[MediaSeth]

Is there a downside to the use of ferrite chokes on power chords and interconnects?  In other words, if I try some of those clip on ferrite things, could I do more harm than good?  Or would they in the least do nothing?

[Ferdi]

I use them on my braided powercords and like the results with but have not checked withouth. They are sort of a tight fit so I don't really want to remove them. I guess that in the interest of science one day I will.

On interconnects, I don't know how I would like the results, never tried.

[DaviD]

Hi !

I have used Ferrite RF Filters (on Interconnects, speaker cables, power cords) and never liked what they did to the sound. They suck out the "life" of music making it sound less involving and in the long term annoying.
If you are not hearing any RF noise perhaps it's best to leave them out. As people say: "Don't fix it if it's not broken". But they do wonders on anything that's about video (Computers, VCR's, TV, cable TV...). Or should I say they do good things for your eyes! Sharper picture, better colours, contrast, etc.
So don't be afraid to experiment a bit. After all, if they don't "fit" in the audio system they will find they way in the video/computer department.

Cheers,
David D.

[MaxCast]

I've only seen about two power cables that have them on.  FWIW, My camcorder power cord has one on the camera end  and one one the video connector, camera end.

[Audio Al]

My experience is the same as David's.  Funny you brought this subject up because just yesterday I found some of the small AQ ferrite filters in a draw and installed them on the power cords of my amp, cd and dac.  I didn't notice much difference.  When I installed them on interconnects in the past, it sounded as if I just installed a giant pillow in front of my speakers.  Save your money for another tweek.

[sceptic]

Ferrite chokes?

Well I'm not surprised if you feed it power cords and interconnects!

Your local pet store will have more suitable feed.

[MediaSeth]

I didn't notice much (if any) difference on power chords. A friend and engineer at a radio stations says that they would only help with FM and not AM RF anyway.  Perhaps I don't have any RF problems, but that's a surprise given where I live.
Like some of you, I noticed a suckout of high frequency with the chokes, but its effect varied based on the interconnect I used it on.  I suppose that would have to do with the amount of shielding on it (shrug). I don't mind it so much on the interconnects (monster 550i's i think..hey, i got em years ago) for my unmodded Sony NS500V.  I only use it for DVD/SACD, and not for CD.  I think it's taking out the bad with the good, but the perceived effect is that it doesn't sound as thin to me.  I'll get a mod or a better unit when the big bucks come in.
What about those new RatShack cables with the chokes built in?  Based on what I heard here, what were they thinking?!
I'll also try them on video now.  Should they be used on the RF(digital broadband/tv) coming in from the cable company or on the RCA video cable...or both? Eh.. I'll figure it out.

[Audio Al]

I' like to update my earlier post.  I was doing some listening yesterday and noticed that my sounstage was very limited.  I removed the ferrite clamps from my power cords and the sound stage opened up again in both width and depth.  What those things are supposed to filter in theory just doesn't work!  I have never found a positive application for these things.  I will never consider buying an upgraded power cord that has them integrated into the design.  They just suck the life out of the music wherever I put them.

[audioengr]

Ferrites will create a low-pass filter if put in series with any kind of audio cable.   This means that the high-frequencies will roll-off and you will get phase shift as well.  But the roll-off depoends on all of the circuit parameters and the ferrite itself.

Things that are important to know are that there are some variables with ferrites including:
1) magnetic saturation behavior
2) the value of the inductance and its linearity - affected by size and shape
3) the material in the Ferrite

Materials in Ferrites vary greatly, from the types that are used for pulse transformers, power transformers and those for RFI rejection.  Each has different losses at different frequencies and some are linear and some are not.

Just playing with off-the-shelf ferrites trying to tune your system like a tone-control is usually futile.  I dont believe in eliminating any of the music, so the only place that I use them is on my speaker cables, and these are tuned for electrical resonance control.  They are a very special material composition as well, not at all like what you can buy off-the-shelf.

[MediaSeth]

Thanks for the info!  I figure I'm not likely to get specs on the cheap ferrite chokes I bought at radio shack (not the ones that come already on their interconnects).  If I get home from work at a decent hour at all this week I'll just see what they do to video and/or remove them completely. I've only been using them for that one component.  Funny thing is, the original idea was to quiet a 'hiss' from an old ps audio IIc+ amp and it did nothing to it whatsoever.  I returned that amp under the store's policy.
Last night I noticed that my VGA monitor cable had some kind of choke on it.  Actually it's VGA on the computer end and component BNC's on the other.

[audioengr]

It is fairly common to see ferrites on computer cables.  They are to stop EMI from leaking out the cables from inside the components in order that the monitors and computers still pass the regulatory emission standards, FCC CISPR etc. when the cables are all attached.  This is how they must be tested.