I have everything in my system, except the cabinet fans, running through the Panamax Max 5300 power protection. The problem is the circuit breaker is the standard 15amp that comes in most power protection systems like this one. If I get anywhere near 0db the breaker pops. I have about 2000+ watts running through an 1800 watt PP system. Do you think I would be foolish in running the Samson S1000 amp connected to two 15" sub woofers on a separate circuit without PP?

------------------
MeanGene's Home

yes, yes i do.

------------------
This post has been brought to you by curegeorg, thanks for reading.

If you are tripping your breaker now, I'd definitely recommend shifting some of the load to another circuit or (if it is not a dedicated circuit) removing non-home theater loads from the existing circuit. The sub amps would be a good load to relocate.

------------------
gonk -- 950 Review | LFM-1 Review | Pre/Pro Comparison Chart | Saloon Links

Gonk, the juice is all running through the Panamax right now. I want to bypass the Panamax and go directly to the wall, but only for the Samson amp and subs. I like the Samson amp but I really hate my sub's and am trying to blow them up so I can get new ones. But I can't get enough juice to them through the Panamax. I am also running them at 4ohms so the Samson is really working but I don't think it has enough power to do the twin 15's in. What to do?

[This message has been edited by MeanGene (edited June 09, 2004).]

.

It seemed to me that Wayne had been a voice of reason at some times!?!

Actually at one point in my teen years, I had run out of 1/4" plugs for speakers and thought to 'carefully' use a standard wall plug instead. You can guess what eventually happened one day. Let's say the only one more startled than I was was the 8" woofer!

I think that even if you use an inexpensive and sacrificial type of protection (read: cheap) for some of the more robust loads on a different circuit, it would be better than straight out of the wall.

I hope it works out!

The one concern that I have is that simply taking the Samson off the Panamax will not alleviate the circuit breaker problem -- you are still on the same circuit, and the combined load on that circuit is causing the breaker to trip. If you are not using the "high current" outlets on the Panamax for your amps, you would potentially be even more likely to trip the breaker by taking the Panamax out of the equation. The best bet is to move the Samson to a separate circuit and throw some inexpensive surge protection on it. If you are not worried about damage to the subs (or are actively seeking such damage), connecting them without any surge protection shouldn't be too much of a risk, although as far as surges are concerned you'll be risking the Samson rather than the subs. If your goal is a really noisy death for your subs, you will probably need to find a largely unused receptacle circuit and connect the Samson to that. If the goal is watching the drivers disintegrate, Wayne's approach is very effective and probably less objectionable to the neighbors than some of the other options -- like taping packs of fireworks to the back of the cones and lighting a fuse.

------------------
gonk -- 950 Review | LFM-1 Review | Pre/Pro Comparison Chart | Saloon Links

If you are looking for a spectacular death for those subs a quarter pound of C4 divided equally, and a few yards of det cord will yield, (pardon the pun) an explosive end for your subs.

Most of the power strip/ surge protectors I have seen only allow 15 amps to pass through them. Most homes have 15 amp circuits feeding multiple outlets. If the Panamax is tripping out now and you plugged directly into the wall the circuit breaker will probably trip, too.

Best bet is to do what Gonk suggested and try to find a different circuit.

As far as blowing up the subs are concerned you should try blowing a cappucino machine!!!

What to do with sub drivers you don't like for your HT any more:

Maybe you could suspend the two drivers under a 4x8 horizontal piece of plywood, wire them in series and feed them right from the wall power with GI Joe action figures in football uniforms on the top side of the plywood ... viola! - a large scale vibrating football game.

Yeah, all great suggestions, right up there with putting CD's in the microwave. :-) The breaker that is tripping is in the Panamax and I wanted to run the Samson/Subs through another circut bypassing the Panamax. But, I do like the Samson, I don't want that to get hurt.

------------------
MeanGene's Home

Ahhhh... I was reading your original post and thinking that the circuit breaker in your panel was tripping. Is the Samson currently on one of the high current "amp" outlets on the 5300? If not, you might try moving it there as a first step. Otherwise, it would probably be easiest to pick up a surge suppressor for the Samson and pull it off of the 5300.

------------------
gonk -- 950 Review | LFM-1 Review | Pre/Pro Comparison Chart | Saloon Links

It's just occured to me... how do people protect their powered subs. Do they have surge protection/line filteration between each powered sub?

------------------
MeanGene's Home

I put in a dedicated circuits -- 2 20 amp lines for my audio system that features three amps: 100 w tube amp, 400 w ss amp and a 1200w ss sub amp. I run the tube amp (high current) and all the front end equipment through Panamax 5100 on one circuit and the 2 ss amps through Triplite surge suppressor on the other. You can do this yourself if you are handy or hire an electrition like I did. It cost me about half as much as Panamax 5100. It was definitely one of the better buys.

That sounds like what I am going to have to do. Did they run the conduct externally or internally through the walls?

I am fortunate to have my music room in a basement with a drop ceiling. The electrician ran the wires over the ceiling and into the wall. It should be done correctly -- in the wall or covered by a conduit. You do have to use a heavier wire for 20 amp circuit.

In my old house, I added a single dedicated 15A circuit for the home theater equipment. In that case, the conduit ran exposed on the exterior of the house from the panel (which was outside) to the double duplex receptacle (which was on an exterior wall). It wasn't pretty, but that was a house that already had wiring run exposed on the exterior for cable and phone. Ideally, new wiring would be concealed in the wall. It is possible (and usually cheaper) to run exposed conduit either inside or outside the house, but it's never pretty.

I've had my powered sub connected without power protection on occasion in the past, but currently I have it on one of the high current outlets of my Panamax. In my case, the sub amp is a much smaller load than that required by a Samson S1000 driving a pair of 15" drivers so it isn't enough to max out the circuit.

------------------
gonk -- 950 Review | LFM-1 Review | Pre/Pro Comparison Chart | Saloon Links

I am running both 15" subs at 4 ohms and that has added to the problem. I think I will set them back to 8 ohm which will make the Samson's work at little easier.

------------------
MeanGene's Home

Could you elaborate on how you're going to do that?

Sure, the DVC (Dual Voice Coil) of each sub is 4 ohm and I am only using a single VC of each sub which is giving the Samson S1000 a 4 ohm load for each channel. I am thinking of going back to running the DVC in a series configuration which will increase the impendence to 8 ohms. This will reduce the output of the subs, but at the same time require less from the amp and reliving me of having to reset the 15 amp breaker.

------------------
MeanGene's Home

I have an even BETTER way of getting rid of your dual 15" subs. I would be willing to take them off of your hands free of charge. Seriously.

I guess that'll be a no then?

When I have something better to replace them with I'll think about it. Why would you want them?

I'm still in college and don't have a lot of spare cash laying around. Two, or even one 15" sub (still work fine right?) would definitely help my current system out a lot. Of course, I would be willing to pay for the shipping.