advice on dedicated line

Uuuuhhm, maybe the most effectice "surge protector" for my amp is to simply pull the plug when not in use, and not to use my stereo during storms. The other gear is surge protected, if such devices even work.

Al, in your post above, you write the following about surge protectors:

"I and a number of other members use this $259 8-outlet BrickWall surge suppressor/line filter with excellent results. Note that it provides some degree of noise filtering between each of its four duplex outlets, as well as between those outlets and the incoming AC."

You and I may have traded messages before about the benefits and downsides associated with surge protectors. Even still, let me pick it up one more time.

I use a surge protector for my electrical components, except for my subwoofer and power amp. In the later case, I seem to recall that ARC advised me to just plug it into the wall, for the reasons (benefits) you mentioned above. Namely, better access to AC current when the amp is drawing power, especially when handling dynamic transients. Of course, the downside is that my amp is more exposed to damage in case of an AC power surge (e.g., lightening strike).

Two questions. First, in your opinion, does the Brickwall surge protector constrict the amp's access to AC wall current to any significant extent, at least to the point where I might be able to detect a change in sonics?

Keep in mind that my amp is a 150 wpc tube amp. ARC specs it as drawing about 400 watts at idle and about 800 watts when pushing. In addition, the amp has a pretty robust power supply (1040 joules). I assume that the stored power supply would be tapped first during dynamic transients. Perhaps, the amp's power supply acts like a "shock absorber" in that the amp may not need to draw large amounts of AC power in a short time frame if it can draw off the internal power supply first. That's just an intuitive guess.

Second, in your opinion, how much risk is there that an AC power surge will and could take out my amp. I live in the Philly area and am tied into a large urban utility grid. And yes, we are affected by occassional power outages, espcially weather related (e.g., most recently resulting from the snow and ice storms affecting the NE).

On balance, do you think the risk of unprotected AC access outweighs the benefits of direct AC access, sans artifacts?

Thanks,

BIF

Excellent post Jim. Thanks. That's exactly where I'm heading. I may go for 2 or 3 dedicated Romex circuits. A 15 amp job for my CDP. A 15 or 20 amp line for just the amp, although I suspect 15 amps would be major overkill since the amp pulls about 800 watts (or 7.5+ amps when driving a heavy load). And a 3rd line for the rest of the my gear.