Dedicated 20 Amp Line for Audio

I’d rather read Chuckle's drivel than watch YouTube.

@high-amp,

IMHO, I would run a 10/AWG BX/MC cable with solid copper core conductors from the breaker panel to a metal receptacle box. The metal sheathing on the BX/MC cable absorbs the (EF)) electric fields emitted by the wires and shunts it to ground. Now from panel to plug is shielded. The upside is low line noise and reduced antenna effect on AC power lines/branch circuits.
Downside BX/MC cable is pricier. I would run at least two dedicated 20 amp lines for audio. I have four in my audio rig. All four dedicated audio circuits are 250 volts 20 amps. With no noise or ground loops. Also, all four dedicated audio circuits are at the top of the breaker panel numbers 1-8. See the links below. Hope that helps. Mike                                                                                                                        https://healthybuildingscience.com/2013/01/15/residential-wiring-best/#:
 R

 https://www.msbtechnology.com/faq/house-power/

Fremer is okay. But Fremer on video is time wasting. Even when cued up to say exactly what is relevant thereby wasting zero time. fuzzball, your MDS is showing.

Run the 20A line from your breaker to non ferromagnetic outlets such as from Shunyata Research and others. Then use high end power cables to good power conditioning units or regenerators of your choice. I use PS Audio PowerPlants. Then run good cables from the PowerPlants or power conditioners (eg AQ Niagaras) to your components. Extra credit for using a Synergistic Research Ground Block of some type and ground leads. Lastly, I use a dozen or wo GreenWave RFI/EMI line filter units plugged into open outlets in my listening room and around the house to reduce the overall EMI and RFI in my home. This is easy to measure with a simple digital and audio meter. 

The advice I followed was to do multiple lines, but to make them with the same length of wire.

I have the following:

1 line for amps

1 line for preamps, with the same length of wire

1 line for digital components

I also ran 1 for subwoofers and 1 spare.

10 awg. 20 amps.

Fremer is OK

Video on an audio forum is insulting and generally time wasting.
Wow!!
I do not doubt that you WILL go lower. Keep diggin'.

I should clarify - no RFI emanating from any wall lines around here.

high-amp:

Go with at least 12/3 otherwise maybe not worth the bother. One 12/3 should be sufficient.  Armored or conduit is necessary to shield from RFI.

Remember when you get ground loop hum, move the phono over to the same as everything else. 

Thanks to all. OK, I think I’m going to run two, 20’ long, dedicated lines. One for analog & one for digital. Both of those on the opposite rails to that of "noisier" items on the panel.

14/2 I presume and is Home Depot stuff OK?

 https://www.homedepot.com/p/Southwire-100-ft-14-2-Solid-Romex-SIMpull-CU-NM-B-W-G-Wire-28827428/202316379

Someone in a past thread recommended armored cable, maybe overkill? 

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Southwire-14-2-x-100-ft-Stranded-CU-MC-Metal-Clad-Armorlite-Cable-55017723/202250418

I ran 4 seperate 20A lines to my room. Recommendation of my daughter in law and she is an EE. 

So now Michael Fremer is crapola. Wow. A new low. 

I would run at least two dedicated 20 amp lines for audio. IMO, amps should be on their own dedicated 10 gauge ac line, nothing else on that line.

No RFI I’m lines here MC. You need a reality check.

And lose the uncalled for YouTube crapola.

oldhvymec. Nothing but the truth. And try to keep stuff with random motors (refig. etc .) on the other rail.

It's fine to run more than one dedicated circuit. Run them on the same rail at the main. If you run a pair of 20s run BOTH on L1 or L2 don't distribute the load between the two. That is a good way to pick up noise.

To tell the truth these days with class D amps and high effeciency speakers a single 15 or a pair of 15s will work without a hitch.. Same rail, separate breakers.

Regards

The vast majority of home circuits are run in a daisy chain from one outlet to the next. Every connection introduces micro-arcing and noise. All the current running to the last component had to go through all those connections. Also every wire is an antenna and brings RFI into the line. So even if your system is the first outlet merely by running to the others introduces more RFI.

The main reason for a dedicated line is to remove all these sources of noise. The difference is big and easy to hear. This noise is present on all AC lines, just much less without all those extra connections. It is not just for the amp, every component benefits. Running more than one line is unnecessary and may even be worse, in that it runs the risk of introducing noise in the form of ground plane differentials. 

For the current draw of most audio systems, one should suffice nicely. The amp is the most significant draw, and many really don’t draw a lot. CD players, DACs, TTs draw very little. Isolating the analog and digital components is a nice approach.

One thought is to run 2 lines (circuits). One for digital and one for analog. That said, one line is sufficcient, especially if you have a power conditioner which separates the components plugged into it.

It could be either way. I connect all to the one circuit.