200-amp Breaker Panel Question

If you want an upgrade consider a sub panel of 'balanced power'units from Equitech. Or more economically buy a couple of their "blowout sale" slightly noisy transformers in a box and use them as subpanels. I did and have been very satisfied with the improvements to my Spectra/MIT system. Good luck. Pete

Fmpnd, it sounds like you've got your ducks in a row.

About the only things remaining to consider might be:

o An industrial grade service panel (perhaps silver bus).

o Cryo-treated dedicated lines (I had Cryo-Nebraska double-cryo 500 ft. of 10 gauge).

BTW, proper line conditioning should negate any concern for noisy AC appliances being on the same or opposing leg/phase.

Most important consideration may be protecting your components from bi-directional digital noise induced through the AC lines by cdps, DACs, computers, digital amps, etc.. This digital noise will make its way back from the source to the service panel and then into your dedicated lines. The only way I know to treat this is proper line conditioning that includes bi-directional filtering (which also keeps digital noise from going back into the wall and inducing sonic harm elsewhere).

-IMO

Thanks everyone. The electrician worked 5 hours on Saturday and 12 hours on Sunday to get the panel in (my house is ALWAYS the house from "HELL" whenever anyone works on it so it didn't suprise me when it took him three times as long as he thought it would).

It also turns out I already had 200 amp service to the house so I didn't have to call the electric company to upgrade the service.

I didn't put my amps on 30 amp breakers yet as I only had 2-pole 30-amp breakers which would then mean they would be on both phases (since the 2-pole breaker is twice as wide). I am going to pick up two single-pole 30-amp breakers tonight and will treat them (sparingly) with SST.

Even without any after market wire (although I do have heavy 10 gauge solid-core wire in Greenfield conduit for my lines and very good outlets), the difference was much more noticable than I thought it would be given that I already had six dedicated lines. The biggest differences I heard immediately (you would literally have to be hearing impaired NOT to have heard this difference), was a pronounced improvement in bass articulation and transient attack as well as increased dynamics.

I was not in any way dissatisfied with my system or my sound prior to this change. I was changing the panel because my entire house would dim any time my AC (whether the central AC or my stereo room thru-wall extra AC), the fridge or the dishwasher went on. Now, the lights weren't phased at all when I kicked in the AC last night so, mission accomplished! The fact that the music sounds better and more lively too is just icing on the cake!. I only had about 35-40 minutes to audition last night so I am still assessing.

I didn't put my amps on 30 amp breakers yet as I only had 2-pole 30-amp breakers which would then mean they would be on both phases (since the 2-pole breaker is twice as wide). I am going to pick up two single-pole 30-amp breakers tonight........

When you go to buy the breakers check out the price on single pole 15 and 20 amp breakers. You should find they are exactly the same price as the single pole 30 amp breaker.

The contacts are exactly the same in the 15 and 20 amp breakers as the 30 amp..... Only the trip unit is different for each breaker.

If you are using NEMA 5-15R duplex/s or NEMA 5-20R receptacles the largest breaker you should feed the receptacle with is 20 amp. (20 amp recept/s shall be fed by a 20 amp breaker.)

Your licensed electrician you hired should have informed you of that fact.

Jea48,

Thanks. Actually, an audio equipment distributor is the one who told me to use the 30-amp breaker with the Wattgate or FIM recptacles that I have that my Lamm monos are plugged into. I assume then that there could be damage to my equipment if I use the 30-amp breaker on the WattGates or FIMs?

Frank