Side by Side Comparison of: Simran vs Goldsource

The plug didn't work on corsica island french. I ended up buying one there a tossed this one. Was not able to get refund.

Worked great on our trip to Europe. Every country had different combinations to connect to the outlets . We were able to connect to all of them

good product, good price

great

Worked great in Europe! I didn't know it came with its own adapter (I guess I didn't read that in the product info), so that was a bonus, and I didn't even need the adapter set I'd bought to go with it. I don't know if I used it correctly, but I put it on the high setting for my hair dryer and the low setting for small electronics (camera, phone, etc), and it worked like a charm. Will be ordering another one before my next Europe trip so I can charge more than one thing at a time.

This small little converter [Model #SM1875] did its job without a problem. We needed to useit for our hair driers and, well, we were able to dry our hair. It's a good thing when you arevisiting an Asian country in the summer and it is 85 degrees with 75 percent humidity,everyday we were there.I found that the converter did run a bit warm but seemed to be no problem with repeateduse. I could still handle the converter after it was used. Definitely unplug the device afterevery use though. Good idea in any case.So I can easily give this little Voltage Converter 5 stars for doing it's job without a problem.Well worth the cash to keep my electronics from frying even though it is fuse protected.Who wants to go looking for a fuse in a foreign country?

Not a frequent user, but works good so far. I realized it's very important to set it up for the first time in order to avoid any problems later.The customer service representative was very helpful to select the right one for me.

My son was visiting from Shanghai, China and his computer battery began to die. It must be charged on 220v and so I purchaed this converter to as all our outlets are 110v. It worked like a charm and wa able to also charge up his cell phone. We will keep it for his next visit.

I've tried this with a 240V soldering iron, which is one of the highest demands you could put through a step-up. It handles it with no hesitation. It's heavy and bulky, but tough under high demand.

I wanted this so that I could convert the UK to US voltage and use the best glue gun on the market - Stanley Fatman - that was only sold for UK electric. This has a very long wire for the US 3 prong plug that worked perfect for the glue gun and has a red light to show if it is on. It was quiet and never gave off any smells like some others. This is a very nicely made quality product that we use almost every day.

I bought a couple of these transformers after my move from Europe to the US, and I am very pleased after my first 3 months of using them.I use one of them to power:- NAD stereo amplifier- PS4- PC monitor- PC speakersWhile I haven't yet needed to power all of these at once, it does a fine job of powering the stereo and the PC monitor at the same time.My other transformer powers a 32" LCD TV and a small LaserJet printer.Cons:- It has a fairly high idle power consumption (I haven't measured it, but I would guesstimate 6-12 watts based on the amount of heat it emits, which is probably normal for a device like this). Therefore I turn it off when it's not in use.- Which brings me to my second con: The power switch. The switches are still working on my transformers, but they don't seem to be of the best quality. I get the feeling that they won't last for years of daily use, but I guess we'll see.

We moved from Asia to the US and so needed these transformers to handle few of our gadgets that supported 220V only. So far they have proved they are value for money. We use them to run the humidifier all night long, and other gadgets for few hours and they have done their job as required. I picked them because of the primary reason that they have multiple Input Voltage options and both 110v and 220v output options, with sockets for universal plugs. Highly recommended.

good

Bought for trip to Italy. Used my 1875 watt US hairdryer with it on high setting for a week and it started out great but after using it for 15 minutes started loosing power. Don't think it had anything to do with the product may have been my hairdryer. Would recommend.

I used this on a trip to Spain and Portugal in May 2016 and it worked great with my professional hairdryer. As is it won't work with the recessed plugs, but if you put a second universal adapter on the end it works great. I wish I would have used it for my curling iron as well-I didn't and it no longer works.

