Dedicated Lines or power conditioning

Ideally you'd have a power conditioner for each line.

Isolation transformers need to be oversize not to limit dynamics and at that point you're better off going with a balanced power transformer vs an iso.

You can have systems where some components connected directly to dedicated lines and others to one or more a power conditioners connected to other dedicated lines - these options are not exclusive. Sometimes I have a PSAudio P10 connected to a dedicated line just for the preamplifier and digital sources and the power amplifier monoblocks connected to other lines.

Balanced power? Check out Torus and Equi=Tech.

Also, with multiple lines at some point it makes sense to install a wall-mount sub-panel that contains filtration, surge protection and possibly balanced power. Check out Torus and SurgeX. Most of the time more than one line is not required, and often when it is done it is done improperly and results in more noise than one line. Installing a sub panel as close to your system as possible is a good idea to minimize noise if you really need more than one line.

Dedicated lines still go back to your main panel. Anything connected to other breakers in the panel can still impact your dedicated line (breaker).

It's all important; a dedicated line can still bring all the bad results that are present on the line to your gear. I was advised a long time ago that you had to look at power as an entire component of your system from the point the main power lead comes close to your house all the way into your system. That's why you'll see people, even those of us with power conditioners, tackling power from the meter (and before) all the way to the speaker so to speak. Here are the areas I have focused on; please note that at various points people suggested isolation transformers to me as well but it seemed that for every positive vote, I'd collect one or two negative votes against the idea for various reasons including some curtailing dynamic headroom and current, those that injected noise into the room, house or line, etc....so I've not gone down that route.

Here are the main areas I've chosen to focus on;

Grounding: Dual 1" diameter 10' ground rods pounded in 8' apart outside the house; 4 gauge solid copper ground leads attached in series to from ground rod-1 to rod-2 to the meter-head going into house; CADWELD bonding of ground wires to rods and to meter head instead of clips which can expand, contract and loosen, corrode, etc...

More Grounding: Environmental Potentials EP-2750 Ground Filters on feed from main panel to sub-panel and on my dedicated circuit(s) in the sub-panel...
More More Grounding cool: Granite Audio Ground Zero star-grounding system to everything (except speakers)

Power and Ground Quality: Cutler-Hammer main house panel and GE Sub-panel, both with COPPER BUS BARs

Power Conditioning: Environmental Potentials EP-2050 Wave-Form Correction & Surge Suppression Device (on main house panel)
Isotek EVO3 TITAN for power amp power conditioning
Isotek EVO3 SIGMAS for front-end power conditioning

for further details, see my system posting...

Regardless whether you utilize the products I list above or other alternatives, I'd suggest that in addition to a dedicated line, you put together a plan to attack all the categories above; I did and frankly it's the part of the system that I look at and say 'done' more often than any other...

***On the subject of multiple dedicated circuits feeding the same system; I've been down this road several different ways. It is a good idea but like feeding multiple duplexes off the same dedicated circuit, you have to focus doubly hard to verifying that you have the exact same ground potential on every power outlet or your equipment will not see the same ground plane which will have various ways of manifesting itself in your audio system (ground loops/hum, lack of blackest backgrounds possible, etc....)

Jeffy said:

I have always wondered why people who have say 5 or 6 dedicated lines and then buy a power conditioner. This defeats the purpose of the dedicated lines as now everything is plugged into only one dedicated line. Doesn't it make sense to have an isolating transformer for each dedicated line? How come there are no companies making these?

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I don't use any power conditioning. Just straight from the tap,as 98 pct of the electrical corruption comes from the equipment itself.

+1 No conditioning.....

In every house I've had, always had 3 dedicated lines, one for each amp and the other for sources. Never had grounding issues.

SC, you my friend are a true pioneer
I salute you
My engineer wanted to reduce impedance to nr zero by installing SIX 6' spaced 10' copper rods along the water we border on to
I'm afraid this was one step TOO far LOL
Settled on: feed to dedicated audio room split before feed to property>18mm copper SWA cbl direct to dedicated consumer unit for system>Oyaide to 8kVA Westwick balanced pwr transformer (UK and European equivalent of EquiTech)>Oyaide back to consumer unit>six Oyaides to six Furutech duplexes
Final impedance achieved <10 Ohms
And gear Entreq'd via Silver Tellus, 9 Apollos, Silver Cleanus, Olympus Minimus
The dedicated lines have been a TOTAL triumph, I will NEVER go back to any conditioner or mains filter (having prev owned Russ Andrews gear and Burmester 948)
Together w the balanced transformer, bass heft is truly maxxed, noise flr truly subterranean, no compromise in air and dynamics (these latter two being the main areas my prev conditioners failed on)

spiritofmusic said:

