Well, you have a measurable difference at a power input, but what will be the difference on audio output? I have no such thing as this, no fancy high-end equipment, yet, with no input, I can't hear s**t coming out of my DIY amp with ear right at the speaker. And not that my AC is clean - it's far from that.
I dunno what it is but I find these videos informative AND relaxing! Always liked cooking shows and repairs! Seeing something go from useless to great! Thanks for the vids and positive attitude!
For people that think this is snake oil. It's not, especially for older equipment. I did an experiment and couldn't a signal. The person next to was like, just unplug the cheap LED desk lamp. All the noise was gone instantly. Turns out LEDs lamps don't need any of the strict anti electrical noise filtering that is present in many other devices. Leading to a ton of noise on the electrical grid
I wired my shop with a GFCI breaker and installed LED lights in place of the fluorescents that were there before. As soon as I turned on the lights, the breaker would blow. LEDs just don't play well with others.
Definitely a better case and overall construction quality than that £25k POS Tom Evans preamp that got you the copyright strike, bit which is now all over TH-cam 😀
To my experienced eyes, this whole thing smacks of having been (badly) repaired before hence the Kapton tape for SIL pad bodge. Kapton tape as SIL Pads, sorry not on my planet! Good video as usual chap, keep it up! A
You're right. Kapton tape is not thermally conductive; rather, it is known for its excellent thermal insulation properties. Made from polyimide film, Kapton tape can withstand high temperatures (up to about 260°C or 500°F) without degrading, making it suitable for applications in electronics, aerospace, and other industries where heat resistance is necessary. While it can tolerate high temperatures, it does not conduct heat well, which is one of the reasons it is often used as an insulating material. Keratherm Red 86/82 thermal pads are the way to go there. This material is a single solution - there is no need to use thermal grease - just place the insulator between the transistor and heatsink. The Keratherm Red material is silicone and fiberglass material impregnated with ceramic that is thermally conductive. In normal use it can match or even exceed the performance of mica and grease. It is ideal for Class-A and Class-AB power amplifier devices and anywhere you need a good thermal interface.
Kapton absolutely is used as a thermal pad. It's not the best performer but it works. Firts time I've seen it was a Cerwin Vega power amplifier. Rather serious heatsinks, forced air cooling, and all TO-3 transistors mounted on kapton insulators. Fischer Elektronik still makes a range of kapton thermal pads.
Its advantage as a thermal pad is that it is very thin, which more than makes up for the better thermal conductivity of a fat silicone pad. We used mica for years, and Kapton works better than that. The only benefit of silicone is that it is gap-filling so it doesn't need the addition of grease to conduct heat effectively.
Hello Mark! I just stumbled upon your channel and I instinctively clicked on the subscribe button. Your troubleshooting and subsequent repair of this "smoke and mirrors/snake oil" AC power regenerator (seriously... how silly) was Top Notch. Color me impressed. BTW, Kapton tape used as an insulator is mildly acceptable, depending on the heat transfer coefficient requirement not needing to be moderately fast, however I take issue with this tape having the ability to be in the same league of thermally transmissive mica, Sil-pads, etc. Kapton tape is coated with adhesive on the sticky side (obviously) and the formulation of this glue does not address having any thermally transmissive properties at all. Just because the Kapton tape is a good insulator does not make it a good thermal conductor. In my opinion, using plain old school mica wafers or the newer Sil-pads will provide much faster heat transfer away from the BJTs and the speed at which the heat can be soaked away can be quite critical, when a lot of current passes through the active devices. Just my $0.02 worth of unsolicited concern. Thank you for the video and you did a beautiful job of repairing this "thing". Fred
I personally have experience with these "things", and know what positive improvements I can demonstrate in terms of noise-reduction and clarity. Have you used one are are you just convinced they are not worth it? If so why, pray tell...
@@vicweast If you want to fight, you can check out the Audio Science Review. Basically, it doesn't make any sense unless your device's circuitry doesn't use DC, but directly AC. Any normal circuit's DC side should not be affected by AC in any way unless there are major power surge or blackout.
@@mattparker8747A good example is the late Siegfried Linkwitz (of Linkwitz-Riley filter fame) was a dedicated audiophile and an electronics engineer who designed instruments (Spectrum Analyzers etc) at Hewlett Packard for many years.
Going way, way back to the first days of the PC, we would frequently have to give boards with an edge connector the "pink pearl" treatment. That is, using a Pink Prearl Eraser to clean the contacts. Worked wonders 90% of the time.
Agree! That ISA style connector on the PCB side was heavily corroded and as it created the AC waveform, I'd be surprised if it wasn't that which caused the issue in the first place.
I'd have put a couple of internal Wago connectors in it to jumper the input to the output, nicked the magnetics for my windowsill collection, and stuck a housebrick in it to make up for the wieght loss. What kind of mutant would take a rotational machine generated sine and then use an approximated copy of it "for audiophile purposes"? Really - If your amp can't deal with the odd powerline glitch, bin the sodding thing. (Deep breath) - Nice repair.
Way back in the day I dabbled quite a bit in electronics and I would run across a piece of equipment that had heatsinked power transistors. The manufacturers always used mica and heat sink paste.
1:00 That sinewave shape was like that thirty years ago, so IMHO has little to do with "modern" electronics. Conventional power supplies are just as guilty in taking power at the peak of the sinewave as switched mode power supplies are. I'm not too worried about the slightly distorted mains sinewave, my audio (and other) devices turn it into a regulated DC supply first anyway.
Its not actually the switched mode bit of the power supply that does that, its the rectifier, which has been used forever. SMPS can inject distortion into the net, just not harmonic distortion. Nowadays, there is more regulation on the distortion a supply is allowed to make, so I would imagine it would only get better, as long as we don't collectively buy unregulated imported electronics, which tend to omit most of the improvements, like power factor correction and EMI filters.
Yes, I get a nice waveform out of a ferroresonant converter, which also has a nice advantage that rectifier diodes run cooler due to the flat topped waveform, and it makes for a really good mains filter as well, surviving a few cycles of drop out with no hassle..
Hi - easier to remove the transistor if you snip the pins first. You can then remove the pins one at a time without needing to overheat (and possibly lift) the pads. I'd also be worrying about clearances to the case around the capton tape. Presumably those power devices are at mains voltage - pretty sure there isn't 5mm of clearance there. In fact the position of the screws make that impossible - as far as I can see.
Never thought of this, thanks! Of course do this only if I’m sure the semiconductor is faulty or else I’ll snip off a good one n can’t test whether it’s ok or not
Do not think the amplifier runs at mains, likely around 70V rails, with one power transformer doing the input and the other 2 the output sockets, each separate.
Wow that was interesting to see that waveform clipped before you worked your magic on the PS Audio unit. I have never seen capton tape used before in that way and I worked in electronic manufacturing a long time. As you say there must have been a reason for it. Love your videos.
Mica insulators will give a grainy, mineral sound. The audio characteristic of silicone is too soft and rubbery. Kapton will produce a clear tight sound with solid bass and treble. Unfortunately beryllium oxide will cause severe attenuation of high frequencies and make your high end setup sound like a cheap telephone. Of course diamond is the superior heat transfer material of choice and produces no noticeable coloration, it is the best if you can afford it. Vacuum tube amplifiers do not require heat transfer pads. That is one of the reasons they have a superior sound
@@peterallen8413 At low frequencies the heat is produced in waves. Inappropriate transient properties of the heat transfer material will cause the bass to be severely distorted due to thermal effects on the output transistor junctions. Nonlinear dielectric loss in the stray capacitance will affect the high frequencies. Tighter clamping will make a noticeable improvement in sound.
@@ebaystars Glad you can put a time and date to the last charge cycle but when working as a psu repair engineer i saw lots of open circuit bleed resistors across the mains capacitors... 😁 If you do the math a perfect capacitor will never discharge so i guess its all down to leakage... 🤔
@@GeoffDavis1974 Im old enough to remember CRTS in TVs with HUGE voltages stored on the tubes flyback pin!! Did that thing actually have high voltages over it was it switched mode unit I didnt see a circuit ? looked linear in the main?
Hi, did the transistors actually use Kapton tape to transfer heat from the transistors to the heatsink? Because if it was used it might be the cause of the origional failure, Kapton tape does not have very good thermal conductivity. Btw I think the screws need to have a fine coat of snake oil to maintain the sonic properties of the power supply.
