[alpovs]

My headphones are Audio Technica ADX5000, which are fantastic by the way

Frequency Response: 5 – 50,000Hz.

The 60hz hum from the Topaz doesn't bother me. It's the electromagnetic field. For example, I get a headache if around those large transformers or large power lines on the street for very long too. Small ones don't seem to bother me though.

You said your ears were sensitive to very high frequencies. Transformers and power lines are everywhere, including house wiring. For most people, their principal sources of exposure to ELF magnetic fields are electrical appliances and house wiring. You should feel as bad when no music is playing.

 

[Leo-]

Hi shyamwanne, very interesting observation. I sometimes have headaches when listening to music especially when there is any excess brightness or harshness. It generally turns out that these days I forget to close the blinds which help to kill the 1st order reflection from the glass wall, then it usually goes away. My theory is that the brain gets confused with the timings and it simply hurts. When I had my system in a different position it was terrible, so maybe you'd like to try some fine tuning in your system too. Very interested in your findings.

 

[shyamwanne]

Thank you everyone for your input.

I bought an EMF meter, and what I have found out is that I am very sensitive to the Magnetic and Electric fields produced by transformers. I bought an aluminum case for my Topaz Isolation Transformer and put some Faraday Fabric around it, and I immediately feel better. I have found I am sensitive to all the transformers in my audio equipment, it was simply the size of the Topaz that made it so obvious.

Using my EMF meter I measured the magnetic field and electric field generated from my headphones with and without the Topaz. The magnetic field did not change. However, the electric field was LOWER with the Topaz, than without. So having the Topaz in my system actually is safer, as long as I am either physically far enough away from the transformer or I have it shielded.

I do not claim to understand the science behind any of this, just my personal experience. But it is very nice to know that the effect of the Topaz through my headphones is beneficial, not just sound wise, but also health wise. It is simply the transformer itself that I need to physically shield. Below is a picture of the aluminum box I now have the Topaz in. The faraday fabric is also inside the box, and wrapped around the wires, which I found helped lower audible noise and decreased my discomfort around the transformer. I have gotten it to a level where it does not bother me much anymore.

 

[mourip]

Thank you everyone for your input.

I bought an EMF meter, and what I have found out is that I am very sensitive to the Magnetic and Electric fields produced by transformers. I bought an aluminum case for my Topaz Isolation Transformer and put some Faraday Fabric around it, and I immediately feel better. I have found I am sensitive to all the transformers in my audio equipment, it was simply the size of the Topaz that made it so obvious.

Using my EMF meter I measured the magnetic field and electric field generated from my headphones with and without the Topaz. The magnetic field did not change. However, the electric field was LOWER with the Topaz, than without. So having the Topaz in my system actually is safer, as long as I am either physically far enough away from the transformer or I have it shielded.

I do not claim to understand the science behind any of this, just my personal experience. But it is very nice to know that the effect of the Topaz through my headphones is beneficial, not just sound wise, but also health wise. It is simply the transformer itself that I need to physically shield. Below is a picture of the aluminum box I now have the Topaz in. The faraday fabric is also inside the box, and wrapped around the wires, which I found helped lower audible noise and decreased my discomfort around the transformer. I have gotten it to a level where it does not bother me much anymore.

Nice job with the box. Where did you get it.

 

[Leo-]

Hi Shyamwanne, interesting observations. I especulate if it could be the side effects that come combined with magnetic and electrical fields like ultrasonic noise or something else, but not them directly. Would you feel sick also when passing beneath high power transmission lines? The fields near them are very powerful.

 

[alpovs]

Would you feel sick also when passing beneath high power transmission lines?

He mentioned this a few posts back - yes.

 

[alpovs]

Thank you everyone for your input.

I bought an EMF meter, and what I have found out is that I am very sensitive to the Magnetic and Electric fields produced by transformers. I bought an aluminum case for my Topaz Isolation Transformer and put some Faraday Fabric around it, and I immediately feel better. I have found I am sensitive to all the transformers in my audio equipment, it was simply the size of the Topaz that made it so obvious.

