Shunyata Triton with ARC Ref 150 amp

[luchocastro]

I recently bought a Shunyata Triton. I have been breaking in the Triton (requires 200 hour break in) with a fan and a small refrigerator and it should be ready to plug into my system this weekend. Up until now, I have had my ARC Ref 150 amp connected direct into the wall (where I have a 20 amp dedicated line), with the rest of my system going through a Running Springs Audio Power Line conditioner. However, the Triton is supposed to be able to handle the amp well. Any recommendations from REF 150 or Triton owners? Is is better to keep my current direct from wall setup or to go through the Triton? I will obviously try it out myself on the system but it would be great to hear from other that may have similar setups.

[Vhiner]

Originally Posted by luchocastro

I recently bought a Shunyata Triton. I have been breaking in the Triton (requires 200 hour break in) with a fan and a small refrigerator and it should be ready to plug into my system this weekend. Up until now, I have had my ARC Ref 150 amp connected direct into the wall (where I have a 20 amp dedicated line), with the rest of my system going through a Running Springs Audio Power Line conditioner. However, the Triton is supposed to be able to handle the amp well. Any recommendations from REF 150 or Triton owners? Is is better to keep my current direct from wall setup or to go through the Triton? I will obviously try it out myself on the system but it would be great to hear from other that may have similar setups.

My experience is that you will definitely prefer the amp through the Triton as opposed to without it. However, I'm not sure why you didn't go with a $2K Cyclops for this purpose, though. Not trying to second guess you, but the Triton might be overkill for one component. If money is an issue, you might want to try the Triton up against the RS on your front end, run the ARC with an Anaconda Zitron direct to your 20 amp line and then plug in a Shunyata Defender on the duplex for some conditioning and surge protection. Get a whole house surge protector installed ($250) and Bob's your uncle. That's what I do with my 600 watt Conrad Johnson Premier 350SA and the results are stunning. I'll be eager to hear how things sound to you.

[CGabriel]

Originally Posted by luchocastro

I recently bought a Shunyata Triton. I have been breaking in the Triton (requires 200 hour break in) with a fan and a small refrigerator and it should be ready to plug into my system this weekend. Up until now, I have had my ARC Ref 150 amp connected direct into the wall (where I have a 20 amp dedicated line).

Do you have one dedicated line or two?

cg

[luchocastro]

Thanks Vhiner and Caelin. To respond to Vhiner, I bought the Triton for the whole system, not just the amp. My system consists of the components shown on my signature. I have currently have the preamp, amp, and oppo connected to the Triton. Therefore, I did not buy the triton just for the amp.

Caelin, I have a single dedicated line, not two.

Thanks to both!

[Vhiner]

Originally Posted by luchocastro

Thanks Vhiner and Caelin. To respond to Vhiner, I bought the Triton for the whole system, not just the amp. My system consists of the components shown on my signature. I have currently have the preamp, amp, and oppo connected to the Triton. Therefore, I did not buy the triton just for the amp.

Caelin, I have a single dedicated line, not two.

Thanks to both!

If you only have one line, I prefer running everything through the Triton. I gladly defer to Caelin on whether you should run a separate 20 amp line for the amp. I do this but you may run into ground loop problems. Everyone's house is a bit different.

[CGabriel]

Originally Posted by luchocastro

Thanks Vhiner and Caelin. To respond to Vhiner, I bought the Triton for the whole system, not just the amp. My system consists of the components shown on my signature. I have currently have the preamp, amp, and oppo connected to the Triton. Therefore, I did not buy the triton just for the amp.

Caelin, I have a single dedicated line, not two.

Thanks to both!

When there is a single dedicated line it is usually best to plug everything into the Triton.

If you have the luxury of two dedicated lines, put the amps on one of the lines and the source components on the other. The large current pulses from the amplifiers kick back harmonics onto the power line. These harmonics are seen by the source components degrading their performance. So the benefit of the two lines is not just related to current requirements but that is also a factor if high power amps are used.

