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Another dedicated circuit question

(I just wrote a novel, and I tried to paste a couple of links, and the whole thing disappeared, so as I type slowly and poorly, I am going with the condensed version this time.)

About 25 years ago I put in three dedicated circuits for my gear.  (That was before I had a PC & internet, so I am sure that I must have gotten the idea from Stereophile, and as with all things, I thought bigger was better and more was best.)  Recently I have been reading a number of dedicated circuit threads and discovered that I had made numerous errors.  Therefore I have been up in my attic and into my panel for the last week or so removing, replacing, and rerouting and I was about done

and then

I found out that three dedicated lines was another mistake I made.  No biggy:  I bought a lot of Romex and other stuff I didn't need and spent some extra time I didn't need to spend, but I can rectify the three-circuit-RFI that I introduced by turning 'off' two of my three system circuit breakers.  Right?

But my question is:  since I need four outlets (digital source, pre, amp, powered sub) is the BEST solution to put another outlet in series with my one dedicated outlet?

Are there any power-strip solutions that are of an acceptable grade?  After the last dedicated circuit thread, I wound up discussing this (to some extent) with @millercarbon  and I told him about a power conditioner I bought around 25 years ago called the Promethean Audio Products Power Flo (sorry MC, I got the name slightly wrong) and he suggested that in the interim I use that as my strip.  What I neglected to tell him was that it occasionally arcs at the outlet when unplugging/plugging it in, and I am a bit leery of it.

Here is where my previous novel I had typed disappeared on me, so I am not going to try to pate any links this time,  but price is a consideration and MD sells the Furman PST-*D Power Station (8 outlets) for $269 + tax which is withing my range, but it says to use only on 15A circuits (meaning I would have to put a 15A outlet & breaker on either end of the 12-2 that makes up my one dedicated circuit.

MD also sells, for $40 + tax, the Audioquest IEC-3 power strip (three outlets) and I guess I would need two of them (plus two cords) as one of the reviews say that the outlets are too close together to use all three of them at once.

Are either of these an acceptable (meaning minimal degradation) method to add outlets to one dedicated circuit?  Are there any other methods (excluding multiple hundreds or thousands of dollars on a power conditioner) that I could consider?

In a reply to this post, I am going to attempt to paste links to the two options I just mentioned.

 

 

 

immatthewj
immatthewj OP
1,398 posts
 

@immatthewj 

I found out that three dedicated lines was another mistake I made. 

Not really... If the correct type of branch circuit wiring is used, and the correct method of installing the branch circuit wiring is used.

I have two dedicated 20 amp branch circuits that are 75ft each. I used 10/2 NM sheathed cable, (Romex Trade name). Both circuits are fed from breakers on the same Line, leg. I use one for front end digital equipment and the other for analog. My system is dead quiet. Theory for keeping digital equipment fed off a different circuit than analog is  to decouple the power supplies from one another. 

 

MD sells the Furman PST-*D Power Station (8 outlets) for $269 + tax which is withing my range, but it says to use only on 15A circuits

Where did you read that?

This?

  • Maximum Current Rating15 (Amps)

That means the maximum FLA of the "power Station" not the branch circuit rating. You can plug it into a 15A (Duplex) or a 20A outlet that is feed from a 20 amp branch circuit.

@jea48  thank you for clarifying the current rating.  For me, electricity is an abstract subject . . . I know how to remove & replace but I don't understand how it works.

On the multiple vs 1 dedicated lines, on the previous thread on the topic, I read that the RFI introduced from multiple dedicated lines for the same system would come from the neutral bar?  I will need to go back & reread that.

My three dedicate lines for my system that I have been referring to are now direct from outlet(s) to panel, on the same leg, they are about 35 (+ or -) feet long, brand new 12-2, 20A outlet and 20 amp breaker. (Which was clarified by, I believe, you and others, on a previous-previous dedicated line thread. 

Those 3 lines are not nearly as well segregated as how you described to me, off line, that yours are.  I can fix that at the panel, but in the attic and in the wall it would/will be some major rework. 

 

immatthewj OP
1,398 posts
 

@immatthewj I have an extra Audioquest power cord.  For my use that is fine.  For yours, I personally wouldn't invest too much in a power cord but would use this temporarily until I could get better power conditioning.

I have not noticed any degradation.

Thank you, @jgoldrick  , were you able to utilize all of the outlets on yours, or, as the one review stated, are they too close together for that, and would I need two of them (if that is the route I went)?

jgoldrick's avatar
jgoldrick
138 posts
 

@immatthewj using them all now.  But not for large plugin items like wall warts 

immatthewj OP
1,398 posts
 

MD sells the Furman PST-*D Power Station (8 outlets) for $269 + tax which is withing my range, but it says to use only on 15A circuits

Where did you read that?

@jea48  , on page 3 of the instruction manual (pdf) is where it says to connect it to a 15A outlet. 

"4. The PST-8 should only be connected to a 120 VAC, 60Hz, 15
amp grounded electrical outlet."

 

 

immatthewj OP
1,398 posts
 

@erik_squires  I have been reading &rereading through your blog, and thank you for providing it, as I am finding it informative.

Forgive me for some of the stupid questions I am probably goingto ask.

I will start with this one

From your blog:

Furman as having the least expensive and most feature packed, which is why as a starter solution I strongly recommend Furman PST-8 with LiFT and SMP as the best. The $180 power strip includes this and is also great add-on to fancier units. While it is a great unit it only has a single zone, so you want to keep noise sources outside of it if you use only one. 

Previous to that is a diagram showing DAC, pre, amp, & TT as being in the "clean zone."  A streamer and Blue Ray are shown in the "dirty zone."  My only source is the Marantz SA10 SACD player.  I don't understand streaming, & really have no wish to, but I understood when I bought it, that if I ever wanted to stream (which I won't) the SA10 is compatible with streaming.  (I guess that refers to the SA10's DAC?)  Does this put the SA10 in the "clean zone"?  Meaning I would only need one PST-8 if I went that way?

Thanks again for the blog.

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