shunyata venom defender - theory of operation

I don't knowhow they work but I am happy with the results. I have one plugged into each of my two dedicated lines into my room. One line is for the amp, the other for the rest of the equipment. I started with the amp line and heard a distinct improvement and later got one for the other line. The most improvement was on the line with the amp so you may want to start there.

cjf said:

Thanks for the tip. I'm thinking of getting X 2 of these to see what differences, if any, I might hear. I will intend to move them between X 4 different 20amp duplex circuits. Two of the 20amp circuits run Front End gear and the other two run a pair of mono blocks. I'll try them in each pairing of the above to see how things go.

If there are no ill effects by using them I may get two more and run a defender in each of the 20amp circuits if for no other reason but surge protection. Right now I use no power related "Voodo" for lack of a better word anywhere in the system. I've been lucky with the gear I have in terms of noise floor (inaudible) and can't imagine it can get better (after-all, I can't hear it now) but since the price of these defenders isn’t too offensive I figure I don’t have much to lose to try them out to see if more veils can somehow be lifted by using them

But all of this depends on the answers/details to my original questions of course...Thanks

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Hi cjf,

My apologies for the delay in reply, but I've been traveling.

There is no "voodoo" related to any of our products. Their operation, technologies, parts and the POV of design are explained in detail on our web. We also have a complete document that explains theory of operation and the distributed power conditioning approach, of which he Defender is a part. The Defenders are now used in Hospitals and have a measurable effect in reducing line-noise -with no ill-effects. It's safe to say that they perform as they are designed to. That said, what effect they may have in your system should be experienced before purchase or with a return-privilege. They are not intended to be a panacea and their overall effect may vary depending on your system and electrical conditions. As for your questions, hopefully the following answers some of them.

Generally speaking, a typical power line circuit has three conductors. There is the voltage supply wire (HOT or L1) and there is a return line which is called NEUTRAL or L2. The last wire is the GROUND wire or Safety Ground.

The power grid acts as a "constant voltage source". This means that the current is determined by the demand from the load (component 's power supply). The power circuit in the wall can be expressed (described) in a schematic diagram as a distributed series, parallel circuit. Specifically there is a series resistance and series inductance with an associated parallel capacitance. Because the circuit has this distributed impedance there are limits to the power grids ability to maintain a constant voltage level when the load presents a near zero ohm impedance. If the impedance of the load drops to a very low level the voltage of the power circuit will drop.

So to answer your questions you need to understand that all components that you plug into the power circuit are electrically in parallel to one another. If any of the components on the power circuit presents a low impedance then the voltage on the entire power circuit will be lowered. The Defender's noise reduction is achieved with a parallel filter array. This lowers the noise level on the entire power circuit not just at the electrical outlet.

The Defender also includes an advanced type of thermally protected metal oxide varistor called a NEXTGEN TMOV. These devices react to transient voltage surges by shorting the HOT and NEUTRAL together which presents a temporary zero impedance load. This effectively limits the voltage surge to a reasonable level. Since the power line is a distributed series, parallel circuit the TMOV is quite effective at limiting a voltage surge at the wall outlet. However, we do not recommend relying on a Defender as a total surge protection solution. We always recommend that you install whole house surge protection which is installed at the service entrance. This will protect ALL of the electronics in the home. We consider the Venom Defender to be primarily a noise reduction device with a supplemental surge solution for handling local surges that are generated within the home by heating, air conditioning systems, refrigerators, power tools and other electronics that may malfunction.

Of all the Defenders sold (well over 2000), I am aware of fewer than 5 that have self-destructed in the interests of system protection--and no reports of failure to protect components plugged into he same line. Just make sure the Defender is upstream, electrically and on the same outlet (line) as the electronics you wish to protect.

So to answer your questions you need to understand that all components that you plug into the power circuit are electrically in parallel to one another. If any of the components on the power circuit presents a low load impedance then the voltage on the entire power circuit will be lowered.
So how does the Defender lower the circuit's source impedance?

The Defender's noise reduction is achieved with a parallel filter array. This lowers the noise level on the entire power circuit not just at the electrical outlet.
What does this mean? Does it lower the noise at the main breaker box? How is this different than other filters?

Speedskater said:

So to answer your questions you need to understand that all components that you plug into the power circuit are electrically in parallel to one another. If any of the components on the power circuit presents a low load impedance then the voltage on the entire power circuit will be lowered.
So how does the Defender lower the circuit's source impedance?

The Defender's noise reduction is achieved with a parallel filter array. This lowers the noise level on the entire power circuit not just at the electrical outlet.
What does this mean? Does it lower the noise at the main breaker box? How is this different than other filters?

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When connected to a circuit, the Defender presents the lowest impedance to any surge or spike coming through that AC line and will be the "first to fail" device on that line, absorbing the spiked energy and shorting its TMOV. This has happened fewer than 5 times since their release.

The Multi-phase differential array of filters are made up of a series of micro-filters that are computer modeled to filter specific frequencies of noise that are most common to the power line and electronic power-supply emissions. As I've stated, they are not a panacea, but offer a single point of multi-frequency noise filtering. Yes, the filters will affect noise back to the panel. But again, their benefit may vary based on the system.

best regards,

Grant
Shunyata Research

One observation...I have experimenting with different placements of the Defender. I have an outlet on the PS8 and one on the wall quad where all my gear is plugged into a dedicated heavy gauge line. After keeping the Defender on the PS8, I moved it back to the wall and the sound is slightly better.