Step down Voltage Transformer Advice

Jesper

I brought a Onkyo 515 Receiver and a Bose Acoustimass 6 surround sound back from America. (https://www.bose.ie/IE/en/home-and-personal-audio/home-cinema-and-sound-for-tv/home-cinema-speakers/acoustimass-6-speakers/)

I need to buy a step down transformer to power the receiver. I was advised to get a 400-450 Watt power transformer for this unit. Unfortunately it's not the easiest thing to get in-store but Maplin do have a tidy 300W unit for a reasonable price and I'm not far from a store.

My Question is will this be ok? It's for the sitting room of a house and will be powering the Bose speakers and maybe a second channel (house sound) but will never need to have the speakers at full power. If the speakers (5) are 100W each should I be getting a 500W transformer i.e. 5*100W?


Speaker Technical information
Acoustimass 6 system:
• Cube speakers:
Five 2.5" (6.35 cm) TwiddlerTM speakers
• Powered Acoustimass module:
One 5.25" (13 cm) woofers
System power rating
Acoustimass 6 system:
U.S./Canada:100-127V 50/60 Hz 135W
Europe/Australia: 220-240V 50/60 Hz 135W
Connectivity
Acoustimass 6 system:
Compatible with A/V receivers and amplifiers rated from 10 to150 watts per channel, rated from 4 to 8 ohms

knickerbocker

Jesper wrote: »

System power rating
Acoustimass 6 system:
Europe/Australia: 220-240V 50/60 Hz 135W

This is the important bit.... It consumes 135Watts. So the Maplin 300W step up transformer is fine for the Bose unit.
Do you have any power info for the Onkyo unit?
Quick search on the Onkyo shows 480w power consumption at 220v. So a 500w transformer needed here.

coylemj

knickerbocker wrote: »

Quick search on the Onkyo shows 480w power consumption at 220v. So a 500w transformer needed here.

+1 Datasheet says 480W (Asian model 540W)

Jesper

knickerbocker wrote: »

This is the important bit.... It consumes 135Watts. So the Maplin 300W step up transformer is fine for the Bose unit.
Do you have any power info for the Onkyo unit?
Quick search on the Onkyo shows 480w power consumption at 220v. So a 500w transformer needed here.

Thanks Knickerbocker. I was doing it in 'reverse' and looking at the speakers it seems. Below is some technical info I found for the Onkyo. So does it have to have a 500W power source then 'no question'?



http://www.eu.onkyo.com/downloads/2/0/6/7/4/ONKYO_TX-NR515_datasheet_EN.pdf
General
Power Supply AC 230 V~, 50 Hz
(Asian Model:AC 220−240V~, 50/60 Hz)
Power Consumption 480 W (Asian Model: 540 W)
Standby Power Consumption
0.2 W
Dimensions (W x H x D) 435 x 173.5 x 328 mm
Weight 9.2 kg (Asian Model: 9.6 kg)

Something like this then?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Factorykiss-Voltage-Converter-Transformnverts-to110v/dp/B00C1WNWI2/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1416223630&sr=1-2&keywords=500w+step+down+transformer

Raggaroo

If you can hide the transformer, go to a tool hire company and buy a 110V power tool transformer (they often even have them second hand <100euro ) you should have no worries about size

knickerbocker

Jesper wrote: »

Thanks Knickerbocker. I was doing it in 'reverse' and looking at the speakers it seems. Below is some technical info I found for the Onkyo. So does it have to have a 500W power source then 'no question'?


Something like this then?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Factorykiss-Voltage-Converter-Transformnverts-to110v/dp/B00C1WNWI2/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1416223630&sr=1-2&keywords=500w+step+down+transformer

That should do the trick, would cover both the Onkyo and Bose requirements.
Power tool step down transformer may not be so good for audio equipment, they might not filter out mains noise which could be carried through the audio path as humm or buzz.

Jesper

WEnt with the below. Postage was actually very fair. Thanks for help.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Goldsource-ST-500-Watt-Voltage-Converter/dp/B00A9VWM4M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1416225479&sr=8-1&keywords=Goldsource+ST-500+500+Watt+Step+Down%2FUp+Voltage+Converter

Raggaroo wrote: »

If you can hide the transformer, go to a tool hire company and buy a 110V power tool transformer (they often even have them second hand <100euro ) you should have no worries about size

Luck100

Jesper wrote: »

WEnt with the below. Postage was actually very fair. Thanks for help.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Goldsource-ST-500-Watt-Voltage-Converter/dp/B00A9VWM4M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1416225479&sr=8-1&keywords=Goldsource+ST-500+500+Watt+Step+Down%2FUp+Voltage+Converter

Good pick. I've been running a bunch of those 24/7 for over 8 years with no problems. Only minus is that the biggest ones (1500 watts+) can have a bit of audible hum.

shmeee

Luck100 wrote: »

Good pick. I've been running a bunch of those 24/7 for over 8 years with no problems. Only minus is that the biggest ones (1500 watts+) can have a bit of audible hum.

Sorry for dragging up an old thread but I got a

Goldsource ST-1500 1500 Watt Step Down/Up Voltage Converter

to power a Nutri Bullet which came from America.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00ADQIAF8/ref=pe_385721_37986871_TE_item

The problem is when I flick on the transformer, the power to the sockets in the house trip instantly.

I have tried the input at both 220v and 240v but same thing happens. Seems like a waste if can't get Nutri Bullet working now.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Luck100

shmeee wrote: »

Sorry for dragging up an old thread but I got a

Goldsource ST-1500 1500 Watt Step Down/Up Voltage Converter

to power a Nutri Bullet which came from America.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00ADQIAF8/ref=pe_385721_37986871_TE_item

The problem is when I flick on the transformer, the power to the sockets in the house trip instantly.

I have tried the input at both 220v and 240v but same thing happens. Seems like a waste if can't get Nutri Bullet working now.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Does the circuit breaker trip if you try power on the transformer without the Nutri Bullet or anything else connected? Or only when you start up the Nutri Bullet? Electric motors have an initial surge of current when they turn on, which could be tripping your circuit breakers. Personally I would stay away from running anything with a motor on voltage converters as the motors are sensitive to the cycle (60 Hz for US, 50 Hs in Europe). The voltage converters only change voltage, they don't change the cycle.

shmeee

Luck100 wrote: »

Does the circuit breaker trip if you try power on the transformer without the Nutri Bullet or anything else connected? Or only when you start up the Nutri Bullet? Electric motors have an initial surge of current when they turn on, which could be tripping your circuit breakers. Personally I would stay away from running anything with a motor on voltage converters as the motors are sensitive to the cycle (60 Hz for US, 50 Hs in Europe). The voltage converters only change voltage, they don't change the cycle.

The breaker trips the minute I turn on the transformer with nothing plugged into it.

Reviews online said such products worked and customers in Ireland say also the same so said it would surely do the trick.

Gonna try the transformer in a different house tomorrow to see if it's just the house here. If not then I've a 100e door stopper!

Luck100

That's too bad. I think my biggest one is 2000 watts and never had a problem with the breakers in two different houses. It's possible there's a fault in the transformer and it's internally shorted. It should have its own little circuit breaker as well, but that might have a higher trip current than your house breaker. If it doesn't work in the other house then I'd say try to exchange it for another one or get a refund.