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Just out of curiosity does anyone manufacture an " audiophile grade " circuit breaker for the circuit feeding a dedicated line for a audio system? Also have any of you had a stock circuit breaker cryogenic treated and if so did you like the results?
Happy listening to all this holiday season,
Michael
Follow Ups:
Richard Gray Power Company (RGPC) offers a similar device.
I do use his line/power conditioners to excellent effect.
Michael, Your questions concerning an audiophile breaker are warranted. A long time ago, I came across a thread where a breaker was disassembled, and discussion ensued. I took apart my own breaker at that time also. From an audiophile's perspective, it appears to be a nightmare. So the question begs, does it really make a difference, that far down the AC supply chain?
Let me briefly describe my system, to get some perspective. From the main service panel to my system, there is thirty feet of Virtual Dynamics 10ga cryo'd wire. The insulation is not pvc, but rather a polyfin plastic. It feels like teflon to the touch. From here an Isoclean PT-3030GII provides true balanced power to the pre/dac. The transport is off the grid, running off lead acid batteries. The amp connects before the Isoclean, and is not receiving balanced power. On the output of the Isoclean, two teflon caps scrub emi/rfi. Right at the amp's iec are also two teflon caps, to clean the AC. Lastly, Z-Sleeves and Bybee purifiers are used generously throughout the system, to improve the AC. It should be noted that the pre/dac power supply is an outboard type, consisting of all low-noise components, dual regulation, and film caps vs electrolytic's used throughout. The only electrolytic's make up the initial bulk stage of filtering, right after the diodes. (100,000 uf total) The only "problem" with this setup is that it takes up a lot of space.
So, with all this attention the power delivery, can a breaker make even the slightest improvement? We shall see...
My breaker that had been taken apart received a gutting. Everything was removed, except for the blades that contact the service panel bus bar, and the clamp assembly that holds the outgoing 120v AC wire. A pure copper fuse, with copper wire was routed from the blades, to the clamp. The steel clamp screw that holds the dedicated 10ga line was replaced with stainless. The breaker was installed back in the service panel. The system was allowed to warm up for thirty minutes, before any listening was done.
I must report that the modded breaker sounds VASTLY better than stock. The difference is way more than I EVER expected. The system now sounds so much more like you are actually "there," at the performance taking place.
So now we have a dilemma. It is against code to use a breaker that is not listed for use with your service panel. Never mind a breaker that has been hacked. (For testing purposes only). If you were to install a seperate audio grade subpanel, this subpanel still has to go through a standard breaker, in the main service panel.
To conclude, I will make an educated guess and state that the more resolving the system, the greater the hit you will take from a stock breaker. Bummer...
Here you go
You'll have to do a search for more details. I'm pretty sure he posted somewhere around this joint about it.
"Once this was all Black Plasma and Imagination" -Michael McClure
I have disassembled a couple different brands. They are full of stuff not good for audio like ferrous metals. About the only thing you can do to improve things is clean contacts and replace a older breaker. The one audiophile board I saw was very expensive.
My circuit breakers have been cryo'ed and yes you can hear the difference.
You can also buy the inexpensive Frycorder from Haglabs.com which treats the house wiring from the wall plug all the way back to the transformer. He also makes the well known Frybaby cable conditioner
Both improve the sound.
I tried cryogenics also with no noticeable improvement. I do have a lot of filtration at the stereo end. I didn't know about the line conditioner from Hagerman. I do have a frybaby. Thanks for the info on it.
Best principle for it: is the neozed
You can find some like this (for lesser price!)
http://www.audiophil-online.de/hifitest/sicherung/phonosophie-neozed.html
No, I have never seen or heard of any. Our obsessiveness stops at the breaker panel, it has to stop somewhere safe or else we will be climbing the power poles next, putting Craig Gold on the transformer binding post.
AB
No.Per NEC code and therefore Local governing electrical safety codes only circuit breakers approved by the manufacture of the electrical panel can be installed in the electrical panel.
Inside the electrical panel enclosure usually on one of sides will be info stating what style and model number can be used. Equally important the breaker must be safety Listed by a third party safety testing laboratory such as UL for use in the electrical panel.
Food for thought. The utility transformer that feeds your home and the size of the high voltage fuse protecting the primary of the transformer has the potential of delivering thousands of amps in the event of a short circuit fault current event in the electrical panel or branch circuit wiring of your home. Yes the main breaker could pass thousands of amps before it hopefully tripped open breaking the short circuit.
Edits: 12/10/15
Good question that I'm interested in the answer to.
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