Upgrading power cords on McIntosh Gear?
- Thread starter soundhd
- Start date
I've tried a number of aftermarket cords on my Mac gear that has seperate PC's,and have not been able to gain significant improvements.I've heard PC's affect the sound for the worse,but improvements with the best PC's were minor.I still have Cardas GR, And a shunyata cord on two of my Mac pieces,nonetheless.I figure I have pretty stable elctric in my semi-rural location(according to my power conditioner's readout),and most of all I'm guessing the massive power supplies on Mac gear makes the PC a minor issue.
Always wondered what agood PC would do for some of the old SS amps with the real lightweight stock cords would do,though.
Always wondered what agood PC would do for some of the old SS amps with the real lightweight stock cords would do,though.
Vinyl Rules!
Well-Known Member
30 Amp Lines & Whole House Surge Protection
I agree with Terry DeWickt on using 30 amp lines for your Audio and or H/T system. They're not code, but you can generally find an electrician who will work with you, as we did.
The reason 30 amp lines are not code is that U/L (underwriters labs) mandates all regular consumer electronics not draw more than 20 amps, so the code for regular household wiring is 20 amps: The regulators believe if you run a 30 or 40 amp line to a 20 amp product and the product malfunctions, it can catch on fire and burn your home down. This IS a risk, so proceed with using a 30 amp line at your own comfort level.
I would also STRONGLY RECOMMEND installing a whole-house surge protector in front of your breaker box (between the powerline cominging into your home and the breaker box) - It's the cheapest insurance you'll every buy and you pick up the additional benefit of protecting EVERYTHING electric in your home. Many local power companies now offer this service for a monthly fee, but you can generally have an electrician install one for about $150 or less and you should plan on replacing the giant MOV it uses every few years as a general safety precaution.
We did this when we moved into our present home in 1995: We also had two separate 30 amp lines with NEMA outlet terminals installed in our den for our Audio and Video systems before we moved in. The electrician thought we were nuts, but he did the work.
Where we live, we have had some terrible lightning storms here in the mountains, and have never had a problem other than occasional power outages - Never any damage when the power comes back on. Call me anal, but we also use high quality internal surge strips as well.
I agree with Terry DeWickt on using 30 amp lines for your Audio and or H/T system. They're not code, but you can generally find an electrician who will work with you, as we did.
The reason 30 amp lines are not code is that U/L (underwriters labs) mandates all regular consumer electronics not draw more than 20 amps, so the code for regular household wiring is 20 amps: The regulators believe if you run a 30 or 40 amp line to a 20 amp product and the product malfunctions, it can catch on fire and burn your home down. This IS a risk, so proceed with using a 30 amp line at your own comfort level.
I would also STRONGLY RECOMMEND installing a whole-house surge protector in front of your breaker box (between the powerline cominging into your home and the breaker box) - It's the cheapest insurance you'll every buy and you pick up the additional benefit of protecting EVERYTHING electric in your home. Many local power companies now offer this service for a monthly fee, but you can generally have an electrician install one for about $150 or less and you should plan on replacing the giant MOV it uses every few years as a general safety precaution.
We did this when we moved into our present home in 1995: We also had two separate 30 amp lines with NEMA outlet terminals installed in our den for our Audio and Video systems before we moved in. The electrician thought we were nuts, but he did the work.
Where we live, we have had some terrible lightning storms here in the mountains, and have never had a problem other than occasional power outages - Never any damage when the power comes back on. Call me anal, but we also use high quality internal surge strips as well.
Rich Andrews
Well-Known Member
I would higly recommend that one NOT put in a 30 amp circuit. Better to put in 2 20 amp circuits.
Why not rewire your stuff for 220 VAC? The current drops in half with the end result being one 15 amp 220 circuit is the same as a 30 amp 110 VAC circuit.
220 is used all the time in Europe, and for many high current devices in the US.
Why not rewire your stuff for 220 VAC? The current drops in half with the end result being one 15 amp 220 circuit is the same as a 30 amp 110 VAC circuit.
220 is used all the time in Europe, and for many high current devices in the US.
Tullman
Well-Known Member
I have six dedicated 20 amp lines in my listening room. I am still getting line noise. I was told the noise is from the box because the lines are on the same phase in the box or something like that. I have to get the electrician out here again and ask him if we can reconfigure the lines. I also think I need to ground my tv box to the tv.
