Power options?

[Bvbellomo]

For all the talk on various equipment on this forum, I don't see much discussion of "surge protectors", "line conditioners" and "power centers" meant for audio. I know many of these products are snake oil, but I still need something to plug equipment into.

My setup involves a Cambridge Audio 851N/651W combo which worked great for a year. I suddenly got a lot of static on my left channel, and switching to unbalanced RCA connectors got around the problem but created a ground-loop hum. After wasting too much time disconnecting various devices and trying them ungrounded, I realized the surge protector itself is the problem.

 

[VintageFlanker]

For all the talk on various equipment on this forum, I don't see much discussion of "surge protectors", "line conditioners" and "power centers" meant for audio. I know many of these products are snake oil

Not "many". All of them.

My setup involves a Cambridge Audio 851N/651W combo which worked great for a year. I suddenly got a lot of static on my left channel, and switching to unbalanced RCA connectors got around the problem but created a ground-loop hum. After wasting too much time disconnecting various devices and trying them ungrounded, I realized the surge protector itself is the problem.

Sorry to disappoint, but your Cambridge (at least one of them, perhaps both) is just faulty. Nothing surprising for something from their crappy 851x line.

 

[Bvbellomo]

This reply was not helpful. I am going to plug my devices into something. Unless you feel it doesn't matter at all what I use, advice would be appreciated.

Up until New Years, I was extremely happy with both Cambridge devices. I am still very happy with at "leat" one of them.

 

[egellings]

Not "many". All of them.

Sorry to disappoint, but your Cambridge (at leat one of them, perhaps both) is just faulty. Nothing surprising for something from their crappy 851x line.

Surge protection could be useful.

 

[VintageFlanker]

Surge protection could be useful.

For the issue the OP describes? Absolutely not.

This reply was not helpful.

Perhaps it was just what you needed to hear more than what you wanted to... My bad.

 

[Bvbellomo]

What I wanted to hear was advice on what to plug my devices into. I want to avoid something like the surge protector I am using now, which generates ground-loop hum. Opinions on whether surge protection is useful, or if there are differences in surge protection, would also be helpful.

You hijacked my thread to make irrelevant and non-specific insults without offering any actual advice - so yes, that is definitely not something I wanted to hear.

 

[DVDdoug]

I am going to plug my devices into something.

There are all kinds of inexpensive power strips and many of them have surge protection built-in.

The surge protector is an inexpensive little device that's normally used in conjunction with a fuse. When higher-than-normal voltage comes-in, its resistance drops, "excess current" flows through the device which reduces the voltage spike, and if the high voltage is sustained (hopefully) the fuse (or the main circuit breaker) blows before the device itself burns-up.

It's not a noise filter. There are some power strips and other "outlet boxes" with filters but It's hit-or-miss, whether it filters any particular noise.

 

[ta240]

.... After wasting too much time disconnecting various devices and trying them ungrounded, I realized the surge protector itself is the problem.

I had a physical toroidal transformer hum in my amp and found when I removed the Tripp Lite Isobar that my DAC was plugged into, on the same outlet, the hum went away. It didn't cause the issue originally so something failed in it and was causing a problem.

 

[majingotan]

Just DIY your own power strip and get what you want exactly. I plug all my equipment straight to the wall myself no power strips in between

I had a physical toroidal transformer hum in my amp and found when I removed the Tripp Lite Isobar that my DAC was plugged into, on the same outlet, the hum went away.

That's a DC leakage to your transformer. Eliminating DC was the right choice

 

[ta240]

Wirecutter did a test where they hit them with 5000 volts and came up with 3 choices.
The ones with filtering are a different topic that won't go over well here.

 

[Bvbellomo]

There are all kinds of inexpensive power strips and many of them have surge protection built-in.

The surge protector is an inexpensive little device that's normally used in conjunction with a fuse. When higher-than-normal voltage comes-in, its resistance drops, "excess current" flows through the device which reduces the voltage spike, and if the high voltage is sustained (hopefully) the fuse (or the main circuit breaker) blows before the device itself burns-up.