@@RetroTuna nah you HAVE to replace all the capacitors with space-qualified, anti beta radiation ones, and they have a gold foil / kapton dielectric layer between their vaiorus hiss and click sonic-proofing layers, thanks for the tip I just realised I can use Kapton tape for picture framing as it wont melt in Thailand :-) (PS we got plenty of snakes here)
just for general info, i just checked it º.º kapton tape, heat pass thru,used in the old days 0.1 W/mK better than notinng... silicone pads, used today 1.6 W/mK so, this is 16 times BETTER
You have to account for the thickness though. If the silicone pads are more than 16 times thicker than the Kapton tape, higher thermal conductivity won’t help.
@@northernlightandsoundyup but they probably used it for isolation and was better compared to using plastic sheets. Most amps I've open manufactured pre 2000's used generic plastic between transistor and heatsink.
Audiophile Power Regenerator Repair. Great vid, thanks. Subscribed. The kapton tape will run the transistors slightly hotter, for an accurate warm sound reproduction with a vintage touch. It will make silicon sound like electron valve vacuum tubes. Further optimizations for a vintage HiFi experience include the omission of the gold-plating, most notably at the connection of the sine board. This feature will ensure that this unit's process of becoming of age will closely resemble to how the rest of your vintage equipment will develop with time.
I'm glad I found this channel. Delightful circuit repair ASMR with such calm and authoritative commentary; it's so relaxing and I just might learn enough to be able to repair my Arcam Alpha 9 integrated amp. Win-win!
What a pointless piece of kit, but I suppose someone must buy them. The story of the king’s new clothes comes to mind. As many have said, it’s converted to DC anyway and that’s all the amp see’s. All it really wants is a good low impedance supply which doesn’t sag under load, such as that available from a standard 13Amp socket. All this device can do is raise the impedance. If it were able to lower it, it would be possible to pull more power (for the same voltage) than it’s drawing from the mains, which is clearly impossible. Any conventional power supply only pulls current towards the waveform peaks anyway, which is what leads to the distortion in the first place. If anything, the slightly flat topped waveform will reduce the peak currents in the rectifier and probably prolong its life. The output waveform looks great with a small constant resistive light bulb load. I’d like to see what it does in the real world powering an amp with constantly changing load and phase angle. I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t look any better than the raw mains, not only that, but it would also be constantly ‘on the move’ as well and would also inflict the same wobbly supply on any source equipment. The option of 55Hz is totally bizarre. 55Hz is not used on a properly functioning mains supply anywhere in the world. If you were that worried about the quality of your mains, why on earth would you want a non standard frequency? It seems to me, if you really need one of these, you should have bought audio equipment which was properly designed in the first place.
Audiophiles' brains and wallets don't work that way. They'd strap a tortoise to their amps if someone wrote a convincing article it would help with sound quality.
nah the company should have made Tempest Grade isolation devices (for that ultimate red-black transition) and filters then they would have made zillions from the military
@@chimpana I can think of a number of examples, but I think my favorite so far is audiophiles who use little wooden stands, like tiny 3” telephone poles every 2’ propping up their cables so that their speaker cabling and patch cables (oh, excuse me “interconnects”) do not make contact with their carpet or other flooring, because…that’s…bad. The person I first saw doing that spent 30 min trying to explain to me how much better his system sounded after this modification, and why, in pseudoscientific terms at least, it made such a huge difference to use his wood stands. It’s bizarre and hilarious. It’s woo-woo, almost like a set of supernatural beliefs. Makes me kind of sad, this sort of anti-scientific, non-evidence based approach, but I think the main thing that really drives me nuts about this is that it’s not even necessary because there’s so much great sounding, inexpensive consumer/prosumer and pro-audio gear available! I am a musician, producer/sound designer (and so is my brother), mostly video game music/soundtracks and sound effects, so I obviously enjoy good music, played on a system that is adequate. Audio engineering has long been an apprenticeship-based profession, starting with the “tea boy” role in older studios (or the “roadie” role - in touring and live concert production) so it used to be a bit more difficult to access the knowledge needed to work in our field without some sort of hands-on training…but these days, there are so many ways to learn about the concepts behind sound engineering, so the knowledge is easily available to almost anyone with internet access. I hope more “audiophiles” will realize they don’t even need all this expensive, often absolutely useless and absurd crap to hear their favorite recorded music, faithfully reproduced.
Another Excellent repair ( and my second viewing of yr videos) I've been avoiding buying ones of these for my Linn systems but maybe I should get one. Also - Re: the Kapton tape, Linn use Mica wafers on the Klout Power amps between the Sanken Trannies and the heat sink block and this is supposed to have improved the sound quality when introduced as a factory enhancement. I'm starting to binge watch you.. instead of getting on with my own projects. Look what you made me do !
It'll warm up your room and increase revenue for the power company. If you believe that Linn know how to design audio circuits then you can safely assume they also know how to design a PSU that'll work just fine over the limits of what the power grid delivers.
@@TerryClarkAccordioncrazy would hope so, but my old dealer in Switzerland still used external Power conditioners, I think from Isotek. I was considering a TORUS TOT MAX for my main Music system and something else for my Home Cinema room once its up and running. But would be good to get a spectrum analyser on the mains first to see how clean or dirty it is. I know a guy who might be able to look at that for me.
@@stephenyoud6125 Any properly designed equipment will work fine on the standard mains. Hifi dealers like to sell more stuff, whether or not it does anything useful. Edited to fix spelling mistake.
Correction to my previous comment. The CV transformer device is called a Volstat, with just two T's not 3. The full trade name is (was?) "Advance Volstat". I have a couple of them stowed away somewhere; one outputs 240 volts, and the other 12 volts. They're quite bulky for their rated output power, but not as bulky as that synthesised sine wave contraption that Mark painstakingly repaired.
Seems illogical to take the energy from the outlet, reduce that energy by powering an additional device designed to somehow to improve the performance even though total energy is reduced and possibly restricted, passing through myriad components. I would favor the "less is more" philosophy. Fewer components, less complex circuits, fewer possible points of failure, fewer components to fail. The KISS principle.
Perhaps the point of Kapton tape is no need for thermal grease. It will creep into the surface roughness to do the job pretty well. I don’t think I’ve ever seen it used by others. Myself I got this idea some 15 years ago and it has saved many a paper towel from cleaning the grease :) It outperforms mica thermally, that much I know. Maybe not as robust very long-term? So far it’s not failed me once on my projects. Some are under power day-round.
A cheaper way of getting sine wave output and protecting expensive audio and computer equipment, is an APC server grade Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS). The cheap versions don't have sine wave output, but the better versions do. Mine cost about £350, it comes with a car battery, which lasts 2-4 years before it degrades enough to require replacement. The other advantage, is my PC and audio equipment is protected from surges and sags, and when the power goes out, my PC stays on, until the battery gets low, then it turns itself off.
Generally, UPSes don't regenerate power. They just feed the power input to the output and only switch to the inverter when the mains power disappears. But these devices are good for one thing anyway: fill the bank account of the manufacturer.
@meindertsprang7491 They don't convert AC to DC battery then convert battery DC back to AC output, unless the power goes out. Because that would be an unnecessary drain on the battery. The cheap ones don't put out sine wave output, which the higher grade ones do, by analysing and correcting the mains power, that's why the good ones are more expensive. Most people don't use UPS with their PC, but that results in data loss and data corruption. I like having the ability to keep my computer and sound working, when there's a dip in the power which would cause my PC to turn off, if I didn't have it protected by a UPS. I have my DAC and headphone amp plugged into the UPS, but my amplifier is just plugged into the mains. As I don't mind not being able to play through my speakers when the power goes out. But I do want my PC and internet to stay on. So my router is also plugged into the UPS. This means during power outages, I can still use my landline phone. I think that's well worth the money.
@@davidestabrook5367 I have an APC 1500 Smart UPS on my server and I can assure you that when mains power is present, the UPS does nothing. It just passes mains from input to output, the inverter is not running. So it will not cleanup the mains power in any way.
I was shouting at the screen "Check the emitter resistors" Maybe you did off camera but with shorted output transistors something would have to give and it wasn't the fuse.
