Moving to France


We are planning a move to France fairly soon. Does anyone know the best way to cleanly transform the 240v european voltage down to 117 without a bunch of hum?

areed622
I'm sorry. Hopefully you will not be stuck there long. Get a step down transformer, avoid the no-go zones, watch out for the poop and needles, and you should be fine.
Many manufactures will convert the power supplies in your equipment to whatever voltage you require. Many already have that capability already built in.

contact the individual manufacturers and inquire regard voltage conversions.  

Step up or step down transformers are good, but you would probably need a pretty hefty one.  And they costs.


enjoy
Isn't it awful how mc just vomits his bogus talking points at the drop of a beret?
Yes. I make a point of not reading anything MC writes, but he cunningly camouflaged himself with a short post, so I too was afflicted. Yecch. I feel dirty.
To the OP: yes, a toroidal step-down transformer is just the ticket. I suggest sizing it at about half again the total 'wattage' of your components. Plitron used to sell good ones, but they have become pretty hard to deal with - you could try.

Drink a Grand Cru for me!
Contact your manufacturer for precise info for each device. (minorl is correct.)
Many power supplies have transformer primaries which can be switched from parallel to series by moving a few wires, and changing the fuse and IEC power wire (they hesitate to reveal this to reduce grey market imports).Have a great time in France and the food is wonderful! (Escargot is only an appetizer). Learn the language.
You don't mention how long you're planning to live there, since you want to keep your components I assume it's a temporary move. Step down transformer would be the easiest route. If you're taking a turntable it might not run correct as the 50hz would make the motor turn slightly slower. There are frequency converters but they're pricey.
Once there, try to check out some restaurants and bakeries run by American ex-pats. They’re off the beaten track but are making a huge splash in the culinary world. I saw it on some cooking channel and can’t, for the life of me, remember which one, or I’d send you a link.

You’re in the wine capital of the world, and for that, I’m jealous. 🍷🍷🍷

All the best,
Nonoise
"what about snail conversion?"

Not the best choice. It slows the rhythm a bit.

Enjoy France, it is a pleasant place in fact.
France is great! Toured it quite extensively.
The major cities are like any other, apart from the usual tourist traps. The countryside is fabulous.
Post removed 
nonoise6,267 postsIsn’t it awful how mc just vomits his bogus talking points at the drop of a beret?

Each post speaks volumes of the state of being miserable in one’s own skin and the distorted perspective that goes with it. That world, I can guarantee, is one where the suffering goes unrecognized because it’s the water he's swimming in. What a burden. What tedium.
Hum is caused by earth loops not transformers, unless your cables are not properly shielded. Otherwise, you have no worries.

Some manufacturers have multiple voltage support in their devices.  If that is the case, you are in luck, otherwise....get a transformer and do NOT skimp on it unless you want a fire in your house, get the best (US made, not Chinese).  Get one at least 1.5 times your maximum need.  

https://acupwr.com/pages/voltage-transformers-converters



I once heard that wearing a shirt that has some reference to CA gets one treated in a civil or better fashion.....take one and test...

What part/locale?  If Paris, practice 'driving' with Grand Theft Auto 6...

"The fender you save may be your own (leased vehicle)..." ;)
I was relocated to the Netherlands years back and I sent my VAC amp and ARC LS15 pre amp in to get converted to 220V  Went to France all the time, and even drove in Paris!
You will love it!
Lucky for me my company made up for the difference in the cost of living and l was taxed with the US rate Also my company car and gas card sure helped!! If you know a little French, it goes a long way! Bon Voyage!
Depending on what level of anarchy ensues in November & after -- I myself will be away in a holding zone with France high on the more permanent escape route list -- no major audio equipment coming along for this ride. Dragonfly and powered  speakers will do in the short run. I will never live under a authoritarian dictatorship if there exists some practical and affordable way of avoiding it.
Congrats! I too have a similar plan, love France. I’ve worked there for many years, will eventually skip out to Antibes.
Don't do it.
Still time to change your mind.
If you are hellbent, let me know if you find anyone honest there.
I am currently in the Netherlands, having relocated from Canada a few years ago, and likely to go back at an undetermined point in the future. Much of my equipment was dual voltage. The 115 V only items I brought over are on step-up transformers. Many of the new items I have acquired here are dual voltage, but a few are 220 V only - in those cases I confirmed with the manufacturers that they could convert them to 115 V. For most this is cost of shipping. In another case where there was a charge, the retailer committed to paying themselves when it occurs. Worst-case scenario is that the manufacturer goes out of business by the time I do this, but I think I only have this exposure in one case. In that case, I would end up using a step-down transformer when I move back.
Thank you all. My wife is a French national, we have a house in the middle of France, my wife obviously speaks French and I speak French, German, and a little English. Maybe I could use a signal generator (I have a couple of them) and one or two FETs to power the Oracle Delphi. 
If your equipment is also sold in Europe, I would look into replacing internal transformers with a 240V model.
Call Oracle, I bet you can get a 240v motor drive for it.
We've cycled through France twice. Most people think "Paris" when they think of France. The countryside and it's people are wonderful and totally different from the character of Paris. 
The OP posts a question about voltage, and some with no answer to the question simply take it as an opportunity to denigrate the country or people.
They need to think hard about who they are and why they choose to act that way. They demean themselves.

