hardwired Balanced Mains Transformer install

[Dr Bunsen Honeydew]

Jammy - those came from here http://s37.photobucket.com/user/Politic ... 2.gif.html

They came from a dog chasing its tail............

Jammy scroll down the page for other options, and look at the links on the left to grab the img for posting here. There are thousands of pages like this just search on google ***** smiley photobucket.

[Dr Bunsen Honeydew]

Anyway back to the subject. Sov you are a provaricator you equivocate over every subject, I don't think I have ever got a straight answer from you.

Your homework is -

1/ valve v solid state
2/ regen v balun or combined

Please get your homework in by Monday or we will have to give you detention

[Gazjam]

Gaz ....As mentioned to My pal James elsewhere.....Cant ya just cut the bull and post some pos or neg findings............
Cause like elsewhere this thread is IMHO chasing its tail in fukin circles........

WTF..............Help guys - Is it just me.

its just you.
Read the bloody thing properly

{sarcastic hat on}

some pos or neg findings from the original post...

CONCLUSION AND FINAL THOUGHTS
So...all wired up, safety tested and ready to go.
In my experience a new DIY mains lead can take some time to fully settle down and get its final sound. In the case of this install, there were so many variables; a new balanced mains transformer, new cables, many many new connections and terminal wiring etc that I just never even thought about it. I decided to just switch it on and enjoy it.
I did make a point though of doing everything at once so that any cable burn in etc would happen at the same time - across the whole setup.
The sound right from the get-go was very obviously better - a LOT better than it was before plumbing in the hardwired balanced mains.
Noise floor just about vanished. So what does the noise floor sound like? Dunno..but you now its gone when its gone; everything is more dynamic sounding, more detailed, but (and this is the best part for me) with a more natural sense of timing and the music having "space" to do its thing..no rush, no hurry..just music. Its MORE than just the 3am sound quality during the day cliche...balanced mains brings something really special to the table.
I had heard just how bad my mains quality was when Ali Tait brought his own balanced mains transformer over to mine for a listen. Massive improvement - and his was the type that you plugged in and had two 13a sockets for equipment that we plugged a mains block into.
That first morning of switch on my own BPS installation sounded at least as good as what we all heard when Ali brought his over. I would say that over the last couple of weeks its got noticably better.

Hands down its the best upgrade EVER in my system, and I've had a couple of major upgrades that the rest of the visiting AOS guys noticed at the same time.
But these were not as obvious and improvement as plumbing in the balanced mains.
I really feel hardwiring was well worth it. A lot more work sure, but I will have ended up with a mains system of a lot less impedance feeding my hifi system which has resulted in a fantastic upgrade.
Even my Plasma TV and Tivo has taken a leap in quality, watching 1080p bluray rips on the server is fantastic.

As I said at the start, mains quality can make SUCH a massive difference to how good your hifi sounds. If you have excellent mains quality already in your home..you may not get as much milage out of it as I did, but in my case it's (yes, here it comes...) night and day.
Interstingly enough, there was a debate about balanced mains vs mains regeneration?
I have heard an Power Inspired AG500 mains regen unit in my system before the balanced mains was put in and yes, the Ag500 improved the sound. It was subtle though, unlike balanced mains which was immediate, obvious and made me grin like a loon.

I got all the work checked by an electrician before I hooked it all up and switched on, so I feel confident I can just enjoy the music.
If your not a qualified electrician, and you want to hardwire into your mains, get a professional in to advise at least. Safety first.

I hope this might be useful for someone, to me its a no brainer upgrade. Makes the best of the kit you have.

{sarcastic hat off}

Seriously Jammy, ask away if you want to know anything else.

[Gazjam]

Thank you once again guys for trying to enlighten me.

I do wonder sometimes if I have heard this "phenomenon" more at my BILs house ,sometimes it sounds spot on, we just have a session and really enjoy it then other times it just sounds "flat" a bit lifeless

He uses a Single Ended valve amplifier, is this type of amplification more susceptible

Cheers

Ronin

Hi Ronin,
I have a valve amp too, push pull though not SET and it wasn't particularly sensitive to mains quality fluctuation compared to any solid state amp I had.
Prior to the balanced mains being plumbed in everything sounded better in the wee hours when electrical load was reduced.

If i was slotting in a AG1500 with my balanced mains setup it would need to be AFTER the transformer I'd think, as the 1.5KVA output from the AG1500 would bottleneck the BPS's 2KVA rating.

I'd set it up like this:


this would mean that the AG1500 would be presented with the lowest impedance feed possible and let it do its thing properly.
In my own setup I could install the regen unit in the other room with my transformer, so noise wouldn't be an issue.

I'd be tempted to open the AG up and hardwire everything mind!

[Sovereign]

Gaz
The voltage on both legs of my BPS was completely balanced, but after the AG1500 there was about a 12v difference, I cant remember why, it's in the Power Inspired thread.

[Sovereign]

Anyway back to the subject. Sov you are a provaricator you equivocate over every subject, I don't think I have ever got a straight answer from you.

Your homework is -

1/ valve v solid state
2/ regen v balun or combined

Please get your homework in by Monday or we will have to give you detention

The valve/ss issue is an interesting one.
Initially I bought a Yaqin mc 100b while which was Really good, I bought it A LOT less than it is worth as I didn't have the money to get my A80's fixed. I was very happy with it indeed.
RD Kindly re cased my A80's and I had them back fixed for the first time in maybe 9 months. I popped them streight into my hifi, let them warm up for the afternoon then sat down with a beer and wond up the wick, I was very surprised how good they sounded; two reasons a) after 9 months or so I had forgotten how good these amps were and b) the A80's were running on balanced mains which they wern't before which had a dramatically positive effect, (Jammy take note I have just commented on the effect balanced mains has ) do I prefer valve or SS? I don't know as yet, one thing I do know is that NVA amps have a sweater and more neutral mid range than I had appreciated before.
I wanted to push the valve experience a little further so I borrowed another Yaqin Mc100b than had been massively modded by Anthony TD, and this is the amp that I am using now. The modded Yaqin has the same house sound as the stock Yaqin but ( the stock amp is an integrated, the modded amp has had the pre amp section stripped out and the power supply has been modded) it is a lot more open, detailed, and very realistic and three diminutional. I plan to listen to the modded Yaqin for a few more days then put the A80's back in and report back then.
It is due to the amp comparisons that I have not messed around with the different order of a regen and BPS. I really don't like changing too many things at any one time as you don't know from which component the difference in sound is coming from. To throw a spanner in the process I am having a dedicated power supply from the house tails to my hifi in the next week or so, so there is a lot changing in a fairly short period of time.

[jammy395]

James please forgive - But - Do you like yer yaqin..............

[selby]

Question for anyone who has a AG500 or AG1500 - what IEC input/output leads are you using? Standard or Specialist?

Is there any benefit in getting an upgraded "hifi" plug socket? Or are special sockets, plugs and leads pointless?

[Sovereign]

James please forgive - But - Do you like yer yaqin..............

Yes mate I do, very detailed, open and a strong bass presentation, not what I expected from valves at all. Very realistic sound.

[Sovereign]

Question for anyone who has a AG500 or AG1500 - what IEC input/output leads are you using? Standard or Specialist?

Is there any benefit in getting an upgraded "hifi" plug socket? Or are special sockets, plugs and leads pointless?

I use a Mark Grant DSP 2.5 power chord to power the unit, as I had it lying around, very good cable BTW.
From the AG1500 to the MK copper (again very good) sockets I have just used T&E for now, then from the sockets to my hifi I have Mark Grant DSP 2.5.
The Mark Grants are Very cheap as well which is great