Getting my electrical house, stereo room in order

Darrel

Darrel

Member
Joined
Nov 1, 2018
Messages
443
Location
Auburn, Washington USA
A few year back there was a lot of discussion on cleaning up the digital side of streaming from the internet. Roon and Qobuz was just getting available to work with Tidal. Other music streaming services were available. But, Roon was a big step in the audio world. I signed up for a lifetime subscription to Roon. Ideas of optical connection, linear power supplies, Gigafoil, upgraded switches, cables etc were all the topic. And they still are of course.

A couple of Audio Shark members were local in my area. I got to know Ed Devito (UltraFast69) and Rex Hungerford (KingRex). Ed with Rex were getting interested in an area of audio that seemed neglected. The idea was to get ones house in order from home grounding to the earth and moving to cleaning up the electric panel and using a whole house serge protection and then moving to a sub panel for the audio room using quality cables and sub panel. They came to my house and came up with a plan based on their experience with earlier work on their on homes and Eds neighbors home.

Michael Frumer has a video of Ed and Rex doing his homes project. I'll link below.



I've been living with my system and hearing the benefits of a very stable, clean dynamic stereo system for almost two years now. I've made some changes in my rooms equipment and speaker placement. But, the electrical upgrades were the biggest and best changes.

But now Rex and Ed are working with greater knowledge of electrical panels boxes.
Here are a couple of videos from the AudioJunkie channel on Rex and Eds current endeavors.





I contacted Rex about having him come out and reevaluate my electrical panel and see what upgrades could be of benefit to my system. He put together a new sub panel that now uses just copper to copper contacts eliminating all the tin and aluminum effects. He also used a dampening compound on the back of the panel to eliminate any vibration to the box and wall.

Here are a few pictures of the early panel work and the wire upgrade.

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The newest panel and work have done a noticeable change to the energy and incredible micro details from symbols, snare drums, piano keys to name a few. Details just jump. The saying that a veil has been lifted would not be a exaggeration. Rex said the system will settle in about a day. Here is a picture of a the newest panel.

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It doesn't look like a big change visually. But, the audio difference is well worth it.

We spend so much time trying to get the best from our rooms electrical wall outlets and never think of going to the source which is the first connection to our home and what is required so the rooms outlet are just part of the path. And not the continual box upgrade to clean up the ends output.
 
Hello Darrel. Thanks for the feedback. Just to be clear, Ed and I never followed through with any business relationship even before Fremers home was complete. I have no idea what Ed does in his business.

I operate Kingrex Electric as I always have for 7 or so years now. Before that I worked for Square D as an estimator and project manager. Before that I was a Union electrical foreman and field hand since about 1995.

I have for the past couple years highly focused my efforts on powering premium audio system. I have upgrade around 50 systems to date. I have placed an extreme focus on the electrical infrastructure and come up with 3 highly modified electrical panels no one in the world offers. I take the panels Benjamin electric produces for me and tweak those as well.

I also searched far and wide for UL rated wire to put in the wall. I eventually landed on American made solid core 10 awg THHN that with teaching from Garth Powell and tools I made, I grain orient, then twist for installation in a ENT, PVC or steel pipe. You have Oyaide solid core wire which was installed the first time I was there. Its great wire so enjoy it. It's not UL for use in the USA so I don't offer it. But its very good wire, well made and safe IMO. It just lacks a NRTL label.

The recent change I made at your house was replacing an off the shelf Square D QO sub panel and replacing it with the same SQD QO that I have turned into an all copper panel using Square D materials. I also use 2 different damping polymer to reduce ringing and mechanical 60 and 120 hert vibrations in the panel. I went to Fremers while on the East Coast for Capital Audiofest. I replaced his stock QO with this panel also. We both heard a difference.

While at Fremers we also tested 4 Hifi Supreme fuse blocks with 20 A fuses. I was surprized how audible a fuse vs CB can be. That sent me down another rabbit hole. In the end, if you have a stand alone listening room, I can have a custom fuse panels manufactured for you. But, a fuse panel can not go in a residence. As in the listening room in your house. I have not found any AFCI device that is a requirment in a home that works in the US. European devices such as a 40 Amp 240V main AFCI are tested and listed between 170 and 250 volts. They are not designed for a single leg at 120 volts as found in North America.

I know I can make most any electrical infrastructure better than where it is now. For starters, unless you knew what you were doing and got an all copper service, you have aluminum in the ground and neutral of your load center. Removing it as well as controlling vibrations is an audible gain as you heard. This is easier to do at the main panel before you build your home. But electrical can be retrofit. There are also process to apply that don't require stripping your entire electrical service.. Modification to existing service can be applied to move you in the right direction. Sub panels are always an easy change.

Mike, I still want to dig into your service. I have learned a lot since we last talked a year ago. And you don't need to open any walls. Just some work in your existing service panel. Maybe 3 hours of time. I'm in Florida in February. Maybe we can work a visit in then.
Rex
 
Thanks for the clarification Rex. Our first meeting was in conjunction with you and Ed. I understand your independence. Ever since your first work on my homes electrical panel and grounding my awareness of its importance has been sharpened. I do really appreciate now how much one can benefit for the long term in a systems performance.
 
Rex's level of work, his bespoke panels, wire, etc, and level of knowledge, plus his being an audio and music nut are a combination you are not likely to find anywhere else!

Sent from my SM-G998U using Tapatalk
 
Darrel said:
Thanks for the clarification Rex. Our first meeting was in conjunction with you and Ed. I understand your independence. Ever since your first work on my homes electrical panel and grounding my awareness of its importance has been sharpened. I do really appreciate now how much one can benefit for the long term in a systems performance.
Click to expand...

Yes, we both had a vision to bring better audio to people. We just have our own paths.

I am a little over the top in my passion for power. I love thinking about it and trying new things. I read a great book by Ralph Morrison on Grounding and Shielding. That prompted me to ask questions of some NASA and Nuclear scientist I meet at Capital Audio fest. I always new grounding was important. That was some of the first design specification I was applying. I have since learned more about how to "Stack" grounds. If you stack them wrong, you can send noise back into the system. If you stack them right, you can send noise out of the system. People for years have said a ground is not magic and does not shed noise. Well, that may not be true. If you apply the ground wrong, you route noise back into the system. If you route it correctly by stacking the grounds the right way, you can take spurious voltage which is "Noise" and send it out of the system. What do you think a ground box is doing. Part of what it does is take stray voltage and route it away from the gear. Where does it go inside a ground box or how do ground boxes work, I don't know. I don't know what Entreq, Nordost, Shunyata, CAT are doing in their boxes. But attach the box to your service and if there is voltage present, its going to the Neutral and its going to the Earth Ground. Or maybe back into your system if your panels are made up incorrectly.
 
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