Power Cords/ Conditioner/Surge Protectors


Do I need to add power cords/conditioner/surge protector to my system or is it product dependent.

My current system consists of:

  • Moon 390 network player
  • Moon 761 amplifier
  • Sonus Faber Sonetta V speakers

Should I use the stock power cords on the Moon equipment or look at new power cords? If new cords should be purchased let's hear some recommendations. Will the power cords change anything sonically?

Should I also add power conditioner/surge protector to the equipment? Again, does it change anything sonically? If recommended do you look at Shunyata, Panamax etc.

Thanks for your input/recommendations.

singere

ZeroSurge looks interesting. I like the inductor type protection. I have been using SurgeX equipment for years. I use it on installed pro systems. It has models with remote tun on and off, squencing, and low or high voltage turn off.

@jea48 

The surge was caused by a pole mounted transformed that exploded. The pole is about 300 meters from me on the main road I live off of, and "downstream" from the branch that runs behind my house. I am the last house before the fuse on my branch and my neighbors lost electricity. the blown pole was kinda cool, it blew the top right off and it burned until the fire department put it out. 

 

My computer, server and modem are in different rooms, and had fairly new surge suppressors, so they survived just fine. My printer though was unprotected and was also a casualty.

 

Your point about internet is a very good one. I use subnets in my house to isolate IoT devices for security. My 2 channel system uses fiber ethernet, so it is safe from internet spikes.

The surge was caused by a pole mounted transformed that exploded.

it blew the top right off and it burned until the fire department put it out. 

That was not a transient surge. That was high voltage overvoltage created by the high voltage primary winding crossing over onto the low voltage secondary winding. I assume after hopefully a very short length in time the primary high voltage fuse blew at the pole and opened the high voltage to the transformer.

I do not have any idea what the Utility company’s high voltage to ground voltage is in your area. In my area the voltage is around 7.9KVac to ground.

In the event of an electrical high voltage to Low voltage fault a good portion of the high voltage is taken to ground at the pole. The primary neutral is connected to the secondary neutral outside of the transformer and then connected to a ground wire that is fastened to the pole to the bottom of the pole where it is connected to a ground rod. (Sometimes the ground wire is connect to a square plate on the bottom of the power pole.)

The high voltage, voltage drop to earth soil, is determined by the soil to ground rod resistance. The lower the resistance the greater the high voltage to earth.  The higher the resistance the greater the voltage drop to earth, the remaining high voltage will be on the power line feeding the electrical service of your home. There it runs into another earth connected ground. Any high voltage on the power transformer neutral conductor will again go to ground through the Grounding Electrode System of the Electrical Service. Again the lower the electrode to soil resistance the better.  (Electrode is usually two, minimum, 5/8" X 8ft ground rods driven into the earth.)

The remaining high voltage on two Hot conductors will enter your home.

The high voltage may be only on one Hot line, leg. Or it may be on both.

My computer, server and modem are in different rooms, and had fairly new surge suppressors, so they survived just fine. My printer though was unprotected and was also a casualty.

One thing that can make a difference is the length of the branch circuit wiring from the main electrical service panel. 30ft is the minimum for a Type 3 plug in SPD. The longer the length of the branch circuit wiring from main electrical panel the greater the inductance in the wiring.  

FWIW, I’ve heard stories of an SPD sacrificing itself during a overvoltage event to save its’ connected load. I assume you replaced the SPD. If not, I would.

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Your point about internet is a very good one. I use subnets in my house to isolate IoT devices for security. My 2 channel system uses fiber ethernet, so it is safe from internet spikes.

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I lost $14,000.00 worth of AVR, BD player, and projector to a failed surge suppressor. The worst part is that I knew that they can fail silently, and did nothing about it.

Did you have internet connected to this equipment?

Is the internet that that enters your home Fiber or wire?

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