Amplifier Power Source

avphile
avphile Posts: 38
edited January 2010 in Electronics
Which vendors require 20Amp line? The only one I know of is Adcom.
Post edited by avphile on
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  • unc2701
    unc2701 Posts: 3,587
    edited January 2010
    Any class A/AB amplifier claiming to put more than 200 watts into 8 ohms for 5 channels or more SHOULD require a 20amp line. This is a rough number that has a lot to do with the amplifier's efficiency and how much wattage it's truly capable of and whether you plan to use 4 or 8 ohm speakers.

    Step one is to look in the manual for the max wattage for the amp. If it's more than 1800 watts, you need a 20amp line to run the amp full-tilt. 120v x 15amp=1800 watts.

    Now, rule of thumb: A Class A/AB type amplifier is rarely more than 50% efficient, so if a channel is rated for 200 watts, the amp should require 400 watts to achieve that. So, multiply the wattage times the channels times two. If this is more than the max wattage for the amp found in the manual, than it will fail to meet it's claimed specs in the truest sense. Sunfire is a perfect example of this. Any one channel might do 200 watts, but the power supply can't provide the needed wattage to push all channels to 200 watts at the same time.

    Anyhow, to answer your original question, there are some other vendors that require it- some Bryston models and a few others I'm blanking on right now... there are even a few that have two power cords.
    Gallo Ref 3.1 : Bryston 4b SST : Musical fidelity CD Pre : VPI HW-19
    Gallo Ref AV, Frankengallo Ref 3, LC60i : Bryston 9b SST : Meridian 565
    Jordan JX92s : MF X-T100 : Xray v8
    Backburner:Krell KAV-300i
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  • unc2701
    unc2701 Posts: 3,587
    edited January 2010
    Cinenova and ATI are the other ones I was trying to thing of... IIRC, they even ship with power cords that have the 20 amp horizontal prong so you can't plug it into a 15 amp line.
    Gallo Ref 3.1 : Bryston 4b SST : Musical fidelity CD Pre : VPI HW-19
    Gallo Ref AV, Frankengallo Ref 3, LC60i : Bryston 9b SST : Meridian 565
    Jordan JX92s : MF X-T100 : Xray v8
    Backburner:Krell KAV-300i
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  • thuffman03
    thuffman03 Posts: 1,325
    edited January 2010
    The Carver TFM 75 requres 2 seperate 20 amp cicuits.

    My two Sunfire 300~2 dim the lights on a 20 amp circuit when they are initially turned on together. I had them on a 15 amp and when they both turn on at the same time it would pop the breaker.
    Sunfire TGP, Sunfire Cinema Grand, Sunfire 300~2 (2), Sunfire True Sub (2),Carver ALS Platinum, Carver AL III, TFM-55, C-19, C-9, TX-8, SDA-490t, SDA-390t
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