200-amp Breaker Panel Question

A separate 50 amp panel would be awesome if you can pull it off?
I'd also suggest a whole house surge protector. It will fit inside your new panel and will stop major surges (ie lightning). It won't eliminate the need for smaller units throughout your house. It will protect them from getting fried when doing their jobs.
Should be $300-$400

Hi Mr F- One of the best things about silver is that it's oxide doesn't affect electrical transfer the way copper's does. It wouldn't hurt to re-apply it now and then. But- it shouldn't be necessary. Actually- removing breakers is a very simple task, and the application of the SST should be quite easy. Apply it(sparingly of course) to the breaker contact with a pipe cleaner(the one that grips the main), and to the wire/breaker connection.

If you want an upgrade consider a sub panel of 'balanced power'units from Equitech. Or more economically buy a couple of their "blowout sale" slightly noisy transformers in a box and use them as subpanels. I did and have been very satisfied with the improvements to my Spectra/MIT system. Good luck. Pete

Fmpnd, it sounds like you've got your ducks in a row.

About the only things remaining to consider might be:

o An industrial grade service panel (perhaps silver bus).

o Cryo-treated dedicated lines (I had Cryo-Nebraska double-cryo 500 ft. of 10 gauge).

BTW, proper line conditioning should negate any concern for noisy AC appliances being on the same or opposing leg/phase.

Most important consideration may be protecting your components from bi-directional digital noise induced through the AC lines by cdps, DACs, computers, digital amps, etc.. This digital noise will make its way back from the source to the service panel and then into your dedicated lines. The only way I know to treat this is proper line conditioning that includes bi-directional filtering (which also keeps digital noise from going back into the wall and inducing sonic harm elsewhere).

-IMO

Thanks everyone. The electrician worked 5 hours on Saturday and 12 hours on Sunday to get the panel in (my house is ALWAYS the house from "HELL" whenever anyone works on it so it didn't suprise me when it took him three times as long as he thought it would).

It also turns out I already had 200 amp service to the house so I didn't have to call the electric company to upgrade the service.

I didn't put my amps on 30 amp breakers yet as I only had 2-pole 30-amp breakers which would then mean they would be on both phases (since the 2-pole breaker is twice as wide). I am going to pick up two single-pole 30-amp breakers tonight and will treat them (sparingly) with SST.

Even without any after market wire (although I do have heavy 10 gauge solid-core wire in Greenfield conduit for my lines and very good outlets), the difference was much more noticable than I thought it would be given that I already had six dedicated lines. The biggest differences I heard immediately (you would literally have to be hearing impaired NOT to have heard this difference), was a pronounced improvement in bass articulation and transient attack as well as increased dynamics.

I was not in any way dissatisfied with my system or my sound prior to this change. I was changing the panel because my entire house would dim any time my AC (whether the central AC or my stereo room thru-wall extra AC), the fridge or the dishwasher went on. Now, the lights weren't phased at all when I kicked in the AC last night so, mission accomplished! The fact that the music sounds better and more lively too is just icing on the cake!. I only had about 35-40 minutes to audition last night so I am still assessing.