Help on wiring dedicated circuit for Audio


I have been reading these threads and I am convinced that I want to have an electrician wire my listening room with a dedicated circuit using high quality wiring and connectors. I need help understanding the ways this can be done specifically with audio in mind. Is there a reference book out there that details this out so I can explain it to an electrician to get the desired results? Please let me know where I can find this type of information. Thank you.
bryanhod

Showing 1 response by rushton

Bryanhod, if you want a reference book, you might check to see if this is covered in Robert Harley's book: "The Complete Guide to High-End Audio."

Here's a summary of what I've pulled together from the various threads over the years and eventually asked my electrician to do here.

Run two or more dedicated 20 amp circuits. Installation choices that will enhancing those dedicated circuits would include:

  • Use 10 gauge wire

  • Make the leap to using an isolated ground in your wiring (which means using the hospital grade connector that will not self-ground when installed in a metal box, and 4-wire cable with a ground wire -- I think the current color-coding standard is for that type cable to be manufactured in a green sheathing)

  • Get your dedicated lines run to the same phase of your electrical panel, if you can. And try to put them on the other phase from heavy-duty motors and compressors: often easier said than done.

  • Use non-plated all brass receptacles. Hubbell makes a non-plated all-brass hospital grade receptacle (model number 8300HI). Definitely try to stay away from nickel plated parts.

    Alternatively, use one of the receptacles from: Jena Labs or Walker Audio or Albert Porter (if he still has any, often referred to here as "Porterport", a cryo'd Hubbell). The Jena Labs and Walker Audio receptacles are special production runs by Hubbell using their 30-watt chassis for heavier gauge internal parts, no steel and no plating, configured as a 20-watt receptacle, then cryo'd like Albert's. Other people will have had experience with other "audiophile" receptacles, but these would be my recommendation.

  • Get some SST silver contact enhancer from Walker Audio for your electrician to use on all the connections in the circuit. Your electrician will be familiar with electrician's paste: explain that this is just a much higher grade, higher quality paste (which it is, by a huge margin). Then also use it on your power cords, interconnects and speaker cables. Try it on you main system and I think you'll be amazed at the improvement.