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Re: Yet another (hopefully different) dedicated line question...

Go to www.stereophile.com and search out the archives of Jonathan Scull's 'Fine Tunes' columns. Some time ago he did a very good in-depth treatise on "GROUNDS" that included much good info on dedicated lines, how to properly split 220v lines, phasing, etc. Should be 'required reading' for anyone contemplating a dedicated AC line.
You should also consider a 'dedicated ground' for the dedicated AC line (also covered in the same Fine Tunes). "Ground" is the other half of EVERY circuit and one of the most mis-understood and neglected areas of good electrical practice("All grounds ain't created equal"). Most of the "grounding systems" in household wiring are sufficient to operate without burning the house down or getting you electrocuted but they are URINE POOR for audio use. As for the steel conduit for the dedicated line, it will not prove very effective as a shield for the dedicated line. Most ferric materials are very poor shields for both EMI & RFI reflecting/re-radiating most of the garbage rather than containing it. Thus the copper plated chassis in audio equipment of late. The copper is better than nothing, attenuating approximately 1/3 of the garbage and re-radiating the other 2/3. The best shielding material currently available is TI Shield from Texas Instruments. This is a proprietary ferric alloy with 1 mil of copper on each side of it (in sheet form) that TI claims attenuates over 98% of the garbage. The bad news is that it is releatively expensive and Michael Percy seems to have the retail market on it cornered. You might try using separate (un-paired) solid conductors for the AC line which would be twisted together before running the wire. This would not contain any garbage but it would prevent the dedicated line from picking up garbage from the rest of the wiring, appliances (mainly motors), etc. in the house. It seems that nothing worthwhile is ever easy......

I have often thought that by the time you pay for power supply upgrades (Hi Quality diodes, caps, etc), line conditioners, hospital grade outlets, exotic linecords, and dedicated AC lines it would be cheaper and quite probably sonically better to buy a supply of car batteries and charging equipment and be done with it for good and all.

Happy Listening !


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  • Re: Yet another (hopefully different) dedicated line question... - pkell44 12/4/0111:38:16 12/4/01 (0)


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