OT: Power Conditioners

[RonSSS]

Check your blood pressure during your listening sessions. You are likely less stressed during weekend sessions. Your physiology likely has more to do with the variations you're hearing than your electrical mains.

Another easily established data point would be to measure and keep a record of your AC mains voltage during listening sessions. It is possible that your service area suffers voltage drop when the nearby industries are at high/peak demand.

Also, Mah makes several valid and excellent points in his post.

Finally, it's human nature for many folks to "hear what they believe". If you believe a power conditioner will make a difference for you, you might very well hear an improvement. Yet without scientific data to illustrate the anomalies in the line and the changes the conditioner imparts, the reality of the claim would be highly subjective IMO.

Bowtie, you are a smart man!
I agree with the BP thoughts. It will affect your ears.
AC mains certainly can be an issue. Especially with tube gear. 2v line change can be a 25v B+ change in the amp.
Also, when the load on the grid is high, the AC wave that comes into your house get's smashed and the line harmonics do increase. BTW, it's not a nice looking sine wave under the best conditions.

A real fancy line conditioner is basically a large power amp driven by an internal 60hz sine wave generator. The thing has to be very large to run a whole stereo system.

Ron

[lowpoke]

I love my isolation transformers. They essentially isolate any devices plugged into them from the main house circuit. Often used in hospitals for sensitive medical equipment, they can be found in used condition for a lot less than a decent power conditioner. Make sure you get one rated well in excess of your required current draw.

[mah]

Isolating transformer - try it under load before you buy to make sure the hum level is zero or low enough for your use.

[Old Guy]

Power conditioners correct for noisy power and the better ones stabilize voltage. it's not Voodoo, and the 300 buck units often are no better than much cheaper ones.


First thing is run a separate line from your box. serious audio should have it's own line. Get the best power you can before applying band aids.

If there still are issues see if you can borrow first. Watch for computer castoff bargains when buying. but if you decide on a UPS make sure PURE SINE wave out.

I got one of these 500 W at a college surplus sale for 30 bucks.

http://www.clrwtr.com/PDF/Sola-Hevi-...nditioners.pdf

[aditya]

The OP mentions nothing about noises like clicks/blips etc........
So an isolation transformer is not needed.

The OP also does not mention anything regarding hum related issues.......
So the "water pipe earthing is working perfectly OK.

The OP mentions only about sound quality deterioration on normal weekdays, compared to weekends.
The location mentioned is also within a mile of a heavy industrial area.
So the problem is only due to waveform distotion and improper voltage (regulation).

For "improper voltage" issue, a simple transformer based voltage stabilizer can be used.
But improper voltage related issues rarely go without waveform distortions, b'coz the loads are invariably inductive, and they distort it.
Once distorted, it fails to generate the required amount of DC voltage (despite corrected voltage) inside the equipment (amplifier), and as a result it alters the bias (idling) current, which in turn affects the sound quality. So an active conditioner will be needed. The worst sufferers are the "tube" amplifiers.

These " active power conditioners" are basically an AC to DC converter+Oscillator (50-60 HZ)+Amplifier (to raise the voltage up to the mains voltage level)+ Regulator (to maintain the voltage with varying loads). For audio use 500w is sufficient. Only the amplifier need be connected to it. The rest can use the normal supply line. But this is a costly device, and should be of a reliable make.

[tomt]

I live in a pretty heavily industrial area and think that has something to do with it.

it does.

alot.

ben duncan's article titled "amp-02" in

"hi fi news & record review", november 1989,

may very well be the most intelligent thing about power supplys thus far written.


points to the fact that circuits resemble filters,

and how to use that in making supply designs.

he showed how to lower the noise floor across a

much greater spectrum, than what is the norm.

and the resulting gain in resolution and detail.

It's either that or I have to run the speakers for about a half hour before they sound better?

I know that sounds weird but sometimes I swear that's whats up.

looks like your hearing is working ok.

takes a while for a piece of equipment to attain and maintain operating voltage.

copy + paste

from wiki, -


The Time Constant

In order to find out how long it takes for a capacitor to fully charge or discharge, or how long it takes for the capacitor to reach a certain voltage, you must know a few things. First, you must know the starting and finishing voltages. Secondly, you must know the time constant of the circuit you have. Time constant is denoted by the Greek letter 'tau' or τ. The formula to calculate this time constant is:

tau={R}{C}

The time constant is how long it takes for a capacitor to charge to 63% of its full charge. This time, in seconds, is found by multiplying the resistance in ohms and the capacitance in farads.

It should be noted that the formula compounds, such that in the second time constant, it charges another 63%, based on the original 63%. This gives you about 86.5% charge in the second time constant.



Electronics/Capacitors - Wikibooks, open books for an open world

[mah]

Cradeldorf, this sort of situation opens a Pandora's Box of objective and subjective questions and answers. My post here is sorta OT. I hope you don't mind.

I worked for our State Electricity Authority for many years and have had more involvement in supply issues than most people but not as much as some of my fellow Engineers(for those who can't accept the word of Engineers, I started out as a Technician). In those days in-house learning and training was broad and intense and combined with a later awarded Degree in Electrical Engineering enabled me to cut through a lot of misguided thinking by those who didn't know any better.

The world now seems to be populated by enough armchair/saw-it-on-a-forum 'experts', who do not understand even the basics of what they espouse, who come to all sorts of unfounded conclusions. Let me say that I am not pointing a finger at previous posters, it just happens that my reply occurs at this point in the thread.

Your supplier has voltage and frequency tolerances that most equipment is designed to cope with. If someone puts piece of equipment onto the market that requires a much better supply than is normal but doesn't tell the customer then that product is not suited to the real world. A lot of high-end gear seems to be sensitive to all sorts of things - I bet this makes for lots of ROFL at McIntosh Labs.

If your supply measures outside of these tolerances contact your utility and let them know about it.

If you live in an industrial area the industrial customers are probably more sensitive to out-of-spec supply than the ordinary consumer. Their high-power equipments is not as efficient(i.e. more costly to run) if the voltage or frequency are lower than normal. They also have more complex electronic equipment than domestic consumers and thus require better earthing and grounding arrangements.

A lot may be attributed to psychoacoustics and esotoric happenings but a little basic attention paid to the wiring in the premises can fix most problems. However if you live next to a company that uses arc-furnaces, call in a consultant.

If EMI or RFI is a problem there are tried and true methods to resolve the problems.

A bit of a rant - just trying to stay 'grounded'.

[mah]

Cradeldorf, your post re your house was very interesting. For peace of mind an assessment of the wiring would be a good thing, especially now that insurance companies are playing very hard-ball on claims, e.g. fire.

Just a couple of question reated to the OP.

Does the local industry shut down on weekends?

Is your location quiter on weekends, i.e. is the noise-floor lower?

[VolvoHeretic]

I'll check the ground situation again, I think it's hooked to the water line going out to the road.

I'm no electrition, but shouldn't there be a 6' copper ground rod pounded in outside right next to the fuse panel?