I used to work in notebook service and kapton tape has been used always to cover nearby elements from heat while soldering and/or electrical insulation, but never this way. Like William J. wrote. "mica plates" is the way to keep stuff cool and isolated.
He has many other interesting and satisfying performances, stay tuned. Loved the audiophool bits, interesting and entertaining. I have seen and read of such things and find humor in it, although many are quite vexed.
I'd like to see the waveform of an audio signal output by a good modern audio amp when plugged directly into the wall, and then after being plugged into this. That's what matters, at least in the real world most of us live in. I doubt very much anyone with a $50,000 (or more) system could tell the difference in a blind comparison. I trust that the engineers who design audio equipment have taken into account that the mains power is not a pure sine wave. I suppose it does have some utility as a huge and expensive surge protector.
This is a wonderful video Mark! I'm 67 and have occasionally done a bit of hands-on electronics and wiring, your videos are interesting in terms of professional technique/tips-to-be-gleaned! BTW, I love the PS Audio regenerators, they make an actual qualitative difference in the sound from my systems.
The only thing that makes your audio sound better than the loud (unnecessary) fan on the magical AC generator, is when all that pretty AC current enters your amp and almost instantly gets chopped up into DC via a bridge rectifier. Oh well, it was pretty well it lasted until the bridge rectifier destroyed your beautiful artwork AC snake oil. If audiophiles spent a little time learning the basics of electronics, they wouldn't spend a dime on useless snake oil products. If you can't reliably tell the difference in a blind A/B test, than any perceived gains only exist in your head (the placebo effect). Better sound quality comes from spending your money on the few things that actually make a difference. Better amp, preamp, DAC, speakers, room treatment.....
There is a guy here who SWEARS that the kapton tape makes the transistor run hotter, giving the audio a "warm sound" with more "width" and "depth". ROFL My speakers at home are connected to my amp with old leftover ethernet cable, and I don't care.
But what about my depth of field getting bigger? And my warmer punchy round bass? And silky yet transparent mids? And the smooth yet accurate treble? And my stereo field widening? And the fact that my tubes last longer? My $1000/ft speakers cables are at 90• bends for perfect sine wave conductivity. And yes I did make sure my power cables cost at least $5000 and they are most definitely directional. This magic box is a MUST in any serious system. Get with it, bruh!! /s
@@dh-_1011 Haha! I tried one of those directional power cables and it sounded amazing, but it wasn't worth the trouble of having to switch the cable ends around 60 times per/sec, so AC current could flow both ways.
Absolutely love the channel for your wayyy in depth repairs,BUT ,cant agree on kapton tape for heat sink insulators, need thermal conductivity along with electrical isolation.
Back in the 1990's I was at a Best Buy and they had two large plasma screen televisions that back then cost $10,000 to $12,000 US each. There was a power supply with large VU meters between them and it filtered the line voltage for 1 of the tv's. It cost $400+ US. I could definitely tell the difference in the two televisions the one that was going through the filter was much clearer a picture.
And you didn't stop to wonder.. "would they monetarily benefit from adjusting the video settings and make one of them look worse?". That's how they still do it in large box stores today, increase the brightness and color intensity on the TVs with the highest margins. Lower the brightness and color intensity on models you don't really make any money on.
$10k -$12k TV's with such bad of a power supply??? Procuct, clearly deserved by audiofools. Somehow modern $1200 (10x cheaper) modern OLED TV does produce the same stunning picture no matter how clean input mains power input is.
I highly recommend that you upgrade & use a PACE SX-100 desoldering tool. It’s second to none & so good that you won’t know yourself. It uses extremely convenient disposable dross cartridges making its maintenance a breeze!
No matter what kind of dodgy AC line power comes in to audio gear, the power supply in the audio equipment will clean it up- nothing bad will reach the speakers. These AC power conditioners do nothing to improve sound quality- everything it might do is down to placebo effect.
I find that copper desoldering braid is very useful. It is always good to have It in your arsenal of desoldering aids. Sometimes it makes a brown mess on the board that has to be cleaned with alcohol.
I was taught to use braid over a solder sucker by military electronics techs because there's less risk ripping off the pads. But if Mark uses one and he's had good luck with them, more power!
That’s why I use a top notch PACE SX-100 desoldering tool! It’s the best desoldering tool I’ve ever used. It sucks all the solder from plated through holes as clean as a whistle & allows the desoldered component to literally fall out without causing any damage to the PCB.
extra power consumption for the audio rig. Neat. Also we must not forget the power cables that goes with this - probably cost £1000 per meter. Simply put: This is like pouring melted butter on becon before u serve it. Interesting video tho. :)
You know who could use that for it's ability to output 60 Hz? TECHMOAN! he could plug the step down transformer into the output and then generate some real 115V/60 Hz.
Hi Mark. I must say that watching your videos makes me envy the way you tackle such a wide variety of devices. You are a true professional. It's great to see you are able to put your hands on all the parts required and your test equipment is so comprehensive. Keep up the good work. Personally I would like to see you tackle one of those horrible little Denon mini reciver/cd players and their ilk.(model numbers escape me at this moment) Kind regards Allan 😃
I love the blue power light that’s just an incandescent bulb with a blue filter. By 2000 you’d have thought that was well on the way out, but I guess the design is a little older still.
Good to see o e of Paul's pieces put back into service after years of use. I thought the unit was from the mid 90s when Paul was trying to put back the company on the map after he bought it back (after having sold it). This was one of the first products to really get ps audio going in the direction they are today. They made bigger versions of the the 600 and and 1200 I think for powering various audio pieces. Seen a number of these needing work and it's interesting why these transistors fail and that scorched relay. Only seen a couple of your videos but their fun, inspiring and educational. Just curious if you do any videos on things for beginners like soldering tips, general advice on measuring and tech tips? Thanks from the USA!
There is special high conductivity kapton tape, Kapton MT+, that might have been used originally on those mosfets. Still wouldn't use kapton tape for the job if I didn't have to...
Flooding the connections with solder does work, but I've lifted thinner PCB traces doing that. Boo! on me. This looks like a robust power circuit board, so safer to do. Just have to be careful. Nice to find the core problem so quickly, though. (I swear I can smell the flux in every one of these videos, ha ha.)
Kapton tape is not thermally conductive; rather, it is known for its excellent thermal insulation properties. Made from polyimide film, Kapton tape can withstand high temperatures (up to about 260°C or 500°F) without degrading, making it suitable for applications in electronics, aerospace, and other industries where heat resistance is necessary. While it can tolerate high temperatures, it does not conduct heat well, which is one of the reasons it is often used as an insulating material. Keratherm Red 86/82 thermal pads are the way to go there. This material is a single solution - there is no need to use thermal grease - just place the insulator between the transistor and heatsink. The Keratherm Red material is silicone and fiberglass material impregnated with ceramic that is thermally conductive. In normal use it can match or even exceed the performance of mica and grease. It is ideal for Class-A and Class-AB power amplifier devices and anywhere you need a good thermal interface. This film is especially suitable for highpower applications. It has excellent thermal and electrical properties. Thanks to its good performance, Keratherm Red can be used reliably in densely packed electronic applications. Also available with adhesive coating as 86/82 K.
A bit of silicone tubing cut on an angle makes a lovely slip-on flexible nozzle extension for those solder suckers. You get a nice seal over the iron tip and joint, which makes the vacuum much more effective, and the silicone isn't deformed by the heat of the iron.
@@Wizardofgosz Yeah you're right, if the steel mill is chomping whole cycles out of your mains then this contraption probably won't even work and your flickering lights are likely to be a bigger concern.
@@qddk9545 Yes? And? Then this miraculous thing happens. The AC gets rectified and FILTERED through this thing called a POWER SUPPLY, and the power comes out as clean DC. th-cam.com/video/12T7JFLGlf0/w-d-xo.html th-cam.com/video/II07bFlteig/w-d-xo.html
I was about to ask, despite the obvious irrelevance of the mains line condition once it's rectified... Wouldn't an UPS do the same thing... Maybe not be able to switch the frequency though.
interesting that this uses powercon for the power input, that's generally only used in the pro audio space, not by audiophiles they also don't use speakon for no good reason in the hifi space, it's much superior to screw terminals or banana plugs
Love the part snooping and replacement, one question - how the heck do you source the replacement parts when they are so old. Heck I have problems with getting parts that are only 5 years old, let alone DIP chips and specialty relays !
