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AC Power Suggestions

post #1 of 9
1/27/10 at 10:52am
Thread Starter 
I am looking for strategies to power the home theater system listed below. The TV and speakers are in a family room with a media closet/rack directly behind the TV wall (basically a storage area). I started down this path because there are no usable outlets in the media closet (except a 220 volt Sump Pump outlet) so I figured I should call an electrician and have one put in. This opened up a huge can of worms about what type of AC receptacles I should use, should I have a dedicated circuit/line(s) run to the closet, should I use a power conditioner/surge protector/UPS, if so which ones, should the audio be on a different circuit than the video, should the amp go directly in the wall. This is a house built in 1999 with underground wiring in Rochester, MN. In the 30 plus years I have lived in Rochester I have never had or heard of any complaints about the power (brownouts, etc.) I have never had any appliance die from a lightning strike. The only thing I might add to this setup is a beefy high current amp to power the MMG-Fronts, at some point. As you can see, this is not a top-of-the-line system, but not bad for a system that leans heavily toward home theater. However, I do listen to music on this system and would like to get the most I can out of the Maggies for that purpose. I have a limited budget, and therefore am looking for the best bang-for-buck way to power the system. Would a Porter Port AC receptacle be a good match for this system? Are dedicated lines necessary and how many? Is surge protection necessary in my situation? Will power conditioning/voltage regulating /UPS produce any noticeable results? Should everything be on the same outlet/circuit or should audio be separated from video or form sources, etc? I have done a lot of forum reading and I just can't make out what is going to be the best mix for me. Any suggestions?

TV: Pioneer Kuro Non-Elite PDP-5020fd 50 Plasma
Pre: Onkyo TX-SR805 (for DTS-HD MA, TrueDolby decoding)
Amp: Outlaw 7125 (190 watts/4ohms)
Speakers: Magnepan MMG (fronts), MMG-C (center), MMG-W (surrounds)
Sub: Outlaw LFM-1 Plus
Sources: Tivo Series 3
Pioneer BDP-51fd (Blu-ray)
Apple Airport Express (streaming lossless audio)
HTPC (SageTV DVR)
Motorola Converter Box
Accessories: Western Digital My DVR 500GB Expander
Monoprice HDMI Splitter (Split A/V from Blu-ray to TV and Pre-amp)
Linksys 5-port switch (LAN to Tivo, PC, Airport)
2x Computer Case Fans (cooling for Onkyo)
Idealume Paneleight (attached to back of Plasma)
HDE IR Remote Turn-On Plug (for Idealume)
2x APC NET9RM SurgeArrest 9-receptacle Rack Mount Network Power Strips
Cables-to-Go 4030 Remote Control Repeater Kit
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post #2 of 9
1/27/10 at 11:53am
Ideally to help avoid potential ground loop issues you want to minimize the number of circuits you have your equipment spread over and not have any other household appliances or lighting circuits on those circuits. I overkilled my HT power set up with four dedicated 20 AMP circuits. Two is really all I "need", and I likely could have squeaked by with just one 20A circuit.

You'll get a variety of opinions on the value of UPS and conditioners. A basic surge protector will never protect you against a direct lightning strike, but could be helpful in protecting your equipment against spikes caused by other events.

BTW, I personally think the Porter Port AC receptacle is snake oil. Any decent receptacle will work just fine with no measurable difference.
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post #3 of 9
1/27/10 at 5:00pm
I would recommend running dedicated outlets for your equipment. I ran a new subpanel just for my AV closet, probably overkill, but at least the lights don't dim in the media room anymore...

I would agree with Cathan and say stay away from 'audiophile' outlets. IMHO they are as big a scam as $500 speaker cables.
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post #4 of 9
1/27/10 at 9:37pm
Hospital grade, or at least spec grade, receptacles would be a good idea. The main reason is that they grip the blades of the plug better than standard residential grade receptacles. I have 6 hospital grade duplex receptacles in my equipment cabinet. Didn't cost significantly more than using cheap receptacles because I bought them on eBay. What you don't need is gold or silver plating, cryogenic treatment, etc.

If you are considering a surge protective device, the first thing you should consider is a whole-house device with adequate grounding. There are other threads that discuss the details.

A dedicated circuit is a good idea. One 20A circuit should be sufficient for most of us.
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post #5 of 9
1/28/10 at 6:45pm
Thread Starter 
Well, I discovered that this storage area already has a dedicated line (1 line straight to the box) with a 125v/20A (T-slot) single receptacle on it, plus a non-dedicated line (connected to other outlets on the other side of the wall) with a duplex 120v/15A outlet on it. The 20A outlet is designated for a sump pump. If I was unable to run anymore lines to this room, what would be the best way to divide my equipment between the two circuits? Or would it be best to have everything on the dedicated 20A circuit? Would the following scenario make sense? If not, how would you divide them?

20A
TV: Pioneer Kuro Non-Elite PDP-5020fd 50 Plasma
Amp: Outlaw 7125 (190 watts/4ohms)
Sub: Outlaw LFM-1 Plus
Pre: Onkyo TX-SR805 (for DTS-HD MA, TrueDolby decoding)
Tivo Series 3
Pioneer BDP-51fd (Blu-ray)
Monoprice HDMI Splitter (Split A/V from Blu-ray to TV and Pre-amp)
Apple Airport Express (streaming lossless audio)

15A
HTPC (SageTV DVR)
Motorola Converter Box
Western Digital My DVR 500GB Expander
Linksys 5-port switch (LAN to Tivo, PC, Airport)
Computer Case Fans (cooling for Onkyo)
Cables-to-Go 4030 Remote Control Repeater Kit
HDE IR Remote Turn-On Plug/Idealume Florescent Paneleight (attached to Plasma)
Work Light
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post #6 of 9
1/29/10 at 8:00am
I would hate for you to have this great theater finished and have your equipment browning out when the sump starts up, or worse yet, have a flood and damage your home because the sump breaker tripped while you were sleeping or out of town.

What you "could" do is not always what will best serve your interests in the long run.

If it were my home, I would run additional circuiting.

Rob
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post #7 of 9
1/29/10 at 8:48am
Thread Starter 
Actually, we don't have a sump pump, just the tank. We live on a hill and our home inspector figured we had little to no chance of ever getting water in our basement and therfore did not recommend the purchase of a sump pump. So, basically the 20A line isn't being used for anything.
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post #8 of 9
1/30/10 at 6:15am
In that case, the division of loads you have listed will work just fine.

Rob
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post #9 of 9
2/1/10 at 11:29am
The LFM sub can't live in the closet. You'll need an outlet for it near where it's placed - maybe pull through from the shared circuit?

Don't forget power for closet cooling fan.
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