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

@cleeds 

I’m currently living in Israel where it’s 230V/50Hz and learned about AC & DC motors the hard way when I schlepped my Ariston RD80SL Turntable here that was wired for 115V/60 Hz.  I got many opinions on how to make it work as with my SUT it was running at 27 RPM.

I priced out a couple of devices from companies that were out of business that made small boxes capable of reclocking a 60 Hz motor to 50 Hz but they cost more than I have into this turntable.  The other advice was to:

1.  Buy and install a Linn motor

2.  Recap it

Both required turning it upside down and performing major surgery which I was not looking forward to at all. Then, a person told me of how he reclocked (that’s not the correct term to use, but I’ll use it anyway) his turntable when he lived in Greece and it worked perfectly and was the easy low cost solution that was by far the simplest thing to do.  
 

So far, a year later and there are no hiccups at all.  I leave it powered on 24/7 and it’s just fine, not at all warm to the touch.

Unless there is an internal voltage switch or a transformer tap for 115V that can easily be connected I would not bother.

There are lots of nice equipment for sale that runs on 115V. 

lou_setriodes

I got a 220V power supply and a power inverter that’s used on boats and plugged the power inverter into the power supply .. works like a charm.

I wouldn't want an inverter near my system. I think it's better to use gear designed for the type of power it will run on, 120VAC/60hZ for most of us in the US.

@3zub 

Just curious, what 220 amp were you considering?

@cleeds 

someone told me of a cheaper workaround that works just fine.  I moved overseas 18 months ago, and this person told me he used this in Greece for several years with no issues.  Under his advice, I got a 220V power supply and a power inverter that’s used on boats and plugged the power inverter into the power supply.  Cost me all of $120 or so on Amazon and works like a charm.  All of the other devices to go from 60 to 50 Hz are all at least $500 which was almost as much as my Ariston TT.

Seems it is not worthwhile to acquire an amp running 220V rated. Each of the options have their drawbacks.

Thanks to all for your replies.... hertz included. :)

@lou_setriodes, @cleeds  Thank you!

lou_setriodes

Changing from 50 to 60 Hz or vice versa will impact the speed of a cd player, cassette deck, reel to reel and a TT.

That's only strictly true with synchronous motors. Others, such as DD, may not be affected. However, they may have other issues if not designed to run at the supplied frequency, such as overheating.

If you have a turntable with a synchronous motor, you can safely use a drive controller such as the VPI ADS to alter the frequency and, hence, motor speed. I think Walker also makes a unit and there are probably others.

@rhg3 

Yes.  Changing from 50 to 60 Hz or vice versa will impact the speed of a cd player, cassette deck, reel to reel and a TT.

@3zub 

Much easier and cheaper to see if the 220 or 240V amp is dual voltage.  Does it say 120V/240V or 110V/220V on the back of the amp by where the plug is?  If so, you may just be able to convert the voltage by using the correct fuse value and hitting an internal switch - but check with the manufacturer first as you may need a different transformer if it’s not wired for dual voltage.
 

If not dual voltage, you can get a Step Up Transformer, but buy one that is  at least 2-3 times the output wattage listed on the rear of the amp.  The most costly thing to do is have an electrician run a dedicated line and there are usually simpler more cost effective solutions.

Thank you! 
I think this is the only forum I’ve ever frequented without a ‘like’ button…

@rhg3 I'm not a turntable guy, but it used to!

Not sure how many turntables these days rely much on incoming speed but I think in the past they would.

 @erik_squires It Hertz me to read that…

Apologies for being a bit off topic. Does ‘increased hertz’ impact turntable speed?

The increased Hz offers more energy per cycle.

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.