Z5500 speakers voltage conversion reqd., 110-220 v, help~

[santz]

I am so frustrated now, i purchased the logitech z5500 speaker system and shipped it to a friend in (dubai, UAE) as a wedding gift. but the electricity is different in dubai. it cost me $150 to ship it.

dubai- 230-240v, 50hz
z5500 speakers require- 3A 120v, 60hz electricity.

[Things i tried:
1. I tried using a voltage converter that provides upto 80 watts of power in 220v, but the speakers went crazy as 80w power was not enough. Other high power transformers/electricity converters are quite expensive and are not a stable/lasting solution.

2. I called logitech tech support in USA and (Dubai, UAE), no help.

I am so frustrated, i am willing to pay $10 in good faith through paypal if i use your solution. I will pm you.

Is there anyway i can take it to a electrician and have the plucg changed to supply 220 v or something. or other ideas? how do i make these speakers work.? COMEON AT, PLS HELP

This might help.
Electrical chart for around the world: chart

 

[Mark R]

Depending on how the speakers are designed, it may not be modify them easily (e.g. they may use custom designed transformers/PSU components) for which replacements are not available.

The only real solutions are:
Get a high powered power converter (but this isn't an ideal option)
Replace the speakers with ones designed for the local voltage.

I suppose you could try and find an EE to reverse engineer the speakers and design or find replacement parts...

 

[santz]

i am trying to contact the electricians here and get their point of view, but they might agree to do anything as long as enough money is involved; so i want to know if its even possible in the first place.

 

[flyboy84]

It's more than 10$ worth of effort to design a solution to your problem that would be worth a damn.

 

[SparkyJJO]

Originally posted by: flyboy84
It's more than 10$ worth of effort to design a solution to your problem that would be worth a damn.

Geez can't the guy just ask for help? If it isn't worth it to you then fine, but there are many here I'm sure that are willing to help for free.

If you think you are worth more than that, then why'd you come in here in the first place, just to threadcrap? :roll:


santz, the 50Hz/60Hz thing really should not be a big deal. The speakers take that and convert it to DC anyway, and since the frequencies are close the transformer core inside the speakers will be able to handle the slight difference.

What you need is a transformer with 240V in, 120V out, with a rating of at least 360VA (a little higher like 400VA would be a good buffer to have). A transformer with 120V in, 240V out is OK as well because the transformer will work either direction. Also you would need a USA-style outlet wired up to the 120V output of the transformer so you can plug the speakers in, unless you intended to hardwire the speakers to the transformer but that would be really bulky and a pain to move anywhere.

 

[ForumMaster]

see that's a bit of a problem. i have much much weaker Creative Inspire 2500 60W system from the US. i just use a transformer to give me 110v. finding a transformer that can handle such a high amperage might be expensive. my suggestion, if for your friend to try and look for replacement power cords in dubai for the system. my friend has the same speakers i do, except his came with a transformer.

 

[Navid]

I am not sure what gave you the idea that the speakers need 3A from 120V. Please explain.


This is from Logitech's web:

Technical Specifications

o Total FTC power: 505 watts RMS
Sub-woofer: 188 watts RMS (into 8 ohms, @ 100Hz, @ 10% THD)
Satellites:
Left/Right: 62 watts RMS x 2 (into 8 ohms, @ 1khz, @ 10% THD)
Center: 69 watts RMS (into 8 ohms, @ 1kHz, @ 10% THD)
Rear Left & Right: 62 watts RMS x 2 (into 8 ohms, @ 1kHz, @ 10% THD)
o Total Peak power: 1010 watts
o Maximum SPL: >115 dB
o Frequency response: 33 Hz ? 20 kHz
o Amplifier: Ultra-linear, high-capacity analog
o Signal to noise ratio: >93.5 dB, typical 100
o Input impedance: 8,000 ohms


The total FTC power is rated at 505 Watts. This is the output power from the speakers. If it can output this much power, its input power has got to be more due to efficiency not being 100%.
Note that the total peak power is rated at 1010 Watts. But, that is peak. So, it will not provide that much power on a continuous basis.
Ideally, we could find the specification that would state the required input power from the AC outlet. But, I was not able to find that!
The required power is also dependent on how high you increase the volume.

Something like one of the step-down transformers here should work for you.
http://www.voltage-converter-t...own-transformer-2.html
The plugs are already compatible.
If you want to get a low-power one to save money, you can. But, remember that the lower the rating, the more likely it is to fail or distort the sound.

If you are someone who cares too much about sound quality, you may want to worry about the 50Hz versus 60Hz also!
There have got to be filters in the speaker system to attenuate the 60Hz signal and its harmonics. After the DAC, the analog signal is susceptible to noise (Digital signal is susceptible to noise too but much less). Moving the signal from 60Hz to 50Hz may cause the filters to not perform optimally. I have no way of confirming this about this particular set of speakers. I am just saying it is a possibility.

Finally, step-down/up transformers hum (they make an audible noise)!
They also generate heat.

 

[spc hink]

I was able to run a laptop, sound system, and over 4 external drives off of a 300 watt step down converter for which I bought for less than 40 us dollars. If a 300 watt converter does not do it you might want to see if you can buy a different power brick that will accept 220 power. Also, just to be sure, check the power brick on your model. Most electronics will allow 100-240 volts. If it says this, all you need is a plug adapter. Most electronics I have used were dual voltage except Nintendo products, which I learned the hard way. Best of luck.

 

[santz]

thanks for all your help i am going to buy a transformer i guess! not a permanent solution, but its better than the speakers gathering dust in a corner

 

[bigpow]

I was smiling when i read this, bring backs memory.
I had to make my own step-up/down transformer when I was in college.
Starting from the coil design (for the wattage), I chose to build a 750KW 220-110. Boy that sucker was heavy!

 

[The J]

Navid, if you look on the Z-5500's amp near the power inlet, you should see that the input rating is 3A @ 120V. I assume that this is where Santz got his info because I recall seeing this on a set of Z-680s. I think what's happening is that Logitech is fudging their numbers a bit by running each speaker individually and adding up the individual outputs.

 

[Navid]

Originally posted by: The J
Navid, if you look on the Z-5500's amp near the power inlet, you should see that the input rating is 3A @ 120V. I assume that this is where Santz got his info because I recall seeing this on a set of Z-680s. I think what's happening is that Logitech is fudging their numbers a bit by running each speaker individually and adding up the individual outputs.

I do not have these speakers. So, I cannot look at them.
If that is the case, a 500W step-down transformer should be more than sufficient.

 

[imported_andykap]

I just saw this, and realized I had the opposite situation. I purchased my Z5500 in the UK and am back to the USA, I thought I could replace the power supply or change some of the components but to no avail. I ended up buying a up down 500 watts converter. I wish I could not use the converter and just replace the necessary components.