SC, you my friend are a true pioneer
I salute you
My engineer wanted to reduce impedance to nr zero by installing SIX 6' spaced 10' copper rods along the water we border on to
I'm afraid this was one step TOO far LOL
Settled on: feed to dedicated audio room split before feed to property>18mm copper SWA cbl direct to dedicated consumer unit for system>Oyaide to 8kVA Westwick balanced pwr transformer (UK and European equivalent of EquiTech)>Oyaide back to consumer unit>six Oyaides to six Furutech duplexes
Final impedance achieved <10 Ohms
And gear Entreq'd via Silver Tellus, 9 Apollos, Silver Cleanus, Olympus Minimus
The dedicated lines have been a TOTAL triumph, I will NEVER go back to any conditioner or mains filter (having prev owned Russ Andrews gear and Burmester 948)
Together w the balanced transformer, bass heft is truly maxxed, noise flr truly subterranean, no compromise in air and dynamics (these latter two being the main areas my prev conditioners failed on)

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Thank you...I forgot to mention the Furutech 105 NCF outlets and cover plates as well (just installed).

You have one hell of a setup as well! Well Done!!!

SC, I'd have been open to the idea of grounding my transformer, but six 10' deep rods over a 36' span, digging up the whole garden-water frontage (we live in a converted 1861 Victorian chapel w 15' garden frontage into a creek) was the only upgrade idea that filled me w dread, consultancy costs and more construction in addition to my frayed bank balance and mental health from the ongoing chapel restoration

Kingsrule said:

+1 No conditioning.....

In every house I've had, always had 3 dedicated lines, one for each amp and the other for sources. Never had grounding issues.

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Even when you lived in Holliston where the power was bad?

It's tough when so many conditioners either don't work for your system, or make your system reveal it's weaknesses. I won't run without one, but I understand WHY people are weary of them.

Dedicated line + power conditioner is best. However if you have too much equipment you may need multiple of each.

MadFloyd said:

Even when you lived in Holliston where the power was bad?

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Yes

Kingsrule said:

Yes

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Wow,...that's incredible. I have friends in Holliston and elsewhere in MA. from when I used to live there. They all still curse the power company. Upton, Northbridge, Whitinsville, Southbridge, no place in MA. I ever lived had power worth a damn (from an audiophile perspective).

spiritofmusic said:

SC, I'd have been open to the idea of grounding my transformer, but six 10' deep rods over a 36' span, digging up the whole garden-water frontage (we live in a converted 1861 Victorian chapel w 15' garden frontage into a creek) was the only upgrade idea that filled me w dread, consultancy costs and more construction in addition to my frayed bank balance and mental health from the ongoing chapel restoration ??

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Sounds like one very beauitful location and cool home setup! I agree with you,...no way I'd go after a project with six ground rounds over that span by the creek; someone obviously had dollar signs in their eyes when they dreamt that up and quoted it to you!

Ha SC, you may be right
Thankfully the pwr set up, and acoustics critically too, are so stellar this level of complexity has never felt even remotely necessary
Re this thread, I truly believe dedicated lines beats conditioner or filter hands down
And a big vote for balanced pwr

spiritofmusic said:

Ha SC, you may be right
Thankfully the pwr set up, and acoustics critically too, are so stellar this level of complexity has never felt even remotely necessary
Re this thread, I truly believe dedicated lines beats conditioner or filter hands down
And a big vote for balanced pwr

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You can't make a blanket statement like that. Also, the choice between dedicated lines and conditioning is a false dichotomy, you can do both. You can also do conditioning, surge protection and balanced power for multiple lines.

The need for power conditioning depends on your local power quality, sometimes it might be mandatory for decent results. I've certainly seen that at audio shows, power is often unacceptable without conditioning.

I'll also echo what Folsom said, there are so many poor power distributors/conditioners everyone is wary of them, but a good conditioner ALWAYS makes an improvement. Those who claim no need often have no idea, as you often don't realize you have noise until it's gone and magically "veils are lifted" you never knew existed.

Clean, unrestricted AC power is key for decent results and the best way to achieve that depends on your system and local power situation. There's no best way for every circumstance.

Sure Dave, just based on my experience
I am tempted to see how the Entreq Powerus might fare here
It's a passive filter, that is best suited to source components and linestages, and leave unadulterated power for my 211s monos and subs