fsonicsmith
... 15A breakers are far more advisable to avoid the chance of frying wire and house fires. I’m no EE but think that it is true that just because an amp or preamp has a 20A IEC receptacle does not mean you need to feed it 20A for optimum performance.I can’t imagine any preamp requiring a 20A line for sufficient current, but there are certainly some amplifiers that do. And an amp that requires only a 15A line might still be better served with a 20A line, because the heavier gauge wire on the 20A line will suffer less voltage drop.
... the capacity of the breaker is about convenience-not having to worry about the breaker tripping. The trade-off is that the higher the amperage of the breaker, the less protection you have.Not so. The capacity of a breaker is defined by the gauge and length of the wire on its circuit. The purpose of a breaker is really to protect the house wiring. Provided the wire is properly sized, a 20A line and breaker is as safe as a 15A line and breaker.