Electrical question
 

Now Mr Jazz is going to be really, really sad to leave his turntable, CD, amplifier, and all that jazz behind when we move to the US in a couple of months.
Secretly, I'm really, really pleased because it takes up so much space, along with his speakers, and the wires drive me nuts. :fingerscrossed:
However, he tells me that wireless sound quality simply doesn't cut the mustard.

Now he's talking about using transformers and taking them with us.

So my question is, is this a possibility? Can he use transformers for all the stuff and therefore bring it with us?

I am asking this as an electrical dunce :o. He's been trying to explain but I would like another opinion.

Re: Electrical question
 

Yes he can. Step-up transformers are available and he could bring everything with him - sorry to disappoint.

If he's that much of a purist, he'd be much happier doing that than to build a new system here. I used to house-share with a purist, so I know what you mean. My roommate took his amplifier, speakers and complete vinyl collection to the other side of London, where the shop set it all up in a mock-up of his living room, all to help him choose a high-end turntable which cost something like $1200, 25 years ago!

Re: Electrical question
 

Yes, it will all work, and I did it myself as I had hifi components that were good enough to not want to replace.

He should look for a "smoothing transformer", as that will remove the noise that is present in US mains. He should then use a British power strip, so one transformer will run everything. The transformer should also have substantial overcapacity so as not to limit the power to the amplifier - I think mine is a 1Kw transformer even though on paper only about 300w would be sufficient for all my hifi components running simultaneously.

There can be issues with insurance if you use a transformer, i.e. if your home burns down your claim may be denied. So your husband should be sure that he always unplug his transformer when he isn't actually listening to his hifi.

Re: Electrical question
 

Or you could try to convince him that the supposed superior quality of 'high end' / 'audiophile' components is mostly a psychological chimera. In double-blind tests people can't tell the difference between a $300 amplifier and a $3000 amplifier.

Re: Electrical question
 

While most electrical should be fine using a step-up transformer, be aware that the US runs on 60Hz vs 50Hz in the UK. This can be a problem with motors in particular running at a different speed. This may affect the turntable causing it to run at the wrong speed. You'll be listening to the munchkins.

Re: Electrical question
 

I was going to mention this too. Couldn't this also lead to some long term damage to the device spinning at a different speed? I think this might be more a problem than simply the 110 vs. 220 issue.

Re: Electrical question
 

This has been mentioned and discussed many times in connection with motors
(in general), but several of our members with much more knowledge about electrical engineering than most of us, have asserted that most motors do not spin at a different speed as a function of mains frequency. I do not know how this might apply to a hi-fi turntable as I have never unboxed mine to give it a try. If and when I do so I would be happy to report back. :)

Re: Electrical question
 

You probably won't like this answer :p but he probably can go to a decent hifi shop and get them to convert to 110v and put on new power leads/plugs. I did this 25 years ago when i moved over and brought my turntable and amplifier with me.

Re: Electrical question
 

25 years ago there were plenty of decent hifi shops and a few excellent hifi shops. They are few and far between these days. Most have been put out of business by the likes of Best Buy, Walmart :eek: and Amazon.

Re: Electrical question
 

Specialist hifi shops are obviously not two-a-penny but there may be more repair specialists than you're aware of. I had no trouble finding a repair specialist to work on a CD player that I brought with me from the UK.
A lot of electronics/ power supplies these days work on 100-250v, so if may be only the power cord that needs swapping anyway.

Re: Electrical question
 

I actually did this in England before having them shipped. There are still quite a few decent HiFi stores over there. I guess it will be dependent on the turntable and amp itself whether or not they are easy to convert. Neither of mine were a problem.

Re: Electrical question
 

I think this was the case with the amp back then. Turntable was not so easy. I think i may even have had the manufacturer do it for me. Didn't cost much if I recall.

Re: Electrical question
 

I have a high end amplifier sitting between my 3D BluRay player and 3D television... and a 7.1 speaker system. The amp has a USB input and I have a USB turntable, so I can listen to my vinyl collection without problems. The amp up-converts the stereo audio signal to 5.1 surround sound. Not too shabby when listening to Sgt. Pepper. Sheila says her ears bleed when I have it turned up too much! I say: "too much" is not possible!

Ian

Re: Electrical question
 

The different frequency (50 vs 60 Hz) may or may not affect the motor speed (depends on the type of motor) but most high-end turntables from the good old days used strobe markings on the platter to help you set the correct rotary speed. Those strobe markings were designed to 'stand still' when at the correct speed in 50 Hz or 60 Hz lighting. I THINK my old turntable had both 50Hz and 60Hz markings. So the issue isn't motor based but lighting based.

As for the whole Hi Fi thing - I'm with HDWill below; I think it's largely a marketing thing and people really can't tell the difference. As a young man, I spent a bloody fortune on 'gear' and finally grew to realize it was a pain in the ass/waste of money. I also found I was 'listening for problems' rather than enjoying the underlying music ("was that a crackle? was that hiss? was that distortion?" etc). Once I finally 'broke free' from the chains of the pursuit of perfection, I found I enjoyed music a lot more :)

What makes me laugh the most is the respect people give to vinyl / turntables. I don't care how 'good' a vinyl pressing is, or the turntable / stylus, you can't ever get rid of scratches and dust. I used to be totally obsessive about cleaning (and keeping clean) my 'records', but there were always crackles and pops due to dust and scratches, despite my best efforts.

Re: Electrical question