New Electrical Circuit


I have an older house with open circuits so I am wiring a new dedicated circuit for my audio gear.  Before I do so, would it be very advantageous to bump up the quality of the outlet and / or wiring to improve quality or is this overkill? Has anyone done this in the past and what would you recommend? 

puffbojie

You did not say what country you are in!  Most of the answers assume USA, but in much of the rest of the world we use higher voltages, so much less current is drawn for the same power.  My supply is nominally 240-V RMS, though it is usually 250.  Outlets are rated for 10-Amps, with 15-Amps for bigger loads like running a caravan!

Someone mentioned phases, in the context of stages of rewiring.  In Alternating Current (AC) mains electrical supply, there are usually three phases using three wires running down a street.  Each phase is an AC sinewave rotated 120-degrees from its neighbours.  Often, each house just gets one phase.  When the lights are out in every third house, you know one phase has gone down!  

For high power devices (like my sauna and big bench sander) we have the option of using all three phases (3 wires plus earth) for three times the power.  The average power delivered through three phases is very smooth - none of the stops and starts and reverses you get with single phase AC. 

Oddly, I have never come across audiophile power supplies designed for 3-phase.

Another difference is that we use 50-Hz, not 60!

@skeptikal 

I am with you with respect to managing noise in the mains supply.

But I think most of the electrical noise affecting our components is generated by other components in our own audio chains.  In particular, I have a subwoofer with a class D internal amplifier which injects so much noise into the power cable feeding it, that it completely destroys digital TV reception.  The fix was ludicrously cheap - just a couple of ferrites round the power cable.  This is an extreme example, but is completely reproducible.

@puffbojie

The electricians have it scheduled for 15 amp circuit.

My guess, the electrician you are hiring is not an audiophile. He is basing his install of a 15 amp branch circuit on bare minimum electrical code. Electrical code could care less how an audio system sounds. Is it electrically safe? Code is satisfied.

Like others have said have a 20 amp branch circuit installed. Slight difference in cost for the wire. Breaker and labor cost no difference. It’s a no brainer imo.

Bare minimum for a 20 amp circuit is #12awg copper. You can have larger wiring installed if you choose.

If the length of the branch circuit wiring is 50ft or longer from the electrical panel to the wall outlet I would recommend #10awg solid wiring. Breaker in electrical panel will be 20 amp. I would also recommend a minimum of two dedicated 20 amp branch circuits One for digital sources and SMPS 120V power supplies, the other for analog 120V power supplies. Reason, it helps decouple the digital 120Vac power supply(s) from analog 120Vac power supply(s).

A dedicated branch circuit... A circuit with a dedicated Hot, Neutral, and EGC (Equipment Grounding Conductor). A true dedicated branch circuit should never be installed in a common conduit or cable assembly with other branch circuits. Current carrying conductors can/do induce voltage from one branch circuit to the other(s). (See Overview of Audio System Grounding & Interfacing Link below.)

If two or more branch circuits are installed for audio or audio video equipment that is connected together by wire interconnects the branch circuits should be fed from circuit breakers on the same Line, leg, in the electrical panel.

2 conductor NM sheathed cable (Romex) is widely used by audiophiles. I used to recommend it to feed audio equipment. I now recommend 10-2 solid copper MC (Metal Clad) aluminum armor cable.

I consider myself a qualified audiophile Licensed Master Electrician.

Reading material:

Read pages 11 through 13.

Integrating Electronic Equipment and Power

Read page 16. Read pages 31 through 36.

Overview of Audio System Grounding & Interfacing

Jim

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@jea48 ​​​​​

Do you normally specify isolated ground and is that why you recommend MC?