Macca's System Blog

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zebbo
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Re: Macca's System Blog

Unread post by zebbo »

BilliumB wrote:Won't the vibration of the primary winding within its field create some sort of 'back emf' - I suppose you feel that this effect will be very small? Might the vibration of the transformer cause a vibrating field around the transformer itself, and this cause induced currents in circuits close by? I'm just thinking aloud, as the reduction in transformer buzz in my system has gone hand in glove with an improvement in 'musicality' and I'd like to understand what's happening - as I think you're telling me it should have got worse with the DC Blocker!

I understand that you don't think the physical vibrations will have any impact on anything at all - interesting.

Going back to the new radial set-up, I was wondering whether I could save on a transformer - do you not think it a reasonable approach (I seem to remember that this is the approach taken by Equitech in the USA)?

On a separate matter, what sort of improvement do you think can come from better earths (bearing in mind that I'm on a TT system, so don't have the safety problems you get with a PME set-up)? I've been considering multiple earth spikes, or some sort of earth mat (I've got a digger, so earthworks are not really a problem apart from the mess).

I'm also considering a coax earth cable (screen and conductor connected at earth end, conductor only connected at kit end, possibly with a suitable in-line capacitor to limit dc current flow for safety) in addition to normal earth cable, using the coax as a low impedance route to earth for higher frequencies - have not yet decided on best earth termination at the 'earth' end, but wondering, in addition to normal earth spikes, if I could make good use of my old water well and some stainless steel plate! Some papers seem to recommend chrome plated material for the earth 'spike'. Wondering about WT125 or something a bit more meaty for the coax. Clearly safety is paramount, then need to be sure on corrosion issues as I don't want to turn the coax earth into some sort of rf detector.

Thanks for your interest.

Cheers. Bill
:lol: :lol: Love it! I could just imagine my Mrs's face as she gets home from work to find me removing the front garden with a JCB - "Don't worry darlin', just improving my earth! :lol: :lol:
Audio Grail "Sable" Garrard 401 with Cumbrian Green Slate plinth / Audiomods 6 / Soundsmith Zephyr MIMC, Parasound JC3+, NVA INT400sa. (Oh and a Copland CDA823 CD Player, for when I fancy a bit of the devil's spawn!) :lol:

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Dr Bunsen Honeydew
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Re: Macca's System Blog

Unread post by Dr Bunsen Honeydew »

BB - It is the sound (airwaves) that are vibrating not the magnetic field. A lot of what you are asking me or telling me is making no sense and reflect impossibilities in my mind. As I said if you want to delve into it at a technical level then you have to go back to basics and understand transformers and magnetic field propagation (inductance). You are not using NVA so I will not give advice beyond the BMU as that will depend on how that equipment is designed.

All i will say to you is that with NVA it doesn't matter as it is built to Class II (Double Insulated) appliance regs and operates with a floating earth (0v) the same as the NVA BMU does. How you earth the rest of your system is up to you, but will not effect the operating of a NVA BMU.

I have already answered at least a couple of those questions so read preceding posts. You will also find a lot about it in the archive.

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Re: Macca's System Blog

Unread post by BilliumB »

OK Thanks.

Cheers. Bill

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Re: Macca's System Blog

Unread post by _D_S_J_R_ »

By the way, it was discussed on AOS I think, that randomly adding your own earthing outside may not be a good and safe idea. You MUST get a properly qualified electrician to check the house wiring and make recommendations.
Hanging on in quiet desperation is the English way...The time has gone, The song is over, Thought I'd something more to say...

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Re: Macca's System Blog

Unread post by Dr Bunsen Honeydew »

AND spend serious amounts of money :roll:

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Re: Macca's System Blog

Unread post by Dr Bunsen Honeydew »

Per usual what we mostly get is the forum egotists who have a little knowledge so think they are experts. So they seize on statements and articles as justification without understanding the basics or the parameters / context of the information.

So we have people like Muccus singing the praises of earth bars and earth mats without realising why, or why it should improve *HIS* system, and then applying his solution as universal, "I am right" "I am the greatest" type of forum behaviour.

A good earth has two reasons 1/ to provide a safety path for wayward dangerous high voltage currents in a *non isolated* *non insulated* system, 2/ and as a cure all for stray signal currents like hum loops. Well the problem is, as with all cures it has side effects, and if you don't have the illness then you don't need the cure, and in fact applying the cure can make you ill if you don't need it :roll:

So two reasons for the earth, one to do with the mains and one to do with the signal. As I keep saying to everyone and hopefully some are listening now, there are different construction methods for electrical appliances and as to how they use (or not) a ground path (earth). I have published this link many times before and eventually it may sink in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appliance_classes So for those with enough intelligence to read they will see only those appliances built to Class I *may* need all this bollocks. Build to Class II and you can largely forget about it.

So how many of you understand a floating earth (or more to the point 0v ref) I doubt many do especially the big forum egos. Or how Class II avoids so many of the problems that are created by mains supply. This is why the BMU has proved so effective musically as it is built to Class II.

Anyway it is a big and complex subject and per usual it is best left to people who do understand it to discuss it, and everyone else just listen to the music and decide what is best for them, BUT take all Muccus type mains bullshit advice with an enormous pinch of salt.

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Macca
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Re: Macca's System Blog

Unread post by Macca »

I'm still not convinced that there is an issue with my mains that is affecting sound quality.

That's not to say that there isn't but I'm still sceptical.

I've not used the system since last Thursday but will be having a listen tonight when I get in from work. Last week Monday thru Wednesday the system sounded awesome. Thursday night it didn't. In the past I would put that down to 'mood' but I am slowly learning to pay attention to my instincts and to stop dismissing things as 'imagination'. So many times in the past I have done this only for it to eventually turn out that my gut instinct was right all along.

So tonight if it is back to awesome again then the mains will fall under suspicion. If not then I will continue with my theory that it is 'interconnect burn in'. I have a brand new unused SSC that I bought to connect the phono-stage so I might swap that in for one of the 'burned in' ones and see if the sound changes at all. If it doesn't then I will know it is not the interconnects.

Does this sound logical?

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Re: Macca's System Blog

Unread post by Dr Bunsen Honeydew »

As logical as it gets.

I know this is in your thread but it is not aimed at you, it has been stimulated by BB's comments, and a desire to find an excuse to address the Marco mains bullshit that went on for a long time at AoS, it is quieter lately but he still refers to it as though it is an accepted fact - it is not.

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Re: Macca's System Blog

Unread post by Daniel Quinn »

Not to me. No . ;)

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Macca
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Re: Macca's System Blog

Unread post by Macca »

Daniel Quinn wrote:Not to me. No . ;)
That's because you are an Economist not a Philosopher. :grin:

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