on fire due to not having tolerances that are high enough for very power hungry servers. I would recommend hospital-grade power cords for audio systems, rated up to 1625 watts and faultless otherwise. It’s exactly what they use in every hospital and when folks are on life support machines.

Lastly, take a look at the power transformers I’m using. They are rated at up to 6 ampers of power, and can support up to 400 watts. And yet, the cable is thin. This is because it’s high purity copper that was JET (association in Japan) certified for safety, reliability, and performance. Hope this helps.

What is your source and what are your headphones? Maybe think about what’s best to invest in

@mastering92 Thanks for the advice.  So for a 200 watt amplifier I'm good with an 18 or even 20  gauge power cord according to the charts.  So long as it is cool enough that I can keep my hand on it I'm ok?  

IT professionalls seem to have these aspects of sound well understood. 

Jerry

Thanks for all the answers. The rest of my chain is: Dedicated PC - Holo Audio May KTE - amp - Susvara headphones.

So I'm pretty set with the actual chain and dont think I need to upgrade any other part, except the power...

Off subject, but I would recommend trying a dedicated streamer as well. It can be a huge upgrade over a PC.