There is one sensible use for things like this, if a band is going on a world tour and doesn't want to think about local voltages it enables them to keep all their equipment configured for their preferred voltage. For example Brian May uses one for all his touring equipment. (Though a professional one rather one than an audiophile thing)
Well, disregarding all the snakeoil comments, cuz there's already enough said about that... Beautiful video! I really do enjoy watching You repair all those things
Oh, nevermind, they're held on by a clamp, not individual screws. Disregard that tip then, it only makes sense when the transistors are held by individual screws
I have good ears (I am a musician) and I listen to good equipment indoors. The true audiophiles tell me I won't hear any difference with a device like this because my modest (by their standards) equipment isn't resolving enough detail. I am using about £1200 worth of amplification and speakers, which isn't exactly cheap. But surely, if someone is spending £10,000 on a component, you'd expect the power supply stage to be sufficiently well engineered that a power regenerator should not be necessary?
No. It conducts heat pretty well. It is used in some thermal pads. Worst silicone is just a bit better than Kapton. Kapton can also be safely made very thin. When using hot air it is not the Kapton that insulates, it is the air between the Kapton and whatever is being protected from hot moving air.
Heij Buddy, I just wonder: You have the most beautiful measuring stuff and still desolder like a cave man? I do way less fiddeling than You but I didn´t want to put up with that anymore so I bought a desolder station, a zd 915. Applied the overvoltage mod in form of a step down converter in place of some load resistors switched in line with the pump and fan- works splendid. The poor fan gets 18 volts, it´s dragged down by the load of the pump to 12 volts. Now with the converter it´s at 12,5 volts all the time and the pump starts up instant. This thing really sucks now and is way quieter as before. A good machine.
GOOD equipment won't generate audible noise until the distortion becomes quite high indeed, on the order of 25-35% or so. (ie, square wave input!). Truly proper kit will eat even that and perform within spec. The main issue with square wave and clipped sine wave power is audible harmonics being generated by the magnetics themselves (transformer hum and hiss) and potentially lower capacity of those magnetics due to partial saturation though any reasonable kit should have enough headroom to deal with
Based on poor reviews of PS Audio power products (e.g. from Audio Science Review channel) not too sure this unit was worth repairing. I enjoyed the video though. Nice work!
The product is based on flawed concepts and appeals to people who don't understand how PSUs work. It's not necessary to have a perfect sine wave supply and any well designed PSU will handle any grid supply that's within the spec limits. It might just make sense to use this if you have a turntable with a synchronous AC motor, but even then, the grid doesn't wow and flutter much because generation equipment has huge turbines with huge flywheels. Of course there are "reviewers" claiming they can hear differences, but the same loons also claim they hear the difference between two brands of banana plugs on the speaker cable, or different types of stands used to support the amplifier. There's one born every minute.
@@jamesrindley6215 You need old growth oak to hold you're speaker cables off the carpet or you'll introduce harmonic distortion from the carpet pad... 😂
Generally yes PS Audio products received poor reviews at ASR but if you checked it was not this one. Amir rather likes the P300. He has one. Balanced power and low distortion.
Kapton has high thermal resistance, the opposite of what you want for a power device heat sink washer. But given power transistors have heatsink top and bottom it might not matter.
I've seen Kapton insulators before. Not tape tho. I suppose since they are so thin they can be somewhat on oar with mica or the gray silpads. I always replaced them with mica tho...
Kapton as a thermopad? Bad idea... While electrically insulating it not only conduct heat poorly, but also quickly degrade when exposed to high temperature - that may cause shorts to heatsink. There is way better stuff specially designed for that role, for using at mains potential, too, if that's the case.
A god trick with removing power transistors is to put enough solder on so it bridges adjacent pins and then heat the whole thing up, or 2/3 and then leaver it from side to side.
It's possible that I will need to contact you about my vintage Braun Atelier A1 amp at some point Mark, the record source selector has always been temperamental since I got it at the beginning of 2021, recently there was a click and now the range of the selector doesn't cover all of the sources. Minimal impact on using it but annoying all the same! I believe they are sliding switches driven by a cable from the front panel knob.
Paul Mc Gowan is or would have a heart attack watching someone else work on his equipment. If you know anything about him he doesn’t sell his equipment in stores and always talks about if you have and problems with his equipment send it to them to repair. 😢
In the audiophile realm, a measurable difference is rare to behold!
Well, you have a measurable difference at a power input, but what will be the difference on audio output?
I have no such thing as this, no fancy high-end equipment, yet, with no input, I can't hear s**t coming out of my DIY amp with ear right at the speaker. And not that my AC is clean - it's far from that.
I dunno what it is but I find these videos informative AND relaxing! Always liked cooking shows and repairs! Seeing something go from useless to great! Thanks for the vids and positive attitude!
For people that think this is snake oil. It's not, especially for older equipment.
I did an experiment and couldn't a signal. The person next to was like, just unplug the cheap LED desk lamp.
All the noise was gone instantly. Turns out LEDs lamps don't need any of the strict anti electrical noise filtering that is present in many other devices.
Leading to a ton of noise on the electrical grid
I wired my shop with a GFCI breaker and installed LED lights in place of the fluorescents that were there before. As soon as I turned on the lights, the breaker would blow. LEDs just don't play well with others.
I love how happy fixing things makes you
Definitely a better case and overall construction quality than that £25k POS Tom Evans preamp that got you the copyright strike, bit which is now all over TH-cam 😀
That solder sucker makes such a satisfying “nom nom nom” sound
Num num num num...nummy.
Paul will be contacting you to do all the PS Audio servicing in the UK. (Just kidding). Another excellent video.
I wonder how many times his mum has to call him, to come in for his tea. Great content, can't stop watching , what a perfectionist , thank you Mark
To my experienced eyes, this whole thing smacks of having been (badly) repaired before hence the Kapton tape for SIL pad bodge. Kapton tape as SIL Pads, sorry not on my planet! Good video as usual chap, keep it up! A
its ok as the heatsink is on both sides unlike ususally just back of transistors'.
@@Johny666EU I assume that's a joke.
You're right. Kapton tape is not thermally conductive; rather, it is known for its excellent thermal insulation properties. Made from polyimide film, Kapton tape can withstand high temperatures (up to about 260°C or 500°F) without degrading, making it suitable for applications in electronics, aerospace, and other industries where heat resistance is necessary. While it can tolerate high temperatures, it does not conduct heat well, which is one of the reasons it is often used as an insulating material.
Keratherm Red 86/82 thermal pads are the way to go there. This material is a single solution - there is no need to use thermal grease - just place the insulator between the transistor and heatsink. The Keratherm Red material is silicone and fiberglass material impregnated with ceramic that is thermally conductive. In normal use it can match or even exceed the performance of mica and grease. It is ideal for Class-A and Class-AB power amplifier devices and anywhere you need a good thermal interface.
Kapton absolutely is used as a thermal pad. It's not the best performer but it works. Firts time I've seen it was a Cerwin Vega power amplifier. Rather serious heatsinks, forced air cooling, and all TO-3 transistors mounted on kapton insulators. Fischer Elektronik still makes a range of kapton thermal pads.
Its advantage as a thermal pad is that it is very thin, which more than makes up for the better thermal conductivity of a fat silicone pad. We used mica for years, and Kapton works better than that. The only benefit of silicone is that it is gap-filling so it doesn't need the addition of grease to conduct heat effectively.
Hope you fitted an audiophile-grade relay with ion-infused twisted pair armature leads. That fuse needs to have cost at least fifteen quid, too :)
Low oxygen copper in the windings - you can hear the difference.
And make sure your fuse is fitted the right way round (it matters, apparently!).@@ThePaulv12
Of course. Cryo-treated, rhodium plated.
