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Noise reduction -why the rage now ?

Is it better science ? Or more needed today with the ’surge’ of switching power supplies, smart phones and Wi-Fi routers ? Then, higher-frequencies in digital interfaces -now megahertz and gigahertz.

The problem with the "needed more today" theory is that one, listeners are hearing things they never heard before. One report is from Paul of PS Audio (on his blog) stating that a 4K power cord transformed his system. Yet he sells a Power Plant.

Two, many reports of lower noise (in the last 10 years) were in systems with linear power supplies, not switch-mode.

Three, for digital, many people were using AES/EBU or i-squared interfaces. These don’t have the noise concerns of USB.

Fourth, many people listen at night. They know better, due to the problems of a noisy day-grid.

Yet, there it is -large gains from the latest power conditioners, ground blocks and after-market power cords. To me, today’s science is much better at doing this. Along with the "need today".
jonnie22
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 

Huh? The article you linked actually states the RF problem is getting worse. To whit,

“Nevertheless, the RF noise problem is increasing. Although most devices pollute less than their predecessors, we have far more of those devices. Other sources, such as the power grid, are expanding as wind farms and solar households connect to it. Such devices need to switch large amounts of DC power at a 60-hertz or an even faster rate whenever they feed excess generated power back into the grid. If not done properly, this could also feed large amounts of noise into the power grid. This risk is magnified when the solar and wind systems operate without expert maintenance inside millions of ordinary homes.”


jonnie22 OP
42 posts
 
You didn’t read the whole article. "The bottom line is no-one really knows whether outdoor noise has increased or decreased in recent years. And the same goes for measurements made indoors."

Later says "the needed data is almost totally missing".

Yes, it says power tools and electric-toothbrushes are noisy but this obviously doesn’t affect the audiophile. Then, in a graph, it shows how "noise drops as frequency rises". And that’s just where consumer electronics is going today - ever-higher frequencies...
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
The number of cellphones, tablets, TVs and wireless networks has dramatically increased in the last 40 years. Plus the number of RF producing microchips in audio components have increased dramatically. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure it out. RF is by definition high frequency. Hel-loo!
jonnie22 OP
42 posts
 
RF is not very high-frequency -megahertz and gigahertz ranges are. And that’s where consumer-stuff is going, to a much quieter region of energy.

Then, there’s no evidence to support the "worsening effects" of RF (as the link explained). True, if you put a fan or radio near your stereo equip. you’ll have a problem. But audiophiles have long since figured that one out.

It seems the problem is much deeper. As kijanki said above, radio station and cell-towers putting noise on the line. Then, power surges making the line-noise worse (how many people have whole-house surge protection ?).

DC motors in the house scrambling the shape of the waveform, while adding ’spikes’ at the same time. Audiophile power supplies (we were told) "rejected" noise were 1)not doing that 2)added huge amounts of noise via the rectifier and regulator.

The latest power supplies are better. But I still cringe when I think how poor the sound of audiophile systems were in the past 50 years due to poor noise-management.
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geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
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