confused about 20 amp power cables

Thanks!  I believe the wire was 12AWG and the run is roughly 60ft.  Most of the advice I've received has been to plug the amp into the 20A wall outlet.

Edit:

It would be nice if a reviewer took the time to measure the AC line current at power output clipping.

From the owner’s manual specs:

Output Power* (Peak)
8 ohm 380 W
4 ohm700 W

Peak is not max continuous output power.

Just for a rough AC mains current draw calculation using 4 ohm 700W.

700W / 120V = 5.8A + unknown loses.

700W / 120V = 5.8A + unknown loses would be for one channel.

Both channels driven peak watts would be 1400W / 120 = 11.67A + loses.

Problem is my above calculations are flawed and do not express what is actually happening on the AC mains branch circuit wiring.

It doesn’t account for this.

2x200W amp might take from mains close to 1kW during peaks. The problem is that peak supply current won’t be expected 8A, but rather close to 40A. It is because current is drawn only for very short time (millisecond pulse) at the peak of full wave rectified sinewave.

I’m not sure what type of current measuring test equipment would be used to measure for dynamic short spurts of current draw on the AC mains branch circuit wiring caused by high dynamic music passages for music being played. A regular Clamp Amp meter will not catch, register, the current draw event fast enough, imo. Unless several peaks were close together. ??? Not even sure then. Maybe an Oscilloscope?

@kijanki might be able to answer the question. And, more than likely, rephrase it better, what I’m trying to say.

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@mintakax said:

Thanks!  I believe the wire was 12AWG and the run is roughly 60ft.  Most of the advice I've received has been to plug the amp into the 20A wall outlet.

Hindsight is 2020. I wish I had asked you earlier in the thread about the AWG wire size of the branch circuit wiring. Especially before you had, bought, a 10ft 10AWG power cord made.

  60ft 12ga branch circuit wiring feeding the PA 3100 HV integrated amp may be sounding fine, good, to your ears. That is all that really matters.

(#12AWG is the bare minimum required for a 20A branch circuit.)

IF you ever decide to have another 120V 20A dedicated branch circuit installed for a 60ft - 70ft run, I would recommend using solid core #10AWG wire.

My first preference is 10/2 Solid core MC (Metal Clad) aluminum armored cable. Second choice is 10/2 NM sheathed Cable. (Romex, Trade Name). 

FYI, the circuit breaker will be 20A. The circuit breaker determines the size, amperage rating, of the branch circuit. Therein even if the branch circuit wiring is #10AWG the circuit breaker cannot be bigger than 20A. The connected 20A duplex wall outlet is Listed for use on a 20A circuit only. Cannot be installed on a 30A circuit.

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No worries!  Are you saying the 10AWG power cord could have been 12 AWG and would have been less expensive? 

@mintakax said:

Are you saying the 10AWG power cord could have been 12 AWG and would have been less expensive?

No, not saying that at all.

My thinking was, If I had ask about the size of the wiring of the existing 20A dedicated branch circuit, before you bought the 10ft power cord, and I found it was #12awg 60ft long, I would have recommended you have a new 20A dedicated branch circuit installed using #10AWG solid wire installed closer to your audio system. Forget buying a 10ft power cord and use the money instead toward the cost of a new 20A dedicated branch circuit for the PA 3100 HV integrated amp.

You could have hired the electrician to extend the existing 20A dedicated branch circuit closer to your audio system equipment for any digital equipment you have. Including any SMPS equipment you have.

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