Power conditioning for multiple dedicated circuits


I have been looking through the discussions and cannot find specifics on how people condition a dedicated circuit. I ran 4 new lines to my music room. There are two wall receptacles where I removed the tab on each to have each outlet on the duplex a dedicated circuit. I have my amp, preamp and phono stage plugged into 3 and a monster power center plugged into the 4th to cover all other items(subwoofer, DAC, streamer, turntable power supply).

All the conditioners I am finding are similar in design to my Monster where there are 8+ outlets. Are there any single outlet models for my application or would I need to allow space to stack up multiple units only utilizing one from each?
dhite71

Showing 2 responses by whart

I would definitely look for vendors and products that allow a trial and return period- I'm not suggesting power conditioners don't work- in fact, they may work effectively in eliminating more than what you intended. I eventually got rid of all power conditioning when I had my system set up in NY where I lived for a long time.
When I moved to Texas, I had a large (10kVA) iso transformer installed which feeds a sub panel dedicated to the audio system. The iso-unit, built by Controlled Power in Michigan, does have some surge protection and that is complemented by whole house surge protection.
I predict that we will get at least one suggestion that you only need one line and that all components (at least the analog ones) run from that with a distribution box- a power strip without switches, lights or other bells and whistles, or a power conditioner that functions as a distribution box. That was in my experience more common in the UK systems which typically didn't use the high powered amps often found in big systems here in the States. This may eliminate grounding differences among different power lines, but if you use fancy audiophile power cords, you will have to arrange the system and power cords to reach that single point of power.
I listened to the system in Texas for a while without the iso set up waiting for the transformer to be wired and built. During that time the two "ends" were connected with a junction box where the iso-transformer would eventually go. This so-called "dirty" power was actually pretty clean, which I attribute to newer infrastructure where I am (in Austin) compared to what I was used to in NY (deteriorated infrastructure). The system sounded a little bright to my ears at first, but it required a fair amount of dialing in. 
I can see instances where someone is in an apartment or is suffering from less than optimal power where a conditioner improves things. But, be able to return any unit you try if it turns out that something sounds lost in the process. A lot of the cheaper power conditioners act like filters and eliminate more than just noise--
 I don't normally put up  provocative posts-- and I don't intend this to be read as such, but just my experience. 
My non-technical contribution at this point- I have done a number of rooms over the years with dedicated circuits and they cannot, at least where I lived by code, be entirely separate from the main household electrical service. (If you live in a place where you can have entirely separate service entrances all the better but there are still limitations). That said, none of the systems, save the present one was immune from noise elsewhere on the lines in the house. Perhaps this is due to shared ground, maybe the answer is different for different kinds of noise-- for example, at the designer/manufacturer’s suggestion, I swapped the lithium battery packs in my line stage and noticed a feather or two of dust under the batteries which I removed- I had an intermittent burst of static occasionally that was driving me crazy.
Other noise, apart from tube rush or simply what you think you are hearing as background to program material, whether digital or analog, may not be as evident until you eliminate it. But, there’s the rub-- I haven’t heard the latest crop of power conditioners, and depending on what you are hearing (I’m not there), I don’t know if your power can be improved. If you have the ability to experiment with the right to return at minimal penalty, you have some freedom to see, including what each component is arguably contributing to what you are hearing by swapping conditioners in and out on different pieces. I never used them on amps-- (well, I did try them, but not for long). 
I have no competence to comment on the wiring issue, you are in good hands with @jea48 .
Once you get that sorted, I think the next important thing is to look at your system, make sure everything is working as it should and consider optimizing room position. This is less about spending money and more about learning and experimentation. Jim Smith’s book is often cited as a good starting point.
I can certainly hear differences over my system, and even small changes are discernible. Such changes may or may not be improvements in the lucidity of your musical experience. So don’t equate different with better until you have listened for a period across a range of music.
That’s all I got.