Can US 220 Volts Be Used On European 220 V Amp?


I am in the US and all my audio components run on the traditional voltage from a standard wall outlet. I am considering the purchase of a European amplifier that runs on 220 volts. If a US 220 Volt socket is added in my listening room, will the 220V European amp run properly on this US 220 voltage? Some thoughts I had is that the US 220V is 60 Hz, while (I think) the European 220V is 50 Hz.  I plugged in a volt meter into my wall outlet and it reads +/- 120 volts. Does that mean the the 2-pole voltage is 240 volts? Lots of questions and I don't want to damage the 220V European amp if I decide to buy it. Let me know your thoughts and experiences. Thanks in advance.

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220 is a bit of a misnomer.  I believe the US is actually 240V @ 60Hz while the EU standard is 230V @ 50Hz.  From the internet:

However, if the equipment concerned operates on a compatible voltage, and if the equipment concerned is not sensitive to the different AC frequency, then you could connect a European device to an American supply.

To take one example, the main difference between an American domestic 240 V supply and a UK 240 V domestic supply is the grounding/earthing arrangement. In the US outlet both legs of the 240 V supply are hot and are 120 V from ground. In the UK 240 V supply one leg is live and one leg is neutral (close to earth potential). In other European countries the supply voltage and grounding arrangements may be different.

As mentioned by other posters, European devices are designed to operate safely in a variety of different supply situations with both supply legs fully isolated and insulated from exposed parts. So a European nominal 230 V device can be plugged into a US 240 V socket without problems.

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