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The fallacy of ac treatment

I see a lot of threads related to managing and tweaking the ac powerout end of electronic systems. Much has been said about dedicated wiring, termination and even the right kind of extension cords to use. I work for an electric utility; and that's the extent of my credibilty here. The majority of you will no doubt be far more erudite wrt music hardware. Just a thought, though: domestic ac distribution goes thus: power station-step up-city-step down-subdivision-final step down. As far as the utility is concerned, you and all your neigbours are collectively the load for the step down tranformer. Any inductance/capacitance created by your neigbour running motors/tubelights, etc is felt by the lot of you. Additionally, the voltage frequency will almost always move around a tolerance from 50hz as the whole country turns on the air, off the lights - changes all the time as peaker plants ramp up etc. Nothing can change that- the frequency of the grid supplying your city is the frequency in the mains at your house. So what's my point? Well only that how much difference can the last 10 feet of cabling, etc make when the other hundreds of miles are outside of your control? And more importantly, frequency is one of the most imp parameters for measuring electricity quality (your expensive hand-coiled toroids are entirely subject to the f in the primaries) and nothing other than running an f generator can shield you from that. Methinks all the improvements you see from ac cord treatments are pyschosomatic. But that's cool.
snobgoblinf669
iceravendbd3
43 posts
 
Good lead Mike, i've checked out Equitech website. Your ET2R-Q is a prof. rack mount 2kVA black beauty! I will probably buy their balanced isolating toroidal transformer loose and put in myself the rest of the safeguarding and definitely a IEC950 EMC/RFI filter for the CDP(the "noisy" one). Read also that NEC committee had voted overwhelmingly for the inclusion in the next NEC publication of rules & regulation for wiring & earthing methods for the video/audio & "sensitive" electronic equipment. I interpret this as an implied official recognition of the Balanced power solution to mains common mode noise inherent in unbalanced mains supply. Just a word of caution though to all aspiring DIY'er, please get assistance from a good qualified electrical worker if you're not one yourself, and understand the NEC regulation fully before any attempt to proceed!! I'd do the same in my country with the correct electrical authority. Even better, buy it from the prof. equipment manufacturer for best assurance. Happy listening.
elizabeth
6,726 posts
 
Apt dwellers: Try using the Air Conditioner's wall outlet. In the Apt I reside in a dedicated power line is not possible to install. So, I do the next best thing and use a 20 amp single outlet line originally dedicated to the air conditioner. (I stick my air conditioner on a 15 amp multi use line (with upgraded outlets).. and take my chances with the air conditioner blowing a circuit [never happened in 9 years] Definitely better sound. And if the air conditioner is struggling with a paltry 15 amps... who cares!
redkiwi
1,092 posts
 
Elizabeth - while current capability is an issue, one of the reasons why a dedicated feed works is that there are less connections on the line to pick up noise, and so one of the benefits of using the air conditioner's outlet is that it is the only outlet on that feed line. I am not implying you did not realise that - just clarifying.
weiserb's avatar
weiserb
469 posts
 
Power conditioners , better cables & Power cords do make a difference... At the very least they lower the background noice, which may be the reason for a lot of the other noticed improvements. Surge protection is not a bid bonus too! I have a monster hts 3500 , the power amp goes directly in the wall! Audioquest quietlines are a nice item also!
gmkowal5c1a
91 posts
 
I challenge the fact that you can hear the difference in power cords. The job of a power chord is to supply the transformer inside your piece of gear with alternate current of sufficient quantity to allow your device to operate properly. Inside your component, the power supply converts the alternating current to direct current. The direct current is then sent to power your circuitry. The power supply is where the filtering of your power occurs. Manufacturers use large capacitors and/or voltage regulators in the power supply to filter any residual AC or noise. The power supply design of your equipment is much more critical than an expensive power cord. The cleaner you make the direct current voltage feeding the audio circuits in your equipment the better your equipment will perform. The only exception to this is if the power cord is not of sufficient gage to supply the current necessary for your piece of gear to operate or if the power cord does not provide a good enough ground path to avoid voltage drops which causes system noise due to ground loops, assuming your AC wall outlet is grounded properly.
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