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Outlets and Wire Gauge? - Please help!

I finally contracted an electrician to run two dedicated lines - a week from today! I have been reading thread after thread and the consensus appears to be going with 10awg wire for the 20amp run. My problem is two-fold:

  1. I'm stuck selecting an outlet because the electrician says that no 20amp outlet can take 10awg, that "10awg is for 30amp outlets".
  2. I'm stuck selecting an outlet because of what it might do to my sound. 

I simply want to install something good that's going to feed a Puritan Audio PSM156. I am now running ADG Gran Vivace monos. I prefer a rich midrange.

Additionally, I asked for both a 15 and 20 amp run. People suggested I do this so my sources can be run off the 15A with amps / subs off of the 20A, but someone here mentioned ground loops? I am not well-versed in things electrical. Ideally I would like to know if I should stick with the two runs, and what would be a few good choices for each outlet if I do. @jea48 @erik_squires ... I have seen solid advice from you on the topic of outlets, but they lack things specific to awg and outlet type.

Thank you in advance!

PS I estimate the length of the run to be approximately 50', max.

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erik_squires
15,687 posts
 

@thespeakerdude

 

Congrats man, you’ve just proven surge protectors can’t work. :) You are on your own now, and ignoring the fact that ground and neutral are bonded at the service entrance as well as basic MOV surge protection design. 

If you want to have those arguments you are on the wrong site.

curtdr
348 posts
 

is 10awg existent inside your amp or inside your speakers, once you're past the binding posts?  

seems like overkill, but whatever floats your boat

the relatively inexpensive outlets that provide solid plug connection seem reasonable

but like I said, whatever you feel will "work" for you

audioguy85's avatar
audioguy85
1,992 posts
 

A run of 12 awg (yellow romex), an audioquest nrg edison receptacle, 1 20 amp breaker, this is all you need to do. It’s what I’ve done (installed myself) and did not break the bank. Plugged into the audioquest receptacle is an audioquest Niagara 1200, and a Furman pst-8. This has served me well for the last 4 or five years.

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thespeakerdude
483 posts
 

Congrats man, you’ve just proven surge protectors can’t work. :) You are on your own now, and ignoring the fact that ground and neutral are bonded at the service entrance as well as basic MOV surge protection design. 

If you want to have those arguments you are on the wrong site.

I don't know why you are taking on an attitude. A surge protector will work just fine with a product using a 2 prong AC cord. It will protect against a surge voltage on line and neutral with which is the only surge voltage a product with a two prong plug can be damaged by, unless there is another path to ground. You are ignoring the basic principle that current or a surge cannot flow unless there is a path.  What does ground and neutral being bonded at the service entrance have to do with a 2 prong plug with no ground connection?

 

Typical MOV based surge protectors use the ground as a drain. At high surge voltages they attempt to short to ground and sometimes the neutral as well.

A typical MOV based surge protector will short the surge current to wherever the surge voltage exceeds the MOV rating. Line to Neutral. Line to Ground. Even Neutral to Ground. In commercial installations and outdoor installations, the wires are long enough that if there is a surge event, you can even get large voltage differentials between neutral and ground.

When we get speakers back and trace it to blown MOVs from a surge, it is almost always the MOV between line and neutral because the spike isn't from lighting, its from a generator or transformer failure and the surge current is carried on line and neutral.

 

 

 

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