Power & Electrical for Home Theater: AH SmartHome

[@hilow64imp]

Good information here. Having dedicated circuits is very important. As an electrical contractor who specializes in power quality audits for data systems, the only other thing I would possibly recommend is to keep all the circuits for the theater on the same phase leg in the panel. When equipment is powered by circuits on a separate phase that shares interconnections (hdmi, cat, speaker, rca, xlr) the possibility of picking up noise increases. Also if there is a voltage drop on one of the phase legs and not the other, equipment can undergo more stress. This recommendation is not a requirement but just another step that can help provide a cleaner electrical signal for those who want to take the extra step. Keep up the great videos! I'm really enjoying the home building ones.

[@tallpaull9367]

I already have a 30A breaker available in main panel, 10/3 (or 8/3 wire), a SquareD sub panel with 4 x 15A breakers. My sound system is in a closet area so not worried about mounting a sub panel there. Wire run will be approx. 25-30 feet from main panel to sub panel. How well would this setup work (better, worse, similar...) Still recommend a 20A breaker in sub panel for the amplifier receptacle ? Could i use another 15A breaker in sub panel for other electronics?

[@operamatthew]

the Hugo joke in the begging was pretty funny. took your advice and had 3 separate 20amp circuits installed for the media room.

[@pala23mj]

What size wire did you use for your 20A lines??

[@operamatthew]

Alessandro Paladino 12 gauge

[@berthacdellasala]

Great video and thanking Gianni for his support

[@corystock1569]

Great video! Perfect advice for home wiring. 20amp dedicated circuits for my home theater for sure! 👍

[@Ethantaj]

In process of an empty shell and finishing a theater room. If wiring and everything is done right. Do you still need a power conditioner?

[@steelautomated]

Thanks for the video. I would like to mention that having a dedicated circuit is a great idea for mitigating transients , I recommend incorporating transient protection and have a low resistance to ground (my recommendation is between .5 to 5 ohms)

[@donmorton4597]

Now this is great stuff. I remember when the best piece of equipment for your audio system was a surge protector lol. We have certainly come a long way.

[@Bill_N_ATX]

I had 220 runs put in my rack room. Many modern high power amps will run on either and with the higher voltage you run a lower amperage. You get more headroom for power delivery or input power and that’s very similar to headroom in the amplifier output. No need for expensive power conditioners to handle voltage sags etc. Just run them at higher voltage.

[@bryantrowbridge4812]

Thats kinda crazy that someone didn't say something about the better power boxes since they knew you was upgrading everything to do with the power system and at least give you the decision on that i been working on houses for a long time and didn't know about that thank you for the info

[@Audioholics]

Agreed. I'm a bit annoyed about that and my builder won't give me the option now to change it unfortunately.

[@bryantrowbridge4812]

@@Audioholics everything looks great on the rough-in can't wait to finally see the finished product and all the killer systems you will have in it congrats

[@juanacevedo7814]

One thing I see missing is a dedicated or isolated ground. All professional installations in theaters and recording studios will have a separate ground rod to connect all circuits grounds. In theaters the power will come from one phase to a single phase transformer and a panel so all circuits will be in the same phase as someone suggested below. Strange you did not consult with a pro for this. recommend

[@infinitree]

I was hoping you might have discussed lightning protection in this video. I've been in Florida for a year now, and lightning has fried my gear twice. Any advice on the topic is appreciated.

[@brandonfarfaras5481]

Not to late to swap out to the QO Line. I Agree with Giovanni the way the electrician ran there wire is a reflection of integrity. Watch out on trim out that no corners are cut. I'm also a expert master electrical and have never had a issue with Square Ds QO line but Homeline is very problematic.

[@ourlittlecakery9177]

Very nice Gene. This is all really exciting. I can’t wait to visit you 😃

[@yasharzargar4832]

Hi team, how long can I run a 12 gauge circuit vs 10 gauge ?

[@samo8204]

Gene, I had an electrician install a dedicated 30 amp 240V plug for a JTR I have being built. Should never be lean on juice.

[@darronsanderson4837]

I learned a lot from this clip. Thanks.

[@toddfolmsbee2429]

I ran a 10 gauge 20 amp outlet to my media and its only 20 ft. From the breaker box

[@christiandelaespriella4837]

Hey Gene Are you by Eperson Lake ?