Hello Mark! I just stumbled upon your channel and I instinctively clicked on the subscribe button. Your troubleshooting and subsequent repair of this "smoke and mirrors/snake oil" AC power regenerator (seriously... how silly) was Top Notch. Color me impressed. BTW, Kapton tape used as an insulator is mildly acceptable, depending on the heat transfer coefficient requirement not needing to be moderately fast, however I take issue with this tape having the ability to be in the same league of thermally transmissive mica, Sil-pads, etc. Kapton tape is coated with adhesive on the sticky side (obviously) and the formulation of this glue does not address having any thermally transmissive properties at all. Just because the Kapton tape is a good insulator does not make it a good thermal conductor. In my opinion, using plain old school mica wafers or the newer Sil-pads will provide much faster heat transfer away from the BJTs and the speed at which the heat can be soaked away can be quite critical, when a lot of current passes through the active devices. Just my $0.02 worth of unsolicited concern. Thank you for the video and you did a beautiful job of repairing this "thing". Fred
was that relay powerful enough? it didn't look meaty enough.
I personally have experience with these "things", and know what positive improvements I can demonstrate in terms of noise-reduction and clarity. Have you used one are are you just convinced they are not worth it? If so why, pray tell...
@@vicweast Let's just put it this way, I've never come across an audiophile who has any knowledge of electronics or physics...
@@vicweast If you want to fight, you can check out the Audio Science Review.
Basically, it doesn't make any sense unless your device's circuitry doesn't use DC, but directly AC.
Any normal circuit's DC side should not be affected by AC in any way unless there are major power surge or blackout.
@@mattparker8747A good example is the late Siegfried Linkwitz (of Linkwitz-Riley filter fame) was a dedicated audiophile and an electronics engineer who designed instruments (Spectrum Analyzers etc) at Hewlett Packard for many years.
I've always loved that copper-chrome color of the kapton tape roll.
Going way, way back to the first days of the PC, we would frequently have to give boards with an edge connector the "pink pearl" treatment. That is, using a Pink Prearl Eraser to clean the contacts. Worked wonders 90% of the time.
Agree! That ISA style connector on the PCB side was heavily corroded and as it created the AC waveform, I'd be surprised if it wasn't that which caused the issue in the first place.
Another belter Mark..makes my day...more vintage please.
Another masterclass in debugging and repair, thanks.
I'd have put a couple of internal Wago connectors in it to jumper the input to the output, nicked the magnetics for my windowsill collection, and stuck a housebrick in it to make up for the wieght loss.
What kind of mutant would take a rotational machine generated sine and then use an approximated copy of it "for audiophile purposes"?
Really - If your amp can't deal with the odd powerline glitch, bin the sodding thing.
(Deep breath) - Nice repair.
That's generally the opinion of Amir from Audio Science Review. And mine too. PS Audio stuff is vastly over priced .
Way back in the day I dabbled quite a bit in electronics and I would run across a piece of equipment that had heatsinked power transistors. The manufacturers always used mica and heat sink paste.
1:00 That sinewave shape was like that thirty years ago, so IMHO has little to do with "modern" electronics. Conventional power supplies are just as guilty in taking power at the peak of the sinewave as switched mode power supplies are.
I'm not too worried about the slightly distorted mains sinewave, my audio (and other) devices turn it into a regulated DC supply first anyway.
Its not actually the switched mode bit of the power supply that does that, its the rectifier, which has been used forever. SMPS can inject distortion into the net, just not harmonic distortion. Nowadays, there is more regulation on the distortion a supply is allowed to make, so I would imagine it would only get better, as long as we don't collectively buy unregulated imported electronics, which tend to omit most of the improvements, like power factor correction and EMI filters.
Yes, I get a nice waveform out of a ferroresonant converter, which also has a nice advantage that rectifier diodes run cooler due to the flat topped waveform, and it makes for a really good mains filter as well, surviving a few cycles of drop out with no hassle..
Almost as if audiophile kit is expensive snake oil!
I think there is a much easier fix: just wire the output directly to the input, and the thing will do exactly the same job as before ;)
You put far too much faith in my local power company
NAILED IT !
😂😂😂
No, you are wrong. The "thing" will do a better job than before.....
😀😃😄
true hater in his natural habitat! Says the arm chair audiophile that does nothing but look at what he can’t afford or have.😮
Hi - easier to remove the transistor if you snip the pins first. You can then remove the pins one at a time without needing to overheat (and possibly lift) the pads.
I'd also be worrying about clearances to the case around the capton tape. Presumably those power devices are at mains voltage - pretty sure there isn't 5mm of clearance there. In fact the position of the screws make that impossible - as far as I can see.
Never thought of this, thanks! Of course do this only if I’m sure the semiconductor is faulty or else I’ll snip off a good one n can’t test whether it’s ok or not
Do not think the amplifier runs at mains, likely around 70V rails, with one power transformer doing the input and the other 2 the output sockets, each separate.
Don't trust audio engineers to get normal electrical safety standards correct 🤣
@@ivolol How dare you!! I'm shocked, shocked!! (Apologies to Claude Rains).
⚡⚡😂
Can't beat a bit of a smile with Young Marko!! Great Stuff!
Wow that was interesting to see that waveform clipped before you worked your magic on the PS Audio unit. I have never seen capton tape used before in that way and I worked in electronic manufacturing a long time. As you say there must have been a reason for it. Love your videos.
Mica insulators will give a grainy, mineral sound.
The audio characteristic of silicone is too soft and rubbery.
Kapton will produce a clear tight sound with solid bass and treble.
Unfortunately beryllium oxide will cause severe attenuation of high frequencies and make your high end setup sound like a cheap telephone.
Of course diamond is the superior heat transfer material of choice and produces no noticeable coloration, it is the best if you can afford it.
Vacuum tube amplifiers do not require heat transfer pads. That is one of the reasons they have a superior sound
@@gordonwelcher9598 Spoken like a true audiophile.....Cough!
🤣
@@peterallen8413 At low frequencies the heat is produced in waves. Inappropriate transient properties of the heat transfer material will cause the bass to be severely distorted due to thermal effects on the output transistor junctions. Nonlinear dielectric loss in the stray capacitance will affect the high frequencies. Tighter clamping will make a noticeable improvement in sound.
@@gordonwelcher9598 I'd love to see a double blind test for that woo woo!
Notes: don't trust capaitors to discharge themselves. Cut legs from dead components to aid removal. Awesome video bud... 👌😎👍
after being off for 20 years ?
@@ebaystars Glad you can put a time and date to the last charge cycle but when working as a psu repair engineer i saw lots of open circuit bleed resistors across the mains capacitors... 😁 If you do the math a perfect capacitor will never discharge so i guess its all down to leakage... 🤔
@@GeoffDavis1974 Im old enough to remember CRTS in TVs with HUGE voltages stored on the tubes flyback pin!! Did that thing actually have high voltages over it was it switched mode unit I didnt see a circuit ? looked linear in the main?
@@ebaystarsme too, i used to repair those also. the charge is in the tube and the tube has capacitance. Same deal...
Hi, did the transistors actually use Kapton tape to transfer heat from the transistors to the heatsink? Because if it was used it might be the cause of the origional failure, Kapton tape does not have very good thermal conductivity.
Btw I think the screws need to have a fine coat of snake oil to maintain the sonic properties of the power supply.
exactly what I thought!
i was type typing the same thing when i seen your post super odd.
@@RetroTuna nah you HAVE to replace all the capacitors with space-qualified, anti beta radiation ones, and they have a gold foil / kapton dielectric layer between their vaiorus hiss and click sonic-proofing layers, thanks for the tip I just realised I can use Kapton tape for picture framing as it wont melt in Thailand :-) (PS we got plenty of snakes here)
I think someone was in this before
The snake oil only comes with NEW gear, it's factory installed. Once opened the magic is gone.
just for general info, i just checked it º.º
kapton tape, heat pass thru,used in the old days 0.1 W/mK better than notinng...
silicone pads, used today 1.6 W/mK so, this is 16 times BETTER
You have to account for the thickness though. If the silicone pads are more than 16 times thicker than the Kapton tape, higher thermal conductivity won’t help.
@@northernlightandsoundyup but they probably used it for isolation and was better compared to using plastic sheets. Most amps I've open manufactured pre 2000's used generic plastic between transistor and heatsink.
They used mica in the old days, not kapton...
I wish you were my neighbour. Great work!
Audiophile Power Regenerator Repair. Great vid, thanks. Subscribed.
The kapton tape will run the transistors slightly hotter, for an accurate warm sound reproduction with a vintage touch. It will make silicon sound like electron valve vacuum tubes.
