Balanced mains transformer units
- Thread starter saab9000
- Start date
Arkless Electronics
Trade: Amp design and repairs.
A filtered IEC mains inlet is a sensible enough provision. Beyond that nothing really. With well designed equipment you should be able to power it with 240V of random noise bandpassed between say 45 and 200 Hz with no ill effects (no obviously not a TT with synchronous motor etc!).
I agree, though it may be equipment specific as lots of people have noticed a difference. Despite the safety misgivings of my EE, I borrowed one a few months ago following a recommendation on another forum. Did nothing to my ears, but I suspect that is because my system is almost totally Teddy powered. Next I trialled a PS Audio P20. Maybe, just maybe, I could hear some extra clarity in quiet passages, but not enough to splash out the thick end of 10K. Definitely something that has to be tried before buying.
I have 6 x 45 amps spurs going from the distribution board to the listening room. The cable length (x6) from the distribution board to the listening studio is about 70-80ft and each spur is isolated with a 1KV custom made transformer (6 in total) close to the fuse board, and mains from the 6 transformers are all running balanced line. I did this installation 21 years ago when I built my new listening studio and I can categorically state that this installation running balanced line was vastly superior to a 30 amp dedicated ring that when before. There is a much lower noise floor and I also have the ability to fine tune the mains voltage.
That is his opinion. My experience is different. His audio system is radically different to mine, therefore his experience will be different to mine. I have 70 to 80 feet (x6) 45amp cables going from one side of my house to the other where the demonstration studio resides. This is where balance mains makes an improvement over conventional wiring. There are lots of threads about this on other forums. Maybe check out the Whats Best forum. I am sure there will be something on there about balanced line mains, as that forum is aimed at high end systems.
CoherentSystems
Trade: Coherent Systems
I could really go deep into how much 'crap' sits in and on the mains way beyond the 100th harmonic of the fundamental being discussed. Even with a correctly designed fully differential AC line filter you can still view a lot of the harmonics sitting about, though possibly this time around -68dbm mark 
Last edited:
Whizzy
pfm Member
This is a rather simplistic and misleading summary, it is not simply an isolation transformer in its operation. The centre tap to earth is used to create an out of phase effect in order to cancel mains noise.
Arkless Electronics
Trade: Amp design and repairs.
Gee you don't say.... I would happily power my equipment actually with 240V of noise. As I say at some point most days, mains has no effect on sound quality. Period.
