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Isolated Ground Outlets Hosp Grade vs Audiophile

Hello All -

I'm in the process of completing the listening room construction. I've put in two isolated ground dedicated circuits, 20A each. The conduit is metal, the boxes are metal. I need isolated ground outlets for the boxes. Hospital grade versions are made by Leviton, Hubbell, and Pass & Seymour. Many of the "audiophile" outlets available are not isolated ground. Should I just go get some hospital grade IG outlets from my local electrical supply house (around $20 each), or look around for audiophile versions (atleast $50 each).

I could always loose the ground isolation and use more affordable audiophile outlets. I don't know which is more important. I just figure I went to the trouble of putting in IG dedicated circuits, I should use IG outlets. I figure hospital grade outlets ought to be pretty good. Any thoughts? Thanks.
peter_s
nrchy's avatar
nrchy
2,111 posts
 
You're going to get an earful for asking this probably. There are enough people who think that outlets don't make any difference. They are of course, wrong!

Contact Albert Porter, and get a couple of Porter Ports. I have PS Audio outlets and I'm very happy with them, but if I had it to do over again I would get them from Mr Porter.
cincy_bob
270 posts
 
If you decide to go with the Albert's Porter Ports, you need to be aware that they are not IG outlets. In my case, I used Porter Ports for all my listening room circuits. I terminated each of these circuits with a plastic receptacle box so that there is no ground necessary for any of the receptacle boxes. The Porter Port receptacles are all individually grounded back to the circuit panel with separate 10-gauge conductors.

Since you mentioned that your receptacle boxes are metal and are, apparently, already installed, I am inclined to think that you would do best to carry your true IG configuration through to fruition through the use of audiophile IG outlets. However, I defer to the experts.
khaki8
206 posts
 
Get the Hubbell 5362...not cryoed. That is the best and what i use for my isolated water ground circuit. It goes through ceramic fuses also.
gs5556
769 posts
 
PS Audio Power Ports are isolated ground. I haven't tried them so I can't say if they're better than the Hubbell I/G's that I installed in my former residence (my system was dead quiet). My opinion is that the isolated ground circuit will provide benefits on a greater scale than between the name brand of (quality) receptacles. The isolated ground circuit can cut down a lot of RF interference noise from getting into your system - something that no receptacle can do.

Right now I have moved to a house where I can build a 30 by 16 listening room. It's a down to the studs gut job with acoustical and structural redesign. I am redoing the entire house electrical system and running the audio circuits in metallic tubing to metal receptacle boxes in a twisted pair/concentric ground configuration. The circuits are definitely going to be isolated grounds and will purchase the best I/G receptacles I can find; that's my priority - I/G first, name brand second.
tbg
5,263 posts
 
In my opinion the IsoClean duplex is clearly the best. It is expensive, however, $180.
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