This worked fine in Europe for my wife's 400-Watt curlers set. We were careful to slide the switch from the 50 watts setting to the higher setting. We did hear a very faint hum or buzz, but, after using the curlers set with the converter at least 10 mornings in Switzerland and France, the set was still okay back here in the States. In an apartment in Geneva, Switzerland, we plugged one of our Ceptics Grounded Universal Plug Adapters into an outlet and then plugged this Simran Voltage Converter into the Adaptor and then plugged the curlers cord into the Converter. In France, in a Holiday Inn, we plugged a small plug extension (This Converter comes with one) into an outlet, then plugged this converter into that - no problem.

Just finished 30 day trip to Italy, used two different types to do the job, this one cheaper because doesn't have high voltage setting for hair dryers, etc, and found the others weren't necessary as most places in Europe seem to either provide 220 plugs or actually have dryers for guest use. This one worked just fine, kept our phones, Kindle, etc., all well charged. No problems at all... I'd probably rate it 5 stars if I could find it in my heart to LOVE any International Travel Voltage Converter. (OK to like, but what's to love?)

We took this converter to Europe (Spain, France, and UK) and Turkey recently. I only plugged into it an energizer AA/AAA battery charger (that's the only device I own that is not 110V/220V). The converter worked well and charged the batteries without any trouble (on the LOW setting) and it did not get hot at all.Now for the only drawback that took off 1 star: It is rare to find a plug which accepts this converter as almost all plugs in Europe are are recessed (about an inch inside the wall). That means I had to plug this converter into an adapter which is compatible with the walls (see http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001MGUB9Q which I got lucky with as it was a supersaver shipping item when I got it). Now, although the converter does not feel heavy at all, when plugged into an adapter, it tends to pull down on it so that both would fall or get detached from the outlet. I had to resort to creative ways to hold them up attached to the wall by letting them lean on something. Anyway, besides that, I had no trouble, but I really wish the maker would install better plugs on the device.Just to be clear, even if you find non-recessed outlets, this converter has plugs only for European countries other than the UK. You would need an Europe-UK adapter for the UK since the converter would function properly, but would need to be plugged in to UK style outlets.In summary, I'd say have this product WITH a plug adapter at all times.

Bought this thing (the STU-500) to use with my Xbox 360 while I'm here in China. On its fifth use something made a loud sound and popped inside and it the unit was no longer functional. Would recommend AGAINST buying this. For the price it costs (which, when bringing it overseas becomes even more expensive as it counts against my luggage weight limit) compared to its ridiculously short lifespan it ends up being a ripoff.Edit: Great customer service from the seller. Without my having to even ask, they not only gave me a refund BUT they also sent me the STU-1000 unit as a replacement all the way to where I am now in China. While my initial experience was disappointing I am definitely much pleased with this seller's efforts.Edit 2: It also seems for some reason these reviews appear on all of their different unit sizes (e.g. STU-500, STU-1000, etc.) so bear that in mind when considering the reviews, including mine.

I am rewriting the review, because I learned that I should have picked a converter which covers 2-4 times higher wattage than the product I intend to use it with. I had a 220V 430W heating pad. This converter produced smoke and toxic smell after I used it about twenty times, which scared me quite a bit. If I used it for lower wattage product, I guess it would've been OK. It has strong odor when it first arrives but it goes away. I think it's a solid product at a reasonable price, but I am going with other brand for 2000W converter this time, to try it out.

It works well; it is compact, quiet, and gives the step-up power I needed (from 110/120 to 220/240.I would give it 5 stars but the front outlet for the 220 is positioned incorrectly in that my wire had the single, straight pin away from the wire, meaning the wire extended down towards the bottom so the unit could not be set flat on the surface.HOWEVER: I took that receptacle off easily and shifted it 90º so the wire now extends to the right of the box.

So far the unit works great. I'm using it to power up a red bull mini fridge. The unit is heavy and feels like its made of solid components. Great value for the product. Theres no humming or anything coming from the converter. My ONLY gripe, and its beginning to be a big one is that as soon as i opened the box, a gasoline like smell has taken over my office. I dont know why it smells like that but I'm hoping this smell goes away as it is driving me insane. Other than that, the unit is exactly as described.

