Help with weird AC problem anyone?

[Loafer]

I converted my CD collection to FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Code) and stream it to my home hi fi. Typical bit rate is 800-1000 Mbps, compared to 128-256 Mbps for MP3. Sound quality is good but not quite as good as the original CDs, but with circa 750 CDs I am more than happy to trade the last bit of sound quality for the convenience of being able to find a track or CD in seconds.

 

On the boat I play MP3s coded at 320 mbps over the marine car type speakers fitted to DQ, as the speakers cannot reproduce higher quality sound. If I want better quality I used headphones.

 

I was never totally convinced of the 'quality' of CDs. They all sound a bit harsh and glassy when compared to vinyl on a Linn Sondek LP12.

 

Faulty RCD then!

 

Ha! I wondered who might suggest that! I presume you mean the replacement, for not tripping!

Edited November 17, 2015 by Loafer

[Paul C]

I was going to add, to be 100% sure it would be wise to get the RCD tested - and I mean properly tested by a qualified electrician who will have the kit to do so, not just pressing the "Test" button on it - although that's worth doing as a basic check. It may well be the stereo does have a fault and the new one isn't tripping properly.

[Loafer]

I was going to add, to be 100% sure it would be wise to get the RCD tested - and I mean properly tested by a qualified electrician who will have the kit to do so, not just pressing the "Test" button on it - although that's worth doing as a basic check. It may well be the stereo does have a fault and the new one isn't tripping properly.

 

I'm prepared to believe that it's ok, Paul. I've wasted quite a lot of my life on this lately and to have found a 'solution' is great. I no longer have to worry about converting to DC hifi!

 

There are still some interesting things going on though. My £9.99 multimeter has a huge neon lamp at the top which glows when near an AC electric field. Whilst sitting in my armchair, feet up with my Macbook on my lap, under charge, then I can make the neon lamp in my meter glow by pointing at it with a finger, while it's on my adjacent table! Clearly the hot neutral has found its way through the Apple charger to the DC output charging cable and rendered the Macbook case 'high'.

 

I still can't believe that this sort of inverter can be considered 'normal', but so far it hasn't hurt us and I've been testing EVERYWHERE. Current from laptop case to ME was a few microAmps (uA).

 

The standard 'test' button trips the new RCD, which has never been in use until today.

 

Thanks for your interest Paul.

No ill effects on the Lappy, certainly NO tingling sensations anywhere. Sigh.

Edited November 17, 2015 by Loafer

[cuthound]

I was never totally convinced of the 'quality' of CDs. They all sound a bit harsh and glassy when compared to vinyl on a Linn Sondek LP12.

Way back in 1985 I had an LP12. I swapped it for a CD player in 1987, when I could no longer stand the pops and crackles casused by static. I even bought a Zerostat antistatic gun to bathe the vinyl in positive ions. All it did was empty my wallet!

 

Agree vinyl sounded better (warmer) than CD though.

 

Edited to replace letters with spaces.

Edited November 17, 2015 by cuthound

[Loafer]

Way back in 1985 I had an LP12. I swapped it for a CD player in 1987, when I could no longer stand the popscand crackles casusedcby static. I even bought a Zerostat antistatic gun to bathe the vinyl in positive ions. All it did was empty my wallet!

 

Agree vinyl sounded better (warmer) than CD though.

 

YOU SWAPPED AN LP12 FOR A CD PLAYER?

 

..choke. I hope it was a gold and diamond-encrusted CD player!

[ditchcrawler]

 

 

The standard 'test' button trips the new RCD, which has never been in use until today.

 

 

Pity you didnt say that in post 1

[Loafer]

Pity you didnt say that in post 1

Don't get you, DC...

[ditchcrawler]

Don't get you, DC...

Well you were complaining that the RCD was tripping and then on the last post some 82 posts later you say you knew it didnt work properly right from the start, If you had said it didnt trip someone may have suggested that was the problem earlier.

[cuthound]

YOU SWAPPED AN LP12 FOR A CD PLAYER?

 

..choke. I hope it was a gold and diamond-encrusted CD player!

Yes, it suffered terribly from static, the way the vinyl stuck to the platter had to be seen to be believed. Sometimes took longer to change a record than to play it.

 

Swapped it for a Marantz KI Signature CD player. Not quite as good sound, but no pops or crackles.

[Loafer]

Well you were complaining that the RCD was tripping and then on the last post some 82 posts later you say you knew it didnt work properly right from the start, If you had said it didnt trip someone may have suggested that was the problem earlier.

 

I have misled you. I have no knowledge of the serviceability of the first RCD, all I knew is that it was tripping with just one particular device working. The replacement doesn't trip at all, unless I press the test button. Either one of them could be faulty, or neither of them! I have no idea.

 

In post 1, I had no alternative RCD to install. That happened at about post 78.

 

Sorry if I caused you to waste your time!

Yes, it suffered terribly from static, the way the vinyl stuck to the platter had to be seen to be believed. Sometimes took longer to change a record than to play it.

 

Swapped it for a Marantz KI Signature CD player. Not quite as good sound, but no pops or crackles.

 

Pops and crackles did convert many people. If I still lived in a house though, I'd definitely be back to vinyl in a trice. There are more being produced now, although at a hefty price.

Edited November 18, 2015 by Loafer

[ditchcrawler]

 

I have misled you. I have no knowledge of the serviceability of the first RCD, all I knew is that it was tripping with just one particular device working. The replacement doesn't trip at all, unless I press the test button. Either one of them could be faulty, or neither of them! I have no idea.

 

In post 1, I had no alternative RCD to install. That happened at about post 78.

 

In that case I must apologise as I obviously misunderstood what I thought you were saying.

 

What I thought you said was that the new RCD trips when you press the test button, but the old one didn't do that.

[Loafer]

In that case I must apologise as I obviously misunderstood what I thought you were saying.

 

What I thought you said was that the new RCD trips when you press the test button, but the old one didn't do that.

 

Ah sorry. No.

 

The first one tripped every time I played my hifi. The test button worked but irrelevant - I couldn't work out why the hifi was tripping it.

 

New one doesn't trip with hifi. Problem gone away! Test button works as normal.