Looking to set up separate circuits for my system


I currently have the following set up:

  • Power amplifier-Bryston 4B3 Cubed
  • Preamplifier-Conrad Johnson ET7 S2
  • Lumin U2 mini streamer  with LHY Linear Power supply
  • Weiss DAC 204 with a  Modwright Linear Power supply

Looking to separate my system from other appliances. In short, not looking to have my system on the same circuit as my refrigerator. I also listened to a 4 minute You Tube Video by Paul McGowan of PS Audio and he recommended that components should be on separate wires not just separate circuit breakers.  He also suggested that one can combine certain components together, for example streamer and dac together, preamp and power amp together. Not sure on how to proceed. Yes I will hire an electrician, but I believe that it will be my responsibility to advise him how to proceed. If I have a specific wish list I am sure he can carry out. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

kjl1065

8AWG wire isn't much more expensive than 10AWG - I needed 180' and it only cost $120 more to go from 10AWG to 8AWG. The trick with 8AWG is the only outlet that will natively accept 8AWG is the Furutech GTX-D NCF(R) and those are howlingly expensive. You can pigtail 8AWG down to 10AWG for use with a normal outlet and that is acceptable practice code-wise. 

I have found separating the digital and analog front end gear beneficial. I have four dedicated lines with four dedicated circuit breakers for audio only, one for each mono amp, one for analog and one for digital. All four dedicated lines use steel case MC cable 10AWG solid copper. I prefer the MC with metal boxes for better shielding. I would run at least two dedicated lines with two dedicated circuit breakers, depending on your total power consumption requirements. smiley

Mike

For the cleanest poer signal.

Use an AC to DC to AC converter in the context of audio equipment is most commonly found in High-End Power Regenerators or Double-Conversion Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS).
​While a standard power strip or surge protector simply filters the electricity coming from your wall, a regenerator completely rebuilds it to ensure the "purest" possible signal for sensitive audio components.
​How the Process Works
​The conversion process happens in three distinct stages to isolate your gear from the fluctuations of the electrical grid:
​AC to DC (Rectification): The converter takes the alternating current (AC) from your wall outlet—which often contains "noise" from other appliances, voltage spikes, or frequency fluctuations—and converts it into direct current (DC). This stage acts as a gateway, stripping away the messiness of the utility power.
​The DC Reservoir (Storage/Filtering): The power sits momentarily in a DC bus, often supported by large capacitors. This acts as a buffer or a "clean pool" of energy. In a UPS system, this is also where the battery is connected.
​DC to AC (Inversion): An internal electronic oscillator and inverter take that clean DC and turn it back into 120V or 230V AC. Because this AC is generated locally by the device’s own internal clock, it is a perfect, steady sine wave at exactly 60Hz (or 50Hz), regardless of what is happening at the wall outlet.
​Why It Is Used in Audio
​Audiophiles and studio engineers use this technology for several key reasons:
​Eliminating Electromagnetic Interference (EMI): The "AC-DC-AC" path creates a physical break from the grid. This prevents clicks, pops, or hums caused by refrigerators, dimmers, or computers on the same circuit from reaching your speakers.
​Voltage Stabilization: Audio amplifiers perform best when they have a consistent voltage. If your house voltage drops (brownouts), the regenerator uses its internal reservoir to keep the output rock-steady.
​Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) Reduction: Utility power often has a "clipped" or distorted wave shape. Regenerators output a near-perfect mathematical sine wave, which can reduce the heat and noise generated by the transformers inside your amplifiers.
​Common Examples
​Power Regenerators: Devices like the PS Audio DirectStream Power Plant series are dedicated specifically to this task for high-fidelity home audio.
​Double-Conversion (Online) UPS: Units from brands like Eaton or APC (specifically their "Online" or "Double Conversion" models) use this topography to provide laboratory-grade power and battery backup.

I recently had an electrician install a 20a, dedicated Isolated Ground circuit to power my system. It powers my McIntosh MPC1500 power controller which powers my entire electronics rack. It was a pretty simple install as my listening space is the basement man cave and is a straight run from the electrical panel to the wall separating the finished area from the unfinished area. He did it for $150 which included the cost of the parts. Wire, breaker, and hospital grade outlet. 
 

I didn’t have any noticeable issues with the power source before, and I can’t really hear any improvement after. But for $150, I figured why not?  

This was a significant upgrade when I did it, I expect you will find the effort and expense worth it.