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Thread: Dehumidifier Magic!

  1. #71
    Join Date: Jan 2013

    Location: Birmingham

    Posts: 6,772
    I'm James.

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    Your observations of fluctuating mains voltage was one of the first areas I noticed years back that affected the sound of my system. I found that after 9.00PM onwards the noise floor dropped at a result of variations in the mains quality but I did not actually know this was a fact and had been known about until I started mentioning it on forums and asking friends if they had experienced the same phenomenon. I just attributed it to less traffic at night and the fact that my system had warmed up for 3 hours or so. Now I know that noise on the mains can be greatly reduced at night as the general neighbourhood starts switching off devices and less power is consumed on the grid resulting in better mains quality thus reducing noise floor in my system.

    My experience with humidity is not as pronounced and obvious but on occasions when I have used my dehumidifier and got the humidity to below 60% I have noticed that it affects the sound of my system. Now I must also say I have noticed it sounds better in the winter rather than the summer and has done for years but I have not mentioned this. Humidity is often a fair bit lower in the winter than the summer especially when you consider our wet warm summer and that water moisture is held at a greater percentage in moist warm air rather than in cold dry air.

    Using the dehumidifier has probably allowed me to obtain the same humidity in my listening room in the summer as I would have probably have had in the winter and as I have stated my system definitely sounds better as a consequence. It may well be down to the comfort factor but I am not so sure?
    Main system : VPI Scout 1.1 / JMW 9T / 2M Black / Croft 25R+ / Croft 7 / Heco Celan GT 702

    Second System : Goldring Lenco GL75 / AT95EX / Pioneer SX590 / Spendor SP2

  2. #72
    Join Date: Aug 2009

    Location: Staffordshire, England

    Posts: 37,779
    I'm Martin.

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    Too many variables to do anything other than speculate. Having neighbours either side precludes any serious late night listening so I can't really test that although I've always thought that it is the lower background noise late on that has a positive effect, not anything to do with mains pollution which would manifest itself in more obvious ways if it was a problem.

    I also run an ionizer, it does freshen up the air a bit. It sits on a sheet if aluminium foil that draws the dust down to it.
    Current Lash Up:

    TEAC VRDS 701T > Sony TAE1000ESD > Krell KSA50S > JM Labs Focal Electra 926.

  3. #73
    Join Date: May 2016

    Location: Notts

    Posts: 2,741
    I'm Geoff.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Macca View Post
    Too many variables to do anything other than speculate. Having neighbours either side precludes any serious late night listening so I can't really test that although I've always thought that it is the lower background noise late on that has a positive effect, not anything to do with mains pollution which would manifest itself in more obvious ways if it was a problem.

    I also run an ionizer, it does freshen up the air a bit. It sits on a sheet if aluminium foil that draws the dust down to it.
    I am fortunate enough to live in a new (6 year old) detached house in a semi-rural area on the edge of Sherwood Forest (or what's left of it). That means I have no neighbourly restrictions on late night listening. I am also very close to an electricity substation so that the quality of mains supply is very good, typically a constant 247v or very close to it. My main system is in a converted double bedroom at the back of the house so that there is very little ambient noise during the day although even then it is noticeably quieter at night time. Since the local mines closed down there is no industry of any kind locally, so there is very little in the way of mains borne industrial pollution. In spite of that I still use a good mains filter block to keep out any domestic type noise. Despite all these factors the system still sounds noticeably better at night than it does during the day. I am guessing, and it is no more than a guess, that the improvement is partly due to the lower ambient noise, but mainly due to the higher quality of the mains at night. I would guess that once my neighbours have settled down for the evening and finished using their electric hobs, washing machines and dishwashers, that the "noise" on the local power supply reduces significantly.

    Of course, I cannot rule out "psycho-acoustic" effects on the perceived improvements in night time sound quality. For example, the soothing effects of green ambient led lighting, or the chemical effects of a nice glass of Rioja (or two).

  4. #74
    Join Date: Feb 2008

    Location: South Wales

    Posts: 9,151
    I'm NotTakingLifeTooSeriouslyTheseDays.

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    I find Saturday has now become a good listening day for me in my area, my distribution transformer is around 50 to 100yds away from my listening room, so pretty close.
    I have used De-humidifiers here for a few years now, as like many others on AOS i live in an old house, and at certain times of the year ther moisture in the air is much higher, especialy winter time when the heating has to go on.
    A...
    "Today scientists have substituted mathematics for experiments, and they wander off through equation after equation, and eventually build a structure which has no relation to reality"
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  5. #75
    Join Date: Aug 2009

    Location: Staffordshire, England

    Posts: 37,779
    I'm Martin.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Sherwood View Post
    there is very little ambient noise during the day although even then it is noticeably quieter at night time.
    Same here, even on a weekday afternoon I can sit in pretty much absolute silence (prob about 35db in reality) when there is no TV or music on, but it does get even quieter after about 2100 hrs onwards even though you wouldn't think there was any room for improvement.

    Also I just had a new double glazed front door fitted that has made a significant difference in reducing the level of background noise. It is one of those things that you don't think can get any better until it does. Hence the difficulty in evaluating it.
    Current Lash Up:

    TEAC VRDS 701T > Sony TAE1000ESD > Krell KSA50S > JM Labs Focal Electra 926.

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