DC Offset Blocker/Killer - where to buy in the USA


   I have McIntosh MC8207, the first unit I bought from an authorized dealer came with a loud buzzing coming from the left transformer, and was replaced with a new unit which came with even a louder buzzing. The buzzing can be heard from 8 feet away. Then I was told to have install new 20 amp outlet that has its own isolated grounding.
   That was done professionally by an electrician who installed two isolated 20 amp outlets, two 20 amp circuit breakers, two copper polls for grounding for each outlet, each outlet has its own neutral and power line. After all this done the buzzing sound was still there.
   I was then told to buy a power conditioner which I did (Audio Quest Niagara) which was like $4000 and that did not help. Called back McIntosh and was told that I might have DC offset in my AC line and was told by McIntosh that I would need a DC Offset Blocker/Killer to which when I asked them where to buy one they told me to go on the internet and search to find one, to which I cannot find one.
  This bothers me a little bit, if you as a company think that I have dc in my ac and i need a dc blocker wouldn't you need to sell one as well. I brought this amp to my friends house and it was the same no improvement, so my guess is that he has dc in the ac line as well.
   So If anyone of you knows where to buy a DC Offset Blocker/killer please let me know, but even if this helps kill the buzzing wouldn't you guys think that this expensive somewhat hifi amp/brand should be silent from the factory. I mean this is two units in a row all purchased brand new.

My house is 5 years old, everything is brand new, the whole neighborhood is about 8-9 years old, my electrician says that I have perfect power coming to the house and everything looks fine.

Thank You

tomiiv30
I wish there was a video or some kind of a drawing of how to make this simple low-pass filter device but yet too complicated for me and some others.
I am a graphics designer by trade and not an electrician but I am willing to give a go to make one I am no afraid but only if I see it how it is made. I do have a soldering Iron and solder plus those alligator clips so I am half way there.

Google, first hit:

https://www.stereo.net.au/forums/topic/75460-diy-main-dc-blocker/
@ tomiiv30 OP and @ gdnrbob

I ordered the resistor and capacitor over the internet yesterday to build the simple low-pass filter. Hopefully I will have them in about a week.


100K 1 watt resistor
https://www.ebay.com/itm/5-pack-1-watt-5-carbon-film-resistors-100k-ohm/160460118738?hash=item255c2b...

22uf non polarized capacitor.
https://www.amazon.com/22mfd-Non-Polarized-Grade-Mylar-Capacitor/dp/B00B4DVXJE


Eva (DIY Forum member) didn’t give the voltage rating for the 22uf non polarized capacitor so to be on the safe side I ordered 250V.

I’ll post back with the testing results on how it works.


Here is a link of a wiring diagram that shows the wiring, configuration, of a low-pass filter. (Disregard the white paper for the use in the paper). It’s the best I could find for a wiring diagram of the simple circuit.
https://www.electronics-tutorials.ws/filter/filter_2.html

You need to redraw the simple circuit and add some wordage.
** ELIMINATE THE EARTH GROUND CONNECTION AS SHOWN ON THE BOTTOM LINE OF THE DRAWING. (This line will be the AC neutral.)

Note on the left side of the drawing the two Vin AC (sine wave) line inputs. You will connect these to the 120Vac male plug. I would suggest the top line (resistor) connect to the Hot blade screw terminal of the plug. The bottom Line (other end of the capacitor) to the neutral blade screw terminal of the 120Vac plug.

The right side of the drawing where it says (Vout) is where the DMM probes connect to.

Edit:
Another wiring diagram showing the Low-Pass Filter.
In the last post by atmasphere in the link he provided there is a post with this link showing an Intergator Low-Pass filter.

http://www.animations.physics.unsw.edu.au//jw/RCfilters.html#low
Low-Pass Filter
scroll down the page to, "Integrator" . Note the diagram is the same as the first diagram for a Low-Pass filter.


You don’t need an electrician to build, assemble, this low-pass filter to measure for DC offset on the AC mains. All you need to find is an electronic service tech. Or anyone with any experience in wiring a simple resistor capacitor circuit together.
Jim


.
Jim (Jea48), good posts as always. My only comment on your low pass filter project is that with the 22 uf and 100K values it will take around 10 or 15 seconds after the AC is applied for the cap to fully charge up to whatever amount of DC may be present. Which is fine, of course, but it’s just something to be aware of when the measurement is made.

Best regards,
-- Al
Al, (almarg)

Thanks! 10 to 15 seconds..... I would have missed that for sure.

What do you think about using a 22uF value for the capacitor? I chose the 22uF cap because that is what Eva (DIY member) said to use in her post.

Elliott Sound Products recommends using a 100K ohm resistor in series with a 10µF non-polarized capacitor.

What are your thoughts on the value of the capacitor used?
Jim
Hi Jim,

They both appear to be reasonable values for this purpose.  The 10 uF/100K combination will charge up to the final value about twice as fast as the 22 uF/100K combination, which isn't important, but it won't be down quite as far at 60 Hz as the latter.  That difference probably isn't important either, although I can't say that with certainty as I'm not familiar with the internal design of modern digital multimeters.

Specifically, the 3 db bandwidth of the low pass filter (i.e., the frequency at which 3 db of rolloff will have occurred) = 1/(2 x pi x R x C).  Let's refer to that as "bw" (bandwidth).

For 10 uF/100K, bw = 0.16 Hz

For 22 uF/100K, bw = 0.07 Hz

The rolloff at 60 Hz will be 1/(square root(1 + ((60/bw)squared))), converted into db based on 20 x logarithm of the resulting numerical value.

(That looks more complicated than it really is; it could be illustrated more simply if it didn't have to be shown as text.  Some people depict "squared" as "^2" and "square root" as "^(1/2)", but I'm not sure if for most people that would make the equation more clear or less clear).

For 10 uF/100K that calculates to -52 db at 60 Hz, which would reduce 120 volts to about 0.3 volts.

For 22 uF/100K that calculates to -59 db at 60 Hz, which would reduce 120 volts to about 0.14 volts.

Also, the time to charge to very close to the full value of the DC that is present will be approximately RC x 5, which is how I derived the 10 or 15 second figure for the 22 uF/100K combination.

Best regards,
-- Al