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20A vs 15A Power Conditioners and can I even use a 20A one?

Hello all,

I am interested in adding a dedicated power conditioner for my power amplifier + subwoofer alone and have setled on either the Furman IT Reference 15i (15a) or the 20i (20a)

First of all, I know the outlet I use is a 15a outlet, but it does run back to a 20a breaker. I could swap this out to a proper 20a outlet, but I have heard if you are installing a 20a outlet, there should be no other devices running on this circuit and it should be dedicated. (This won't be the case) Also that there is a chance the wiring which runs to the 15a outlets (even though they go back to a 20a breaker) could be not equipped to handle 20a and could be a safety issue. Can anyone elaborate on this?

Will there be any sound quality difference, especially in regards to dynamics with the 20a vs the 15i version? I have seen many power conditioners with poor handling of dynamics. I will be running a 200WPC amplifer and a 370W powered subwoofer on the conditioner.
nemesis1218
dlcockrum's avatar
dlcockrum
2,190 posts
 
"but I have heard if you are installing a 20a outlet, there should be no other devices running on this circuit and it should be dedicated."

It is best that any AC line feeding your audio equipment be dedicated (at least not shared with noise-generating appliances), but this is no more true of a 20 amp than a 15 amp line.

If you are in any doubt regarding the proper wiring requirements for your AC lines, consult a licensed electrician.

You didn’t ask, but I owned the Furman IT-Reference 20i and there are several other conditioners that offer much more sonic improvement FWIW.

Dave
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lak's avatar
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lak
4,529 posts
 
+1 dlcockrum !

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nemesis1218 OP
39 posts
 
dlcockrum,

What other power conditioners would you reccomend I take a look at again? Again, I need something just for the amp/sub. The other gear is running off of a PS Audio Power Plant Premier, which while good, I find significantly reduces the dynamics of the power amplifier.

Thanks.
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