2. cables
  3. 1402351146

power cables - not in the signal path?

According to popular wisdom the AC power is not in the signal path and therefore a power cord, AC conditioner or similar should have zero audible effect.

In a don quixotesque attempt I'd like to turn this perception around: the AC is 100% in the signal path - more so that the actual low-level signal that gets amplified, and I think I found the simple words to clarify this.

The low-level signal is actually only modulating the high-voltage (high-intensity) signal produced by the transformer. Those electrons from the transformer are the actual electrons we "hear". The low-level signal is simply lost in translation. In a simple example, a 0.1V peak-to-peak sine signal gets amplified (say) 10x by a 10 V continuous (transformed) DC. The output is (say) a 1V sinusoid oscillating back and forth in time. If the 10V continuous is NOT actually exactly 10V (but is actually has noise) - then the noise will directly reappear "riding" on the 1V output.

Hence the need to keep the AC noise-free.

(Of course I purposefully neglected for simplicity the other effects (need for instantaneous delivery of power, etc..) for which I did not find a simple enough description (without reference to I/V curves and impedance / capacitance details, that is).

Does is make sense?

Thanks
C.
cbozdog
metralla
945 posts
 
Cbozdog writes:
It is not the low-level signal electrons that eventually get heard. if anything, it is the latter electrons that passed through the floodgate that eventually reach the audio transducer, etc.
Fascinating. You are attributing properties to electrons that they simply do not have.

Regards,
koestner
628 posts
 
Please keep in mind that it's the much much faster electric field and not the electron flow. Sure, those electrons do make it down the wire eventually, but it's more like a train with a lot of cars. You move the 1st one, and the Caboose moves. That's the electric field. It's not like a gun firing electrons down the wire.
rodman99999
6,035 posts
 
You may find this treatise interesting: (http://amasci.com/miscon/whatis.html)
cbozdog OP
63 posts
 
Czarivey, I expect great philosophical insight from you on the topic. Please, do give it a stoned thought.
czarivey
5,754 posts
 
C, Beleive me it's very haaard to insite some theory or even philosophy or at least simply to relate neither your first original post or second, but I'll try to make sense on my next post when I'm really stoned and if I find even THAT hard, I'll try to get even more stoned.
For simplicity in general:
AC -> Power Cord -> Power Transformer -> Modified AC voltage(s) increased or decreased -> Rectifier(s) -> DC voltage(s) provides proper offset(s) for active circuit elements such as transistors, tubes, diodes etc.
Did I mention anything about signal path?
Don't go towards bunch of electrons, because it's even more confusing.
More to discover