Circuit Breaker vs Fuses

[Blackmorec]

How does this differ from a thermal magnetic breaker that might pass 250% overcurrent for 5 to 10 seconds. 100% overcurrent for a minute or so. 50% overcurrent for maybe 15 minutes. Etc. I am spouting off the cuff numbers, but there is a chart for every breaker out there. They don't just trip at their rated setting. A bolted fault on a 12 awg wire is something around 540 amps. The breaker will open within a cycle. A motor starting may be seen as 50 amps on a 20 A circuit for a second or so. Most breakers will allow this to happen hundreds, if not a thousand cycles. Eventually it may start tripping on startup.


Gigawatt is only rated for 16 amps. Every CB I know is rated for 20A for protection of a 12 AWG wire. You would think Gigawatt is throating down perfor.ance. So why is it a gigawatt "sounds" superior. Who knows. They very well may sound better. But I can not go there as a consultant. I work as best I can within the scope of NEC compliant so your homeowners insurance is fully intact if a power cord gets crushed and a fire starts.

I‘m not an electrician, just an audiophile who’s had extensive listening experience with electrician installed dedicated lines using standard MCBs, standard Diazed and Neozed fuses, AHP optimized Klangmodul IIIs and more recently Gigawatt MCBs.

In the UK, because electricians have access to the meter cabinet, where phase and neutral feeds can be split after the meter but before the consumer panel it is possible to install a second panel that is independent of the household panel, with its isolation switch and RCCB. The hi-fi panel can have its own optimised RCCB and MCBs, without the need to use buss bars, so changes in sound quality are pretty much down to the breakers and wire used. Sound quality improvement is per the above order.

 

[Rocoa]

I replaced the AHP Klangmodules with Gigawatt 16A MCBs along with Doepke RCCB in place of the standard differential switch. The upgrade provided a substantial benefit in terms of SQ.

Circuit Breaker G-16A – GigaWatt

Me and many friends too. The same perception.

 

[Kingrex]

I bet using copper C taps and crimping #10 branch directly to the #2 feeder would sound even better. But I still can not spec either in the US. I need to remain focused on what is NEC and CEC compliant.

I will share with a client techniques that I feel are safe and sound excellent, like how to bypass duplex receptacles. But I have to be very clear, its not legal and your homeowners insurance could be voided if there were a fire. So really, I spend most all my time trying to find the most optimal installation methods that are legal.

 

[DaveC]

I bet using copper C taps and crimping #10 branch directly to the #2 feeder would sound even better. But I still can not spec either in the US. I need to remain focused on what is NEC and CEC compliant.

I will share with a client techniques that I feel are safe and sound excellent, like how to bypass duplex receptacles. But I have to be very clear, its not legal and your homeowners insurance could be voided if there were a fire. So really, I spend most all my time trying to find the most optimal installation methods that are legal.

I agree with staying to code, insurance not covering you is bad enough, being personally responsible for a fatal house fire is not worth a slight increase in sound quality. Even though the likelihood of a fire may be remote the stakes are high. It's like wearing a helmet on a commuter bike,
most folks are never going to need it, but the helmet was probably still a good idea. I've seen some photos of people running armored conduit to loose metal wall boxes, not a great idea imo. Cheap, yes, but saving one plug and receptacle is not going to keep your system from sounding, ummm... good.

IMO you can stay to code and still end up with excellent sound quality, it just costs money for high quality parts. Technically, you could hardwire your entire system and do away with all connectors for both signal and power, saving big $ and getting even better results, but very few to maybe no people at all have actually done that. On the power end it's not to code, for both signal and power it's really inconvenient.

 

[mtemur]

Just a quick note to say that my 2 dedicated lines used to use AHP Klangmodule 3 with gold fuses and 4mm2 Acrolink P4030II 7N cable fed via a standard RCCB differential switch

I replaced the AHP Klangmodules with Gigawatt 16A MCBs along with Doepke RCCB in place of the standard differential switch. The upgrade provided a substantial benefit in terms of SQ.

I replaced AHP Klangmodule 32A fuse on dedicated audio line with a Siemens C32 circuit breaker long time ago. It’s a standard electrical CB and I don’t think it’s as good as Gigawatt’s but it sounds much better than my AHP. I think the main difference lies on CBs making solid contact while fuses using very thin wire. I don’t think I will ever turn back to fuses again.

 

[Kingrex]

Ut owe, mtemur is stirring the pot.