An unconventional approach to POWER MANAGEMENT

Every wire is an antenna promiscuously gathering RFI. Every connection is an interface inviting micro-arcing and all the noise that comes with it into your system. Adding another panels adds:

Another circuit breaker, that’s at least two connections right there.

Another set of bus bars. That’s additional feet of antenna, with multiple connections all along its length.

Another set of neutral and ground wires.

A whole panel case, which let me tell you is far from being a Faraday cage, but it does cost about as much as one, only this one gives you worse sound not better.


People always ask these questions as if the details don’t matter. The details are everything! If you are adding a whole separate building with circuits for light, heat, AC, etc etc AND a stereo, then maybe a panel makes sense. If you are talking about adding a panel for nothing more than a stereo then it makes no sense at all.

The big problem getting solid advice from a sound quality perspective is almost nobody is capable of giving solid advice. In order to do that you would need someone who has actually compared the different methods in the same room with the same system - just the same as you would want for someone reviewing a component. Nobody would ever buy a component based on an electrician saying it meets UL code but has never heard it except in some totally unknown system, and even then only once, no before and after.

But that is exactly what people do with this question all the time! Some electrician (or EE, which is even worse!) rattles off code and everyone listens. When what they should be doing is listening to one who has actually tried and compared results the way you would want with any other component.

Well, here you go. https://systems.audiogon.com/systems/8367 All done the same way my system was built, one painstakingly careful step after another. You can’t get any more unconventional.

I appreciate your input MC. Thank you! Hopefully you've left some room in the discussion for others to weigh in as I'm interested to hear about their experiences. I expect there are a few out there who have added panels at one point in building their systems and have heard the effect it had on the sound of their systems.

Thanks again!

MC has a beautiful, well thought out system, but there are audiophiles with electrical backgrounds on the forum. 
My electrician installed my dedicated power with the advice of a couple of members and I'm loving my system.
 I have a subpanel with two dedicated 20A lines and it's working very well; one line for digital, one for analogue. No ground faults.
 The work started outside at the drop from the pole, to the meter, then into the basement replacing the old service panel.

not specifically what you are asking but as part of a 1930's condo renovation I ran a new power feed from the main building panel replacing a 6 circuit box in the garage with a new 23 circuit panel in my 3rd floor unit with along with much of the original wiring.  Afterwards there was a noticeable improvement in sound quality in my system, more focus, separation, darkness, etc.  Since other work was done including a new floating wood floor and  appliances I can't say it was all due to the power upgrade but does seem like the electrical work played a significant role.

If you are looking for a novel approach to power management consider ADD-Powr. 

I am an Electrical/Electronics Engineer with experience in analog/digital design, amplifier design, computer design and also a state registered power engineer.

So, yes, I'm one of those.  Rattling of code is not a negative.  people that ignore local building codes are just stupid. Sorry, I can't be more polite.  These are people that do what they "think" instead of realizing that the codes are there for pretty important reasons.

That said, my house is on a raised foundation with a crawl space that when I was younger, wasn't a problem.  Now, it sucks having to crawl under my house to repair plumbing, wiring , etc.  But, oh well.

years ago, i installed four (yes four) dedicated circuits from the panel to my listening room.  One for each amp (I have three).  two mono amps, one for each lower bass panel on my Martin Logan Monolith III speakers and a stereo amp for upper panels.   The other outlet is for a really nice power conditioner where all the low level electronics (pre-amp, phono  stage, turn table power supply, electronic crossover, music server, cd transport, DAC, etc.) are plugged into.  No noise!  ground floor .....  it worked very well for me.    Of course to me a dedicated line means that the hot, neutral and ground all go back to the panel and are not shared with any other circuit.

With a crawl space instead of having to go into an attic and down walls, it was much easier and made sense to run as many as reasonable.  Since I did the work myself and it was to local building code, I'm good.

Also, my house is the very first house load on the pole top transformer, I'm good.

Dedicated breaker boxes are a good idea if you don't have enough room in the main breaker box for additional circuit breakers.  Running a separate breaker box if you don't have room for the other can't hurt and should not violate building code as long as it doesn't exceed the mains capacity limit.

However, it is always safe to check with the local building code. 

Can't tell you how many times I've read about house fires where the owner had or did work that was in violation of building codes and if the insurance company finds out about the violation, you may not be covered.

anyway, dedicated lines do help.  At least they did for me.  Also, I compared four or five really nice power conditioners before purchasing the one I have and I really did hear differences.  Believe it or not.  

enjoy and be safe

Thanks minorl! I appreciate it!

If you have the space in your main panel for a dedicated circuit or circuits and don't have a very long or excessively complicated run, what is the logic for a sub panel?

As MC pointed out, it's just extra stuff.

With respect to following code, some of the setups I have read about on AG are irresponsible and downright scary! 20A outlets on 30A circuits! There are standards and ratings for a reason!

I have four panels, my very own high voltage transformer and a whole house generator. None of this was aimed at my system. Assuming your house was wired correctly to code, putting in a separate panel for your HiFi system will do absolutely nothing but waste money and any good electrician will look at you sideways and say something like, "are you out of your mind?" I can turn a 10 horsepower three phases shaper on and off and it has zero effect on my stereo. 
Good equipment does not need any of this power management stuff, none of it. Spend your money on good equipment not fixes for bad equipment. But to tell the truth I have never heard bad equipment need it either. 

If you have the space in your main panel for a dedicated circuit or circuits and don't have a very long or excessively complicated run, what is the logic for a sub panel?

As MC pointed out, it's just extra stuff

.
True. If you have space on the main panel, wire the dedicated line on one leg and move the high-current devices and appliances to the other leg. It's been recommended to install these appliances as far as possible from the audio line on the panel.
I know, I know, these circuits are shared in the panel and not isolated, but there may be a benefit of less noise from appliances like a/c or furnace switching on and off. 

Everyone has space to add a dedicated line. Even if it looks like every slot is taken, you get what is called a thin twin, or maybe it goes by different names with different brands. This is a breaker designed half as thick to allow 2 circuits where normally one would go. 

So probably everyone suspects the thin twin is not as good. Okay fine. So get your thin twin, move one less critical circuit to that, use the empty space for your dedicated line. 

Either know what to look for or get an electrician to examine your panel box they don't all allow tandem breakers.