The best thing about this transformer besides a decent price is its size, since I take it with me traveling outside the US. So far so good, though I've noticed my small appliances that use heat run hotter than normal. I have used a transformer at a friend's house with the same appliances, and it wasn't this much of a heat increase. However, with a few small adjustments in use (lowering heat settings), there have been no issues with regard to the product so far after a week's use. Grateful to use all my appliances from home

This is my 3rd convertor from Amazon and frm the same company. This serves the purpose. We have appliances from NZ where the power consumption is 220 - 240 w. and US uses exactly 1/2 ie 110 - 120w. Most of d kitchenand laundry appliances do not work and hence we need to use a step up to convert US 110w to 220w. Based on where u need to use it, u can decide the wattage. This info would b available on product catalogue ie the appliance u need to use. I have no problem with any of these. And have not encounteted earthing problem as described in another review. at least do not know if it does have. I am usung 3000w in the kitchen and use my toaster, boiling kettle, rice cooker, espresso coffee maker, mixer grinder, Food processor, toaster oven, and many such small or big appliances. Also use Kerby vaccum.The other 3000w is used for pc, monitor , printer assembly and other knick knacks around. I used the third one 500w for my TV home theatre and all the other entertainment assembly..and have no problem.

Definitely functional and does its job, but it's just so BIG. Compared to other voltage converters this thing is super bulky and a hassle to carry around. But it does do what it's supposed to.

Tried it once in Italy and the overload switch on an 1875 watt hair drier blew. Reset didn't work. I'm not sure whether the problem is with the converter or with the power at the small hotel. But I've had success with our other 1650 watt converters and hair driers all over Europe. The problem is that the new hair drier is 1875 watts. I cut the defective switch off the cord when we got back home. The drier works fine.

Definitely got the job done. With my laptop, I had to use the high setting or else it would not charge. It IS very bulky and sometimes it does not fit the design of an outlet- the prongs were appropriate, but the bulkiness of the whole thing sometimes did not allow to plug into some places. It works fine. For the price, good buy.

I got this because I travel internationally for work. I specifically looked for one that would convert voltage-as plug converters are really cheap but may cause your items to overheat. This worked well, but it didn't convert the voltage as well as I would have liked. When using it with a hair straightener for example, the straightener still gets too hot to use while getting ready. You'd have to plug it in, fix half your hair then unplug it to cool down before finishing.

My husband and I recently traveled to Scotland and I bought this converter so I could use it for my hair dryer and my husband needed it to recharge his camera battery. It worked just fine for recharging the battery but I had problems with it while using my hair dryer. It worked for a short time but then my dryer shut off and would not turn back on.Not sure what happened. I really liked the size and weight of this converter.

I was kinda annoyed because I specifically asked the retailer prior to purchasing this if the prongs would be long enough to fit into the recessed Euro plugs (since other reviews said it didn't) and they said that it was updated so that it would. But when I tried to use it in Europe the prongs were too short so we had to buy an extender (about $5) for it to fit in the plug. Aside from that, the device worked fine for charging our camera batteries on the low setting.

It came dead on arrival. I had to open it and found a loose soldered wire to the 220V outlet. The construction is flimsy, the same plastic outlet became loose after the repair. But it's working now, for the last 2 1/2 weeks. That's why I am giving 3 stars, otherwise I would have given one. It gives out no discernible noise, does the job of powering my Marantz amplifier here in Rio de Janeiro, where the voltage is 117V. Was it worth paying for the freight and the outrageously steep Brazilian import tax? Only time will tell. Goldsource should take more care of the manufacturing of this product. I would not refuse the reimbursement of my purchase, at least for the $ 29.99 original cost, as it's not practical to ship it back to the US.