Using my EMF meter I measured the magnetic field and electric field generated from my headphones with and without the Topaz. The magnetic field did not change. However, the electric field was LOWER with the Topaz, than without. So having the Topaz in my system actually is safer, as long as I am either physically far enough away from the transformer or I have it shielded.

I do not claim to understand the science behind any of this, just my personal experience. But it is very nice to know that the effect of the Topaz through my headphones is beneficial, not just sound wise, but also health wise. It is simply the transformer itself that I need to physically shield. Below is a picture of the aluminum box I now have the Topaz in. The faraday fabric is also inside the box, and wrapped around the wires, which I found helped lower audible noise and decreased my discomfort around the transformer. I have gotten it to a level where it does not bother me much anymore.

I am curious about your EMF meter. How can it measure magnetic and electric fields separately? If you recall very very basic physics, a change in electric field produces magnetic field and at the same time a change in magnetic field produces electric filed. That's why it's called electromagnetic field. Electric and magnetic components are inseparable.

That's not true for static fields, they can exist on their own. But static magnetic field is produced by permanent magnets or electromagnets that use DC current. Static electric fields are even more rare. You get statically charged when you walk on carpet in plastic shoes on a dry day. Do you get sick in such situations? Or when you hold a fridge magnet?

Headphones have permanent magnets in them (not sure about the electrostatic ones but "regular" and planar-magnetics do). So you should measure magnetic field around them even when they are off and get sick when you are wearing them unplugged. Electric field or rather electromagnetic field is generated by music which in turn is generated by AC current. So it will depend on volume and intensity.

Your EMF meter seems suspect to me if it gives you separate different readings for electric and magnetic fields for electromagnetic fields. And what frequencies does it measure? There are no simple devices that measure all frequencies, there is always a range. If it detects low frequencies like those of transformers it won't sense Wi-Fi.

 

[Leo-]

He mentioned this a few posts back - yes.

Oh sorry I must have missed that. Quite intriguing to say the least!

 

[shyamwanne]

Aluminum Box: The box I used to put my 500VA MGE 91095-32T Ultra Linear Isolation Power Supply in is called 'DYT-1 Heightening Full Aluminum Enclosure': https://www.ebay.com/itm/302660809662?ViewItem=&item=302660809662. Please note if you get this box, the switch it comes with sounds horrible. I recommend this one: Canal R Series Rocker Switch Double Pole 16A, which sounds much better. Its not a drop in fit, so requires a little filing, but the result is well worth it.

EMF Meter: The meter I used is the TriField EMF Meter Model TF2: https://www.amazon.com/TriField-EMF-Meter-Model-TF2/dp/B078T2R64C You can see the seperate measurements listed for magnetic and electric fields. In my experience, they are related as you state alpovs, but from my basic experiement it seems the magnetic and electric fields can be managed seperately. More on that below.

I experience heightened tinnitus when having headphones on, plugged or unplugged. The Topaz (MGE) seems to not impact my wearing headphones. If anything, it makes them for tenable. On the other hand, boxing the Topaz (MGE) and putting Faraday Fabric, has increased my ease around my audio system greatly, so that is my focus here now.....ie. focusing on that which I can control

Faraday Fabric: I used 'Mission Darkness TitanRF Faraday Fabric': https://www.amazon.com/TitanRF-Shielding-Bluetooth-MILITARY-SHIELDING/dp/B01M294MGK

Note that the faraday fabric did almost nothing to stop the magnetic fields coming from transformer. So sitting a distance away (about six feet) is the solution for me. However, the faraday fabric and aluminum case did a great job blocking the electric field, and this seems to be what impacts me the most. The benefit was not subtle, it was obvious. My whole body relaxed and the tinnitus in my ears lessened. My wife kept walking in and out while I was experimenting and she also commented how much better it felt when the Transformer was in the box with the faraday fabric. I'm convinced these fields impact the human body now. My wife and I both feel the big power lines, now I know the effects exist inside my house too. I have found a couple other 'culprits' in the house too. I sold my ultrasonic humidifier and got a 'cool mist' humidifier, and I unplug my microwave when not in use. I'm sure this must sound hokey to many, but I honestly feel better, so I'm not going to argue with that, ha ha

Kudos to JS-2: I want to give Kudos to Superdad here too, I just got an uptone audio JS-2 DC linear power supply which is incredibly good. It just smoked another expensive linear power supply I was using. So I know others here understand way more about this stuff than I do. I am a musical instrument designer by profession, so I am very good critical listener, and do believe our bodies (ears are part of our bodies) are amazing at reading information our minds may not yet understand. So I am just trusting my direct experience when I share.

