Steps to Installing Extra Electricity Wall Sockets for a HiFi System at home

There is a growing awareness of the importance of a dedicated power supply to the HiFi equipment.

If you invest more than USD10,000 to your equipment you should use dedicated supply. Otherwise you are running your beloved sports car with low-grade diesel oil.

Count the number of gear that uses a power cable. For instance, Turntable, Phono Amp, Preamp, Power Amp, if all of them uses only 1 power cord then you need 4 sockets.

Wall socket is like computer storage. You never have enough. When I plan mine I cannot forecast that I would become a Duo-Mono design disciple, ie 2 power cords per gear. I always believe in the conspiracy behind amplifier designer and power cable manufacturers.

A good example of poor planning. Just 3 wall sockets for almost 10 power cords!

The second mistake is the wall sockets are too close to each other.

Wall sockets should best be placed within 3.5 feet from the gear intended for connection. All branded power cable comes in a standard length of 2-metre or 5 feet.

Take a Look at the Distribution Box at your home. Mine is 3-phase supply as you can see there is indication of Red, Yellow and Blue color indication at the Box.

See if you have enough capacity in the Distribution Box. If yes, you do not have to install such Box.

The objective is to have a MCB-Wall Socket in one-one relationship. If you add 6 wall sockets then you need 6 MCB spaces in the Distribution Box.

The MCB goes with the Box. For instance Square D goes with Square D and Siemens goes with Siemens.

This is a brand 'Square D' Distribution Box.

A close look at the Distribution Box. 2 colums with many rows of MCB. First row is Red, then Yellow, Blue, Red, etc.

2nd row is vacant and so there is a capacity for 2 extra MCB for Yellow phase.

Yellow phase is now a dedicated phase for my HiFi system.

He must be a license holder. There are many of them in the market and please shop around. Besides price consideration make sure the Electrician is customer-oriented who listens carefully to your requirement without too much intervention. Many old-style-die-hard-stubborn Electricians may jeer at such HiFi request and squarely tell you this and that is not important. Avoid them.

Be adamant with your requirement and make sure the employed Electrician will do everything as you order.

a. "It is not necessary to have so many cables running to your HiFi location. 2 pairs of cable can do your business..."

b. "What? 4mm cable, it is used for 3,000 watt electrical heater? 1.2mm cable will do everything"

My HiFi system is a megabuck system costing over 1 million US. Each gear consumes 3,000 watt. And cable less than 4mm will get burnt. Anyway I buy you the cable, you do your work!

a. Wire - Use common single core wire. I suggest using the brand Pirelli. This is the same kind of wire that all gear designers are using to design and test their products. Play safe. Pirelli cable is cheap, just HKD300 or so per 100 meter roll.

You buy 2 reels of cable in different color, one in red and one in black. The ground cable, usually green color, you may ask the electrician to use his. Just make sure all in 4mm.

b. Wall Sockets - Use the common MK type sockets. It is cheap, and again this is the socket used by the gear designers. It is interchangable. You may change to USA, Britain, or even Europe style with changing the faceplate. Very flexible.

Note: Do not use switchable sockets. I have dismantle them and found that the switch contact point is a pinpoint which becomes a bottleneck in power supply.


		This is a roll of single core cable in 4mm. Indeed it has 7 copper strands in 4mm diameter. Make sure you buy cable made in Britain. Best sounding.

		MK has a standard faceplate for USA Power Plugs.

		This is a typical British standard faceplate made by MK

		Switchable sockets. It gives very bad sound!

		Reserve a good manoveur space for the HiFi Rack and the wall sockets. This I learn from years of sour experience.