Lan noise reducer
- Thread starter hornetstinger
- Start date
Soldato
I have to say, I would be more worried about setting up earth loops, so my preference would be not to use shielded cables.
I started watching and when he said "let's be honest not everything in the hi-fi world is measurable" made me chuckle. Everything else in the world is measurable except hi-fi? Do they teach that in school? Could have saved a lot of people time trying to measure audio things because if they can't be measured you're wasting time..... (mild sarcasm over).
HOW AND WHY we test network switches...
We love streaming audio at Alpha Audio. But it's not because it's plug and play... because it isn't. There is a lot involved when you want to get the best po...youtu.be
Watch video where he measures noise from the switches.
This thread is on 16 pages, yet things can be demonstrated quickly if actually trying them. The passive Russ Andrews mains conditioners for example, the difference in audio can be heard during playback as you plug in or out a conditioner from the mains. Strong views are fine, but people should remain curious enought to try for themselves first.
It was at the point where they started to jam white noise into a router to simulate load (???) that I had to give up. Clearly you can measure something you are specifically looking for if you misuse the device. Load on a switch is sending DATA through it...not some random signal (on the power or data lines?)
If something sounds different (soundstage, presentation, detail, random audiophile term, etc) then the audio signal hitting your ears MUST be different somewhere.
We could be in the area where we are not using the right tools to measure and thus not seeing the difference.
I definitely fall in the camp of better equipment can make a difference, and as alluded to in this thread, not everything is designed properly so needs fixing (or minimising) elsewhere in the chain...but there are some things that do not matter and are taken to silly levels with unproven claims.
I use a power conditioner to regenerate the AC, partly because my valve amp runs at 220v so I need to maintain that (my old house the AC would drift anywhere between 216v and 246v), but I also have powerline networking which makes hell of an audible noise if the amp is plugged directly in the wall.
You can shield but not connect both ends..
NickK, I removed those clamping components. As mentioned they were aftermarket fitted (not RA), I do have a Russ Andrews Mega Clamp in use, so not sure what these would be doing anyway. You might know what these are. 2 were in the Wattgate, and another in the 3 pin mains plug. I'm glad they are removed as no idea how safe these were, you were maybe correct to point these out.
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I've not bothered to try and clear up the text to be sure but the yellow one looks like a generic brand Polypropylene film safety capacitor probably around 0.47uf 250VAC - for audio use something like that would ideally be fairly close to the amplification or other audio signal processing components to be useful.
I'm assuming the blue ones are similar ceramic or varistors.
I'm assuming the blue ones are similar ceramic or varistors.
Yep it seems to indicate XII (X2) classification on the cap. Basically it acts like a short for AC (although the 0.47uF means it's shorting higher frequency than mains). However a better option is simply using a IEC inlet filter (like schaffner) which is a cap+inductor+cap. The 'pi' filter first cap makes a path for high frequency to return before entering your amp, the inductor then blocks (attenuates) that from getting in your amp and then the second filter cap looks after the inside noise and residuals.
You could make a better mains filter with a IEC inlet filter in a mains safe box with a 13 amp socket in it for your onward equipment however it's better to have that filter in the amp at the boundary of the chassis so no noise creeps in.
The varistors would do nothing until a spike - that would result in a large current flowing across them shorting the AC and clamping a spike however they're really a 'one shot' option as successive spikes damage the devices. Without indicator lights etc you'd never know if the varistor is protecting your gear or not. Varistors tend to go with a bang, heat and smoke (they are useful but sticking it a plastic plug is not the place for them).
I'm no expert so might be well off and I'd have to double check values but my go to is a 4.7uf electrolytic, 100uh inductor, 0.1uf ceramic immediately on the DC side after rectification or DC-DC POL. There are a few LC filter tank circuit problems I don't understand well though.
Thanks for looking at those. As I understand it, the yellow one was clamping higher frequencies in the mains, like a primitive filter, where the blue ones were clamping spikes.
I'm not making this up, but with those components in place the audio was affected, it was a bit rolled off on the top frequencies. So am correct to thinking all 3 of those were potentially dangerous and could have failed open.
I'm not making this up, but with those components in place the audio was affected, it was a bit rolled off on the top frequencies. So am correct to thinking all 3 of those were potentially dangerous and could have failed open.
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You can't really see from that photo, but on the blue cap one of the legs appears to have a resister on it but it's covered in yellow heat strink.
Agreed it's probably removing oscillating high frequency. What is interesting is I have RA passive mains conditioners and clamps, yet this component was still having an audio effect. I did contact RA and they offered to look at what someone had done to the cable to see if the components would have failed safe, that won't be happening now as I removed them last night .
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Ahh varistor acts like a switch but then when switched on that is between the two conductors - it could be a slowblow fuse or a resistor acting the same.. but breaking the link with a resistor burning up is a little risky!
NickK,
Just to clarify again, it's the yellow one that appears it was rolling off the high frequencies? I ask I might refit that one at some point. Also if I got a really good photo of what was written on it, could you find out if it would fail safe?
This is how the 2 were fitted in the Wattgate side.
Just to clarify again, it's the yellow one that appears it was rolling off the high frequencies? I ask I might refit that one at some point. Also if I got a really good photo of what was written on it, could you find out if it would fail safe?
This is how the 2 were fitted in the Wattgate side.
The gold/silver/rhodium plating makes a better electrical contact over brass, rhodium especially is also more durable. The audio grade Wattgates have multiple layers of plating, all the Wattgates are Cyro treated also, again it's all to do with improving conductivity.
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There is potential for dangerous failings with them - though most likely they'd have either just gone bang very dramatically but not dangerously or produced a lot of smoke without much fire risk. If the appropriate ones are used they'd be of the safety capacitor type - the problem really is if someone has slapped them in without knowing what they are doing resulting in potential fire or electrocution risk vs designed in - though personally I'm not a fan at all of capacitors used in this way on the AC side if you can implement them on the DC side.
Difficult to be sure with limited information but at a guess that yellow one was filtering above somewhere in the low 100s of KHz.
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Thanks for looking at those. Your totally correct, if someone has fitted these without knowing what they are doing, then the risk exists, this was my concern. As said I've removed them
Ok I get they are more conductive, but surely the fact they are plated over a layer of nickel negates any increase in conductivity?
The nickel will oxidize then sound worse, so they plate over it with either gold , silver or rhodium. The Nickel layer is only there to prevent the leeching of the copper to outside layer.
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Like I said I'm not electrically minded but the connection is made on the gold plating for good conductivity, it then has to pass through a layer of nickel (poor conductivity) to get to the copper (good conductivity)..... I don't get the benefit.