Further optimizations for a vintage HiFi experience include the omission of the gold-plating, most notably at the connection of the sine board. This feature will ensure that this unit's process of becoming of age will closely resemble to how the rest of your vintage equipment will develop with time.
🤣
and all that before the conversion to DC! Remarkable.
I always use 2.5 mm cooker cable to run to my speakers to ensure a pure warm sound all the way to the little Tannoy coils
You have a hidden talent for writing articles in audiophile magazines. ;-)
Sometimes it's hard to see if people are joking or not haha. Good job. :D
I'm glad I found this channel. Delightful circuit repair ASMR with such calm and authoritative commentary; it's so relaxing and I just might learn enough to be able to repair my Arcam Alpha 9 integrated amp. Win-win!
I use a CVT (Constant Voltage Transformer) to do this job. It works very well and is a passive device. CVTs are expensive as well.
HP 8903A analyser - the queen of my set of instruments.
DUDE!! just found your channel the other day and I am really enjoying your videos!! Thanks for taking the time to make these :)
What a pointless piece of kit, but I suppose someone must buy them. The story of the king’s new clothes comes to mind. As many have said, it’s converted to DC anyway and that’s all the amp see’s. All it really wants is a good low impedance supply which doesn’t sag under load, such as that available from a standard 13Amp socket. All this device can do is raise the impedance. If it were able to lower it, it would be possible to pull more power (for the same voltage) than it’s drawing from the mains, which is clearly impossible.
Any conventional power supply only pulls current towards the waveform peaks anyway, which is what leads to the distortion in the first place. If anything, the slightly flat topped waveform will reduce the peak currents in the rectifier and probably prolong its life.
The output waveform looks great with a small constant resistive light bulb load. I’d like to see what it does in the real world powering an amp with constantly changing load and phase angle. I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t look any better than the raw mains, not only that, but it would also be constantly ‘on the move’ as well and would also inflict the same wobbly supply on any source equipment.
The option of 55Hz is totally bizarre. 55Hz is not used on a properly functioning mains supply anywhere in the world. If you were that worried about the quality of your mains, why on earth would you want a non standard frequency?
It seems to me, if you really need one of these, you should have bought audio equipment which was properly designed in the first place.
exactly this ^^
Audiophiles' brains and wallets don't work that way. They'd strap a tortoise to their amps if someone wrote a convincing article it would help with sound quality.
@@chimpana I have a giraffe on mine, I read somewhere it improves the high end.
nah the company should have made Tempest Grade isolation devices (for that ultimate red-black transition) and filters then they would have made zillions from the military
@@chimpana I can think of a number of examples, but I think my favorite so far is audiophiles who use little wooden stands, like tiny 3” telephone poles every 2’ propping up their cables so that their speaker cabling and patch cables (oh, excuse me “interconnects”) do not make contact with their carpet or other flooring, because…that’s…bad.
The person I first saw doing that spent 30 min trying to explain to me how much better his system sounded after this modification, and why, in pseudoscientific terms at least, it made such a huge difference to use his wood stands. It’s bizarre and hilarious. It’s woo-woo, almost like a set of supernatural beliefs. Makes me kind of sad, this sort of anti-scientific, non-evidence based approach, but I think the main thing that really drives me nuts about this is that it’s not even necessary because there’s so much great sounding, inexpensive consumer/prosumer and pro-audio gear available!
I am a musician, producer/sound designer (and so is my brother), mostly video game music/soundtracks and sound effects, so I obviously enjoy good music, played on a system that is adequate. Audio engineering has long been an apprenticeship-based profession, starting with the “tea boy” role in older studios (or the “roadie” role - in touring and live concert production) so it used to be a bit more difficult to access the knowledge needed to work in our field without some sort of hands-on training…but these days, there are so many ways to learn about the concepts behind sound engineering, so the knowledge is easily available to almost anyone with internet access. I hope more “audiophiles” will realize they don’t even need all this expensive, often absolutely useless and absurd crap to hear their favorite recorded music, faithfully reproduced.
Another Excellent repair ( and my second viewing of yr videos) I've been avoiding buying ones of these for my Linn systems but maybe I should get one. Also - Re: the Kapton tape, Linn use Mica wafers on the Klout Power amps between the Sanken Trannies and the heat sink block and this is supposed to have improved the sound quality when introduced as a factory enhancement. I'm starting to binge watch you.. instead of getting on with my own projects. Look what you made me do !
They're great if you want to waste a lot of money and help Paul buy another Tesla.
It'll warm up your room and increase revenue for the power company. If you believe that Linn know how to design audio circuits then you can safely assume they also know how to design a PSU that'll work just fine over the limits of what the power grid delivers.
@@TerryClarkAccordioncrazy would hope so, but my old dealer in Switzerland still used external Power conditioners, I think from Isotek. I was considering a TORUS TOT MAX for my main Music system and something else for my Home Cinema room once its up and running. But would be good to get a spectrum analyser on the mains first to see how clean or dirty it is. I know a guy who might be able to look at that for me.
@@stephenyoud6125 Any properly designed equipment will work fine on the standard mains. Hifi dealers like to sell more stuff, whether or not it does anything useful. Edited to fix spelling mistake.
Correction to my previous comment. The CV transformer device is called a Volstat, with just two T's not 3. The full trade name is (was?) "Advance Volstat". I have a couple of them stowed away somewhere; one outputs 240 volts, and the other 12 volts. They're quite bulky for their rated output power, but not as bulky as that synthesised sine wave contraption that Mark painstakingly repaired.
Why did I only now find this channel? Love it, subscribed!
You are quite talented. Grind a notch in the tube of your solder sucker for the iron tip to fit in and it will work better
Really enjoyed that this morning..unsure how audible of a improvement it would be but interesting all the same.👍
Seems illogical to take the energy from the outlet, reduce that energy by powering an additional device designed to somehow to improve the performance even though total energy is reduced and possibly restricted, passing through myriad components.
I would favor the "less is more" philosophy. Fewer components, less complex circuits, fewer possible points of failure, fewer components to fail. The KISS principle.
Wouldn’t the sound of a cooling fan in the room negate the whole audiophile listening experience?
Perhaps the point of Kapton tape is no need for thermal grease. It will creep into the surface roughness to do the job pretty well. I don’t think I’ve ever seen it used by others. Myself I got this idea some 15 years ago and it has saved many a paper towel from cleaning the grease :)
It outperforms mica thermally, that much I know. Maybe not as robust very long-term? So far it’s not failed me once on my projects. Some are under power day-round.
no
A cheaper way of getting sine wave output and protecting expensive audio and computer equipment, is an APC server grade Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS). The cheap versions don't have sine wave output, but the better versions do.
Mine cost about £350, it comes with a car battery, which lasts 2-4 years before it degrades enough to require replacement.
The other advantage, is my PC and audio equipment is protected from surges and sags, and when the power goes out, my PC stays on, until the battery gets low, then it turns itself off.
Generally, UPSes don't regenerate power. They just feed the power input to the output and only switch to the inverter when the mains power disappears. But these devices are good for one thing anyway: fill the bank account of the manufacturer.
@meindertsprang7491 They don't convert AC to DC battery then convert battery DC back to AC output, unless the power goes out. Because that would be an unnecessary drain on the battery.
The cheap ones don't put out sine wave output, which the higher grade ones do, by analysing and correcting the mains power, that's why the good ones are more expensive.
Most people don't use UPS with their PC, but that results in data loss and data corruption. I like having the ability to keep my computer and sound working, when there's a dip in the power which would cause my PC to turn off, if I didn't have it protected by a UPS.
I have my DAC and headphone amp plugged into the UPS, but my amplifier is just plugged into the mains. As I don't mind not being able to play through my speakers when the power goes out. But I do want my PC and internet to stay on. So my router is also plugged into the UPS. This means during power outages, I can still use my landline phone. I think that's well worth the money.
@@davidestabrook5367 I have an APC 1500 Smart UPS on my server and I can assure you that when mains power is present, the UPS does nothing. It just passes mains from input to output, the inverter is not running. So it will not cleanup the mains power in any way.
I was shouting at the screen "Check the emitter resistors" Maybe you did off camera but with shorted output transistors something would have to give and it wasn't the fuse.
Very Nice I'm sure Paul McGowan would be impressed.
