2. amps-preamps
  3. 191503-195546

15 amp circuit VS. 20 amp Circuit

Hello,

I’m in a situation where my audio room has one ( three outlets ) 15 amp circuit. It appears to me that the 3 outlets in this room are connected in series , meaning drawing current from one outlet will drain the other two .

For 2 channel audio , I have connected my C12000 pre amp, McD12000 and through MPC1500 conditioner and to one of the 15 amp outlets . This should be okay? However, problem could arise once I connect the McIntosh 1.2k power AMPs to the other 2 outlets.

I would like to know if I need any dedicated circuit for my equipment . It appears I need more power than 1400 watts ( 15 amp circuit can provide ) when I use my home theater Where I will have Four 1000 watt woofers and 3 additional AHB2 amps.

 

 

Question :

howmany dedicated 15 amp or 20 amp circuits do I need to ensure smooth power without dimming the lights around the house / prevent possible fire ?

Please provide your suggestion based on the below equipment .

 

DAC: McIntosh MCD12000

Power Conditioner: MPC15000

preamp : McIntosh C12000

AV Processor : Marantz 7015

power AMP: Two McIntosh 1.2k

power AMP: Three AHB2 , one used in MonoBlock

Streamer : One Streamer

 

 

 

128x128joshziggie2021
bigtwin's avatar
bigtwin
1,205 posts
 

I feel we often confuse the Watts rating of our equipment with the real world power they use.  I have two Hegel H30 mono amps rated at 1150 watts each.  In theory, I require 19 amps just for these.  I can tell you that they only draw about 5 amps combined when I am running them.  With all the equipment the OP is using, I can see the need for more than one 15 amp breaker.  I could be wrong but I would bet the sub amps are D Class and don't draw anywhere near 8 amps (1000/120).  Your dimming lights suggest another breaker is required but the fact you're not constantly tripping the current 15 amp breaker tells the tale.  

impaler
21 posts
 

bigtwin

Exactly correct, wattage rating for a particular appliance is a UL/CE requirement based on very specific tests and results. As I mentioned, those power levels (continuous) are unheard of in home audio. The dimming lights is another issue altogether, and the breaker size isn't going to help that. This is a source power issue, and could be poor connections in the primary feed, under-rated house/apt current supply, generally lower than normal voltage at source, or even an under rated/over utilized transformer at the pole. You have to id the problem before you can fix it.

impaler
21 posts
 

PS

Some equipment is designed to run on 220 VAC; I recommend that for any high power gear as it minimizes the IR losses (voltage drop) in your feeds.

impaler
21 posts
 

And also presupposes a dedicated feed for your audio gear, as I was alluding to in my original post.

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