Dedicated Power Lines

Most, if not all qualified electricians will calculate the load of the circuits and split them at the panel to keep the house loads approximately equal so as to not overload one side.
05-13-13: Minorl

I would bet all of Bifwynne audio equipment loads added together would not total more than 8 to 10 amps continuous load, if that. Most hair dryers pulls more current than that.

It is an established best practice that when audio equipment is connected together by ICs the AC power feeding the equipment should be fed from the same Line, leg, of the same electrical panel.

The worst thing that Bifwynne could do is have an electrician install a 120/240V multi wire branch circuit. (2 hot conductors with a common shared neutral conductor.) What better way to couple the power supply of digital equipment to the power supply of analog.

Bifwynne wants dedicated branch circuits installed, not separate circuits.

Split Single Phase electrical service is most commonly found in residences and smaller commercial buildings,
and is commonly used to feed AV equipment. One key advantage that single phase has over three phase
is that while harmonic currents are still present, it is not possible for the “triplen” components to add in the
neutral. In addition, use of split single phase can result in at least a 6dB reduction in noise floor as compared
to three phase if the capacitances of the connected equipment are relatively well balanced. However, any
leakage currents on the safety ground wires of split single phase load circuits fed by different phase legs will
add together due to the 240V potential difference.

http://www.exactpower.com/elite/assets/pdfs/theTRUTH.pdf
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I've been at this for quite some time and have experienced absolutely no problems splitting the load at the panel. First, I am a qualified electrician also and this is a basic element. Second, a dedicated line is just that. It can be run from either side of the panel, with the neutral and ground coming from the the neutral and ground points in the panel. Like I mentioned earlier, ground loops are not caused by this. They are caused by faulty design/contructed electronics with bad internal grounding systems, bad cables, etc. After I ran my dedicated lines, the noise floor dropped dramatically. No ground loops and absolute quiet. I also adhere to my philosophy of tying all low level electronics to the same power conditioner via a dedicated line and my two amps have their own dedicate line to the panel. and Yes! the amps are on different sides of the panel load. Dead quiet! and no ground loops and no cheater plugs. No way leakage can seep in the electronics. Each dedicated line has its own ground line and neutral back to the panel where they all terminate in a star like configuration. They all terminate at the same neutral and ground point at the panel. I can't explain it any better or clearer. But, it is not a point worth arguing. Each run of Romex has (three conductors in it. Hot, neutral and ground). So, each dedicated line has it's own three conductor Romex run from the panel to the outlet. This is how there is no leakage or sharing of neutral or ground. I think that is where the confusion arose. Some electricians will run lines and share neutrals. I don't.

I would rather err on the side of caution Bifwynne. Too many different people have posted in these forums to install dedicated lines on the same leg. I would not ignore that.

I've been at this for quite some time and have experienced absolutely no problems splitting the load at the panel. First, I am a qualified electrician also and this is a basic element. Second, a dedicated line is just that. It can be run from either side of the panel, with the neutral and ground coming from the the neutral and ground points in the panel.
05-14-13: Minorl

Yes a dedicated branch circuit can be fed from either Line, leg, in the panel.

I noticed you chose to use the word dedicated and not separate in your last post.

Like I said in my last post if a customer said he wanted two separate circuits he could end up with a multi wire 3 wire + ground branch circuit. Two hot conductors with a common shared neutral and equipment ground conductor.

Installation could be 14/3 with grd, 12/3 with grd, or 10/3 with grd. Two separate 120V circuits.
And of course according to NEC code each circuit shall be connected to opposite Lines, legs of the panel. NEC 2008 connected to a 2 pole common trip handle breaker.

Why do I press the difference between dedicated branch circuits and separate circuits? To educate the layman here that post questions about adding multiple circuits for their audio equipment. You tell an electrician you want a price for installing two 20 amp separate circuits what are the chances of him installing 12/3 with grd NM-B cable instead of two 12/2 with grd NM-B cables. Especially in a 2 gang cut in box.

As for feeding multiple dedicated branch circuits from the same Line, leg, in the panel, where equipment is connected together by ICs, I have stated the accepted norm.

Take the time to read the link I provided in my last post.
There are many others out there that pretty much say the same thing.

The leakage the article talks of, could be, capacitive leakage of the audio equipment power transformers.

However, any
leakage currents on the safety ground wires of split single phase load circuits fed by different phase legs will
add together due to the 240V potential difference.

If the average total connected audio equipment load is less than 10 amps why take the chance of added noise by feeding branch circuits off each of the 2 hot legs?

I suggest you read NEC Article 90.1 (A), (B), and (C).
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So Jea48, I'm also planning to get 2 dedicated lines, 1 for digital and one for analog. I'm not sure what to tell the electrician and I don't understand branch circuits. I plan to request 10 or 12 awg romex.