advice on dedicated line

One other question occurs to me, just so I understand:

If I had a turntable that would most likely go on the dedicated line with the amplifier, unless the amplifier was Class D? In that case, the CDp, DAC, and Class D amp would be on one line, and the turntable would be on the other? (And then of course there is Al's point about experimentation to see if they all sound better on one line anyway, etc.) Is this generally the right idea? Thanks...

Jim, thanks for chiming in. Margot, Jim (Jea48) is the foremost expert on electrician-type matters on these forums.

To answer some of your recent questions:

Would it be workable for me to get 6 outlets instead if 4 in case I ever wanted to plug in a small fm receiver to listen to the news? Or is that pushing my luck?

That may be within reason, but as Lowrider indicated it would probably be simpler and better to expand the number of outlets with a power strip. The one he referenced includes a surge suppression function, as does the more expensive BrickWall device I suggested earlier. If you wanted to further expand the number of outlets provided by a surge suppressor/power strip, you could plug into one of its outlets a simple but well made power strip having no surge suppression or line filtering. I need a lot of outlets for my system, more than the 8 that are provided on the BrickWall, and I use this Hammond power strip for exactly that purpose, plugging it into one of the outlets on my BrickWall. For good measure, I connect relatively non-critical components (e.g., FM tuner, cassette deck) to the power strip, and more critical ones directly into the BrickWall, although I'm not sure that has much if any significance.

The one thing I would not do is to have two power strips that both provide surge suppression and/or line filtering in series with each other. Don't ask me why; just instinct :-)

I am assuming that if I just have one 20 amp line the points Elizabeth initially raised (circuits on same leg, nothing adding to more than 120) are not things I need to worry about.

Correct.

I'm gathering from Al's post above that should I get around to upgrading power cords, longer is better? Is this also true of interconnects?

Generally speaking the standard power cord length of 6 feet or thereabouts is considered to be optimal. In the two-line situation, the benefit I referred to of higher inductance between the power inputs of noise-generating and noise-susceptible components results almost entirely from the length of the house wiring, from the outlet of one dedicated line back to the circuit breaker panel, and from there to the outlet of the other dedicated line. The inductance of the power cords is relatively insignificant.

In the one-line situation, it's possible that having a longer cord on some of the components might be beneficial in some cases, but other effects such as voltage loss might outweigh that.

Interconnects (and speaker cables) are a completely different story. The shorter those cables are the better, if the goal is accurate signal transmission. The one situation in which a longer interconnect cable might be beneficial is if you were trying to compensate for some coloration in the system, such as an overemphasized treble. But a better way of fixing that kind of problem would be to determine and address its root cause.

Is it enough to tell the electrician I want 10 gauge wire? Or do I need to supply him or her with it? If so, where would I get #10-2 NMB? (I assume this is what I want.)

The electrician will supply it.

If I had a turntable that would most likely go on the dedicated line with the amplifier, unless the amplifier was Class D? In that case, the CDp, DAC, and Class D amp would be on one line, and the turntable would be on the other?

The turntable should generally (and perhaps always) be on the same line as the component it is connected to. If I recall correctly you have a Creek 50A integrated amplifier, I presume with its optional built-in phono stage. If so, the turntable and the 50A should most likely be on the same line, with the digital components probably being best located on the other line (subject to experimentation).

I'm pretty certain, btw, that the power amplifier section of the 50A is Class AB, for which fluctuations in AC current draw as a function of the dynamics of the music are mid-way between Class D (very high fluctuation) and Class A (very little fluctuation). See this Wikipedia writeup to get a general idea of what these class designations refer to.

In summary, as you've no doubt gathered by now the life of a dedicated audiophile is not a simple one :-)

Best regards,
-- Al

There are many here that are Electrical Engineers and/or Electricians. Remember that any competent Electrician will do the work to "code". People have posted their experiences and "what they would do". For the system that you listed, two "dedicated" lines would suffice. Dedicated means, separate hot, return and ground for each "dedicated" line. make sure you tell the electrician that specifically. Some Electricians will share neutrals and grounds on individual lines. You don't want that. Although it may be to code, it is much better to rune separate hot, return and ground wires per dedicated line. In my opinion, two completely dedicated three wire runs are sufficient for you. Depending on the cost, you might want three for future system expansion sake. In my system, this is what I did. I have raised foundation with crawl space so it is much easier to install new lines (relatively speaking, it is still about 2.5' crawl space, not fun), than if one has concrete foundations. So, I ran three dedicated (three wire) lines from the service panel to the specific locations required (this is important) in my listening room. My low level electronics are all (and I do mean all) connected to a Transparent Audio power conditioner. This includes CD Transport, DAC, Music Server, TT, Pre-amp, Phono Stage, tuner. I have two stereo amplifiers that I use to bi-amp my speakers. Each Amp using its own dedicated line. Here is what I experienced. No hint of a ground loop, no hum whatsoever. My noise floor droped to an amazingly low level. Also, I don't buy the argument that everything must be connected to the same tap on the service panel connection. That is really not true and it is really a violation of code. Any competent electrician will make sure that your service is balanced on both sides. You get ground loops, hum and electrical problems when they "aren't" balanced. I have experienced no problems, quite the opposite. It is dead quiet, no ground loops, no hum, no noise and wonderful sounding. So, definitely two and maybe three (if the cost is low) three wire dedicated lines and you are good to go.

enjoy

Minorl, thanks for your comments, most of which I agree with. However, I would respectfully disagree with the following, especially in a situation such as Margot's where the power consumption of the system is not particularly high:

I don't buy the argument that everything must be connected to the same tap on the service panel connection. That is really not true and it is really a violation of code.

Regarding the sonic issues that are involved, see my post here, and the links provided therein (the main one being the ExactPower link, which Jim had called to our attention earlier in that thread). (Ignore the first paragraph of my post, which is on a different subject).

Regarding code compliance, Jim can speak to that more knowledgeably than I can, but it seems to me that the only way a system having typically modest power requirements such as this one could cause non-compliant allocation of loading between the two phases would be if the existing installation were already marginally non-compliant, and the electrician then chose the wrong phase (i.e., the one that is more heavily loaded) for the dedicated lines.

The bottom line: I agree with Elizabeth's initial statement regarding this issue.

Best regards,
-- Al

Al; Thanks for the response. I can tell you that I have reviewed many home systems personnaly and each with dedicated lines that were run balanced to the panel as I indicated, and they did not negatively impact the system or sound. However, If people want to wire to one side of the panel. More power to them. The most important thing is to have dedicated (three wire) lines. I advocate plugging all low level devices into the same line/conditioner to help to eliminate ground loops. For amps, several things can be of consideration. If the amps are low power amps, then yes, they can be both share the same dedicated line. however, for high power amps, I recommend separate dedicated lines per amp. the problem will arise when talking to a qualified electrician and he/she ask what the power ratings are of the equipment. They will want to balance the loads as per code. Some may do it per the customer's request. Not a major issue for me. The real issue is dedicated (three wire) lines.

enjoy