I don’t think so I believe he likes to work on his own equipment he’d want any of his secrets getting out into the world.
Fabulous work Mark. Thanks for the vid.
I don't know but after all, it will be converted to DC anyways. But if your TT is using an AC motor, then that would work great 👍
I like your method of adding solder and heat from the back to avoid pulling pads off on the backside.
i agree!
I used to work in notebook service and kapton tape has been used always to cover nearby elements from heat while soldering and/or electrical insulation, but never this way. Like William J. wrote. "mica plates" is the way to keep stuff cool and isolated.
I can't believe I watched a man stick Kapton tape on transistors for five minutes... lol. Cool video. New subscriber.
He has many other interesting and satisfying performances, stay tuned. Loved the audiophool bits, interesting and entertaining. I have seen and read of such things and find humor in it, although many are quite vexed.
I'd like to see the waveform of an audio signal output by a good modern audio amp when plugged directly into the wall, and then after being plugged into this. That's what matters, at least in the real world most of us live in. I doubt very much anyone with a $50,000 (or more) system could tell the difference in a blind comparison. I trust that the engineers who design audio equipment have taken into account that the mains power is not a pure sine wave. I suppose it does have some utility as a huge and expensive surge protector.
Imagine him and Mr. Carlson having a conversation.
That would be a long video :D Love Carlson's lab :)
This is a wonderful video Mark! I'm 67 and have occasionally done a bit of hands-on electronics and wiring, your videos are interesting in terms of professional technique/tips-to-be-gleaned! BTW, I love the PS Audio regenerators, they make an actual qualitative difference in the sound from my systems.
Nope - Please review th-cam.com/video/jeirY9tC_NU/w-d-xo.html HTH
The only thing that makes your audio sound better than the loud (unnecessary) fan on the magical AC generator, is when all that pretty AC current enters your amp and almost instantly gets chopped up into DC via a bridge rectifier. Oh well, it was pretty well it lasted until the bridge rectifier destroyed your beautiful artwork AC snake oil. If audiophiles spent a little time learning the basics of electronics, they wouldn't spend a dime on useless snake oil products. If you can't reliably tell the difference in a blind A/B test, than any perceived gains only exist in your head (the placebo effect). Better sound quality comes from spending your money on the few things that actually make a difference. Better amp, preamp, DAC, speakers, room treatment.....
There is a guy here who SWEARS that the kapton tape makes the transistor run hotter, giving the audio a "warm sound" with more "width" and "depth".
ROFL
My speakers at home are connected to my amp with old leftover ethernet cable, and I don't care.
Yes, a double blind test is the true measure of whether it makes a difference.
But what about my depth of field getting bigger? And my warmer punchy round bass? And silky yet transparent mids? And the smooth yet accurate treble? And my stereo field widening? And the fact that my tubes last longer? My $1000/ft speakers cables are at 90• bends for perfect sine wave conductivity. And yes I did make sure my power cables cost at least $5000 and they are most definitely directional. This magic box is a MUST in any serious system. Get with it, bruh!! /s
@@dh-_1011 Haha! I tried one of those directional power cables and it sounded amazing, but it wasn't worth the trouble of having to switch the cable ends around 60 times per/sec, so AC current could flow both ways.
@@gordthor5351 It’s a labour of love, it’s all about tOaN!!!!!!!!
Absolutely love the channel for your wayyy in depth repairs,BUT ,cant agree on kapton tape for heat sink insulators, need thermal conductivity along with electrical isolation.
Back in the 1990's I was at a Best Buy and they had two large plasma screen televisions that back then cost $10,000 to $12,000 US each. There was a power supply with large VU meters between them and it filtered the line voltage for 1 of the tv's. It cost $400+ US. I could definitely tell the difference in the two televisions the one that was going through the filter was much clearer a picture.
sure lol
And you didn't stop to wonder.. "would they monetarily benefit from adjusting the video settings and make one of them look worse?".
That's how they still do it in large box stores today, increase the brightness and color intensity on the TVs with the highest margins. Lower the brightness and color intensity on models you don't really make any money on.
$10k -$12k TV's with such bad of a power supply???
Procuct, clearly deserved by audiofools.
Somehow modern $1200 (10x cheaper) modern OLED TV does produce the same stunning picture no matter how clean input mains power input is.
Impeccable work!
I highly recommend that you upgrade & use a PACE SX-100 desoldering tool. It’s second to none & so good that you won’t know yourself. It uses extremely convenient disposable dross cartridges making its maintenance a breeze!
Second to none, after the Metcal desoldering tool. Of course not many people can afford Metcal prices, and it requires a seperate compressor.
that thumbprint will make this ps a collectors item when Mark hits the bigtime.
I was hoping he would have wiped it clean.
No matter what kind of dodgy AC line power comes in to audio gear, the power supply in the audio equipment will clean it up- nothing bad will reach the speakers. These AC power conditioners do nothing to improve sound quality- everything it might do is down to placebo effect.
I find that copper desoldering braid is very useful.
It is always good to have It in your arsenal of desoldering aids.
Sometimes it makes a brown mess on the board that has to be cleaned with alcohol.
I was taught to use braid over a solder sucker by military electronics techs because there's less risk ripping off the pads. But if Mark uses one and he's had good luck with them, more power!
The solder mask comes off if you are not careful.
That’s why I use a top notch PACE SX-100 desoldering tool! It’s the best desoldering tool I’ve ever used. It sucks all the solder from plated through holes as clean as a whistle & allows the desoldered component to literally fall out without causing any damage to the PCB.
extra power consumption for the audio rig. Neat. Also we must not forget the power cables that goes with this - probably cost £1000 per meter.
Simply put: This is like pouring melted butter on becon before u serve it. Interesting video tho. :)
You know who could use that for it's ability to output 60 Hz? TECHMOAN! he could plug the step down transformer into the output and then generate some real 115V/60 Hz.
Good thinking, this would be ideal for Mat. Didn't occur to me when I was watching the repair.
Who?
@@ShainAndrews Enter "techmoan" into the youtube search field. Usually the first entry gets you to the channel.
@@ShainAndrews www.youtube.com/@Techmoan/videos
Hi Mark. I must say that watching your videos makes me envy the way you tackle such a wide variety of devices. You are a true professional. It's great to see you are able to put your hands on all the parts required and your test equipment is so comprehensive. Keep up the good work. Personally I would like to see you tackle one of those horrible little Denon mini reciver/cd players and their ilk.(model numbers escape me at this moment)
Kind regards Allan 😃
I love the blue power light that’s just an incandescent bulb with a blue filter. By 2000 you’d have thought that was well on the way out, but I guess the design is a little older still.
Good to see o e of Paul's pieces put back into service after years of use. I thought the unit was from the mid 90s when Paul was trying to put back the company on the map after he bought it back (after having sold it). This was one of the first products to really get ps audio going in the direction they are today. They made bigger versions of the the 600 and and 1200 I think for powering various audio pieces. Seen a number of these needing work and it's interesting why these transistors fail and that scorched relay. Only seen a couple of your videos but their fun, inspiring and educational. Just curious if you do any videos on things for beginners like soldering tips, general advice on measuring and tech tips? Thanks from the USA!
PS Audio made money buy scamming uneducated old "idiots".
It is nice to see I am a fan of ps from New Zealand
This is why people like Sennheiser provide separate psu for their 50 grand plus headphones etc nice clean power plus the old tubes look awesome!!!
i love youre channel sir phil collins
Nice work. If Paul McGowan is watching he'll be offering you a re-location to Colorado!
There is special high conductivity kapton tape, Kapton MT+, that might have been used originally on those mosfets. Still wouldn't use kapton tape for the job if I didn't have to...
Flooding the connections with solder does work, but I've lifted thinner PCB traces doing that. Boo! on me. This looks like a robust power circuit board, so safer to do. Just have to be careful. Nice to find the core problem so quickly, though. (I swear I can smell the flux in every one of these videos, ha ha.)
Well learned something, resolder before desolder! Why do you do the center pins after doing the die pins?
Kapton tape is not thermally conductive; rather, it is known for its excellent thermal insulation properties. Made from polyimide film, Kapton tape can withstand high temperatures (up to about 260°C or 500°F) without degrading, making it suitable for applications in electronics, aerospace, and other industries where heat resistance is necessary. While it can tolerate high temperatures, it does not conduct heat well, which is one of the reasons it is often used as an insulating material.
