Dedicated Circuits - Subpanel importance?


My system is no more. Sold everything. Starting from scratch. Thanks to you and seven months of experience I am doing the following, which is taking care of the number one component, the room:

  1. Treating. The full GIK order in October is starting to arrive.
  2. Running one or more dedicated circuits.

I am addressing #2 in this post. There are extensive discussions here and one can spend hours if not days trying to wring-out the critical details needed for a DIY solution. I have spent hours and there a few things I need to confirm before I proceed because I was unable to find definitive answers.

I am doing this myself. I do not want or need lectures on only having a licensed electrician do this work. I have been doing my own electrical work for many years and am very comfortable doing so.

  1. Does a subpanel help? Is it required? Subpanels are typically supplied from a breaker off of the main panel's bus, so I'm guessing there is no advantage in terms of SQ? Perhaps if I can independently ground the subpanel it might make a difference?
  2. Opening up my walls is not an option, so I need to use conduit. This may restrict the number of lines if the wire should not share the same conduit? If I am restricted to Romex 8 or 10,2 versus metal-clad, is it okay for two runs to occupy the same conduit?
  3. How much better is metal-clad? Is it required vs Romex? Will metal conduit accomplish the same result with Romex?

Answers to these questions will complete my plans and I will go forward at speed. Hopefully this discussion helps others as well even if it's to know what to have their electrician setup for them.

Thank you!

 

 

 

 

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Showing 1 response by audioguy85

No need for a sub panel. All you need to do is use a piggy back breaker in the existing panel, if you happen to be short on space. If enough room, then add a conventional 20 amp breaker and run 12/2 romex to your receptacle of choice. I chose Audioquest’s Edison receptacle. I believe in synergy, and so I also run a AQ Niagara 1200 into that receptacle along with AQ power cords. The sub panel will not make any difference In sound quality. If your hifi is on a seperate circuit as above, you are not going to get noise from an appliance on a seperate circuit. I don’t care what anyone else tells you here, it’s bull. My breaker for my hifi sits right next to a breaker that controls a fridge, no noise on the hifi circuit. You are making it way more complicated and expensive than it has to be. All you need is a 20 amp breaker that matches what you already have in the main panel, and a high quality hospital grade 20 amp receptacle, be it a home depot or Lowes product or an audiophile receptacle such as Audioquest, Furatech, or oyaide. Lastly, a run of 12/2 yellow romex...no need to run 10 gauge...too stiff and hard to work with. You want to get real fancy, add a RFI/EMF receptacle cover plate by Furatech.

Use Romex cable, unless you have a rat problem, then use metal Clad or conduit. This project is quite simple and not expensive. Black to breaker screw, white to neutral buss bar,  ground to ground bus bar. Heck, I did it with the power on., not recommended. It helps that I took electricity in Vocational school. 😁