Power Conditioner

[Brianev]

Hi All, can anyone please tell me if there are any good DIY power conditioning projects, and the full information for the build? Thank You
Brian

[moimeme_81]

hi,

10, 12, 15, 24 volts? how much power will be required (I guess it's for a TT so not that much) but basically if you take the 78xx datasheet(replace xx by the voltage you need, but it's the same datasheet for all of the series) and at the end there's typical usage just pick the voltage regulator and there you go, just make sure that the transformer is giving on the secondary 2 or 3 volts over the required voltage so this way it'll work like a charm or if you want an adjustable one, do the same with the lm317.

chris

[Brianev]

hi,

10, 12, 15, 24 volts? how much power will be required (I guess it's for a TT so not that much) but basically if you take the 78xx datasheet(replace xx by the voltage you need, but it's the same datasheet for all of the series) and at the end there's typical usage just pick the voltage regulator and there you go, just make sure that the transformer is giving on the secondary 2 or 3 volts over the required voltage so this way it'll work like a charm or if you want an adjustable one, do the same with the lm317.

chris

Hi, thanks for the reply. I was actually looking to condition 240v uk mains. But, I did find your info helpfull as I did have an idea to do that (TT) as well. Thanks for the info
Regards
Brian

[confusedtim]

http://www.dms-audio.com/audio-mains-filter-diy

[Brianev]

http://www.dms-audio.com/audio-mains-filter-diy

Thanks for this, it's exactly what I have been looking for.
Regards
Brian

[pchap]

An isolating mains transformer does make an audible difference and having measured the bandwidth of a torroidal transformer against a similar spec. of EI laminated transformer, the torroid actually has the widest frequency bandwidth, which since we only want the 50/60 Hz part of the mains supply from our mains conditioner gives the sonic superiority to the less efficient, larger and heavier EI lamination design.
Mains cable does make an audible difference for a smaller cost consideration and here you only need to go to 13amp or 1.25mm' 40 strand mains cable to notice this, but it gets very inflexible as you start paralleling cable to make it thicker still.
Simple mains suppressors such as Delta capacitors and contact suppressors work if you are troubled by clicks and pops from the mains, but not as well as an isolating transformer at improving the sound.

[davidsrsb]

I am thinking that a 240V to 120+120V transformer with centre tap connected to earth via a resistor might be good for turntables. This should really cut any hum from the mains lead

[avole]

An isolating mains transformer does make an audible difference and having measured the bandwidth of a torroidal transformer against a similar spec. of EI laminated transformer, the torroid actually has the widest frequency bandwidth, which since we only want the 50/60 Hz part of the mains supply from our mains conditioner gives the sonic superiority to the less efficient, larger and heavier EI lamination design.
Mains cable does make an audible difference for a smaller cost consideration and here you only need to go to 13amp or 1.25mm' 40 strand mains cable to notice this, but it gets very inflexible as you start paralleling cable to make it thicker still.
Simple mains suppressors such as Delta capacitors and contact suppressors work if you are troubled by clicks and pops from the mains, but not as well as an isolating transformer at improving the sound.

Can't help thinking most of this is firmly in the unproven area of HiFi. No-one has yet proved that a mains cable can make any difference, and indeed some respected Amplifier manufacturers warn against them.

Most amplifiers and other equipment are built to cope with the vagaries of mains power, so you may not notice any benefit from a power conditioner.

[kelvinMunson]

Mains cable does make an audible difference for a smaller cost consideration and here you only need to go to 13amp or 1.25mm' 40 strand mains cable to notice this, but it gets very inflexible as you start paralleling cable to make it thicker still.
Simple mains suppressors such as Delta capacitors and contact suppressors work if you are troubled by clicks and pops from the mains, but not as well as an isolating transformer at improving the sound.

Ths is a very interesting suggestion; can you tell us more about how increasing the diameter of the power cable will give an audible difference.

[Dimal]

Well actually...

What has been described and discussed as a "Power Conditioner" above is in reality, a Mains Power Filter. Power Conditioning involves much more...

Mal.

[Brianev]

Mains cable does make an audible difference for a smaller cost consideration and here you only need to go to 13amp or 1.25mm' 40 strand mains cable to notice this, but it gets very inflexible as you start paralleling cable to make it thicker still.
Simple mains suppressors such as Delta capacitors and contact suppressors work if you are troubled by clicks and pops from the mains, but not as well as an isolating transformer at improving the sound.

