New Toy - Parasound HCA-1500A

reberly

dscheer, thanks you are very informative. I'll be looking at my fuse box this evening and figuring out some of the points you brought up.

avphile

Do the amplifiers that require more than 15A come with two power chords? If so, can I plug each into a different wall outlet so that the total current available is 30A? Also, how much does it typically cost to add a 20A circuit to a room in your house?

Ferres

dscheer wrote: »

Your Parasound HCA 1500 Power Amp at the Wall Outlet, Power Consumption is 1000 Watts That is 8.3 Amps. Your Parasound 1200II also consumes about 1000 watts / 8.3 Amps. Just the 2 Amplifiers require at least 17 Amperes. Most Wall Recepticals are on a 15 or 20 amp Circuit. So here is the deal, If you run your system at low to moderate listening levels you may be ok, However; You Amplifiers will be starved for power when you decide to crank up the listening level and it is very possible that sooner or later you will fry the Mosfets / J-Fet's / Output Transistors in your Amps and when they blow they really blow. These HCA Amps are High Current Amps and they really deserve a Dedicated 20 Amp Power Circuit or much better 2 each 20 Amp Dedicated Circuits (I know you cannot always do 2 circuits but at least 1 each 20 amp circuit dedicated just to the power Amps) You will not only protect your equipment but you will enable your amps to give you the Dynamic Range they were designed to deliver (No Power Strip or conditioner will do what a Dedicated Circuit can do) Conditioners are limited to the Power Provided to the Conditioner from the wall receptical. You must ask yourself about the wall receptical in you audio room, besides the equipment you have pluged into this wall receptical, what other wall recepticals in your home are on the same 15 or 20 amp circuit and what is plugged into them (Total Power Consumption ?).

I enjoy viewing all of the systems on the System Showcase Forum and learning about other systems. Thanks for letting me participate.
dscheer at Donto's Get-Away!

In real world situations, power amps don't get even near those rated power consumption specs unless you're going into ridiculously loud levels.

I believe someone had already tested this.:)

cfrizz

Welcome to Club Polk Dscheer.

dscheer

avphile wrote: »

Do the amplifiers that require more than 15A come with two power chords? If so, can I plug each into a different wall outlet so that the total current available is 30A? Also, how much does it typically cost to add a 20A circuit to a room in your house?

Some Amps do come with 2 each seperate power Cords.
Example is the Parasound HCA 3500 Dual Mono Amps.
or the Parasound Halo JC1 Amps.
Your room may have 4 or 5 wall outlets. Chances are that they are all connected to the same circuit (either 15 or 20 amps).
No matter how many wall outlets are on this circuit, 3 or 5 or 20 the circuit only provides 15 / 20 amps total. So plugging 2 power cords into 2 wall outlets on the same circuit still only provides 15 / 20 amps total. It's only when the wall circuit is totaly dedicated to a 15 / 20 amp breaker that it will provide the 15 / 20 amp rating.
If you do the installation of this 20 amp circuit yourself (If you need help get a friend that understands Home electric circuits) cost is very resonable if you have room for additional circuit breakers in you breaker panel. You will need to purchase 1 each 20 amp circuit breaker (same Type / model as your breaker box requires) and some 12-2 Romax wire (what ever length you need for the run from the breakerbox to you dedicated recepticle). some romax staples, a 20 amp rated duplex wall recepticle, recepticle box and cover. Cost for the above parts/material less than $75.00. If you do not have training on this please get help from someone that does. Not worth killing yourself or burning your house down for a dedicated circuit.
This is the best Tweek! one can do for their system. and if you are able to do it youself or with help from a trained friend. Good Grief! $75.00 for Dynamic Range that you may not be achieving from your system as it is today. I highly recommend this Low Cost Tweek!.
Good Luck! Good Talking with you!

dscheer @ Donto's Get-Away!
1 each Parasound HCA 3500 Power amp, 4 each Parsound HCA 1500A Power Amps, 2 each Sony Elite Series TA-n55es Power Amps, Parasound P/HP Preamp, Onkyo DV-C503 Changer, Samsung DVD-1080p7-1080i-1080p Player, Speakers: Polk 12c "R.T.A." Monitors, 3 each Cerwin Vega subwoofer (15" Drivers), Toshiba Int High Def 50" DLP. Adcom AC Enhancer ACE-515 (For CD/DVD Units), Amp AC Conditioner Isolation Trans w/ Filtration Circuits Time Delayed Power-Up/Down/off Voltage Monitor w/Auto Shut Down High/Low Setpoints. (For Power Amps). Nordost Frey Interconnects.

dscheer

Ferres wrote: »

In real world situations, power amps don't get even near those rated power consumption specs unless you're going into ridiculously loud levels.

I believe someone had already tested this.:)

I Agree! However, The HCA Amps are unlike your Rotel RMB 1077.
Your Amp, As an example, is a class "D" Amp (Has a smart Power Supply)
Runs very cool. Your 7 Channel Amp is a very efficient Amp. Runs at a total of 400 Watts or 3.3 Amperes (All Channels driven) from the wall outlet. Proton also made Amps such as yours and they too were wonderful amps.
But Parasound and even some Rotel Amps are High Current Amps. They run hot even at an low listening levels. Because they run in a Class "A" Mode up to 15 to 25 Watts per channel, Not Very Efficient. Lots of Heat and Heat require lots of Amperes. And when one pushes the volume up to Live Listening Levels for extended periods of time, Well You see where I am going with this.
My concern is with those who have High Current Amps and lets say more than 1 of them on a 15 to 20 Amp undedicated circuit. This could lead to problems and the Amp's owner(s) are missing out on the Dynamics these HCA Amps were designed to perform to.

You Know! Even your efficient Rotel RMB 1077 would perform at it's optimum with a dedicated circuit.
Thanks for chatting with me!
dscheer @ Donto's Get-Away!

Ferres

dscheer wrote: »

I Agree! However, The HCA Amps are unlike your Rotel RMB 1077.
You Know! Even your efficient Rotel RMB 1077 would perform at it's optimum with a dedicated circuit.
Thanks for chatting with me!
dscheer @ Donto's Get-Away!

I know what you mean. I also have a dedicated circuit with a 60amp rating. But Reberly might not appreciate the difference yet, I'd let his system mature a bit.:p

I was not referring to my amp. It was in someone else thread where they checked the power consumption.

reberly

Thanks guys for the education. I'll have to live with my 20amp circuit at this house. Cant even imagine how someone would run another circuit into my Living Room. I'm in AZ, no basement and no attic in this townhouse of mine. In the process of purchasing another home so a dedicated HT room is something i am looking for. Look forward to making my 3.1 into a 5.1 or better.

thejck

if the amp is pulling more than 15amps from the circuit wont it blow the circuit breaker first. the amp has no idea what rating the circuit breaker is all it knows is that there is 120 volts available and its going to start drawing as much current as it needs to do its job. when it tries to pull more than 15amps the circuit should trip.

woudnt you only have problems if your cirtuit is tripping??