steve
Rank: Trio
Posts: 206
|
Post by steve on Jan 8, 2016 10:21:02 GMT
Well I for one, will never use an electric drill again. Why? Because it as a pointy thing in the end that whizzes round, and worse than that, it has electricity in it.
|
|
|
Post by MartinT on Jan 8, 2016 10:39:11 GMT
Indeed, with Dave saying we need to be adult about it and you pointing out the silliness and paranoia, we're hearing you!
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 8, 2016 17:09:07 GMT
I think it's common sense that anyone can get electrocuted from anything that is misused and I have got a shock of older domestic appliances that turned faulty. Emulating faults that won't occur in real world use is pretty pointless. If we all thought like Pinky we would still be steam powered. Little chance with anything modern and solid state if your fingers are outside the case (some Chinese imported valve amps may be a different matter). Unfortunately the tirade about BMU here and elsewhere in the past have ensured that the proposed test and loan is a non starter.
|
|
|
Post by Slinger on Jan 8, 2016 17:24:56 GMT
... If we all thought like Pinky we would still be steam powered... Oi! A bit less of that modern steam rubbish. That can give you a nasty scalding you know.
|
|
|
Post by Eduardo Wobblechops on Jan 8, 2016 17:45:39 GMT
|
|
|
Post by pinkie on Oct 25, 2016 9:57:16 GMT
I have been discussing mains with Wonky again. Don't worry - I have only questions to ask, not advice to share
If I plug my NAD 3020 into a balanced mains supply what do the 3 wires connect to. I believe the 3 available connections are +120v 0v and -120v. I have 3 wires in the plug - brown, blue and yellow/green
Which goes where?
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 25, 2016 10:15:52 GMT
Schuko plug or UK plug?
|
|
|
Post by pinkie on Oct 25, 2016 10:22:15 GMT
Why would it make a difference? 3 pins, 3 voltages. Which wire carries which voltage? (OK - given the joys of France and no fuses, there are endless expat forums trying to work out which pin should be "Phase" . If my local electrician is right, looking at the socket on the wall, the right pin is brown) Let's keep it easy - UK plug
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 25, 2016 10:25:47 GMT
Also, what mains distribution unit do you have? One fitted with a fuses only, single pole RCDs or double pole RCDs?
|
|
|
Post by yomanze on Oct 25, 2016 11:17:51 GMT
Not sure if I've commented in this thread, but I used one for years, a custom Airlink unit with RCBOs on the outputs, 2000VA. It did buzz a bit, easily remedied with a DC blocker. My DAC also has inbuilt balanced mains transformer.
Long story short, I took it out a while back when doing some rearranging, and didn't miss it, so out it stayed.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 25, 2016 11:29:47 GMT
I've no idea about Balanced Mains (and little interest to be honest) but Yomanze's experience with it has matched mine with things like supports and mains cables. Its taught me not to automatically assume the thing I fitted ages ago is still sonically worthwhile. Movng house especially seems to make many previous "upgrades" redundant.
|
|
|
Post by ChrisB on Oct 25, 2016 12:52:03 GMT
I took my BMU out of the system after the honeymoon period, as I always do with new items, and it remained so for a week. When it went back in, it was immediately obvious that it should stay.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 25, 2016 13:36:21 GMT
Interesting points here, having fitted a great many of these over the years with mixed results, Airlink I am not so sure of the quality these days.
Recently went to a place that had fitted a 5Kv unit on separate spur with dedicated CU, funny thing is mains condition via the normal ring mains sounded better!
In the above case I really do feel the gent has quite 'shite' incoming a/c, the BP helped in certain areas and was counter intuitive with others.
He doesn't live at the then end of line or near industrial works.
Other places BP works well providing it is installed properly.
I would agree with Y on the need for a DC blocker on the Airlink equipment.
Depending where you are in the country UK mains can deliver quite different results.
|
|
|
Post by John on Oct 25, 2016 14:12:27 GMT
Just goes to show best to hear in your system and hear if makes a difference
|
|
|
Post by tony on Oct 25, 2016 15:31:22 GMT
Ive used an airlink BMU for a number of years now. Ali brought a BMU along to one of the Scottish get togethers- his own creation. We were all surprised by the improvements it made. I reckon my mains are not the best living near to an industrial estate. For whatever reason I think it really helps with my 57s and 63s.
It works better than a power regenerator that I tried in my set up.