Bought this for a trip to Europe. HEAVY!!! Don't buy this if you have to pack light for an escorted tour, or you are a heavy packer. Airline restriction's is 50 pounds per bag, and this is a whopper!

It works as expected. But Fuse don't last while. Always a problem with fuse while using it as step up converter 110V to 220 V.I have replaced at least 6 fuses till day, this is equivalent to cost of this converter.

So far it working pretty well for the use I was looking for, 120 watt 220V. I have not used it continuously more than an hour as the equipment I use it for doesn't need it to be running.Here's the bad thing I notice:1. First thing I opened it, the smell of paint is pretty bad on it. Maybe hazardous, so beware. Maybe let it sit outside until it settles.2. Very heavy. Its a obsolete design on converting volts but then its cheap and works.3. Instructions is not very clear. What can you expect being made cheaply in China? So take a moment and to understand which switch to plug it on. Just use common sense than the instruction written.

I give it a three star rating because it works OK. I found wire-wound transformer inside is loose to slide back and forth, all four mounting screw is loose, since the heavy transformer inside is free to move for a 1/4 inch as I am handling the unit, the grounding might not be secure with the case and other hardware. After I opened the unit to inspect, the grounding lack of star washers to secure it in place. A safety concern. Secondly, the little fuse is not marked the voltage or amperage, I check the instruction manuel that comes with the unit, it only mentioned use a slow blow little fuse of same voltage amerage, but no-where is mentioned or marked on the unit or fuse to provide the info, it even did not have a customer service contact number listed in the instruction. Definitely a sign of poor quality control and customer support.

These transformers are all pretty much made at the same factory regardless of the name brand on them. They arrive dented or damaged and poorly packaged from the factory box (from the shipper they are packaged just fine) the first one i ordered did not work at all, the next one did....the quality on these is really lousy but it seems there are no other options for transformers out there. After calling local electricians and electronics shops it became clear that my only choice was to simply order these lousy ones until I got one that worked. I'm really careful and never leave it plugged in if I'm away and do not use extension cords with it.Once i got one that worked I've been using it daily for over a year.

Completely useless in France, where the sockets have not only two holes for the plug prongs, but a male prong that protrudes from the socket, presumably for grounding. Since this converter doesn't have a hole to receive the prong, it won't fit into the socket! Fortunately, I also brought a plug adaptor (not a converter) that did fit into the socket and allowed me to use this converter with my low wattage appliances. Without the adaptor, this product would have been useless.

This thing weighs way too much for backpacking. It weighed about a quarter of what the rest of what I was bringing on a month-long trip weighed. This is not ideal for travel, which is too bad, because it's for travel.

....at first it had some strange smell when I pluged it in and start using it, like burning dust or something , but it still worked with my hairdryer. One day my hairdryer stoped working and smoke came out from the converter and it start smelling so strong....so...im still looking for a good convertor. I live in Europe,Serbia and i had to get convertor in order to use american hairdyer. I'm sad about it, because that particular hairdryer made my hair very silky and i can easily say beautiful:( and this convertor messed it up:( One more thing....with this hairdryer it took me "all" seven (7) minutes to dry my long straight hair, so I can't say that I was overusing the convertor and it died because of over heating or over working. I gave it 2 stars because it worked for the short time and my hair looked good for that short period:( but i would give it "non" star.

Ok, they are not your typical converters as you must use the appliance (hair dryer or high power device) at full strength or it will damage the converter or appliance. It expects a certain amount of current (watts) to be used.It's ok for that purpose, but haven't had enough time with it to see how long it will perform.Certainly not expensive and worth having around if you travel. A true high power converter would be extremely heavy and expensive so this is a good alternative.

