Digital "Grunge" and Component Power Supplies

Plato,

No doubt I will have to acquire an oscilloscope to set my mind at ease.

If I was a manufacturer of power conditioning equipment that really worked, I'd have four images in my product literature: 1) a trace of the AC line at my office or wherever entering a power supply, 2) a trace exiting the power supply (full disclosure of power supply design with part numbers) and 3) & 4) repeat of 1) & 2) with my conditioner in place. I don't see that kind of advertising.

No particular component needs to be measured. I was curious about minimum requirements for some known levels of common AC noise.

The probable reason that so many products exist is because the market is easy prey.

The stock power supplies in most components do not effectively filter out the EMI and RFI interference, nor do they protect against AC surges.

How do you know this? That's the point of my question. We have been assuming it to be true, but where's teh evidence. Regarding surges, I agree that the component could not withstand a direct lightning strike, but they do handle, by design, a wide range of AC voltage fluctations. That's why there are regulators in the power supplies.

Shadorne, thanks for the rational response.

I've read references to the pro +4dbu versus consumer -10dbu level several times, but I've not read an explanation. Could you provide one?

Thanks for the link, Shadorne. Nice and concise.

I may be way off, but I think the higher signal level used in pro gear yields a higer signal to noise ratio. For a given environment, the noise will be the same regardless of the signal level.

-- Bob