Tweakers' Asylum

Variacs don't sound good. nt

71.113.216.55

Norm

In Reply to: RE: thoughts on AC voltage fluctuations? posted by audionutge@yahoo.com on May 06, 2009 at 01:45:30

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Follow Ups:

Most variacs - unclestu52 20:57:33 05/06/09 (2)
are way too small, current wise. Again I would point out research by PS Audio in the 80's indicating that a power supply needs to have the capacity of five times the current draw of an amplifier. Most variacs have small wipers and are totally inadequate for audio use.

I do have one US military variac which is most unusual. It consists of a buck boost transformer and that is coupled to a a very large variac motor driven and tube controlled capable of 35 amps. That one actually sounds good, but it does weigh about a hundred twenty pounds, and was used in the radio rooms for the large US battleships, and such.
Voltage accuracy was .1 volt and you could dial in the sensitivity. Only trouble is that it clicks pretty loudly when the motor is activated.

Stu
- I once worked in a materials testing lab. of Armour Research Foundation - Norm 19:57:36 05/07/09 (0)
  I do remember that we had a massive variac that I never used nor moved. It probably would have been great.
- Now that I would like to have. nt - Norm 19:53:54 05/07/09 (0)
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Does that mean you don't like the sound of Joule Electra? - howard 16:45:14 05/06/09 (1)
The big amps use a Variac.
- I cannot say I have heard the Joule Electra. nt - Norm 19:39:06 05/06/09 (0)
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