Advice needed on power cables, wall warts, conditioning, electrical outlet


Hi everyone,

I would appreciate any advice on power cables, wall warts, power conditioning, better electrical outlet,  etc. 

If I have a power conditioner, with all of my equipment plugged into it with their stock cables, would upgrading the individual components’ power cable, wall wart etc. really help to improve the sound quality?  If yes, in what order of priority would you suggest?  Looking to make some low/moderate cost "tweaks" where it makes sense.

FWIW, here’s my setup:

  • 15 amp dedicated electrical circuit with standard home grade grounded electrical outlet.
  • Furman PL Plus-C power conditioner (repurposed from my music equipment studio rack) plugged into this AC outlet.  (Furman has a hardwired power cable, so I cannot easily swap it out)
  • All of my audio equipment plugs into the Furman: e.g. integrated tube amp, DAC, Sound Expander, ethernet to optical converter, Sonore Optical Rendu (feeds the DAC via USB), and Small Green Computer Roon server.
  • All components have their respective manufacturers’ standard issue power cord or wall wart.  (Sonore Optical Rendu with their Small Green Computer standard LPS).
  • TrendNet ethernet switch, not on the conditioner and uses wall wart.  CAT 8 to upstairs to my Asus router also wall wart and not on conditioner.
  • Asus router to Verizon FIOS ONT via CAT 8 ethernet.

Any advice and comments would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks a lot!

bogbeat

Showing 4 responses by alexberger

Toroidal transformers are the worst for amplifier power supply.

I thing for isolation transformers should be the same. 

Hi @terry9 ,

At least for tube amplifiers all best producers:

Tango, Tamura, Kondo, Audio Note, Hashimoto, Lundahl

don't make toroidal power transformers. In the tubes world toroidal power transformers are for cheap solutions.

I don't familiar what transistor amplifier producers do. Probably they use toroidal power transformers more often . 

Regards,

Alex

Hi @terry9 ,

I think it is a function of power consumption.

Typical tube amp power consumption is 100-300 watt. So, for this parameters EI core transformer can be better. External electromagnetic field is less issue for smaller power transformers but a magnetic core quality can be better.

But for big power rating, toroidal transformers have more advantages.

Hi @cakyol ,

For tube amplifiers that don't need a lot of power toroid power transformer is not the best solution. 

Most of tube amplifiers (including most expensive) don't use toroid power transformer. Toroidal power transformers are used only in some budget tube amplifiers or in  some very height power tube amplifiers.