Power distributor recommendation for multichannel system?

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2FlyingYorkies

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Looking for a power distributor for my new multi-channel/theater system. My home power is reasonably clean (I can put my ear up to the tweeter of my 93dB efficient main speakers with the preamp at full tilt/no signal and hear just the barest static), and the wall outlets are located about 15 feet (in terms of 10ga romex length) from my sub-panel. I have 2 dedicated 20A circuits for the gear, but probably not enough outlets to plug everything straight into the wall. I don't think I need a balanced power isolation transformer or a voltage regulator or anything too fancy (and I'm a bit leery of balanced given some of the things I've read about how they can interact with the SMPS supplies in Class D amps). I also have a whole house surge suppressor at the main panel. So I guess what I really need is a 20A distributor (or 2, one for each circuit?) with plenty of outlets.

Originally I was looking at things like the Shunyata Hydra Alpha 12, but I'm starting to think that may be overkill for my application. Is something like a Surge-X SEQ or Furman Elite 20 PFI (i.e. the $1200 price point rather than $4500) going to get me where I need to be? Comparing specs on the Furman vs Shunyata, they actually have surprisingly similar noise suppression ratings on the spec sheets. And the Surge-X is the superior series mode surge protection vs the sacrificial MOV's in the Shunyata. Oh, and this gear is going to live in a server-style rack mount cabinet, so "pretty" doesn't come into the equation, and rack mount ears are a definite benefit.

Naturally I'd like to have some protection and filtering, but this isn't the big 2-channel rig where I'm willing to get a bit more carried away just for the sake of saying I did...
 
SurgeX is a good option. You may want to consider voltage regulation even in your situation, as external situations may temporarily change things for a short duration, even with everything else that you've done.
 
2FlyingYorkies said:
Looking for a power distributor for my new multi-channel/theater system. My home power is reasonably clean (I can put my ear up to the tweeter of my 93dB efficient main speakers with the preamp at full tilt/no signal and hear just the barest static), and the wall outlets are located about 15 feet (in terms of 10ga romex length) from my sub-panel. I have 2 dedicated 20A circuits for the gear, but probably not enough outlets to plug everything straight into the wall. I don't think I need a balanced power isolation transformer or a voltage regulator or anything too fancy (and I'm a bit leery of balanced given some of the things I've read about how they can interact with the SMPS supplies in Class D amps). I also have a whole house surge suppressor at the main panel. So I guess what I really need is a 20A distributor (or 2, one for each circuit?) with plenty of outlets.

Originally I was looking at things like the Shunyata Hydra Alpha 12, but I'm starting to think that may be overkill for my application. Is something like a Surge-X SEQ or Furman Elite 20 PFI (i.e. the $1200 price point rather than $4500) going to get me where I need to be? Comparing specs on the Furman vs Shunyata, they actually have surprisingly similar noise suppression ratings on the spec sheets. And the Surge-X is the superior series mode surge protection vs the sacrificial MOV's in the Shunyata. Oh, and this gear is going to live in a server-style rack mount cabinet, so "pretty" doesn't come into the equation, and rack mount ears are a definite benefit.

Naturally I'd like to have some protection and filtering, but this isn't the big 2-channel rig where I'm willing to get a bit more carried away just for the sake of saying I did...
Click to expand...

You can't just compare NR specs between the Furman and the Shunyata Alpha 12. They accomplish the NR by completely different means. The most important attribute for power distributor is dynamic transient current delivery aka DTCD. This is the #1 attribute that people in listening tests say is the most important for a lifelike and dynamic presentation with immediacy and presence and not a "dark" sound. The Shunyata is unique in that it accomplishes maximal DTCD on all outlets while also providing over 60dB of noise reduction.

The Surge-X Furman cannot do this...it utilizes chokes, coils, or inductors for its NR and using these devices has a negative impact on DTCD and overall performance. There is a reason why the AQ Niagara has two dedicated "high-current" outlets...these are for amps because these outlets don't go through the chokes, coils, or inductors path that the source components goes through so as not to limit current to the amps (which is critical).

Yes, the Shunyata is ~3X the price of the Furman. There are a number of reasons for this but the most important one is that it will perform and sound and look considerably better than the Furman. Also, Shunyata PDs significantly improve video performance as well...you can see it in the picture.

