AC Power Suggestions


I am looking for strategies to power the home theater system listed below. The TV and speakers are in a family room with a media closet/rack directly behind the TV wall (basically a storage area). I started down this path because there are no usable outlets in the media closet (except a 220 volt Sump Pump outlet) so I figured I should call an electrician and have one put in. This opened up a huge can of worms about what type of AC receptacles I should use, should I have a dedicated circuit/line(s) run to the closet, should I use a power conditioner/surge protector/UPS, if so which ones, should the audio be on a different circuit than the video, should the amp go directly in the wall. This is a house built in 1999 with underground wiring in Rochester, MN. In the 30 plus years I have lived in Rochester I have never had or heard of any complaints about the power (brownouts, etc.) I have never had any appliance die from a lightning strike. The only thing I might add to this setup is a beefy high current amp to power the MMG-Fronts, at some point. As you can see, this is not a top-of-the-line system, but not bad for a system that leans heavily toward home theater. However, I do listen to music on this system and would like to get the most I can out of the Maggies for that purpose. I have a limited budget, and therefore am looking for the best “bang-for-buck” way to power the system. Would a Porter Port AC receptacle be a good match for this system? Are dedicated lines necessary and how many? Is surge protection necessary in my situation? Will power conditioning/voltage regulating /UPS produce any noticeable results? Should everything be on the same outlet/circuit or should audio be separated from video or form sources, etc? I have done a lot of forum reading and I just can’t make out what is going to be the best mix for me. Any suggestions?

TV: Pioneer Kuro Non-Elite PDP-5020fd 50” Plasma
Pre: Onkyo TX-SR805 (for DTS-HD MA, TrueDolby decoding)
Amp: Outlaw 7125 (190 watts/4ohms)
Speakers: Magnepan MMG (fronts), MMG-C (center), MMG-W (surrounds)
Sub: Outlaw LFM-1 Plus
Sources: Tivo Series 3
Pioneer BDP-51fd (Blu-ray)
Apple Airport Express (streaming lossless audio)
HTPC (SageTV DVR)
Motorola Converter Box
Accessories: Western Digital My DVR 500GB Expander
Monoprice HDMI Splitter (Split A/V from Blu-ray to TV and Pre-amp)
Linksys 5-port switch (LAN to Tivo, PC, Airport)
2x Computer Case Fans (cooling for Onkyo)
Idealume Paneleight (attached to back of Plasma)
HDE IR Remote Turn-On Plug (for Idealume)
2x APC NET9RM SurgeArrest 9-receptacle Rack Mount Network Power Strips
Cables-to-Go 4030 Remote Control Repeater Kit
cpalcott

Showing 1 response by mnnc

Typically it is ideal to seperate audio sources from video sources concerning their power source. I don't have such luxury but do use different receptacles which are in the same chain. I have not had any noise/video interference. I will in the future/next home have a couple plugs on a separate circuit for audio and likewise for video/tv/cable, etc. Concerning receptacles/plugs...I use ps audio powerports and can tell you that I heard a difference when I installed it where my 50 cent contractor special was. Even though I go through a tol panamax conditioner/protector I still heard improvement. Even if not audible you will know that you have a great connection point to power all your gear. btw...can be had here for about half price from time to time. Just purchased some myself.