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In Reply to: RE: Ferrites Rule! posted by Maxamillion on January 09, 2011 at 20:32:50
I don't happen to use ferrites, though you are absolutely correct in your assertion about them as inexpesive RFI filters.
Years ago, and in successive waves, AA inmates have posted first positive and then not so positive reviews on ferrites. Seems they are trickier in some locations and you can easily overdo them - according to the others - so I never bothered. Same with ERS cloth, which also works in moderation in some places, but not in others.
So far crystals have shown me no downside at all, and that's been the reports I've seen from other posters and friends. Only one I know has ever claimed to reach a limit for crystal filtering, and he had more of them than I could ever consider in my own home.
Follow Ups:
I'm still experimenting with the ferrites on the cables of my stereo system, but putting them on all the other power cables in the house is a no brainer to me based on their low cost. Even better than filtering out the RFI is not letting it get into your system in the first place, so the ferrites are on the power cords or hard-wired cables of my two refrigerators, washer, stove, toaster oven, dishwasher, sump pump, burglar alarm, water treatment system, central air conditioner, internet router, TVs, cable boxes, wireless phone chargers, cell phone chargers, DVD player, etc. After placement of all the ferrites there was a noticable increase in detail, clarity and 3-D imaging in my stereo system, even though I already use a PS Audio Power Plant Premier AC regenerator for all my components.
As far as the stereo equipment, I have found a positive effect by placing one on the umbilical cable between my tube preamp power supply and preamp units. Clamping two onto the dedicated 12 gauge Romex where it enters the listening room and at the breaker box end also yielded an improvement in sound. Placing them on my shielded power cords does not seem to have any effect.
Yup, they really work. And should be quite 'safe' at the sources as you are doing.
I doubt that many AAers think they don't work, rather they are probably concerned that they may have a negative effect also. And I suppose they might depending upon which ones you use and where you use them. No surprise there, nails are like that also, they work pretty well in walls, not so good in tires. But ferrites (aka Z-beads) are magic bullets when doing EMI work, both for investigation and often for the cure. Stir in 3M shielding tape, tinfoil and a spectrum analyzer and you have the EMI engineer's toolbox.
As far as using them directly on your stereo system, well it all depends on the problems and implementations of the system. I've got them on every speaker cable for instance because I had a problem with a local ham transmitter years ago and haven't bothered to remove them even though he has since ditched the beam. There's a case where the signal is well balanced so it doesn't see the bead but incoming RFI is mostly longitudinal and sees their full permeability and loss tangent. All to the good in my book. Interconnects and power cords are shakier because they both tend to have at least some longitudinal signal component. Try and see is the name of the game since so much depends on how the gear is implemented and what the local RF environment is like. I think you are right on course.
Rick
I too use ferrites on all other components plugged into my power grid, excepting the actual audio components. It certainly cuts down on the RF noise generated by such things as lamps and other household appliances.
I came across the need when I started using a 1/2 HP compressor for my air bearing arm. Despite being placed on a totally separate breaker, every time the compressor kicked on I hear an unpleasant thump in the main system. No amount of filtering of the main system could eliminate that thump, until I placed a simple PLC on the compressor line itself. That cured any noise and brought forth the issue of filtering every thing else on the power grid: more expensive, but more effective.
Stu
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