It's not a noise filter. There are some power strips and other "outlet boxes" with filters but It's hit-or-miss, whether it filters any particular noise.

I don't think I need or want a noise filter. I have no noise with the devices plugged straight into the wall outlet. I want to avoid buying another surge protector that generates noise itself.

Do I need or want surge protection? If so, is all surge protection the same? Or should I care about what it is rated for?

 

[VintageFlanker]

You hijacked my thread to make irrelevant and non-specific insults without offering any actual advice - so yes, that is definitely not something I wanted to hear.

You need to calm down straight away. There wasn't any "insult" to speak about.

For the rest, I let you hope that you can fix an issue that is absolutely not related to power, but to your actual devices.

Enjoy.

 

[Bvbellomo]

Just DIY your own power strip and get what you want exactly. I plug all my equipment straight to the wall myself no power strips in between

I can build a DIY power strip, but not for less than the cost of buying one on Amazon or the local drug store unless I want something specific. And a DIY power strip probably won't look as nice.

I don't have an outlet near my TV, and only have 1 non-switched outlet reasonably close. I can add more outlets to the room, but want to avoid that as it will look weird and I may sell the house soon.

 

[Bvbellomo]

You need to calm down straight away. There wasn't any "insult" to speak about.

For the rest, I let you hope that you can fix an issue that is absolutely not related to power, but to your actual devices.

Enjoy.

I asked what I should plug my devices into and you went off on how "crappy" Cambridge is. For argument sake, suppose I replace it with whatever preamp you believe is best. I'd still need to plug it into something, and that is the issue I asked about.

 

[majingotan]

I can build a DIY power strip, but not for less than the cost of buying one on Amazon or the local drug store unless I want something specific. And a DIY power strip probably won't look as nice.

At least you get to control everything that goes inside it. You're not bound to 18awg wires from the inexpensive ones that can get hot when a lot of current/wattage is flowing and you can certainly get whatever you want.

If you want snake oil for your DIY power strip here you go:

 

[ta240]

You need to calm down straight away. There wasn't any "insult" to speak about.

" your Cambridge (at least one of them, perhaps both) is just faulty. Nothing surprising for something from their crappy 851x line."

I guess it could be a cultural thing but telling someone that what they own is crap, is considered an insult in many places. Especially when the question wasn't 'what do you think of this equipment?". I'll never understand the inclination by some here to bash others purchases.

 

[ta240]

That's a DC leakage to your transformer. Eliminating DC was the right choice

I wonder what, in the surge suppressor, was leaking DC.

 

[RayDunzl]

There's been a fair amount of discussion already.

Search results for query: surge

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[Bvbellomo]

" your Cambridge (at least one of them, perhaps both) is just faulty. Nothing surprising for something from their crappy 851x line."

I guess it could be a cultural thing but telling someone that what they own is crap, is considered an insult in many places. Especially when the question wasn't 'what do you think of this equipment. I'll never understand the inclination by some here to bash others purchases.

It isn't that he insulted me. I asked a legitimate question, and for the first reply to my thread, he completely ignored my question to say something mean about someone else. And it wasn't even a technical criticism. If he has actual technical arguments against Cambridge, he should post them, he should just start a new thread. This whole forum is based on good technical product reviews. Hijacking someone else thread to call something "crappy" completely ruins that.

 

[Triliza]

Do I need or want surge protection? If so, is all surge protection the same? Or should I care about what it is rated for?

If you don't have any problem with the power grid or the weather where you live, probably you can get away without any protection. But it definitely doesn't hurt to have some kind of protection, a whole home solution could be cheaper and protect other appliances too. This unit seems to do the job (judging by the comments):

https://www.amazon.com/Siemens-FS14...refix=surge+protector+fs1,aps,309&sr=8-2&th=1