 

[alpovs]

EMF Meter: The meter I used is the TriField EMF Meter Model TF2: https://www.amazon.com/TriField-EMF-Meter-Model-TF2/dp/B078T2R64C You can see the seperate measurements listed for magnetic and electric fields. In my experience, they are related as you state alpovs, but from my basic experiement it seems the magnetic and electric fields can be managed seperately. More on that below.

The seller of this meter posted this: "The meter accurately measures RF signals that are in the frequency range 20 Megahertz (MHz) to 6 Gigahertz (GHz). It reads low for RF waves outside that frequency range." So, supposedly it doesn't detect the electromagnetic field of transformers working at 60 Hz. Nor static magnetic fields.

Note that the faraday fabric did almost nothing to stop the magnetic fields coming from transformer. So sitting a distance away (about six feet) is the solution for me. However, the faraday fabric and aluminum case did a great job blocking the electric field, and this seems to be what impacts me the most.

It's not possible to separate electric and magnetic components of an electromagnetic field. I would refer you to any basic physics textbook. Or google.

 

[shyamwanne]

The seller of this meter posted this: "The meter accurately measures RF signals that are in the frequency range 20 Megahertz (MHz) to 6 Gigahertz (GHz). It reads low for RF waves outside that frequency range." So, supposedly it doesn't detect the electromagnetic field of transformers working at 60 Hz. Nor static magnetic fields.

It's not possible to separate electric and magnetic components of an electromagnetic field. I would refer you to any basic physics textbook. Or google.

As I stated, my primary tool for this experiment has been my ears, and body. I want good sound, to lower my tinnitus, and increase comfort around my audio gear. This experiment got those results for me. I only shared the EMF data as 'supporting information'. The meter I have definitely registered changes when placed close to the transformers, even if it is not rated to do so. And I found a correlation between tinnitus and discomfort, with other sources that registered high on the meter. That is the extent of the information I'm sharing.

 

[Leo-]

I experience heightened tinnitus when having headphones on, plugged or unplugged. The Topaz (MGE) seems to not impact my wearing headphones. If anything, it makes them for tenable. On the other hand, boxing the Topaz (MGE) and putting Faraday Fabric, has increased my ease around my audio system greatly, so that is my focus here now.....ie. focusing on that which I can control

Tinnitus always gets worse in the silence, due to the adaptive nature of the brain's gain. No exotic explanations needed for this. It equally tends to get worse if you concentrate in trying to hear it (similar effect) so you might just be being fooled by your brain on this one.

 

[mourip]

Aluminum Box: The box I used to put my 500VA MGE 91095-32T Ultra Linear Isolation Power Supply in is called 'DYT-1 Heightening Full Aluminum Enclosure': https://www.ebay.com/itm/302660809662?ViewItem=&item=302660809662. Please note if you get this box, the switch it comes with sounds horrible. I recommend this one: Canal R Series Rocker Switch Double Pole 16A, which sounds much better. Its not a drop in fit, so requires a little filing, but the result is well worth it.

Very nice find on that box. It even has AC socket cutouts...

 

[mourip]

Tinnitus always gets worse in the silence, due to the adaptive nature of the brain's gain. No exotic explanations needed for this. It equally tends to get worse if you concentrate in trying to hear it (similar effect) so you might just be being fooled by your brain on this one.

Interesting. I have some tinnitus that comes and goes. Usually just in one ear and almost never in both at once. I can make it go away by blocking my ear canal with my finger to the point of silence and either just waiting or else concentrating very hard on something like a small dot. When I told my ENT about it he was impressed and thought that I was basically doing biofeedback.

 

[Willco]

I'm interested in trying the Topaz or similar. Has anyone looked into comparison
between the 30 series Topaz and a similar Eaton or others? Thanks