Amp Shutting Down, need help

"Is the breaker a GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) or an AFCI (Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter)? These type of breakers have a test trip push button on them."

There are no test trip buttons on any of the circuit breakers in the breaker panel.
08-15-12: Sailcappy

I asked because you said the black and white wires of the branch circuit went to the breaker.

4. The White and Black wires connected to the circuit breaker seem to be 10 guage.

When a GFCI or a AFCI breaker is used both the hot conductor and the neutral conductor, of the branch circuit, terminate on the breaker. The breakers have a white pigtail that extends to the neutral bar in the panel.

http://caryaudio.com/pdfs/manuals_2012/Model7.250_manual.pdf

How do i contact almarg?
08-15-12: Sailcappy

Well under the new Agon system you can not....

All you can do is hope Al reads this thread.....
.

Cappy, at this juncture, based on all the info you've responded with, I'll have to agree with Slikric3000's recommendation for a "line conditioner" or filtering. It's obvious the 50 foot extension cord is providing just enough filtering of noise to prevent your Cary from tripping, and based on the amount a 50 foot cord is accomplishing, you won't need much of a conditioner or filter providing you meet/exceed your amp's maximum current demands, which I couldn't locate in the owners manual.

You might also be interested in getting something for the upstream sources and preamp/processor since they would benefit the most from cleaner/stable AC. I don't have any experience with them, but you can search the Audiogon forums or other sources since I've seen this topic come up periodically regarding manufactures/models/types.

If you knew exactly what issues were plaguing your AC, you could better select what filtering topology is best suited (cost effective), then buy/treat it accordingly as there are simple products available for a fraction of cost consumer-targeted A/V types, but whatever fits your likings and wallet depth. There's quite a few manufactures making LC's; some with strictly-business cosmetics, some quite fancy with eye-candy appeal, and variances in between. Or, for a truly cost-effective option, find a high-wattage 50 ft. extention cord of color choice, coil-stack it neatly in a 8-10" diameter with cable-ties to retain shape, and hide it out of sight behind the amp. The coilded stack will even provide a higher lever of filtering. Done! Solved! (joking)

Keep us posted...

Love the colored cable idea! Not sure if I can get that by the wife factor!!!

Can you give me an idea of line conditioners vs the Syngergistic Research Telsa Powercell that i have? What do I look for in a line conditioner?

Things known.

From the Cary's owners manual.

*Uses a soft start circuit. That limits inrush current.
*Has built in DC offset filter protection. (That would be after the magnetic circuit breaker)
*Uses a magnetic trip circuit breaker. (Would not be my chose)

*Cary works fine elsewhere outside OP's apartment.
*Will not work anywhere on any branch circuit in the OP's apartment without the 50' cord attached.

*Cary will not work plugged into the Synergistic Research Powercell 10se MKII power conditioner.

More questions.

What is the conductor wire gauge of the 50' extension cord?

Is the 50' cord in a coil?
Roughly the diameter size?

A 50' coil with AC current passing through it is an air core inductor..... Inductive reactance....???

I do live in a high rise and my building said and I quote "as long as the breaker is not tripping then we do not concider you to have a problem." So much for living in a "luxury building".
Sailcappy

Well with a magnetic trip circuit breaker Harmonics can cause them to nuisance trip.

Sailcappy, you mentioned your friend works for a power company. Does he have access to test equipment to check the power quality of the power feeding your apartment?

http://www.copperinfo.co.uk/power-quality/downloads/pqug/31-causes-and-effects.pdf

Reading from the owners manual it talks about putting the amp in "standby" mode before turning it off with the switch/circuit breaker. Not doing so leaves the amp in "Active mode" state. I assume you are powering the amp down correctly.

I ask because of the test you performed where just as the breaker tripped you notice the voltage dipped from 118V to 112V. The VD, voltage drop, was due to a spike in current. Was it the protection relay switching in the Cary amp?

Can't say 100% the VD was due to the Cary or maybe due to a high current load turning on elsewhere in your apartment. Though what are the odds it happened at the same time the breaker tripped.
.

Cappy, I completely forgot about you mentioning the Cary still tripping when connected to your Syngergistic Research (line conditioner) back on 8/13, as Jea48 just recalled. So now I'm at a loss, and baffled further.

Like Jea48, I was going to ask if your friend was able to diagnose your AC health with more appropriate equipment to find out exactly what's going. That's really what needs to happen. Not that you couldn't hide the coiled extention cord in cosmetic, WAF-approved packaging - complete with a fancier output receptacle if desired. (marketing idea)

I guess I'm out of ideas for now, unless it's still ground-related, but will continue to loose a percentage of sleep each night until it's resolved.

~