Russ Andrews Claim.......

[keiths]

Wasn't there a little detector gizmo ("Elfix" or summat?) that was sold years ago that determined the "correct" polarity, or am I imagining it?

Edit - sorry, just read the whole thread

[YNWaN]

No you are not imagining it - RA sold precisely that (may still do for all I know).

[Mr Kipling]

I'm afraid it does Mark Done it with so many Philips based CD players and could hear it blind... Philips leads had a little tongue on the back end of the plug to aid "polarity."

Easy really, from my numpty perspective anyway. The "best" way round for a fig-8 mains cable was to keep the brown live conductor connected to the pole of the unit with the inline fuse.

Ah well. I happily admit to being a numpty, but I heard what I thought I heard

By The Lord Harry! I used to notice the same with a Philips 150, and also Technics RS-B605 cassette deck using a standard plug. In the '80s did read the story of one amp manufacturer, that wasn't named, was having problems with inconsistant sound. Eventually it was traced to the mains transformers some of which were wired in "reverse" as it were.

[weetabix]

Hi all,

Yes, I'm with David on this one, I did exactly that with a couple of my products and would you believe it, there is a subtle sonic improvement, I'm not imagining it.

I do find it quite funny how many people immediately dismiss these statements shooting them down in flames.

Sometimes it's really worth having a more open mind.

A I stated earlier in another thread about cable "burn-in" or more so "settling-in", there's no smoke without fire.

[Reid Malenfant]

I do find it quite funny how many people immediately dismiss these statements shooting them down in flames.

Sometimes it's really worth having a more open mind.

Ok, well perhaps if there was some logical reason behind this I'd have what you call an "open mind"...

The thing is is this though, these are only used on double insulated equipment that doesn't have an earth!

So all the mains sees is a fuse & maybe a power switch & transformer

As it's double insulated it makes no difference to the transformer which way it is fed AC, because it is AC & it reverses polarity. If it didn't the transformer wouldn't work


So I find it rather difficult to see how the hell it makes a shred of difference which way the plug is connected - because it shouldn't!

I understand how cables can effect things, but not a circuit that shouldn't give two hoots which way it's connected.

It's kind of like saying you'll get a better quality of light if you turn that bayonet bulb round 180 degrees


Having said that though, I'll give it a try. If it works then as far as I'm concerned it'll be magic, because there is simply no other explanation



Are we happy now?

[Macca]

Having said that though, I'll give it a try. If it works then as far as I'm concerned it'll be magic, because there is simply no other explanation


:

Coming soon on AOS - proof that magic is real. (Hey I knew all along...). James Randi will crap himself. Hard core objectivists will mass suicide by drinking Kontak. Don't touch that dial! - We'll be right back...

[synsei]

[Reid Malenfant]

PMSL

[Paul Hynes]

It may make a perceptible difference which way round the plug is inserted. The transformer primary will likely have many windings that will have to be layered to fit on the core. If the live feed connects to the winding input adjacent to the core, any noise on the live may transfer to the core more than if the neutral were connected to this section. The neutral is normally grounded at the local substation. This does not mean that there is no noise on the neutral, just that the noise content could be different on live and neutral, showing different noise transfer spectrum and noise level depending on which way around the connections are made. Sorry if this does not make sense, it’s been a long day and I am flagging. You can all beat me up tomorrow if I am talking crap.

Regards,
Paul

[sondale]

Wasn't there a little detector gizmo ("Elfix" or summat?) that was sold years ago that determined the "correct" polarity, or am I imagining it?

Edit - sorry, just read the whole thread

Another version of the device I linked to in post 6.