"We are senior electrical engineering PhD students. We know the difference between dirty and clean waveforms."
I would hope so, but then again, that's why i asked. The mass majority of inverters on the market aren't typically known for being "clean" sources of power. Hence, a distorted waveform in would equal a distorted waveform out. That is, IF the transformer was actually "linear" in operation. I had no idea where you were coming from or what you were basing your comments on, hence the need for clarification.
"The cores were custom nickel and molybdenum alloy EE cores which are already much better than most commercial-grade transformers. Toroids are terrible for isolation transformers and so aren't used for that purpose."
There are TONS of isolation transformers on the market that are of a toroidal design, but thanks for confirming what i've been saying for several years now. Many of the various "computer grade" or "commercial grade" iso's that come in cute little cabinets are toroidal. In fact, most all newer gear uses a toroidal based power supply because it is FAR cheaper to make, FAR cheaper to ship ( less weight ), FAR cheaper to house ( less weight means less rugged chassis ), etc... Only problem is, they allow GOBS more line noise into the componentry and typically saturate much faster than a well built "iron core" transformer.
The fact that audiophiles have been led to believe that toroidals are "superior" is strictly the marketing department pumping out snake oil by the gallons. The only things that toroidals are superior at is generating a profit margin and they "may" be better at reducing stray magnetic fields. This will depend on the construction of the "old school" iron core transformer though.
"Keep in mind too that with any power conditioning, the impact on the sound is largely dependant on the quality of the components' power supplies."
I agree as stated in the above response. On top of that, most power supplies are lacking, hence the great variance in power cord effectiveness from component to component. Some components make use of much better power supply design and parts selection and others make use of parts that "get the job done". There's a big difference in performance levels between the two. Sean
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