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Do you plug your precious subwoofer straight into the wall outlet? (1 Viewer)

Tuan Le

Agent
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Sep 1, 2003
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Well....My SVS PB2-ISD subwoofer has been ordered already. Hopefully SVS will be able to ship it out soon. :emoji_thumbsup:

Just curious how do you guys around here have your precious subwoofer hooked up. Do you just plug in right into the wall outlet and hope nothing happens?

For my A/V rack, all the components are taken care of by the Panamax 5100. However, my subwoofer will be on the other side of the room so the power cable would not be long enough to reach. I would hate to run a long extension [power] cable across the roon.

It doesn't make sense to buy another high-end A/V surge protector just to be used for sub only. And I've been told that typical surge protector isn't designed for equipments drawing huge amount of current such as powered subwoofers.

So help me out here, what are my choices? :D Thannks for all the feedback. :emoji_thumbsup:
 

John S

Senior HTF Member
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Nov 4, 2003
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If you use an extension cord, make sure it has some serious amp ratings. I was forced to do so, seems to work ok, I use my sub as an end table of sorts, so I also have a lamp and probably something else too being fed from the same power cord. I guess ya do what you have to do. Living rooms make for tough HT rooms indeed.
 

Marty M

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Dec 6, 1998
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2,919
Monster cable sells a surge protector specifically for the sub. It plugs into the wall socket and then you plug the sub into it. It retails for $55 - $60. I don't have one because we have old wiring in our house and no grounded outlets.
 

Bill Kane

Screenwriter
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Feb 5, 2001
Messages
1,359
I suggest the Panamax MAX 2 Subfor $35 HERE

Tho compact, the surge protection innards equal their larger models.
 
Joined
Aug 27, 2003
Messages
33
Good topic! My Home Theater system is run off of a 20 amp outlet, #12 wire back to the panel and a dedicated 20 amp breaker. I have a surge protector with my TV, DVD, Reciever (Yamaha HTR5560) and VCR pluged into this outlet. Shoud I plug my new (when it arrives) SVS PB1-ISD into the same surge protector as the rest of the equipment? My only other choice would be to use one of the protectors described above, but it would be pluged into the same outlet as the surge protector is in, which means same circuit (breaker) as the rest of the system, but the Sub would have it's own protector. Is it worth it? Obviously, nothing else in the house is run off of this line, only the H/T equipment.
 

Tuan Le

Agent
Joined
Sep 1, 2003
Messages
40
I think I am going to give that Panamax Max 2 a try. Hopefully it will be able to hold up the SVS PB2-ISD sub. :D
 

Lee-c

Supporting Actor
Joined
Sep 2, 2000
Messages
509
MichaelBarletta: If I recall correctly, an electrician here on the HTF said that number 10
wire was required for a 20 amp connection, 12 is not enough. I would check on that by asking
on one of the hardware forums here at HTF and get that fixed.
 
Joined
Aug 27, 2003
Messages
33
Lee-c
Yeah, #10 back to the panel. Don't scare me like that:laugh:. 200 amp service with 34 breakers installed (most 20amp #10 wire) and grounded. With me working along side my electrician, it still cost me over $8,000. All of the old original wiring in the house is gone. EVERYTHING is on it's own breaker. H/T, washer/dryer, refrigerator, microwave, bedroom ent. centers, basement ent. center, counter top GFI's, 5 circuts in garage, each bedroom A/C, etc . etc . .etc . . I know. Wrong forum, but I'm so proud.
 

Brett DiMichele

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Sep 30, 2001
Messages
3,181
Real Name
Brett
Michael,

You can when your Plate Amp is a 220-240V @ 50/60Hz Model :D

See

There is no pink carpet.... Woah....


(It's not an off the shelf sub.. It's a Stryke Audio AV-12
in a 1 CuFt^ Sealed Enclosure running a Bob Carver Sunfire
TDC Plate amp that was made to be used in a European version
Acoustic Research ARS-500 Subwoofer.
 

MichaelDDD

Supporting Actor
Joined
Sep 29, 2003
Messages
616
Real Name
Mike
Excellent thread!

I plan on purchasing a Panamax 5100 for my HT gear; but the sub may wind up being on the other side of the room. I may also look into the Max 2 Sub. :)

Bump for more ideas and info.
 

Neal_C

Second Unit
Joined
Mar 15, 2001
Messages
476
I had two dedicated 20 amp circuits run into my living room for all my HT gear. I plug my Rotel 1055/1075 combo into one, and my SVS PB2+ and Monster HTS 3600 (which has everything else plugged into it) into the other. I also had an Intermatic whole house surge protector installed at the breaker box...so not only is my sub protected, but everything else in the house as well.

Parts and labor was only about $200.

Neal
 

GeorgeJM

Agent
Joined
Nov 4, 2003
Messages
41
I plug all my HT gear into my surge protector. If you're going to bother buying a surge protector, my recommendation is to skip the MOV based ones and get a Series Mode version. Series Mode surge protectors have a much higher rating, are not sacrificial, and don't bleed surge voltage into the ground wire in one huge chunk like the MOV/shunt protectors.

http://brickwall.com/oscope.htm
http://www.surgex.com/benefits.html
http://www.tao.com/zero/servsshn.html

I have the Brickwall w/powerline filtering.
 

Chu Gai

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jun 29, 2001
Messages
7,270
Neal's solution (for those with their own home), of using a whole house surge protector inconjunction with a few modest point-of-use devices, will provide the most secure and robust approach for those who wish to guard against the most devastating of surges: lightning. Moreover, it's enormously cost effective when one totals up all the various appliances in their home...a couple or so dollars/protected appliance. The effectivenss of any surge protector is predicated upon one thing, and one thing only and thatis a good ground. Not the ground on your electrical receptacle but rather earth ground. A point-of-use device is too far from that and surges, being high frequency and high power events, look at that distance in your wiring as relatively high impedance. Hence, one needs a short path to earth ground.
As far as what your particular situation is, I don't know. If you own your home and you live in a lightning prone area with a large amount of cloud to ground lighting strikes (parts of Florida, midwest, etc.) then this is an enormously prudent approach to take.
Regarding the Brickwall type devices which are commonly referred to as series type, they also depend upon the existence of a ground. I know one of those companies that are licencing the technology do have it incorporated into a panel that could be placed/installed at the mains. They are a bit pricey though. Regarding the claims that are made that they don't contaminate earth ground, that's just plain false.
 

GeorgeJM

Agent
Joined
Nov 4, 2003
Messages
41
Regarding the claims that are made that they don't contaminate earth ground, that's just plain false.

Please explain, particularly in light of the following oscilloscope traces.
http://brickwall.com/oscope.htm
Are you saying the o-scope traces are doctored? Since they plainly show change or no change on the ground current, depending on the surge protector (the Transtector also shows no change), what is the basis of your claim that their claim is false?

for those who wish to guard against the most devastating of surges: lightning.

I don't think you're referring to a direct strike, but rather, induced currents from a distant strike. However, if you're implying that you can protect yourself against damage from a direct lighting strike, I think you're kidding yourself.
 

Pablo Abularach

Supporting Actor
Joined
May 27, 2002
Messages
526
Nice thread, I wish I saw something like this a year ago. I made a separe connection (inside wall) from my the wall near the Panamax to the place the subwoofer was going to be. and then made a two male cable to connect the panamax sub outlet to the socket in the wall. And the just connect the sub to the other outlet. It seems to work, but if I knew this connector existed, it would have save me all this trouble.
 

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