[@dwp1slyfox]

Awesome video. Thank you.

[@zackpetrovic3029]

What is that big amp you mentioned? and is there a video with that huge resistor?

[@suridemis]

In Holland we have 230 Volt - 16A. So enough wattage P = U * I 😁

[@TheRealSchnitti]

Thought exactly the same living in Germany. 🤘⚡😎⚡🤘

[@amazoidal]

You could run an electric dryer on that here.

[@TheRealSchnitti]

@@amazoidal That's what we do over here almost daily 😋😁✌️

[@robintodd3901]

Well Uk does 32A 240v ring circuits but we do have a maximum of 13A per appliance by the means of a plug top fuse.

[@suridemis]

cengeb Holland = The Netherlands 🇳🇱

[@ericshutter5305]

110V/15A or 20A so just 1650W-2200W ... that still sucks for any serious A/V installation. Luckily we have (dedicated) 230V/16A around here... No issues with that :-) Certified cables for the WIN... ;-)

[@johnsmith-qz4bv]

great video and infomation......looks awesome

[@jkherberger]

Did you do Lutron centralized lighting?

[@soundman2604]

The zip ties above Genes head are not clipped like the ones above Joany's head. Also, are the feeders feeding both panels, are they same size ?, are they copper or aluminum? If they are aluminum don't feel bad that your panel buses are not copper, lol. Also I would have just done a 400A service not 300A. For big amps or subs you could have run a 30A dedicated circuit 120/240v.

[@FOH3663]

@@cengeb I don't believe they're very common, but there's home audio amplifiers that utilize power inputs greater than 20a.

[@FOH3663]

@@cengeb It's all good, you didn't need to include all that! However, yes indeed there's home audio amplifiers, just like Soundman mentioned above, that require greater than 20a circuits. As I said, there's not very many. Yes, sold for home use.

[@mlchemwolf]

Lots of good points, I got my notebook out lol I'm thinking about getting a PS audio p20 power plant. What do you think about their power regenerators?

[@stevewithf5847]

For testing Location ,Gene did plan 3 separate circuits a 20amps ?

[@Audioholics]

Yes all dedicated circuits are 20A. The garage had 220v, 60A in case I test an insane amplifier ;)

[@Audioholics]

@@cengeb its a dedicated 20A circuit back to the panel not shared with any other outlets or lighting in the room. And yes words do matter. That's dedicated.

[@Audioholics]

@@cengeb whatever man. My builder treated each one of these as dedicated outlets. I asked him to connect more than one outlet to some of them for convenience. While you're getting stuck on semantics to stroke your ego, I will soon enjoy 300A service with plenty of power to run 3 dedicated theater systems and distributed audio and video throughout the house.

[@Audioholics]

@@cengeb maybe not at 60Hz but at 20kHz it is very measurable as an increase in AC resistance IF you're using very low gauge solid core wire. This is physics my friend. Deny all you want but it doesn't make it untrue.

[@amazoidal]

Send this video to Michael at Youthman. He has just a single 20 amp circuit for his entire home theater.

[@JPWinters]

Seems to work just fine?

[@Audioholics]

That's tight if he's also powering those monster JTR subs on the same circuit. I always run my subs on their own dedicated line.

[@amazoidal]

Yes, those giant subs are on the same one 20 amp circuit.

[@amazoidal]

No, but before I ran two separate 20 amp circuits to the HT room, my Denon receiver used to make the can lights dance.

[@Audioholics]

@@amazoidal That means your Denon was being starved of power. I've seen as much as 10-15% reduction in power when doing ACD power tests on a shared vs dedicated line.

[@brettus9115]

Why not go 240v with your home theatre Gene? I assume it's 3 phase anyway being a high current draw home? I live in a 240v country (Australia) so don't fully understand your electrical system but I thought your 3 phase was 240v and available to every home?

[@Audioholics]

I have 220V, 60A in my garage to charge future electric cars or to test hulking amplifiers. Most domestic equipment operates on 120VAC and 220V is a bit overkill when I already have 3x 20A, 120VAC in my theater room.

[@brettus9115]

@@Audioholics Yeh I just figured being a new home you would have gone majority 220v but I understand most goods are sold as 120v. 3 phase here is a lot cheaper per kw (less than half price) but is more expensive to get initially connected from the main line... Looking great otherwise!