If you don't have the budget for a new Alpha A12, by a used Shunyata power distributor on those auction sites. Even an entry level Shunyata PS8 with a Venom Defender will outperform the Furman.

Also, I don't know how the SMPS are connected to your Class D amps, but if you can replace them with linear power supplies, you should do so. I won't go into the litany of problems that SMPS create for audio or video gear other than to say they are to be avoided at all costs if at all possible.
 
Maybe consider the Shunyata Venom PS8 distributor (MSRP $900) which has an electomagnetic breaker for protection along with one of the new Shunyata power cables that have built-in noise reduction.
 
I get the need for freely flowing current for hungry amps, and understand that inductors by definition add a lag to current (that's why they're effective for dealing with surges). Furman deals with this via their "power factor" feature on the models I'm considering, which appears to be a combination of bypassing the surge inductors and possibly adding some large capacitors for burst discharge (they claim up to 80A depending on the model). One of the outlet banks is dedicated for high current, much like the Audioquest. SurgeX doesn't claim to have any feature of this kind, and clearly is focusing on protection performance. Shunyata makes a big deal about DTCD, but says absolutely nothing about how this is achieved. Using MOVs for the surge protection doubtless gives some advantage due to lack of inductors, but it would be nice if they shared some of the secret sauce.

Regardless of the above, I can still just plug my amps straight into the wall and get everything my main panel has to offer, which should be more than adequate for this system. If I could get a better understanding of how Shunyata does what they do, I might be more willing to spend for it, but it requires knowing what the tradeoffs are (lots of current = less protection or sacrificial protection or something; there's no free lunch here, and power circuit design is a fairly mature technology). Otherwise it's simply a case of "trust me" on their part, and my willingness to trust stops cold when we move into a mains power environment.

i'm not trying to rag against a board darling in Shunyata. I'm just saying that a 3x price jump over another device that has roughly equal specs has to be justified by more than "trust me" and a nice case (that i'll never see stuffed into a server rack). Indeed, if I could get some of those technical details i might well consider getting one still, but Shunyata's website literature seems to hide behind a lot of acronyms and technobabble. Maybe there's good science behind it, but this engineer would like them to show some of their work like SurgeX does (and to a lesser extent Furman).

I won't divert this discussion into the merits of SMPS supplies, but will just say that we'll have to agree to disagree on that one.

Overall it sounds like SurgeX is the pro choice for protection, which may be more than I need, given my existing clean and protected power. Furman doesn't seem to get many votes of confidence here, and for the bulk of their range that's just a glorified power strip, I tend to agree. But then again, all I really seem to need in the first place is a glorified power strip with solid (but not necessarily boutique) engineering and build quality. So to rephrase the original question, if I have $1500 to spend, and won't consider a used mains power product, is there a better alternative?
 
Jack said:
Jeff

Have you looked at the new iFi power conditioner? You can actually get it from AA or MD and have a period to test it out.

PowerStation by iFi audio | Mains Audio Noise Eliminator
Click to expand...

That's a new one to me. Looks interesting for $499, but unfortunately is not rated for 20A, so it's not something I'm interested in for this specific application. In form factor it looks related to the Venom PS8 and Audioquest Niagra 1200, which would be useful for many folks, though. if they made a bigger version, I might well be interested.
 
Industrial EMI/RFI expert Henry Ott writes on surge suppression:
[h=3]Series Mode AC Protectors[/h] The common MOV based shunt surge protector dumps large transients currents onto the AC neutral and ground conductor increasing the local ground potential, series protectors do not. Some manufacturers of series mode surge suppressors are listed below:
Brick Wall
ZeroSurge
SurgeX
To learn more about the advantages of Series Mode Surge Protectors, a paper by Audio Engineering Society expert Neil Muncy (RIP)
The Benefits Of Series Mode Surge Suppression - ProSoundWeb

other pro audio AC power articles:
Electrical Power - ProSoundWeb
 
Following up to the thread I started. After a discussion with my amp's manufacturer, I'm going to start out by plugging the amps directly into the wall and rely on the whole-house device for surge protection. If that shows signs of EMI or other noise or compression, I can look a more exotic solution. For the rest of the gear I'm going to go with a relatively basic power distributor that's optimized for lower current protection (i.e. one that doesn't have to worry about huge high speed current swings) and provides enough outlets for the rest of the gear. Once it all arrives and gets hooked up i'll try to remember to revisit the thread and report my findings.
 
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