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Power questions

Hello all.

New enthusiast here.  My question is about source power for my equipment. Im redoing the wall that my equipment is on. I use it for 2 channel and movies. Purpose is to increase distance between my left and right speakers and to get a larger tv. As an electrician, when i origionally roughed the wall I knew enough to pull a dedicated cct for the "entertainment system".  I never envisioned getting sucked down this worm hole. So...being that the wall is open i can easily pull another dedicated circuit. Perhaps #10 awg. So i would have 2 dedicated 20 amp ccts on the wall and a 15amp general purpose cct.  My equipment is as follows: Anthem mrx740 avr, Anthem 325mkII amp, Paradigm Founders 120H left and rights which have active woofers , a node streamer, and a Rell wireless module.  Behind the wall is the router for the house(stair case wall).  The amp powers my lcr speakers. The avr powers my surrounds. Questions are:

1. Would another cct make sense?

2.  How would equipment be best devided between the ccts? (I know this should probably be obvious but amuse me please)

3. Would pulling a dedicated neutral be better than sharing  a neutral as far as noise reduction?

4. Isolated Ground outlets?

Thanks for any input 

 

 

 

sandrodg73
jea48
4,312 posts
 

2012 Seminar w-Notes v1-0.ppt - indy-aes-2012-seminar-w-notes-v1-0.pdf

Check out page 16. Read pages 31 through 37.

.

A true dedicated branch circuit does share a neutral with other circuits. (Therein a multiwire branch circuit.) A true dedicated branch circuit does not share a conduit or cable with other branch circuits.

For the new 120V branch circuit I would install solid 2 conductor with ground MC aluminum armored cable. NOT AC armored cable.

Solid copper wire. Not stranded wire conductor MC cable.

Just my 2 cents...

.

erik_squires
15,826 posts
 

The biggest issue I foresee is having different grounds for your processor vs. your amp and sub amps.

So,  very unpopular opinion, I'd run 12-3 or 10-3 to run a multi-wire branch circuit (i.e. split neutral).

I'm also not a huge fan of running 10 gauge wiring, mostly because a little inductance and resistance between you and the panel reduces noise from elsewhere, but if you have a very long run and anticipate high currents it can be better.

Another possible alternative you should consider is using 6 gauge Romex to a sub panel in the room. 

sandrodg73 OP
67 posts
 

Thanks guys. Thanks for the link jea48. It was informative. I do have to tell you though that dedicated ccts do indeed often use separate neutrals,  sometimes they are even upsized.  At least in data centers and mdf rooms.  25 yr commercial/industrial electrian here. The term "branch" refers to ccts after the main of a panel. When "branch" ccts share a neutral its called networking. Networking is becoming less common because of the inherent safety hazards associated with it and the code requiring networked ccts to be disconnected simultaneously in instance of a fault or overload. So 2 ccts sharing a neutral would have to be terminated on a 2 pole breaker.  3 ccts on a 3 pole. 

My curiosity with the grounding is that ive installed isolated ground receptacles in hospitals and for data racks for sensitive equipment so why not for audio?(Side note,  we use conduit in my area.) An IG receptacle would separate the ground path of my equipment from the grounded conduit in theory reducing noise.  Make sense?   

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