[@brettus9115]

@@cengeb Time for you to do some research chump before looking stupid...

[@boomerps2]

We now have LED bulbs running between 3 to 6 watts which helps

[@Audioholics]

Definitely

[@markphilpot8734]

People can say what they want, I do not believe in the usual electrical wiring for audio as your electrical wiring for your gear still has to go from the circuit breaker panel to each outlet in that circuit. If you haven’t got dedicated circuits for your audio, you aren’t getting all you can out of your system. Standard size wiring is fine for some. I am not one of those. Amps are more susceptible to this than other components. Adequate may work, but one size up gets you an easier electrical path whether you agree or not. It makes sense if your wire is larger and carries current with less heat under load, your equipment won’t be wanting where it might be if your in house wiring is less than optimal. Power cords may not matter to some. I see this as somewhat flawed thinking. I’ve made upgraded power cords for clients only I only use listed items to construct it. I use hospital grade receptacles and plugs as they have proven performance. The reasoning is clear. Higher contact and retention yield the best results despite varying load cycles. No whodo snake oil here. Just real world electrical work. You believe what you want. I will go with years of proven results. Leave the snake oil on the shelf!

[@SwirlingDragonMist]

If there's anyone that make use of that aluminum busbar's 10 year warranty, it's you. LOL Nice thing is, that can be switched out for copper at any time in the future. Giving Gene the option for before and after testing.

[@derrickbell7168]

Why not two number 6 circuits that's 100 amps -120 amps @ 90 degrees

[@robintodd3901]

Yeh I thought the wiring was messy for cables going the way the crows fly.

[@Zurvv]

why not use BX cable?

[@amazoidal]

BX is like ancient.

[@Zurvv]

@@amazoidal It is required in apt buildings and in some cities (like NYC.) One grounds directly to the sleeve which is big plus.

[@amazoidal]

So much for Romex. Apt buildings are more prone to fire.

[@amazoidal]

You can find BX in old houses but this was before Romex and PVC conduit was around. Similar to cast iron pipe versus copper. I live in SoCal.I think that a separate ground wire in Romex made the BX ground unnecessary.

[@thegrimyeaper]

16:56

[@Karmic_Chaos]

Gene, I'll bet you could afford another microphone if you can afford that new house. Would make your videos with more than one person a little smoother.

[@Audioholics]

Yea i can't find a good mic with 3.5mm connection. Any ideas?

[@Karmic_Chaos]

@@Audioholics Is the camera your using the choke point? Can't accept anything with a larger format? Have you looked into wireless mics that have a receiver that connects with a 3.5mm?

[@Karmic_Chaos]

@@Audioholics Maybe something like this www.amazon.com/Wireless-Lapel-Microphone-System-Conference/dp/B07Y45TCVJ/ref=sr_1_11?crid=35Y0R3RXGUSDT&dchild=1&keywords=wireless+microphone+for+video+recording&qid=1597457822&sprefix=wireless+mic%2Caps%2C183&sr=8-11

[@victorpulos823]

This is your home Gene

[@Neo-ug4nb]

Wow, what a mess. In Europe there are strict rules how to draw the high voltage cable, along the walls, in a tube etc.. Like this it is already a fire hazard.

[@C--A]

The domestic power electricity spec in the USA is subpar compared to here in the UK and most parts of Europe. 240V 16A here in the UK is more than adequate. Most houses have been rewired in the last 20 years unless its a really old house with the occupants not taking care of the property.

[@SomeGuyNamedPaul49]

Cat6 is fine for today but it's junk in 20 years. Why not run conduit so that when it's time to swap to the next tech you're not stuck fishing cables or drilling through exterior walls? With conduit you use a pull string to yank another cable and a replacement pull string through the tube and you're golden.

[@Audioholics]

As said in the video, we ran conduit in key locations for future upgrades.

