Dedicated line w/ upgraded parts or power cond?

Whart - I'm in Toronto, but originally from the UK where I completed an apprenticeship in Electrical Engineering.

Floating the shield does not break any codes in Canada as long as the other three wires are connected at both ends - since most power cables are not shielded

I've never read the US codes, so I have no knowledge about them - should be fairly close though? (The Devil is in the details :-)

Not sure if floating the ground is a code violation up here, since the codes I have read only deals with wiring a building and not individual "appliances"

However you can bet that if your insurance company was to discover it they would declare it a coverage violation just to get out of paying.

My house/development is only 26 years old, so the subteranian power supply is pretty stable and not subject to "atmospheric conditions" that can effect overhead supplies.

Good luck with the property hunt and your future plans - sounds exciting. We are in the process of "downsizing", but a dedicated listening room is on the list

Maybe your next location will have a better power supply.

No matter how good it is, from what I've read on their web site I think the Equi=Tech is still a great investment.

Hey - Furutech Fan-Boy
- ME TOO! :-)
- but for me it's their power cables and RCA's that I find are outstanding performers.

Their mains, IEC connectors and receptacles, although extremely good are just too pricey for me - I just can't bring myself to part with that much cash for `a plug`

I guess we all have our limits :-)

Oh - to win that lottery ;-)

Had to chuckle about the "electricians know little about 'sound' comment". A good electrician will definately know what clean power is, it's not about just 'sound'. Clean power is a specification itself for various types of equipment, not just 'sound'. Basics would be pick up power from the main panel to a transformer, then to a sub panel with isolated grounds, from there to the specified equipment.

I love this forum...always a chuckle somewheres.

Mental, perhaps i have used the wrong electricians in the past, but none seemed to understand looking for the quieter leg, any notion of keeping the polarity consistent, the use of additional grounding, potential grounding differences among different dedicated lines, or even the use of higher hospital grade outlets. Though I'm sure all of those things are within the skill set and knowledge base of competent electrical engineers and electricians for clean power, most residential electricians don't seem to have this knowledge. Thus, my observation, based on my experience.
And when you say 'isolated' ground, my understanding is that code does not permit an isolated ground in the sense that it is separate from the ground for the rest of the service delivered to a residence. I gather that having a separate building, with separate service, may enable me to do so, which is something I plan on exploring in my new location, having already touched base with the city inspector here in Austin about the use of the large Equi=Tech to supply system power in my next room. For what it's worth, I'm also interested in finding electricians here with experience in installing such balanced power systems, but that's another story.

Seems to be confusion when the term ground is mentioned. White or gray, depending on volatge is the neutral and referred to as the ground. Green or bare is an equipment ground and referred to as the grounding conductor. Both carry noise. There is a difference between a dirty power dedicated line and a clean power dedicated line, whereas a dirty power dedicated line will clean most noise from the line, clean power does so much more efficiently.

The normal home owner can get away with a dirty power dedicated line for audio but...some will want to take it a step farther and demand the specs for clean power not only because of the amount of dinero tied up into the equipment but also some of that equipment is delicate and demands clean power.

You are correct in thinking that the apprentice electrician out there jerking romex in a housing complex has limited knowledge, thus the comment 'any good electrician' I made is directed to that electrician with the technical knowledge to pass a block exam for his J-Card. Now with that said, I will say I have run across one or two in my time with that J-card that had no place other than jerking romex simply because they were grandfathered in and able to get a masters licence or J-card but had no tech knowledge, much less able to pass that block exam. They had no business with that card! The electrical field is no different than any other field, it has it's faults.

You are correct with wanting to know just who is doing the work for you and just what kind of experience they carry, thats a given and a must.

I grew up as an electrician in the oil patch then onto the shipyards, from there to industrial plants and large commercial sites. I have done a few residential sites over the years when work was slack but I have never been fond of wood much less romex...lol

Good luck with your new sound room. I am impressed that you're taking the time to research. Cheers