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Eurozone sickness and 230v single phase vs 240v two-phase.

For reasons we really shouldn't debate here, the Euro is weak and it's probably going to stay weak for half a decade or until the Ukraine conflict ends. Maybe longer.

This has made the average selling prices of European produced gear (at current FX) about 20-40% lower than US list for grey market imports to the US. While some manufacturers kindly install a mains voltage selector on the back of the box (CH Precision, for one) others insist that voltage conversion only be performed by the manufacturer or perhaps not at all.

Now, I'm cheap but I can afford an electrician. So the question that follows is whether audio equipment cares about the difference between 230v single phase vs 240v two-phase. And if so, what's the best way to make 230 single phase from 120 or 240 American power? 

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carlsbad's avatar
carlsbad
1,551 posts
 

@holmz I wouldn't recommend the one I ended up with.  It hummed badly.  It did confirm that the amp ran identically on 120v-120V legs vs 240V-0V legs but it was not good quality and I returned it.  It was Rockstone.  

A good solution would be a PSA Regenerator.  That is what I use now.  Mine is  120Vin--120V out.  I contacted them about the availability of 120V in--240V out and  they don't seem to make that.  So I told them that I have 240V us at my amplifier and asked about using the 240V US power to power a 240V version and they said the 240V version isn't available in the US due to some vague requirement.   Meantime I decided that the amp made too much heat for my un-airconditioned listening room and moved to another amp. 

But the amp ran fine plugged into wall power.

Jerry

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holmz's avatar
holmz
2,328 posts
 

@carlsbad great write up!

@p_s is there a particular set of brands you are considering? 

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p_s OP
20 posts
 

Hi @holmz. I don't know if you mean brands for the transformer (in which case, no, but I await an answer from ACUPWR) or for the amplifier (in which case, Audionet).

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holmz
2,328 posts
 

Hi @holmz. I don’t know if you mean brands for the transformer (in which case, no, but I await an answer from ACUPWR) or for the amplifier (in which case, Audionet).

I mean the euro manufactured electronics.
Which brands of those?

 

I have an AVR that does the usual 100~250v/50-60-HZ.

For another piece of euro gear, they sell a jumper that internally connects the transformer differently between US and “rest of the world” (RoW) power. 

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