Line voltage is 116 not 120 why?


I measured my line voltage with a volt meter it stayed steady at 116 shouldn't it be 120.Will this effect the sound of my amp since the voltage is lower?Can anything be done to bring it up to 120?
Mike
hiendmmoe
PF, at least on an industrial scale can be corrected. Capacitor banks for sure will work, and maybe an inductor bank. Depends on if current is ahead or behind voltage. Using iron core inductors with the core being 'movable' will vary inductance. I don't know what technology is used on that scale.

Why do you bother with PF correction? Your amp PS will still have the same electrical characteristics. Only what the power line 'sees' will change, and if you aren't being billed a low PF surcharge, why bother? PF correction is used on big scale factories so they don't get dunned an additional electric bill....a 'weird load' penalty. My company, for example, was getting tagged for 600$ monthly and PF correction would have a payback measured in decades. I haven't looked up your system, but if as I suspect, you have at least a dedicated line to anything short of a couple KW of A/B amp, than you should be ok with a 20 amp service!

Better results, (just an OPIN) could be obtained if speaker designers quit messing around. Some speaker loads are AWFUL and since they are tough to drive, IMPEDANCE gets (mostly) wrongly blamed.

As a Power Supply aside, my now ancient Carver Cube used an early version of what became his 'tracking' powersupply. I think this PS was voltage driven, since I could cause the lights in my house to flicker in time with the music.
Magfan - My Conditioner corrects it, but I bough it purely for filtering and good non-sacrificial overvoltage protection. I cannot often understand how things like power cables or conditioners improve (or destroy) sound but I trust experience of fellow Audiogonners.

As for dedicated line - I'm running it on standard 15A outlet. It is legal to connect 20A conditioner but main 15A breaker might go first in case of overload. In addition I got good deal on Audiogon plus 20A unit should be beefier than 15A. I was concerned since many people reported conditioners killing dynamics. Not in my case.
my 'current' (please ignore pun) pc is a Panamax in the 5100 series.....don't 'member which. But it has a 400va iso into which all my low current stuff plugs. This thing really delivers using those outlets.
I've had 2 amps plugged into it for testing. A vintage Carver cube and a Rotel rb1070. I felt both were limited by the conditioner, even into the alledged hi-current outlets. The cube, in particular really opened up when straight into an outlet, even the 'shared' circuit before a dedicated line. The Rotel simply didn't have enough oooomph for my panels at higher levels but also improved straight into the wall.
Now, I have a dedicated drop and use a PSAudio Soloist outlet for my GCC250 and HSU sub.
One day I'll get around to measuring the PF of all this stuff and get back to you. But for now, I just listen. Even the XM coming down the pipe thru the small dish is terrific background music and turned up, not all bad. Certainly as included with the rest it is great and gives me a chance to hear stuff which I'd not otherwise listen to.

IMO, and I've got LOTS of 'em, cabling is one of the last things to 'fix'. Fundamentals count here more than glitz and weird science. Room 1st.
As for PF, again, speakers are the worst offender and many otherwise good amps have been replaced due to the owners insistence on speakers with bizarre load characteristics. There is NO excuse for a 60' phase angle right next to a 3.5ohm dip in a 86db sensitive speaker, all happening at say......200hz.
"Fundamentals count here more than glitz and weird science"

Magfan - Open minded people get extra benefit of better sound thru placebo effect while sceptics and "scientists" will never get improvement in cabling.
OUCH!
I've always been pretty skeptical. Claims which are noted but not repeatable are always.....suspect.
I've heard enough people complain about amps thru pcs that when my sound changed for the worse thru such a conditioner, I was convinced of at least that.

I can get a cable to make a difference....easily. Just hook my current hog, fairly low impedance panels up to my 500x2 4ohm amp....using 18ga wire. or stick a small value cap across the outputs.