IMHO you really have to try one in your system to hear if it makes an improvement-synergy thang!!!!
|
|
|
Post by brian2957 on Oct 25, 2016 16:21:27 GMT
Ive used an airlink BMU for a number of years now. Ali brought a BMU along to one of the Scottish get togethers- his own creation. We were all surprised by the improvements it made. I reckon my mains are not the best living near to an industrial estate. For whatever reason I think it really helps with my 57s and 63s. It works better than a power regenerator that I tried in my set up. IMHO you really have to try one in your system to hear if it makes an improvement-synergy thang!!!! +1 These things have to be tried in your own system .
|
|
|
Post by Sovereign on Oct 25, 2016 18:51:09 GMT
I have made nine balanced power supplies for people, just waiting on the parts for my tenth, and each time people have been thrilled with the difference it made, always a good idea to take it back out and double check the old lug holes are working though. Don't ever mean to be awkward, but the original question in hand, will end up in another circular discussion that will be so bloody boring that I will look to the gin bottle for solace. Pinkie, your a good bloke and I enjoy your company on this forum and to spin tunes with, but when you talk about balanced mains I just want to drown myself. Don't take it personally and all that .......
|
|
|
Post by pinkie on Oct 26, 2016 8:31:15 GMT
James - I enjoy your company, and listening to your music too. I have done so twice - and you were keen to extol not just your fine SECA amp, but the "mother trucker" BPS and other elements of your system (dedicated power spurs, power cables stolen from the Clifton suspension bridge - or at least capable of holding it up). On both occasions, you chose to demonstrate your system when it suffered from a loud hum on one channel (it might have been both channels the 2nd time - I forget). It seems odd that you apparently gain an important benefit from things like fuses and dedicated mains spurs, but are happy to tolerate loud hum for the purposes of show-casing your system. Don't worry - you are not alone, from green felt pen on cd edges through all manner of unobtainium constructed gizmo's , over 30 years I have found many examples of enthusiasm for "things" which give that niche inner circle acceptance, rather than sort the basics out first. Apart from the various "Musical" aspects of the equipment I choose and like, I look for undetectable noise - of any sort (I'm setting myself up for trouble when Kevin comes round, but what the hell). Partly that is down to the design of the products - partly to the manner of the installation. Balanced power can help with noise reduction - but is a fairly cack way of doing it (in terms of effectivenes in addition to any safety issues). And if noise reduction is achieved with balanced power, I understand that it indicates that there are deficiencies elsewhere in the total set up which are allowing ground noise to be coupled to the signal. I prefer to fix those (get mates to fix those). If you don't couple ground noise to the signal, then reducing the noise on the ground line is going to have no impact on noise! Regarding "installation", balanced interconnects make huge sense (potentially). This discussion re-started because Kevin noted to me that he recently auditioned equipment at another forum members which sounded really good to him, and was devoid not just of mains and other "gadgets", but any exotic connections. That matches my experiences that a good system doesn't need "the fiddly bits". And those obsessed with the fiddly bits often have systems I don't enjoy listening to as much as some others - or my own. Mike - As I pointed out to Wonky, he can very easily test that fuse idea of yours. I doubt I will get a dinner out of it though
|
|
|
Post by yomanze on Oct 26, 2016 11:15:23 GMT
Interesting points here, having fitted a great many of these over the years with mixed results, Airlink I am not so sure of the quality these days. Recently went to a place that had fitted a 5Kv unit on separate spur with dedicated CU, funny thing is mains condition via the normal ring mains sounded better! In the above case I really do feel the gent has quite 'shite' incoming a/c, the BP helped in certain areas and was counter intuitive with others. He doesn't live at the then end of line or near industrial works. Other places BP works well providing it is installed properly. I would agree with Y on the need for a DC blocker on the Airlink equipment. Depending where you are in the country UK mains can deliver quite different results. ...and what do you think of simpler solutions such as using a DC blocker on its own, or going further (more expensive) with mains re-generators?
|
|
|
Post by pinkie on Oct 26, 2016 11:25:20 GMT
...and what do you think of simpler solutions such as using a DC blocker on its own, or going further (more expensive) with mains re-generators? I use a DC blocker on my sub-woofer, where the toroidal buzzes. It works. However Owen demonstrated with a Variac that the issue was not really the offset, but the transformer operating out of tolerance. If I got that right, the fact that the transformer was rated for (say) 230v and a swing from 3v to 233v instead of 0v to 230v was pushing it out of range. Just dropping the voltage a couple of volts with the Variac stopped the buzz. Using a transformer to remove DC offset and then taking the voltage over 230v (I forget now how much - but somewhat warily) produced the buzz. Edit: And I tried the rest of the system with the isolating transformer afterwards to see if it made a difference - and it didn't.
|
|