[@johnsweda2999]

I would like to see metal conduit for the power cable should be practice not a good idea running power cables with other types of cables without a conduit plus it gives it fire protection. You can get galvanised clip-on box section conduit and metal flexible conduit not particularly expensive. I would have thought that would be regulation in wooden buildings in your country should be practiced. Using natural sheeps wool and poly fibre mix installation sheets on the outside walls it is a great thermal insulator nothing beats it both ways and a fantastic sound instalator you can get it in spray on form and it's fire retardant rather expensive. Plus it's very breathable and prevents mould Well that termination wire into the consumer unit has to have the strain relief on the cables you can't just plop them in to prevent smoke leakage ignition and fraying put it in a metal conduit with proper termination points, in your country the electrics look or how are you doing if you understands that phrase.

[@amazoidal]

If you use inside conduit, it means your Romex is exposed and below 7 or 8 feet where humans could touch or rub it. And in conduit, you can't use Romex but you must use individual wires. Whenever you use conduit, you usually have to raise your gauge size because you trap the heat. So here in Amerika, it's too costly to conduit everything.

[@johnsweda2999]

@@poserwanabe well I think there is good reason to use it as I have said Shields of power cable from data cable analogue cable, add fire protection and a possible shock protection considering he's an audiophile would have been more important then average Joe. why is it important for commercial use and not domestic.??

[@amazoidal]

Si, Senor.

[@johnsweda2999]

@@poserwanabe what about rodents any issue with rodents. do you know the statistics of how many house fires are due to shorting or bad warning

[@Audioholics]

@@johnsweda2999 all non reasons here in the USA. Data cables are all run at least 6ft away from power in this house and they are all shielded or run orthogonal. All cable run in this house is CL2 approved. No fire concerns.

[@derrickbell7168]

Sorry number 6 wire

[@elongatuspiranha]

Too bad he's only in Florida...

[@hermannmaischatz2695]

Hi Gene The new industry standard for Audio power supply lines is a dedicated 6mm2 line or at least in the US 10 AWG and after the outlet you can carry on with 10 AWG into or 12 AWG after it. In an electrical system you may not drop your gauges through the complete System by more than a factor of 1.6 at a time . More than that, up or down sizing will effect your Audio signal drastically. This has already been proven in the Audio industry. The factor 1.618 is the golden ratio and that used in any design equals to a perfect design. Any deviations from that factor in a design will create drastic changes in the Audio Bandwidth balance. It can be easily noticeable and demonstrated even to a non Audiophile. The Snake Oil cable designers are the biggest culprits of making that mistake. They sell you a cable that doesn't match the circuit and that's where the trouble starts . If you like, I can go online with you through your circuit and double check with your electrician that everything is wired in sinc. I have done this many,many times in my 37 years of experience and it works all the time. Best regards Hermann

[@amazoidal]

The typical power cable for $200 is one meter of 7 gauge cable after a 14 or 12 gauge Romex. But they have to try to sell something. I think it's the audio equivalent of Penis Envy.

[@hermannmaischatz2695]

@@amazoidal yes we just use something like a Romex equivalent here in Namibia which is also shielded and it works magic ,better than a 100 more expensive Snake Oil cable and I am a dedicated Audiophile that tests everything to the last detail.🤣🙃

[@amazoidal]

Is there a name for this cable and where is it made?

[@amazoidal]

I had to look at a map to see where you live. Big, safe tourist destination for Southern Africa. Just saw a video about a visit to Namibia by a You Tuber "Wonderhussy". Toursm must be(or was) a huge industry.

[@hermannmaischatz2695]

@@amazoidal our cables are in mm2 and it is not the same as the AWG system, so you can't use it exactly in the US because it is basically an uneven number AWG. That's as close as it gets to AWG. 1.618 POWER SUPPLY ALIGNMENT DESIGN goes like this 6AWG ,8AWG,10AWG,12AWG AND 14AWG.That is 1.6 apart. That is the only way and correct. Any other design will have audible side effects. Trust nature, if you don't trust me 😉

[@summer-west]

Your local handyman will appreciate the extra 200 spent on the extra strength metal box your fuses hide in. He will charge extra to work on that, because u can afford it 🤫

[@chriswithall2518]

Aluminium busbars NOOOOO. I would only use copper wiring and bussbars: uprated wireguages. No wonder the woo-woo world is so great in the USA power distribution and "wonder cables" Gene why are you still doing it wrong? Lets blow the BS out of audio wires etc. Current matters you know this so does impedance. i've argued this enough on AA with you.

[@Audioholics]

WAsn't my choice. The builder wouldn't upgrade.