Hi Stuart, this issue has come up before. A while ago, I also spoke with Kal, ARC's customer service rep, about the wisdom of using power regenerators and conditioners for my gear. My amp is the ARC Ref 150, which is rated at 150 wpc (8 ohms). My amp idles at 375 to 400 watts and will draw 800+ watts when "working." Incidentally, I checked the specs on the VSi 60, your amp is spec'd to draw 300 watts at rated output, 500 watts maximum, and 200 watts at "idle" which does not impress me as being that excessive.
I would not be too concerned about your amp's power draw at start up unless you're blowing fuses. As the ARC rep told you, the power caps are charging at start up and you really should wait at least 15 to 20 mins before using the amp until the rest of the circuits settle down.
In addition, it's normal that bias voltage will drift a bit. You mentioned 5 VRMS. I assume you mean 5 mV DC?? Per ARC information, your tubes bias at 60 mV DC. I assume bias is within spec if it measures +/- 5 mV (check your manual or call Kal). If so, 5 mV fluctuations do not impress me as being hyper-critical.
All of that being said, here's what does concern me. Kal previously suggested to me that I do NOT use a power conditioner or AC regenerator because my amp may draw more current on dynamic transients than the conditioner or regenerator can deliver.
The result will be a diminution of the amp's ability to delivery "clean" power to the speakers when needed. Further, if the amp's power supply is starved juice, distortion may increase if the amp is called upon to deliver more power than it can deliver.
Your case is even more critical than mine because the power supply of the VSi 60 is spec'd at 166 joules. By contrast, the Ref 150 is 1040 joules. What this means is that your amp's ability to call upon its power reserve is limited. So, providing your amp with ample power access is very important.
In short, I think you should plug your amp directly into the wall. I encourage you to call Kal and hear it directly from him. And if you do hear it differently, please post it here or send me a PM to correct my misconception.
Next point about the power draw when using all of your appliances. If you check the A'gon Forum, you'll see that folks have discussed this issue many times already. I believe the consensus is that if possible try and run dedicated lines from the fuse panel for your rig. Seems like your integrated amp might take its own line. I assume you have other components, like a CDP/DAC and maybe a turntable and phono pre. Separate line(s) for those components (especially the digital gear) might make sense.
Hope this helps.
Cheers.
I would not be too concerned about your amp's power draw at start up unless you're blowing fuses. As the ARC rep told you, the power caps are charging at start up and you really should wait at least 15 to 20 mins before using the amp until the rest of the circuits settle down.
In addition, it's normal that bias voltage will drift a bit. You mentioned 5 VRMS. I assume you mean 5 mV DC?? Per ARC information, your tubes bias at 60 mV DC. I assume bias is within spec if it measures +/- 5 mV (check your manual or call Kal). If so, 5 mV fluctuations do not impress me as being hyper-critical.
All of that being said, here's what does concern me. Kal previously suggested to me that I do NOT use a power conditioner or AC regenerator because my amp may draw more current on dynamic transients than the conditioner or regenerator can deliver.
The result will be a diminution of the amp's ability to delivery "clean" power to the speakers when needed. Further, if the amp's power supply is starved juice, distortion may increase if the amp is called upon to deliver more power than it can deliver.
Your case is even more critical than mine because the power supply of the VSi 60 is spec'd at 166 joules. By contrast, the Ref 150 is 1040 joules. What this means is that your amp's ability to call upon its power reserve is limited. So, providing your amp with ample power access is very important.
In short, I think you should plug your amp directly into the wall. I encourage you to call Kal and hear it directly from him. And if you do hear it differently, please post it here or send me a PM to correct my misconception.
Next point about the power draw when using all of your appliances. If you check the A'gon Forum, you'll see that folks have discussed this issue many times already. I believe the consensus is that if possible try and run dedicated lines from the fuse panel for your rig. Seems like your integrated amp might take its own line. I assume you have other components, like a CDP/DAC and maybe a turntable and phono pre. Separate line(s) for those components (especially the digital gear) might make sense.
Hope this helps.
Cheers.