And there are nice people in Paris, too, by the way. I've lived there. 
I think we’ve solved the electrical issues with the step down transformer and it occurs to me that the Oracle tt has a dc power supply so the 50hz supply is a nonissue unless my d-a converter uses 60hz to clock its circuitry. Btw premiere cru Bordeauxs can be bought in the local super marche for 13euros. 
Post removed 

hilde45
841 posts
The OP posts a question about voltage, and some with no answer to the question simply take it as an opportunity to denigrate the country or people.
They need to think hard about who they are and why they choose to act that way. They demean themselves.

The OP is going to possibly the world's densest concentration of human cultural achievement, and one person sees only foulness due to his personal lens. He's to be pitied. Imagine his life.
I lived 3 years in mid-France with an Oracle Delphi. I ran all the front end components off a smaller transformer wired through a US power strip using the US power cords. Be sure to buy a $6 test plug to verify you have plugged in the transformer into the 220v to get the right response on the 115V tester, and mark it so it is plugged in correctly to the 220 v outlet each time. I bought industrial transformers from my company's "matierels usees". I used a bigger transformer for my amp, but I encourage you again to contact the manufacturers to see if a local tech can modify the primary transformer connections.

Hilde, you wrote, "They need to think hard about who they are and why they choose to act that way. They demean themselves."

I wonder about "demean themselves" - as Bob Dylan said - "never tumbles, got no place to fall."
I lived in Paris on Rue Breguet. That’s where I fried my American made Grundig. Until then, I thought all Grundig named products were made in the EU. Anyhow, I’d wait until I got to France and then I’d contact one of the audio stores. There are many in Paris and would think that other larger sized cities would have them also. Products in France are equal in price to those in the states, despite the euro to dollar comparison.
@millercarbon

Poop, no-go zones and needles? Please let me know where in France you went to see it in that light.On second thought, have you even been to France?
@mickeyb

I live in Vancouver and Seattle is a lovely city. Beautiful scenery and great restaurants.As for France, over the years I have visited all four corners from San Sabastien to Avignon to Bordeaux and Paris. All of them were magical.Truth is France or Seattle, there are toilets everywhere if that is how you travel.

@asvjerry

As a Canadian, my suggestion would be to act like a Canadian and then you don't need the shirt.

areed622...*L*  excusez-moi....;)
You have all you need, and then some.  All that's left to say is 'Enjoy!'

tony1954, it would be better if I acted like I was from Montreal, right?
Unfortunately, I'd be from the English-speaking 'side of the tracks', so DOA. *G*
Born 'n bred in SoCal, which is my main excuse. *mock sigh*
Always have had a fascination for 'regional dialects', sayings, pronunciations, etc.
Was informed that CA/SoCal natives DO have a dialect of sorts...

We all sound like we're on or from TV; guess that's what happens when you're raised around them...'vid-speak'...tvtalk....

"...and Now a word (or 1K) from our denouncer...." ;)
"Hi, I'm Darnold Chump, conspiritor of Darnolds' Damaged Democracy...."

...stuff like that....
(A note to the Supervisors:  It's called Ironic Humor, aka Sarcasm, aka MHO.  I'm not attacking Anyone...well, one person, OK...)
excusez-moi.