How many ep2500 can you run off a 15amp breaker

**harleyhualer-sc02** · **06-29-09, 10:53 PM**

Hi, all

I've been putting my home theater build on hold for life events, but I've had alls I can stand and I cant stands no more. lol

My orig plan was to convert my garage into a theater, when we had the house built we had 5 seprate 15amp breakers installed for future plans. But now converting the garage and buying all the eletronics is way out of the budget. So my plan is now to put a theater in the family room.

So my question is how many ep2500's have you guys run off of 1 15amp breaker? Also is there any other amps that can be ran like the Crown I-tech 8000, that only need 1 15 amp breaker to put out 8000 watts, but not as exspensive. The way I see it, its either spend the money on the I-tech or get an electrician to run more breakers to my family room.

I plan to run 4 mal-x's off of 4 ep2500 or 1 i-tech 8000. I need 8000 watts or so as cheap a posible

**harleyhualer-sc02** · **06-29-09, 11:00 PM**

Here is a link to the floor plan of my house
http://sunrisehomes.net/homes/large_floor1_newport3.htm

**Mike P.** · **06-29-09, 11:31 PM**

I believe it is watts divided by volts equals amps. In that case you can run one EP2500 off a 15 amp breaker. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

**harleyhualer-sc02** · **06-29-09, 11:40 PM**

That's what I tought, one ep2500 per 15 amp breaker. But I've been told that the ep2500 can run continouis only drawing about 5 amps, pulling the full 15 amps for peaks. I was just wondering if people have run more than 1 ep2500 off a 15 amp breaker really cranked for long periods of time and not trip the breaker.

**Bent** · **06-30-09, 12:08 AM**

I'd think you'd need to be testing sine waves at high volumes to run into overload conditions on a 15 amp circuit, even with a strapped EP-2500 into 4 Ω load.

That being said, this is truly the land of "overkill", I have no problem running circuits, so I'd use one 15 amp cct per '2500.

**Sonnie** · **06-30-09, 12:11 AM**

Use 20 amp receptacles. I used the hospital grade for my setup. What you really have to worry about is tripping the 20amp breaker at your electrical panel when you turn on the amps. These amps will draw about 4-5 amps each at turn on, which is why I staggered the power on with my four EP2500's. I was seeing turn on spikes of 9-10 amps for each pair of EP2500's a few seconds after turn on. If you stagger the power on, you will have no problems running up to four on one 20 amp breaker. I run my four EP2500's, an Onkyo 876 Receiver, an OPPO Blu-ray player, a Dish Satellite receiver, a Rechhorn B1, a Martin Logan Matinee center speaker and a couple of Panamax 5300PM's all off of two receptacles... add in another pair of 200 watt powered Martin Logan Spires on two additional receptacles and there you have what is being ran through one 20 amp breaker with no issues. I have pushed this equipment pretty hard and the most I see is between 8-10 amps total draw on very serious bass notes during Cloverfield.

**harleyhualer-sc02** · **06-30-09, 12:59 AM**

I will have to see exactly how many breakers and at what amp are going to that room. My last system from my old house was an Onkyo 801 100 watts x 7 receiver, 4 onkyo m-501 amps 150x2, 2 velodyne hgs10 subs, onkyo dvd, monster avs 2000 an hts 5100, 2 infinity beta 50 towers, 1 beta 360 center, 4 ers110 surrounds and a 65''hatachi. That system use to draw between 8-10 amps the tv alone draws 4.3 amps constant. I still have all the electronics left ,but sold all the speakers.

It will be a pain to run new breakers to that room, cause its a 2 story house and that room is on the 1st floor.

**harleyhualer-sc02** · **06-30-09, 01:08 AM**

I guess i can do like sonnie suggested and stagger the turn ons and if it still trips the breakers just get a new line ran after.

But I also like the overkill of having each amp on its breaker. I have allways believe that your system is only as good as the weakest link.