Personally, in my home environment, I don't have the benefits of dedicated lines so I use a Triton for the source components on one line. Then the amps are connected to a different electrical line through a Cyclops. You make the best of the electrical environment that you have. Then, if the opportunity presents itself (remodeling) you may upgrade the electrical system in the wall.

cg

[luchocastro]

Thanks Caelin. I will follow your advise.

Regards,

[gwaaron]

I am currently building a house and my listening room will have 3 dedicated 20 amp lines. My amp is and ARC Reference 110, and I plan to use one line just for it, one for source & preamp components and the third for Martin Logan speakers. Any thoughts on best way to incorporate power conditioning/management into this set up?

Thank you

[Ritmo]

Welcome gwaaraon!

You've come to the right place. You will get excellent recommendations from Graham, Caelin or Dan.

[CGabriel]

Originally Posted by gwaaron

I am currently building a house and my listening room will have 3 dedicated 20 amp lines. My amp is and ARC Reference 110, and I plan to use one line just for it, one for source & preamp components and the third for Martin Logan speakers. Any thoughts on best way to incorporate power conditioning/management into this set up?

Thank you

Let's talk about multiple dedicated lines first. Ideally an audio system would only have a single ground point. When you use more than one power line circuit for an audio system (whether it is dedicated or not) you introduce two or more paths to ground. This creates the very real possibility of ground loop issues. To minimize problems follow these guidelines.

DEDICATED CIRCUIT
- Use the same type and gauge of in-wall wiring.
- Overrate the wire with 10 gauge wire.
- Run dedicated hot, neutral and ground wires.
- Do not share the neutral or ground wires with any other circuit.
- Do not splice the wires if at all possible.
- VERY IMPORTANT make sure the length of the wires is the same for each circuit.
- Ideally use "twisted" power conductors.
- Do not put the wires in metal conduit (plastic conduit is fine or none)
- Connect both dedicated lines to the same phase in the distribution panel.
- Use new circuit breakers of the same type.
- Use a quality outlet.

PROTECTION
There is NO absolutely fool proof method to protect your equipment. Furthermore, any device that plugs into an outlet will be less effective than a device that is installed at the service entrance. So, you may not be able to protect your equipment in ALL possible situations - but you CAN protect your substantial investment. First step is to install the best form of surge protection which is a whole house Transient Surge Arrestor at the service entrance. If you live in a lightning prone area, install a lightning rod. Do NOT under any circumstances let anyone talk you into installing secondary earth grounds to the dedicated lines. If you have dedicated lines and whole house surge protection you don't need surge protection at the outlets. However, if you don't have dedicated lines then surge protection is advisable at the outlet. It is not well known but some power protection devices can actually damage other equipment in the home that are not connected to the device.

Most important of all, to protect your INVESTMENT - insure your audio/video equipment through your home owners insurance or take out a separate policy. Do not rely upon the claims of any manufacturer to the absolute nature of their products protection capabilities!

What about products that come with a $xxx,xxx warranty against damage to your equipment?
Have you ever tried to collect on the insurance from a shipping company? If the product you shipped cost $200, you will probably get paid. See what happens when you ship a $50,000 amplifier and it gets kicked off the back of the truck. This is not an anecdote on my part - it is an actual experience. If you have a $80 Sony DVD player connected to the $50 surge protector and it is damaged after a lightning storm, you will probably be reimbursed. What happens when your $100,000 audio system is taken out? Read the fine print. You will have to prove that the damage was caused by a surge and that the protection device was defective or ineffective in protecting your equipment. How do you do that? I am just asking you to think about these things ahead of time. The odds are that you will never have to deal with the issue. But if you are the unlucky one in a thousand, your loss will be minimal if you follow these suggestions.

Some power conditioners can improve the performance of your system. There are many to chose from and just as many opinions on which is best.

cg