DIY mains, oh dear :(

figured my mains was worth a shot after the advice i recieved in my other thread
so i built one of the triode designs dual filters, plugged it in.............
oh dear

sound was awfull, really 2D and wooly.

so, erm, do i need to get something like the isotek? after cables first.

guess im not cut out for DIY, good job it wasnt plumbing

 

Before you spend a load of money on an IsoTek box, try some Eupen power cables. You'll be pleasantly surprised

Michael.

 

There is some measure of opinion that all 'mains conditioners' or 'filters' will have this effect to a smaller or greater extent.

 

I shouldnt be disheartened.

Did you try borrowing any mains isolation/regeneration kit to see if you thought it made a positive contribution?


NB
I still think youd get more joy in chopping in the audiolab for a beefy Class A amp but thats just me...

these sound kind of interesting

AUDION platinum hybrid , valve input stage , mosfet output, remote controlled integrated amp 1500new, £650
www.emporium.dircon.co.uk

EXPOSURE 7/8 PRE/POWER RRP: £N/A Price: £400.00
www.hifitradingstation.com

Audio Analogue- Bellini/Donizetti £550
www.audiophilecandy.co.uk

Id better stop... Im getting carried away!

 

Terry,

Thats why we have been suggesting trying some cables on sale or return so that if Penance doesnt like them, they can go back and nothing is lost.

I agree with you on conditoning for naim kit, it is a waste of time, but for other stuff it can reap big dividends

Robbo

 

Perhaps the starting point is dedicated consumer unit and dedicated spurs? Provide as little resistance as possible to the electrical supply to the components rather than try to 'suck' the rf out of supply.

 

i dont think audusa do SOR, but i think i might order one tomorrow as a DIY shabby cable made some improvement

not completely disheartened just realised DIY may not be my forte. I think i might try and get a home demo on some mains kit

I agree with the idea of a new amp, just trying to sort other cheaper stuff while i save a tad. One problem with lookin at nice s/h kit is not haveing the cash at the time doh!

i think maybe i need to just save, was just downhearted after that much soldering

 

have you checked your finished attempt against the plans , just to make sure you haven,t made an obvious mistake ?
if you think it,s been made correctly , then might i suggest you plug it into the mains , somewhere away from your hifi , and just give it time to settle down .if it,s ok to have burn-in with cables , equipment , etc , then i can,t see any harm in applying the same rule to a homemade filter .
the other thing to try is , as the others have said , to try and borrow something like a mains conditioner . i,m sure your local shop will have at least one to try .
i,m not suggesting filters , just a conditioner(they are basically an isolation transformer , some may have a little filter as well )just to see if you like what it does .
i really think that this is the way to go ,
favoured on here is the trichord , but you can get lynwoods for lower prices , theres ben duncans at about the same price as the trichord and theres the isotek(but these are dear)
hope this is of use .

 

kermit is correct, I would also give the filter plenty of time to bed in, upto a couple of weeks before you throw it away. Which mains cable did you try ?

Your mains might be really bad, do you hear pops and things when fridges kick in ?
Alternatively if you have good mains adding a filter will effect the sound, and not nessesarily for the best.

 

Kermit, ill try that. Ill leave it plugged in for a while and see if it settles.
Im not sure if i can get trichord here, only ones ive seen is isotek in local shops, but ill see if i can get a home trial.

 

penance,
a lot of people on here run mains filters quite happily however i saw an article a while ago saying that some mains filters alter the impedance of the mains supply which can cause some amplifiers to loose their bottom end if large power demands are met. not being into electronics i'm not rellay sure how realistic this is but some have noted this occurrence when using mains filters so there may be something in it. i'd say try some mains filters but make sure they are on sale or return.
cheers


julian

 

I think ill order a decent cable today
if i go eupen is it worth paying extra for the bigger IEC connector?

 

yes, and ideally you'll need two cables, one for the CDP and one for the amp.

Robbo

 

cheers Robbo

 

just looked at the site, all a bit confusing
i assume whatever cable i get i want the MK tuffplug and Marinco IEC
just not sure what cable
should i get the AC2 or the Eupen?

 

Yes - the site is a little confusing but if you phone them up they're very helpful. The Eupens are the ones to go for IMO (allthough I haven't tried the LAT cables) and they come standard with a Martin Kayser IEC. IMO it's worth shelling out a little extra for the Marinco or Wattgate IEC.

Michael.

 

thanks mate
ill phone them in a bit

 

I notice there is a Vertec Jaya Mains Conditioner for sale on hififorsale - £150 - i don't no anything about it personally, but may be good for someone on a budget. Just FYI, since i don't want it, i don't mind spreading the word

 

The man to ask is your very own Thai Chea of Jondle

He makes them and they are very effective, clean up the mains without losing the music's groove factor.

 

what price are they new?