Who has Caps on their AC lines ???

I've implemented the Auricap tweak in several DIY mods to digital players and DAC's. In each case I've always put them AFTER the fuse, just in case there is a blow out. You really don't want a short, no matter how well the caps are rated. It could cause you your house, since you are volurantarily implementing a hazardous situation, and the insurance company could invalidate any claims.

Basically it isn't worth the downside to get a little better resolution, unless you implement it with a proper failsafe, or use X rated caps (which is what is inside the Quiet Lines).

Enjoy,
Bob

Thanks Sean. I plan on ordering some raw wire again from VH Audio soon and put a better Power cord on the isolation Transformers, I think this will be a good time to install the caps in the input.

My Transformers are in an ajoining room with a pass through in the wall to place my DIY power strips through. They are of the twisted design from VH Audio but unshielded, maybe I'll use some of thier shielded wire for 2 of the Power strips.

It for sure is additive, from the first time I used an isolation tranny, to caps across the line, to even making a tweeked out Power strip box with no caps and hearing an improvement.

I Don't have a problem with the Auricaps in my line but my inlaws want me to build them a Power strip for their HT setup as they noticed a difference when I demoed it to them. I feel better with an X rated cap if for someone else. Any recommended X caps of the quailty of Auricap?

Thanks for your comments Sean

I know people are speaking DIY but are there any commercial iso transformers that are recommended by this group ... sorry i'm not a diy guy

Gordus above is right. The 120V power lines actually have a peak to peak value of 340V. 600V rating would suffice. Fuses also a good idea.

I should have clarified that the 250 volt rating that i previously mentioned was for the working AC voltage, which is different from the DC working voltage quoted for most capacitors. I agree that a higher voltage rating is better, as the 120 volt ( nominal ) rating of U.S. based AC systems is an RMS rating, not a peak rating. AC peaks will typically run at somewhere around 160 volts during normal use. Having said that, the peaks can be measurably higher than this, especially if one is talking about heavily distorted AC or spontaneous spikes and surges. As such, it is better to be safe than sorry.

As a general rule, a cap rated at 400 volts DC will typically spec at appr 250 volts AC. Going to a cap that is rated for 600 volts DC offers even more headroom, but at increased cost. For as much money as we spend on some of these other ludicrous and far less beneficial "tweaks", splurging for higher rated caps can buy a lot of peace of mind for not that much more money.

Musicfile: I've used Xentek and Topaz "ultra-isolation" units in the past. These are superior to their standard "isolation" transformers, as they typically offer appr 20 more dB's of common mode noise rejection. Having said that, even their standard models are typically far superior to a toroidal design, as they typically offer appr 30 - 40 dB's more common mode rejection. Just make sure that you choose a unit that is rated for well above the intended draw and that it has a "gonzo" sized core. The actual core size may be more important than the actual rating, so long as one is not trying to run the transformer at or very near rated capacity. Sean
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