Audio Electrical Subpanel/Circuit Breakers - Isoclean Zero Ohm

[Robert]

Hi,

I am creating a new listening room, and would like to have a good foundation for power.

I was looking at the Isoclean Zero-ohm 100 amp subpanel, and was wondering if anyone had experience or alternative products. I was not interested to install balanced power or a power generator.

I was going to install the sub-panel behind the components so I can use short runs of high quality cable from the circuit box, such as Neotech, Oyaide, or Acrolink. Other than that, my thoughts were a solid copper grounding rod and having the audio circuit box be the first run off the service to the house.

Any additional thoughts.

Thanks
Rob

 

[Speedskater]

What country do you live in?

Was the Isoclean panel board (breaker box) ever UL approved for use in the US?
all the references are to 32 Amp breakers which are used in Great Britain.
(I would just go with the top of the line Siemens panel)

That's a good plan to run one heavy cable to the listening room and have the sub-panel near-by.

While of course the home needs a ground rod, but the ground rod adds nothing to the power quality from an audio system prospective.

Yes having the audio circuit be the first breaker is a good idea.

 

[CKKeung]

Hi,
I am creating a new listening room, and would like to have a good foundation for power.
I was looking at the Isoclean Zero-ohm 100 amp subpanel, and was wondering if anyone had experience or alternative products. I was not interested to install balanced power or a power generator.
I was going to install the sub-panel behind the components so I can use short runs of high quality cable from the circuit box, such as Neotech, Oyaide, or Acrolink. Other than that, my thoughts were a solid copper grounding rod and having the audio circuit box be the first run off the service to the house.
Any additional thoughts.
Thanks
Rob

In Hong Kong, the consensus is that Gigawatt makes the best in-wall cable : http://www.gigawatt.eu/products4_a.html

I am not familiar with the electrical regulations in USA but in Hong Kong, audiophiles are using cryogenically treated fuseboxes/RCCB/MCB to build their audio system powerlines. http://labkable.com/categories/MCB-Board-(配電箱保險掣)/

 

[Robert]

Room is underway. Three meter chemical grounding rod is here. Notice the width next to my shoe!



http://www.lightningprotection.com/gaf/

The rod is back-filled with bentonite.

Now just need to select 2AWG conductors to power the subpanel...

 

[Speedskater]

Yep, ground rods like that are for lightning protection and other safety issues. Has nothing to do with day-to-day AC power quality.

 

[DaveC]

If it were me, I'd probably go with a Torus in-wall bpt/surge system. If you really don't want balanced power for whatever reason I'd go with a SurgeX unit.

For a great majority of systems a single 20 amp circuit is plenty, use 10g wire to a single receptacle. If you really need more a breaker box/in-wall power conditioning unit in the audio room is a great plan though.

 

[Speedskater]

..........................................
For a great majority of systems a single 20 amp circuit is plenty, use 10g wire to a single receptacle. If you really need more a breaker box/in-wall power conditioning unit in the audio room is a great plan though.

That would be a good plan. That gets all the components plugged into the same outlet strip.

As Bill Whitlock writes:

For system noise reduction, a simple outlet strip often
works as well as, or even better, than a “power conditioner.”

Many benefits attributed to “power conditioning” are
actually due to the tight cluster of output outlets!

 

[Brucemck2]

Torus in wall is great:
http://www.toruspower.com/na-wall-mount/

Richard Gray Powerhouse also works well:
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct...sg=AFQjCNGV7f2tcXrYSG_DrTJf21v3R4Jwhg&cad=rja

 

[Kingrex]

Yep, ground rods like that are for lightning protection and other safety issues. Has nothing to do with day-to-day AC power quality.

Chemical ground rods are excellent for achieving a 5 ohm reading in difficult soil conditions. It has nothing to do with lightning. A regular 3/4" x 10 foot copper ground rod will arrest lightning just fine in appropriate soil.
The benefit of chemical rods is the slow leaching of salt keeps the rods resistance to earth very low. A standard copper rod will oxidize over time. What I generally see in the field is a 10 year or older 3/4"x 10 foot rod will be about double the resistance of new rods I install.

Achieving a very low resistance to earth is critical when building out electrical infrastructure used to feed highly sensitive amplifying equipment.

 

[K3RMIT]

Chemical ground rods are excellent for achieving a 5 ohm reading in difficult soil conditions. It has nothing to do with lightning. A regular 3/4" x 10 foot copper ground rod will arrest lightning just fine in appropriate soil.
The benefit of chemical rods is the slow leaching of salt keeps the rods resistance to earth very low. A standard copper rod will oxidize over time. What I generally see in the field is a 10 year or older 3/4"x 10 foot rod will be about double the resistance of new rods I install.

Achieving a very low resistance to earth is critical when building out electrical infrastructure used to feed highly sensitive amplifying equipment.

help me understand , i thought the rod or rods is a redundant secondary ground . so why the fuss on rod alone do you measure watermain resistance and or impedance on a ground for electrical systems ? does the person with new room have a copper watermain ?