Audio system power supply disagreement

[WbSearch]

My neighbor put in 30 amp service for his stereo system. He was told the
increased power, and larger feed wire provides a "cleaner" power with less
interference, thus a crisper sound. I questioned the value since the amplifier
has a 16 ga. cord to an internal 4 amp fuse. Is there any validity to his
thinking?

[John Miller]

It's a topic to be avoided at all costs. First, it's almost impossible to
argue with a true believer, but let's say that you're able to prevail; the
next thing you know, he'll be buying one of those thousand-dollar power
cords.

--
John Miller
Email address: domain, n4vu.com; username, jsm

The trouble with eating Italian food is that five or six days later you're
hungry again.
-George Miller

[Sam Goldwasser]

John Miller <m...@privacy.net> writes:

> WbSearch wrote:
> > My neighbor put in 30 amp service for his stereo system. He was told the
> > increased power, and larger feed wire provides a "cleaner" power with less
> > interference, thus a crisper sound. I questioned the value since the
> > amplifier
> > has a 16 ga. cord to an internal 4 amp fuse. Is there any validity to
> > his thinking?
>
> It's a topic to be avoided at all costs. First, it's almost impossible to
> argue with a true believer, but let's say that you're able to prevail; the
> next thing you know, he'll be buying one of those thousand-dollar power
> cords.

So what's the problem? If he wants to waste it on a $1000 power cord,
let him go ahead. As long as you aren't asked to install it! But think
of what you could charge to do that! :)

The answer is that there isn't even any instrumentation or human
test in a double blind A-B comparison that could distinguish between
30 A and 15 A service to an audio amp.

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[Michael A. Covington]

Unless there was something wrong with the original 20-amp or 15-amp wiring,
this should not make any difference.

You only need 30-amp service if you need 30 amps.

"WbSearch" <wbse...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20040813084739...@mb-m05.aol.com...

[CJT]

WbSearch wrote:

Of course it's nonsense, but you'll never convince him of that.

--
The e-mail address in our reply-to line is reversed in an attempt to
minimize spam. Our true address is of the form che...@prodigy.net.

[Bennett Price]

If he gets better toast, a better electric shave, and his electric
clocks run more accurately with a 30 Amp service I'm sure he'll get
better sound too.

[CJT]

Bennett Price wrote:

Those are pretty big "ifs," especially the last one.

[Stan]

wbse...@aol.com (WbSearch) wrote:

}My neighbor put in 30 amp service for his stereo system.

Perhaps he's planning to purchase a power amp (or, for "cleaner"
music, a separate amp for each hot leg of the 30A service), that needs
30A @ 230 volts. Let's see...a little bit of math, presto!

Oh, too bad, he won't be able to push more than 6900 watts to his
speakers. Oh well...

Stan.

[Norm Dresner]

"Stan" <stan...@delete-this-crap-xprt.net> wrote in message
news:stanleyh-130...@pdx-ppp2.pop1.net...

Yeah, but if he's buying new speakers that are so inefficient that they need
those 6900 watts then he won't need any more heating in winter.

Norm

[CJT]

Stan wrote:

But with some clever use of energy storage devices (like, but not
limited to, capacitors) he could achieve much higher peak powers.

[Jeff Wiseman]

Under some circumstances, having a separate service can make a
bit of a difference. Even if the regular outlets in the room are
wired in a typical configuration but share the feed with other
current hungry or electrically noisy applicances, having a
separate line can occasionally improve things, especially if you
have a highly resolving system.

Also, another example I've seen situations where applicances
switching on and off will cause home theater receivers to lose
frame on their digital inputs and cause a sound dropout. Having a
service that is dedicated to the stereo can eliminate those types
of problems as well (although other things can be done that might
be a bit cheaper).

- Jeff

[Isildur's Bane]

Complete bullshit. If he wants cleaner sound, get a real UPS system.

IB

[Michael A. Covington]

> > }My neighbor put in 30 amp service for his stereo system.

Actually, there is a situation in which it might help. Is he troubled by
electrical noise (e.g., from motors) and does he have a stereo amplifier
with relatively poor power supply filtering and power supply ripple
rejection (PSRR)? In that case, a separate line would help. It doesn't
have to be 30 amps; just separate.

[CJT]

Jeff Wiseman wrote:

Yeah, if your power is inadequate, making it adequate can help.
And if your system has poor noise tolerance, isolating it from
sources of noise can sometimes help.

[Tim Perry]

"Isildur's Bane" <wil...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:qolqh09p16gk63ht8...@4ax.com...

big Onan generator? propane powered for that extra clean sound?

[John Miller]

Tim Perry wrote:

> big Onan generator? propane powered for that extra clean sound?

Yes, what you might call audio onanism.

--
John Miller
Email address: domain, n4vu.com; username, jsm

Oh wearisome condition of humanity!
Born under one law, to another bound.
-Fulke Greville, Lord Brooke

[Tim Schwartz]

Well,

In most cases I'd say no. IF the amp were one of the huge 200+ watt
per channel units with 7 channels (at max output it would be drawing
1400 watts [200x7], IF it were 100 percent efficient. A 15 amp circuit
can provide about 1800 watts) of amplification and a 15+ amp mains fuse,
then the amp might be best off on its own power line of 20 amps or more,
just to avoid blowing the breaker. Of course you rarely, if ever are
demanding maximum power from all the channels at once.

Regards,
Tim Schwartz
Bristol Electronics

[Luddite]

Isildur's Bane <wil...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> On 13 Aug 2004 12:47:39 GMT, wbse...@aol.com (WbSearch) wrote:

>>My neighbor put in 30 amp service for his stereo system. He was told the
>>increased power, and larger feed wire provides a "cleaner" power with less
>>interference, thus a crisper sound. I questioned the value since the amplifier
>>has a 16 ga. cord to an internal 4 amp fuse. Is there any validity to his
>>thinking?

where is the increase? he still gets 110v and the same interference
unless there are no appliances like an a/c or refrigerator on the new
line.
the best results for the money are individual isolation trandformers
for each component and rf chokes on the zipcords. UPS supplies are filthy

[Leonard Caillouet]

Hmm, cleaning up the "noise" on the lines of an electric shaver might make
for a smoother shave...yeah, I bet we can sell a few million high end shaver
cords...could be the next tweak market...come to think of it, having a
smoother shave could take the edge off of those nasty transistor amps...

Leonard

"Bennett Price" <bjpric...@itsa.ucsf.edu> wrote in message
news:Ct6Tc.3332$QJ3...@newssvr21.news.prodigy.com...