**kouack** · **06-30-09, 01:10 AM**

What about a QSC PL380, 2 X mal in parallel per side would get you 4kw per side @ 2ohms load

but will be more expensive then 4 cheapo EP2500. Also an other nice contender that people do not talk about is a Crest Audio 9200 about 3.2 kw a side @ 2 ohms

**harleyhualer-sc02** · **06-30-09, 04:55 AM**

The QSC is to pricey, but the crest may work

**tcarcio** · **06-30-09, 09:00 AM**

I am in the same boat as Sonny. I run multiple amps and av devices useing two 15amp breakers and I actually turn them all on at the same time and have never had a problem. I push them pretty hard for movies and music and so far no problemo.....

**Ricci** · **06-30-09, 12:02 PM**

In reality you'll probably be fine running 2 EP2500's on a 15A circuit with normal use. 20A would be a bit better. You could probably run 3 or 4 EP2500's off of a stout 30A line.

If you were going with one really big amp like a PL380 or IT8000 I'd upgrade to a 30A line.

QSC lists the 1/8th power (normal content, light clipping) current draw of the RMX2450 (EP2500 is based on this) at 9.2A into 2 ohms. The full power (sine wave with heavy clipping) into 2ohm current draw rating is 40.7A

. Does this mean you need a 40A breaker for one EP2500? Of course not. I like to look at the 1/3rd power rating (highly compressed content with moderate clipping) as the power requirement if you really want to get overkill. In this case it's about 22A into 2 ohms, corresponding with a 20A line.

http://www.qscaudio.com/support/libr...ay2007June.pdf

I will be running a 50A 230v line for my pair of PL9.0PFC's though.

**kouack** · **06-30-09, 10:13 PM**

Quote:

Ricci wrote:

In reality you'll probably be fine running 2 EP2500's on a 15A circuit with normal use. 20A would be a bit better. You could probably run 3 or 4 EP2500's off of a stout 30A line.

If you were going with one really big amp like a PL380 or IT8000 I'd upgrade to a 30A line.

QSC lists the 1/8th power (normal content, light clipping) current draw of the RMX2450 (EP2500 is based on this) at 9.2A into 2 ohms. The full power (sine wave with heavy clipping) into 2ohm current draw rating is 40.7A

. Does this mean you need a 40A breaker for one EP2500? Of course not. I like to look at the 1/3rd power rating (highly compressed content with moderate clipping) as the power requirement if you really want to get overkill. In this case it's about 22A into 2 ohms, corresponding with a 20A line.

http://www.qscaudio.com/support/libr...ay2007June.pdf

I will be running a 50A 230v line for my pair of PL9.0PFC's though.

Ricci you are SOOOOOO insane but love it

**looneybomber** · **07-01-09, 04:19 PM**

I have a 26" tv, computer, 200w lightbulb, Pioneer 1014 receiver, DEQ-2496, and EP2500 all on the same circuit. On hard bass notes, my clip lights will come on and my lamp dims, but no tripping of the breaker.

Quote:

harleyhualer-sc02 wrote:

...but I've had alls I can stand and I cant stands no more. lol

I recently got my nearly 3y/o on Popeye.

**harleyhualer-sc02** · **07-01-09, 08:04 PM**

Ok, I mite only need 2 ep2500's if someone can answer this question. I have 2 coves on either side of my fire place that mesure about 47" W x 24"-28" D x 34"-38"H the height and depth is varible but I pretty much want it to be couter height and depth. So about 18-22 cu ft each side. What would give me more output between 10-15hz? 2 mal-x's and 2 ep2500's in 18-22 cu ft each or 4 mal-x's and 4 ep2500's in 9-11 cu ft each

**dradius** · **08-31-09, 10:07 AM**

I was trying to figure out how many ep2500s you can run off a 15/20a line, googled it, and of course it leads me to the shack and Sonnie has already posted the exact info. I was looking for. I love it.

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