Dedicated power circuits... Huge improvement!!!

To top it off try an Equitech 2Q. Prepare to be thrilled. 

I totally agree that dedicated power circuits are the way to go and I'll add and/or agree to have at least two dedicated circuits if not three wired with 10 gauge wire and some type of quality AC outlets of your choice.
Although I heard a large improvement in my own systems as did many of my friends I have read some posts here on Audiogon that others did not hear a difference in their own systems however that seems to be a small minority.

If a amp ,preamp and dac are on a circuit that does not have any lights in line  or receptacles used  will there be an improvement by going "dedicated "? Would this be considered a "dedicated Line" or is more involved ?

A dedicated line is a direct "homerun" line from the power panel to an outlet (at least that's what my electrician termed it), no branching or serial connections of outlet boxes.  I added one in my old home in the early '90's and was underwhelmed by it - - no better, no worse, it seemed. 

After a few years I had read about inductive loops in a wire, and I remembered that I had coiled up extra romex to allow for a longer placement of the line some day, should I so choose. I spent 20 minutes truncating that extra coil, and, wow!  What an immediately obvious improvement!  Greater clarity and microdynamic "fleshing out" of the music.  An obvious improvement, without doubt.  My ignorant building of an inductor for my power feed was a clear mistake.

I have implemented 10 ga. Romex in my new home's dedicated room for all outlets, and that has been my baseline for years.  I tried a Topaz isolation transformer (5 kVa) inserted into my main line and it seemed to offer a mild improvement in clarity and separation of musical lines.  I then wired it for balanced feed, and it seemed to offer another mild step forward.

More recently I pulled the transformer out and plugged a PS Audio P10 regenerator into the dedicated outlet and that has worked beautifully for me, even with two mono blocks plugged into it.  I definitely prefer it to the transformered line alone.  FWIW.

I'm just going to through this out there for whatever it's worth and people can consider and/or think about this:
I have 5 high quality dedicated outlets in my main listening room 2 in a secondary system room and 1 for an audio/visual setup in a third room. I use to clean the power from my main circuit box to my sub-box using 2 Extreme Isolation Transformers (5 kVA each) in-between the main circuit box and the sub-box.
I own and still have an Equitech 2Q and an Equi=Core 1800 among 3 other devices. I have read on Audiogon that others use to own the PS Audio P10 (which I'm sure is a very good unit but I do not own one nor have I ever been someplace where the P10 was used) the P10 was replaced by the Equi=Core 1800 which is a lot more affordable than the P10 and the Equitech 2Q. I'm just saying that it's something to consider for about half the price with very good if not better results.

Agreed-
a dedicated line can be the 1st step depending on one's locale, power company.
Happy Listening!

how much have people had to pay to add a dedicated line to an existing house?

Only parts and wire because I did it all myself. But I'm guessing thats not the answer you are looking for.

randy-1112-19-2017 3:47pm

how much have people had to pay to add a dedicated line to an existing house?

The labor can be as big a cost factor as the materials, and the cost of labor hinges on a few factors, including the complexity of the project. For example: Does the wire have to be fished through walls? And as with all of the trades, not all electricians are created equal. The one I use is a real craftsman, but many will do the job as quickly and cheaply as possible.

Nor are all dedicated lines built to the same spec. If you want to derate the wire and use 10 ga. wire, that's obviously going to cost more than 14 ga. wire. The choice of receptacles also affects cost.

If you're interested in dedicated lines and you don't want to DIY, I'd suggest calling in an electrician or two for for an estimate. As with any contractor, have them explain exactly how they plan to do the work and what materials they would use.

+1 cleeds

@wig- there are some threads where @jea48 has weighed in with some excellent tips, all in keeping with Code. This summary won’t do the subject justice, but:

look for the quieter leg if you are in the States, the one with fewer noisy appliances, like refrigerator compressors, HVAC, etc.
use a separate breaker box if you are tight, with a copper buss bar;
oversize the gauge of the cable runs
don’t bundle the in wall cable runs
use hospital grade receptacles- the Porter Port is a good modestly priced unit meant for audio
have your electrician pull a permit consistent with local code
have the electrician double check your existing grounding while the work is being done.
make sure the receptacles are in phase.
newer installations may require Arc-fault breakers and possibly, child proof receptacles.

I’ve had much better luck with commercial electricians. I’m sure there’s more, this is what came to mind off the top of my head.

JPSLABS.COM  has specially designed in - wall power line cable. see reviews at their website.

Sharing my experience:
Hired an electrician to run 4 dedicated "homerun" circuits. My Levinson 39 and 331 are each plugged directly into separate circuits, per manufacturer. Both 39 and 331 have built-in protection, it is claimed. The remaining 2 homerun circuits are each dedicated to a large surge protection device. Which the rest of my equipment (those without built-in protection) are connected.

Above investment was based on good science, and a bit from personal experience. Before this installation, with my rig plugged into non-dedicated circuits, I heard noise when same circuit is shared with another appliance. Today, it is total silence in between music. But does latter sound better? Can't prove that, but it sure feels good to align with science.