Owner's Hot-Mods - DC Blocker

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DC Blocker

Printed From: Graham Slee Hifi System Components
Category: DIY AUDIO
Forum Name: Owner's Hot-Mods
Forum Description: Tell us how and why you hot-modded your audio gear
URL: https://www.hifisystemcomponents.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2404
Printed Date: 27 Mar 2026 at 3:59am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.01 - http://www.webwizforums.com

Topic: DC Blocker

Posted By: tg [RIP]
Subject: DC Blocker
Date Posted: 07 Dec 2014 at 12:20pm

I have been trialling a DC blocker on the input of my Revelation and my impressions are very favourable, the device seems to provide a readily audible improvement.

The whole story can be read, with appropriate warnings about the construction of mains connected devices, http://sound.westhost.com/articles/xfmr-dc.htm - http://sound.westhost.com/articles/xfmr-dc.htm

The device I have been trialling is based on that article and was professionally constructed for me.

Whether the audible improvement is due to blocking DC or some other effect I cannot say, I would say that the effect may well vary from one system to another.

I have previously noticed power supply vagaries seemingly causing issues in one home and not in another with the same equipment, for example amps that hum at their owners home but do not hum at mine, SMPS that "sing" in another home but are well behaved and silent in mine.

I will not here elaborate the nature of the improvement that I hear, only suggest this might be a worthwhile avenue to try for those with the skills or who can have such a device made for them.

Naturally it will be interesting to hear of any others trying this, whether with or without success.

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Tony G

Replies:

Posted By: Graham Slee
Date Posted: 07 Dec 2014 at 4:31pm

Just to qualify what tg says, this is for the mains input to the PSU1 of his Revelation phono stage.

The link above doesn't seem to work on my computer so we'll try this attempt...

http://sound.westhost.com/articles/xfmr-dc.htm - http://sound.westhost.com/articles/xfmr-dc.htm

I'm not going to comment yet as I have to read and absorb the article. The perfect solution would be a simple very large value non-polarised high voltage capacitor, but as that may not be possible to fulfill, this article suggests a realisable alternative.

If it were not for the galvanic isolation required for personal safety and that of other equipment, the old transformerless capacitor mains dropper would overcome DC on mains...

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That none should be able to park up and enjoy the view without a smartphone and the knowledge in how to use apps

Posted By: tg [RIP]
Date Posted: 08 Dec 2014 at 11:00pm

Thanks for clarifying that Graham, yes it is on the mains input to the PSU1 and it seems that I managed to paste a space into the link (fixed now).

I had the device made in an attempt to cure a transformer hum in another piece of equipment, which it did, and only tried it on the Revelation from curiosity.

I was somewhat taken aback to note the apparent improvement that I heard, perhaps it is doing some other mains filtering that contributes to this effect - I do not know.

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Tony G