Keratherm Red 86/82 thermal pads are the way to go there. This material is a single solution - there is no need to use thermal grease - just place the insulator between the transistor and heatsink. The Keratherm Red material is silicone and fiberglass material impregnated with ceramic that is thermally conductive. In normal use it can match or even exceed the performance of mica and grease. It is ideal for Class-A and Class-AB power amplifier devices and anywhere you need a good thermal interface. This film is especially suitable for highpower applications. It has excellent thermal and electrical properties. Thanks to its good performance, Keratherm Red can be used reliably in densely packed electronic applications. Also available with adhesive coating as 86/82 K.
Great to see that PS Audio are pretty good/ aren’t absolute crap….
No fun finding a lead player is BS…
A bit of silicone tubing cut on an angle makes a lovely slip-on flexible nozzle extension for those solder suckers. You get a nice seal over the iron tip and joint, which makes the vacuum much more effective, and the silicone isn't deformed by the heat of the iron.
Sounds like a good idea 🙂
I bought one of those PS Audio Power regenerator used,and I use it as a boat anchor.
In the real world this device only has value if you live between a steel mill and a welding shop, but it's nicely made nonetheless.
And even then it won't do anything.
@@Wizardofgosz Yeah you're right, if the steel mill is chomping whole cycles out of your mains then this contraption probably won't even work and your flickering lights are likely to be a bigger concern.
Try to make a voltage divider and put your mains out into a scope, and you will see how distorted it is.
@@qddk9545 Sure, but distortion of the mains doesn't translate into distortion of the audio.
@@qddk9545 Yes? And?
Then this miraculous thing happens. The AC gets rectified and FILTERED through this thing called a POWER SUPPLY, and the power comes out as clean DC.
th-cam.com/video/12T7JFLGlf0/w-d-xo.html
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Only audiophiles would pay twice as much for an online UPS without the batteries.
I was about to ask, despite the obvious irrelevance of the mains line condition once it's rectified... Wouldn't an UPS do the same thing... Maybe not be able to switch the frequency though.
I think he got a deal since it’s used Einstein.😂
interesting that this uses powercon for the power input, that's generally only used in the pro audio space, not by audiophiles
they also don't use speakon for no good reason in the hifi space, it's much superior to screw terminals or banana plugs
Basically a UPS (sans batteries) with an "audiophile" price?
Love the part snooping and replacement, one question - how the heck do you source the replacement parts when they are so old. Heck I have problems with getting parts that are only 5 years old, let alone DIP chips and specialty relays !
Get em from Paul Mc Gowan.
If I've got this correct, this audiofool device turns AC, into DC, DC into AC, so that your audio gear can then turn the AC into DC.
A DC ADC converted AC into DC bits AC would be converted to AC using a DC rail.
I am thunderstruck.
There is one sensible use for things like this, if a band is going on a world tour and doesn't want to think about local voltages it enables them to keep all their equipment configured for their preferred voltage. For example Brian May uses one for all his touring equipment. (Though a professional one rather one than an audiophile thing)
"I'm not electroboom" is the best part of this video🤣
He is just as funny when he gets zapped. He even swears sometimes.
Well, disregarding all the snakeoil comments, cuz there's already enough said about that...
Beautiful video! I really do enjoy watching You repair all those things
Oh, nevermind, they're held on by a clamp, not individual screws. Disregard that tip then, it only makes sense when the transistors are held by individual screws
capton tape is thermal insulator, so uve insulated transistors from heatsink.
I like it! For the initials alone already!
lovely video mark again
I have good ears (I am a musician) and I listen to good equipment indoors. The true audiophiles tell me I won't hear any difference with a device like this because my modest (by their standards) equipment isn't resolving enough detail. I am using about £1200 worth of amplification and speakers, which isn't exactly cheap. But surely, if someone is spending £10,000 on a component, you'd expect the power supply stage to be sufficiently well engineered that a power regenerator should not be necessary?
I wonder if the gaping hole used to house a fan-shaped filter?
Come on, kapton tape insulates heat!!!!! It's used for screening areas from. hot air. Why, why, why ???????????
No. It conducts heat pretty well. It is used in some thermal pads. Worst silicone is just a bit better than Kapton. Kapton can also be safely made very thin.
When using hot air it is not the Kapton that insulates, it is the air between the Kapton and whatever is being protected from hot moving air.
Heij Buddy, I just wonder: You have the most beautiful measuring stuff and still desolder like a cave man?
I do way less fiddeling than You but I didn´t want to put up with that anymore so I bought a desolder station, a zd 915. Applied the overvoltage mod in form of a step down converter in place of some load resistors switched in line with the pump and fan- works splendid.
The poor fan gets 18 volts, it´s dragged down by the load of the pump to 12 volts. Now with the converter it´s at 12,5 volts all the time and the pump starts up instant. This thing really sucks now and is way quieter as before. A good machine.
GOOD equipment won't generate audible noise until the distortion becomes quite high indeed, on the order of 25-35% or so. (ie, square wave input!). Truly proper kit will eat even that and perform within spec. The main issue with square wave and clipped sine wave power is audible harmonics being generated by the magnetics themselves (transformer hum and hiss) and potentially lower capacity of those magnetics due to partial saturation though any reasonable kit should have enough headroom to deal with
Based on poor reviews of PS Audio power products (e.g. from Audio Science Review channel) not too sure this unit was worth repairing. I enjoyed the video though. Nice work!
The product is based on flawed concepts and appeals to people who don't understand how PSUs work. It's not necessary to have a perfect sine wave supply and any well designed PSU will handle any grid supply that's within the spec limits. It might just make sense to use this if you have a turntable with a synchronous AC motor, but even then, the grid doesn't wow and flutter much because generation equipment has huge turbines with huge flywheels. Of course there are "reviewers" claiming they can hear differences, but the same loons also claim they hear the difference between two brands of banana plugs on the speaker cable, or different types of stands used to support the amplifier. There's one born every minute.
@@jamesrindley6215 You need old growth oak to hold you're speaker cables off the carpet or you'll introduce harmonic distortion from the carpet pad... 😂
@@frizzlefry1921 Good point, and don't forget your cryogenically conditioned gold plated mains fuses.
Generally yes PS Audio products received poor reviews at ASR but if you checked it was not this one. Amir rather likes the P300. He has one. Balanced power and low distortion.
Kapton has high thermal resistance, the opposite of what you want for a power device heat sink washer. But given power transistors have heatsink top and bottom it might not matter.
That kapton tape is an interesting choice. I wonder if the manufacturer knows that non-conductive thermal pads are a thing.
I hope that oak wire former was a from a fully balanced, low impedance tree with oxygen free branches.
I've seen Kapton insulators before. Not tape tho. I suppose since they are so thin they can be somewhat on oar with mica or the gray silpads. I always replaced them with mica tho...
Kapton as a thermopad? Bad idea... While electrically insulating it not only conduct heat poorly, but also quickly degrade when exposed to high temperature - that may cause shorts to heatsink. There is way better stuff specially designed for that role, for using at mains potential, too, if that's the case.
A god trick with removing power transistors is to put enough solder on so it bridges adjacent pins and then heat the whole thing up, or 2/3 and then leaver it from side to side.
It's possible that I will need to contact you about my vintage Braun Atelier A1 amp at some point Mark, the record source selector has always been temperamental since I got it at the beginning of 2021, recently there was a click and now the range of the selector doesn't cover all of the sources. Minimal impact on using it but annoying all the same! I believe they are sliding switches driven by a cable from the front panel knob.
You would be welcome! Find me at www.perton-electronics.co.uk
Paul Mc Gowan is or would have a heart attack watching someone else work on his equipment. If you know anything about him he doesn’t sell his equipment in stores and always talks about if you have and problems with his equipment send it to them to repair. 😢
Take notes evans, Paul did not snapp and go cracy over the this vid🎉
Thanks for bringing us along to the workshop. I guess some idiot overloaded the output and took the transistors out.
It’s a money converter. It converts your money into PS Audio's money. ⚡️💰
Great and lucky repair could have been a nightmare all those TR's perhaps arcing relay contacts caused the fault