On another DIY audio forum I read about placing a un-connected power transformer on top of or right next to the power transformer of a amp, preamp or other audio equipment. It is said to make the equipment sound better. The exact reason is unknown, but thought to have to do with the radiated field of the power transformer being influenced by the in-active transformer’s core material. This is easy to do with EI core transformers, just set a spare EI core transformer right on top of it. I have tried this and it does make the equipment sound better, more open and dynamic to me. Has anyone here tried this simple experiment? Most tube equipment has EI core power transformers.
Only foolery. It is physically nonsense. And, what is sounds better? More bass, less noise/hum/distortion? Better 2nd harmonics? Again: only fooleries.
If it sounds better to you, just use that method.
But please do not ask for MIT to do a research paper on it.
Just my opinions
But please do not ask for MIT to do a research paper on it.
Just my opinions
If you have not tried it, how do you know? This is the simplest effort that there is, just place a spare transformer that you already have on your power transformer, and then listen.
My audio set has a ferrite transformer inside a 45KHz Fly Back converter. So no iron trasnformer. From the theory, it is still a nonsense.
If the parasitic transformer has its windings unused, thus you can use an unwinded core. So which is the advantage of double the cost in laminations?. The only benefit is for laminations manufacturers.
If the parasitic transformer has its windings unused, thus you can use an unwinded core. So which is the advantage of double the cost in laminations?. The only benefit is for laminations manufacturers.
Which orientation of the transformer cores with respect to each other do you find gives the greatest improvement in openness and dynamism?
You could try some experiments to learn whether there is a "sweet spot" that gives the greatest amount of improvement.
For example, EXPERIMENT 1: draw a chalk line on the un-connected power transformer so you can easily recognize its orientation with respect to the live-and-working transformer. Then try all eight rotations / orientations: north, northeast, east, southeast, south, southwest, west, northwest . Do some orientations sound better than others? Which sounds best?
EXPERIMENT 2: Obtain two more power transformers, one whose core is substantially smaller (Volt-Ampere rating is less than half as big) than the live-and-working transformer. Another whose core is substantially bigger (2X the VA rating or more) than the live-and-working transformer. Try all three. Does one of them sound better than the others?
EXPERIMENT 3: Terminate each winding on the un-connected power transformer, with a 100K resistor. Listen. Change each of the termination resistors to 30K and listen. Then try 10K, 3K, 1K, 300R, 100R. Does one of them sound better than the others?
For example, EXPERIMENT 1: draw a chalk line on the un-connected power transformer so you can easily recognize its orientation with respect to the live-and-working transformer. Then try all eight rotations / orientations: north, northeast, east, southeast, south, southwest, west, northwest . Do some orientations sound better than others? Which sounds best?
EXPERIMENT 2: Obtain two more power transformers, one whose core is substantially smaller (Volt-Ampere rating is less than half as big) than the live-and-working transformer. Another whose core is substantially bigger (2X the VA rating or more) than the live-and-working transformer. Try all three. Does one of them sound better than the others?
EXPERIMENT 3: Terminate each winding on the un-connected power transformer, with a 100K resistor. Listen. Change each of the termination resistors to 30K and listen. Then try 10K, 3K, 1K, 300R, 100R. Does one of them sound better than the others?
If you can have the new transformer's lams in the same plane as the power transformer it sounds best to me. But you might find other ways that sound better.
Maybe because Osvaldo is an ... Engineer?
Because he knows Physics Laws and none backs the nonsense you say?
By the way, how do YOU know? I might add.
So a mystery source, claimed by nobody (real), an unknown "improvement"
Do they pay you to write these things?
Or is it just boredom?
Good experiments, except #3 where loading any winding will cause it not to be "unconnected" any more.
Not that I expect mystery "sound improvements" anyway.
The ages old trick, at least used by Astrologers over 6000 years ago (Egypt-Sumer) but probably even further, by Shamans and such along the Neolithic Era: "my Future prediction is: next week "something important" will happen to you"
which of course is impossible not to happen 🙄
I did, and it fell off and smashed a valve! 😉
Which did not "make the equipment sound better"! 😱
This could potentially alter the magnetic fields and lower circuit induced noise or make it worse.
It is a fact that EI core transformers are 'leaky' and can induce stray currents when their magnetic field lines cross nearby conductors.
This can be a problem when high signal resolution is required, as in measuring instruments and medical devices.
The presence of a nearby, inactive transformer may redirect the stray flux, only for it to interact with other nearby conductors.
As wayne implies, any change in signal resolution caused by the inactive transformer would be unpredictable.
This can be a problem when high signal resolution is required, as in measuring instruments and medical devices.
The presence of a nearby, inactive transformer may redirect the stray flux, only for it to interact with other nearby conductors.
As wayne implies, any change in signal resolution caused by the inactive transformer would be unpredictable.
https://www.stereophile.com/content...I Magic Brick is,is sitting on from scratches.
I thought someone by now would have brought this up.
I thought someone by now would have brought this up.
Oh, so Stereophile says a product by one of their advertisers makes a minute difference. What a shock. Of course it's a single trial by one individual. In a scientific experiment you'd have a few dozen listeners listening to a system with/without the added weight in a blind test. If they rate the system with the weight consistently higher in terms of sound quality you have data. But without a proper experiment setup all you have is the opinion of some dude who writes for Stereophile.
I'm not suggesting that everything audio should be turned into a proper scientific experiment, but I do firmly believe that extraordinary claims should be backed by extraordinary evidence. If the manufacturer of the weight claims it works, they should back it up with theory rooted in the laws of physics. Or, better yet, back their claims up with data obtained from a proper scientific controlled experiment.
Tom
I'm not suggesting that everything audio should be turned into a proper scientific experiment, but I do firmly believe that extraordinary claims should be backed by extraordinary evidence. If the manufacturer of the weight claims it works, they should back it up with theory rooted in the laws of physics. Or, better yet, back their claims up with data obtained from a proper scientific controlled experiment.
Tom
Can somebody explain how distribution of stray leakage flux is unaffected by a mass of ferromagnetic material in close proximity?
Who said that?
Straw argument.
Besides, that´s not the thread point.
Try instead: "Can somebody explain how putting transformer near another improves sound?"
With facts, sound samples, measurements, etc.
The usual proof