Ths is a very interesting suggestion; can you tell us more about how increasing the diameter of the power cable will give an audible difference.

Hi, I changed all my power leads, last year. I originally had the ones that came with my kit (Linn) just black cable with a normal plug/ IEC. I went for some Belden B38038......I think it's this? Anyway, made a difference to the sound, I think it killed RFI noise etc that I was getting. The only trouble with these cables are they really hard to shape as they have a very thick and stiff build of OFC and various layers of sheathing to stop any interference. They were not that expensive at around £40 each with silver coated mains plug and good grade connector. The plug silver parts need to be cleaned every so often with a soft cloth, which I do every few months. So well worth the expense.
Brian

[kelvinMunson]

Hello Brian,

From your reply it appears that you are suggesting RF screened cable, rather than heavier gauge ?

I have tried to google Belden B38038 but nothing came up. I guess this must be more than screened cable though, otherwise it would not reject all the RFI picked up by all the house wiring and I think putting a meter of screened cable on the end of many meters of unscreened domestic wiring would be pretty pointless ?

[pchap]

Thank you to those who have read my previous posting. Replacing the mains cable on both a NAD and Pioneer power amp with standard 13 amp 1.25mm cable did produce a noticeable improvement in the sound, not a Hi-Fi bass or treble nonsense but easier on the ear, a more clearly defined stop to the notes and with a larger sound stage.
The problem is you need to locate it securely inside the amplifier and be a dab hand with the soldering iron as the thicker cable is a good heat sink.
Note here that speaker cable is not rated for use at mains voltages....
A better alternative is 32/0.2mm strand equipment wire in parallel to make 64 strand.
Remember that playing with the mains can Kill you so make sure your connections are secure and covered with heatshrink inside the amplifier to avoid arcing.
A shockingly good cheap interconnect whilst on the subject of cables is to use 16/0.2mm equipment wire and twist live and neatral together, works very well without any earth sheath or lead over short distances.
On the subject of Turntable power supplies, the isolating Mains transformer removes the back EMF produced by the motor. If you have a multi meter disconnect your AC motor from the mains and measuring across the plug live and neutral pins, on the lowest voltage setting, spin the platter by hand to read the back EMF of the motor.
This voltage is appearing on the mains supply to your phono stage as RF. Using a poor bandwidth EI 50va isolating transformer will clean up the sound. Most AC motors can be connected to run from 120 volts so a 240/120 volt 50va isolating transformer is be all that is needed.

[Brianev]

Hello Brian,

From your reply it appears that you are suggesting RF screened cable, rather than heavier gauge ?

I have tried to google Belden B38038 but nothing came up. I guess this must be more than screened cable though, otherwise it would not reject all the RFI picked up by all the house wiring and I think putting a meter of screened cable on the end of many meters of unscreened domestic wiring would be pretty pointless ?

Hi Kevin, they came from a company on eBay called Audio Friendly, they made them for me, but they do make standard lengths in the Belden. If you look at the site they are the ones with an Orange sheathing, and are extremely well made, but very stiff to bend. For me it cleaned up a lot of the sound and was well worth the £200 I paid for it all. They all came with silver plated 13amp plugs as standard, just need to clean them with a soft cloth very couple of months. I think you are right about the house wiring, I had a separate ring main put into my music room whilst they were building the house for us. There are a few other thoughts on this that are helpful, plus a lot of Snake Oil. The first one is to have all the kit running from one main power extension lead, so if you have a lot of kit, then a suitable high quality power lead, plus good mains cable from the kit to the extension lead, and that's basically what I have done, except where power supplies don't need to go through power conditioner.
All my power supplies for my phono pre, and orb PSU go straight into the wall socket. It's also worth checking that you're wall socket earthing cable is correctly earthed as it should be, easy to check with a meter. Also, if you are using an external phono pre,make sure that the earthing from the TT is connected to the pre, it will get rid of any hum. As for cable size, I have always held the theory that a cable that can handle heavy use and deliver constant power without glowing in the dark, ( as some so called thin power cables do,) work better But, it's all just an opinion.
Lastly, the Belden will give you both, heavier gauge and good screening. Hope this helps.
Regards
Brian