15 amps or 20 amps outlet

I was told by the more informed I might want to do this if I stop renting and build for my Mesa Baron with the Hubbles.Get some feedback if the PS outlets are worth it at $50 a pop.PS told me they are rated to true 20 ans actaully perform up to 40 amps.Just wehn I was asking power cord questions folks suggested theat the money spent on them would be better put to 20 line.But does make sense that your amp would have to be able to drarw and take advantage of it.The ac regeneration thing seems to run counter to this idea (it would bottle up extra current)so maybe that investment makes more sense if if your amps can't use the extra juice.

More is better than less, after all we're Americans (or most of us are). 10 gauge in most instances is overkill excepting for long runs from the breaker to the outlet. Overkill is always better, less resistance and heat. For a few dollars more why go with less?

The circuit is there not to protect what is plugged into it but to ensure the wire (romex) running from the breaker to the outlets (load) doesn't overheat by drawing too much current through the line, overloaded circuit, pop goes the breaker. A cord rated for 15 amps plugged into a 20 amp outlet is only under sized when the amp draws more than the cord rating.

That's good advice Glen, especially given the size of the amp. I would further add that they should make sure that if they do two dedicated circuits, both of them should be tied into the same side / phase on the mains and share a common ground between the two circuits. Otherwise, they could end up with the front end components being out of phase with the amp and one helluva hum from different ground potentials on the two outlets. Talk about going crazy trying to figure out what went wrong with the "upgrade" !?!?!?!

The same thing goes for doing several dedicated lines. Try to keep them on the same side of the box. If you can go one step further and make sure that they are on a side that has lower current demands ( such as opposite of the fridge, electric stove, washer and dryer, etc.. ), you'll be even better off. I would also recommend using one gauge heavier wire than what code calls for, especially if you have a long run back to the breaker box. Sean
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Run four or five dedicated lines as the price for the additional runs will be minimal and you will probably use them all someday. I ran 5, one for analog, two for digital and two for monoblock Krell amps. Go 20 amps for your amplifiers minimum and 15 is adequate for the rest. I did 20amp for all. Hubbell is a great hospital grade outlet for the off the shelf variety, but the others mentioned above would probably add to sonics. Good luck..its a great tweek, just give the wire a few days to burn in.

I agree with Sean and while your at it run two. One for your amp the other for everything else:~)

Forgive me if you are aware of the diatribe I am about to deliver, hopefully someone will avoid a dangerous mistake by reading this.

Unless the amp is fused and corded for more than 15A of draw there is no benefit in switching to the NEMA 5-20 configuration. IF, however, you are looking to run a large system from just one wall outlet and then run splits to your components this type of outlet will allow you to safely draw an additional 5A. BIG important thing to remember - if you have a 20A breaker and plug, you must be sure that the wire in between is rated for the capicity (NEMA publishes length:gauge ratios for loads). Also remember that just replacing the plug on a power cord with a 5-20 end does not make the cord 20A rated - EVERY PART of the power path needs to be rated for the amount of juice that the breaker will deliver (20A)!!!! The breaker is there to protect components from being delivered more juice than rated for - so a 15A cord pluged into a 20A socket is UNDER protected by the breaker.

I have a dedicated 20 amp line for my Krell 100s and have also used it with a dedicated 15 amp line. I honestly did not notice a difference. But for the price of material I would go with the 20 again.

Bigger is better. When I wired my theater room, I actually ran three dedicated 20 amp circuits behind my stack. I also used hospital outlets. The wired that I used was 10 gauge bought at the local hardware store.

In theory, a 20 amp outlet SHOULD be a little beefier. I would go that route if the price difference is minimal. Sean
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