Do you think it’s feasible to construct a dedicated line by oneself, by twisting individual 9AWG wires such that line and neutral are twisted together with specific twists per meter, and weaving the ground around that for least common mode?
I understand it is difficult to do this, maybe the twisting should be outsourced. Anyway, this kind of line configuration is not available to buy, stock…
I believe this would be beneficial because the same principle is beneficial in a power cable. Line, power cable, it’s the same right? I’m not happy with the devices seeing 1m of quality power cable, I want the whole 15 meters from the breaker being a quality line.
What do you think?
I’m not sure of the benefit since your panel is getting power via traditional cabling from the sub-station. I personally think your funds are better spent focusing on the power from the outlet and everything else within the confines of your audio system.
Ah. Yes.
I will have 25sqmm aluminium feed from the utility pole in the yard. And a new mains fuse box with upgraded mains fuses.
I don’t know if utility is the word. I mean the panel on the pole with the 25A fuses. (I own the pole)
Up to my house, no, I can have a feed of my choice installed. The meter is on a pole in the yard. The mains fuse box. I can have it changed.
The company is only responsible for the mere 10 meter length of cable from the top of the pole to the main fuse panel. (Meter)
When I built my home I was told by a knowledgeable Audiophile that I should have them install 5 20 amp circuits using individual 10ga insulated wires pulled thriugh greenfield. 3 wires per circuit, 5 runs of greenfield.
I mentioned it here and someone said they believed I should have used 10ga romex instead. It was their belief that romex would sound better.
I cannot say one way or another as I have not researched this. I am very happy I had the five circuits installed. I am thinking about pulling the five out of my main panel and running the source for the five into a new dedicated panel with its own earth ground
Or maybe I’ll build a new home. I have a desire to build a new home with a dedicated building next to it for audio, video, and computer lab purposes. I believe if I had a dedicated building not connected to my home my wife wouldn’t have to deal with my hobby as ahe does now.
Today I had a thought that it might be cheaper to modify my existing home to make my listening room larger and symmetrical.
Okay.
But what do you see as the bottleneck? The actual powerline going to the pole? No impedance issue in terms of that but there is the issue of distance to the nearest transformer and the related voltage drop. That’s not manageable, I’d just like to have the lowest output impedance from the pole to my house. And a dedicated line that even has the geometrical benefit that I described.
The roughly 10m of 16sqmm copper installed by the company from the pole’s top to the meter box which I’ll have changed to a new one (it’s antique) and with quality mains fuses too. Well they’re expensive so just for the line that feeds the audio.
Then about 30m of 25sqmm aluminum feed from there to my house. Then a premium breaker for the dedicated line. Then a 6sqmm dedicated line from there across the room. Which is possibly customizable, an electrician just needs to approve the construction which I described.
Actually the power line from the pole is generally aluminum and it’s usually a smaller guage than your feed from the meter to the service panel. I think the power company gets away with a smaller guage because it’s out in open air.
Now you guys are talking my business. I work for the power company for the past 32 years in CT. Every state has its own rules on who owns what. But generally power company usually ends at the weatherhead (the funny looking thing near drip loop next to house) for over head and at the transformer for underground. Some states power company owns down to meter box too (NH is this way I am pretty sure)
Invalid is valid (I like that one) the secondary running to your house is usually aluminum (people love to steal the spools of this from our yard)
from Xtrmer to meter. Not sure if a power company will let you choose what you want for a part they are liable for. We have standards and rules for both support and safety on how things are built. It built right into the design software used to draw it up.
Not sure if anything done pre meterbox would do anything. I would generally say if you are super anal, do a complete subpanel dedicated to your room. High end breakers, its own bus bar and of course plugs in the room. Regular high gauge romex would do.
Our panel is now considered “full”. With an upcoming bathroom renovation, I have been considering pulling “my” power out of the new box. What I don’t know, and mind you I only briefly poked at this, is what constitutes “high end breaker”? Is there a code or a term or art I should be looking for as I do research and source the components?
In audio terms nothing. I saw some European company makes an audio grade power panel with gold plated busses but it’s not legal in the USA due to lack of listing and compatability.
There are however commercial and residential grade breakers. Commercial breakers are bolt down to the buss. Residential is clip in. The bolt down is obviously a better connection than a spring clip. But this is really only a problem with high current loads.
The defacto high quality clip in breaker is the Square D type QO. Note these are not interchangeable with non Square D QO panels. Square D also makes a spring clip version that is lower cost.
Square D also makes a “switch rated” breaker that is literally meant to be used as a switch. We have some in service that have been used to turn equipment on and off daily for over 30 years without a failure. I dont know much else about them but they might be a better “audiophile” breaker. The industrial Square D breakers are not cheap for good reason.
I guess the question is, to those of you who’ve actually handled mains lines - would it be notably difficult to construct and install a dedicated line with the line and neutral twisted together, let’s say 10 turns per meter or whatever is the conventional limit, and then have the ground running separately, parallel to that weave?
And have it accepted by the electrician of course. Don’t see why this would be especially difficult, if the constituent cables used are of accepted standard.
Are you saying you want to runs from the transformer to your house? Or split the line after the meter? I don’t think you want two ground attached to the meter. If you do two runs from the transformer yes then another ground. If you are talking about from after meter, I am not sure what more that buys you than having a dedicated subpanel for your room. At least in my neck of the woods you pay a base fee for another connection like that. Not a ton but its a monthly fee.
