Does a powered sub need to be connected to a high current outlet of power regenorator. The two high current outlets are already in use by other components.
Good question. +1
I would say so, if one were available. However, given the choice between an outlet on a P10, for example, that is not high current and connecting directly to the wall outlet, I’d go with the latter. I would imagine it’s more important to have the current available on demand than filtering/conditioning/regenerating the power for a sub, but that’s just my guess. I don’t have my JL subs connected to my P10 since they are far removed and I don’t notice any deleterious effects. No hum or AC noise I can tell and they are very dynamic. I could be off base, however.
I thought the high current outlets on the P10 just limited the inrush current when first turning the component on and thereafter provide the same juice as any other outlet.
That is correct.
Thanks everyone for clearing this up for. I have the p5 not p10.
I bought it used and have had it for 3 days. I really haven’t even needed the subwoofer because the bass is now much deeper and tight. Soundstage is also amazing. Music is so lifelike I am almost shocked. This one component has transformed my systems even more then I could have imagined. Very happy with my p5
Thanks stevem2. Can you or Paul explain what the difference is, why you would use one over the other, or why a particular device would compel you to plug something into it? I had thought that the High Current was not being treated to the same magicalness (regeneration) as the other outlets.
I’ve plugged my (2) 12" JL’s into the regular outlets, the high currents, and the wall, and though I frankly no longer have the patience for comparisons of this sort, have not noticed a difference. The main thing I was looking at was the display on the front, assuming it would show Watts From Hell Being Used, which it didn’t.
Amps with large capacitors which need to charge and similar designs call for a great deal of current on start-up. Tube amps can draw a lot on start-up a they often have large transformers. This current can be 10x or more of the operating load.
The outlets which limit this inrush current are nicer to the equipment.
thanks, Elk, but doesn’t answer the original poster’s or my questions (near as I can tell at 6pm on a Friday).
I thought we did. 
The outlets are the same after a short bit when the current limiter switches off. Thus, plug anything into that you would like.
If you have equipment which dims the lights when you first switch it on, plug it into the high current outlets. These soft-start outlets are nicer to the equipment than a wall outlet IF you use the PowerPlant’s switch to turn on the equipment (that is, leaving the equipment switch in the on position to take advantage of the feature).
In my experience, subs do not need draw a lot of current on start up. They tend to have very efficient power supplies/amplifiers built into them.
Wouldn’t just about every sub woofer amp be a class D (as Elk discusses above)? Can’t imagine which outlet is used would matter.
I have a P3. The manual states:
“Zone D on the P3 is marked “HC” for High Current. Unlike zones A, B, and C, the HC zone does not output regenerated AC, and instead provides filtered and protected AC from the mains. This zone is intended for gear that could potentially draw more than the 800VA of regenerated AC the P3 is capable of outputting.”
Sounds to me like it isn’t the same as the other outputs, not only with regard to soft-start. And I don’t recall ever hearing that it only has to do with startup draw until now. I was assuming it had to do with total draw from all outputs.
Paul, love you, man, but you should have someone else write the manuals (since you hate doing it anyway), or revise them over time to reflect end-user realities of use and our limited understanding.
The P3 is different in that regard from the P5 and P10. The HC zones on the P10 and P5 are as Elk and I described–regenerated power with an in-rush limiter. On the P3, the HC outlets are passively filtered but not regenerated, as your quote from the manual states. (I had forgotten about the different designs myself.) The original poster did not specify which power plant he was discussing.
Thanks - I suppose it’s one of the reasons it’s not made anymore.
So at least for me, the question remains.
What question remains?
I apparently do not understand what the question is or where there is confusion. From my perspective, we have beaten the question to death. A detailed recapitulation follows.
OP has a P5. From the manual:
"Zone D on the Power Plant 5 is marked “HC” for High Current. This zone is identical to Zones A, B, and C in terms of the quality of regenerated, regulated AC output, however it also enjoys the benefits of an in-rush limiter."
"An in-rush limiter, such as the one found on Zone D of your Power Plant 5, slows the pace of initial AC output."
I have described the benefit to equipment which draw a great deal of power on start-up of an current limiter/soft-start circuit. The manual points out that it can also keep a high current in rush of current from from tripping a circuit breaker. As I previously stated, “subs do not need draw a lot of current on start up.” That is, it is not a piece of equipment which needs an in rush current limiter.
And my post 10: “The outlets are the same after a short bit when the current limiter switches off. Thus, plug anything into them that you would like.”
What exactly is the question which remains not already addressed?
Yes, thanks Elk, I am satisfied with your answer to my question
Sorry, I give. Just being dense.
I’ve been there. Sometimes I just do not understand what someone else is saying/writing, even though I am trying.
Here the biggest source of potential confusion is that the P3 is different than the P5 and P10. Stevem2 did a great job summarizing this difference (post 13).
If you restate your question, perhaps I or someone else will grok what you are getting at.
Whew! What a long road to understanding. I just relooked at the manual for the P3 and that section’s description, which seems quite clear - it is not regenerated but rather filtered.
That is only true on the P3.
Sorry for any confusion but I’d say this issue should be clear now.
I guess another way to put what was still in my mind (the original poster’s question having morphed in my memory over time, as often happens - as with folks “replying to Paul”'s Posts, but actually replying to a reply) was:
SHOULD you plug your subs into the P3? This is like the question I’ve seen before on these boards - how do I know when I have too much stuff plugged into it? Don’t worry unless the Display says 90% or whathaveyou? I’ve never seen the meter come close to 200w consumption, not having a huge system. Are there instances such as crescendos that might be briefly drawing enough between a 2 or 300 watt amp and two 12" subs that it would affect dynamics or sound in some way?
How would I know if I have “gear that could potentially draw more than the 800VA of regenerated AC the P3 is capable of outputting”? Never heard of “inrush current” before, though I think I get it, and that it’s not related to amp size. Don’t recall reading about it in the manual, but I read them about as much as most people - as needed.