I live in South Korea and have a few 110 volt items that are still used. our house is wired dual voltage 110 and 220 but when traveling around the country an adapter is necessary. I have a large transformer that works great but it is heavy 20lbs or so. This small transformer would be perfect if it worked. When plugged into a 220 volt outlet and set on high amperage output it works with a large load like a hair dryer, but the fan runs very slow and the heat output is reduced. I don't believe it is capable of doing what it is advertised to do. I haven't tried to use the low output setting but since most low amperage devices these days will run on anything from 90 to 240 volt input there is no need. The only advantage over my large transformer is size and weight. Otherwise it is not very useful.

I purchased this converter last spring (for a study abroad program in Germany and travel throughout Europe), when there were very few reviews and no warnings from the supplier about limiting the converter to use with electronic equipment consuming under 50 watts (Low setting). It didn't say that there were two settings; just a dash between the 50 and 1875 watts in the description. I am glad to see that the product description now says: * Do not use with Hair Straightners, kitchen appliances, power tools, computers or TVs.See the Product Review by "NLee the engineer" for the same converter (packaged with multiple plug adapters) for a technical explanation:http://www.amazon.com/1875K-WORLDWIDE-CONVERTER-50W-1875W-COUNTRIES/product-reviews/B000WU8XAM/ref=dp_db_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1I wish I had seen this review before I spent my money on this converter, and expedited shipping! The converter was not used (thankfully the above review was discovered before using the converter), but by the time the converter was back in the USA, it was too late to return it. As others have recommended, check your electronic equipment manuals, or the power bricks that come with each, to see if the equipment is rated for 240V and 50-60HZ. If so, get a 240v 50-60Hz surge protector power strip that is rated for the wattage that you need, or simply use plug adapters if no surge protection is needed. Fortunately, the computer, digital camera, cell phone, and iPod that needed power on the trip were all rated for 240V 50-60Hz, so they were able to be used with plug adapters, but the 110V travel surge protector I had purchased could not be used to protect them.

It stopped working after few times of use.

The product is kinda Ok with the price I bought it for ( 33 Dollars). If its used for more than 20 minutes, the device emits smoke with a strong burning smell. I generally use it for a kitchen appliance which I got from India, which needs 240 Volts to get operational compared to 120 Volts (which is the standard you get in US). The smoke and the smell is kind of scary due to which I usually switch it off after 20 mins. This product definitely needs some design fix.

This thing smells incredibly unhealthy. I have unpacked it and had to hold my breath due to the intense rubbery smell of softeners / solvents. I could not use it in my room and aired it out over 3 days in the basement. Even so, when using it at the far end of my bedroom, I woke up in the middle of the night from the toxic smelling fumes it emits. I then had to open all windows and wrap the contraption in several layers of plastic bags. Probably getting rid of it soon. 2 Stars as it does work, and if you use it, say, in your basement, it might just do its job.

First time out of the box, blew the fuse. The unit is rated at 500 watts, but I don't think it can handle that. The device I used was around 400 watts. I'm still trying to figure out if I can find a use for it. Price was good, though; it was a flash sale during black Friday.

Died within 4 months!! The device was so heavy that I expected to be robust... Was wrong!!

This item proved to be flaky and probably dangerous.It would trip the main circuit breaker for no apparent reasonand stay on for several seconds after being turned off, and then tripthe breaker with a loud bang. That does not seem very safe at all.On the other hand i also bought at the same time the STU-1000W and STU-2000Wand they are both working great and seem very stable and sturdy.So in my experience it's worth the extra $ for the added power capacityand apparent better build quality, sturdiness and reliability.I am returning this and exchanging it for another STU-1000W.ps: These transformers are pretty heavy, so don't plan on moving them around often.

Crappiest product ever! I purchased 4. The first time I used it with my coffee machine I heard a pop and it stopped working. I assumed it was my coffee machine and tossed it. Later I had a different appliance plugged in with a second one and i heard the same pop - turns out it was the converters blowing. My coffee machine was fine. The other 2 melted. These are the crappiest converters ever and a complete waste of money.

This product did not work at all. It was purchased for use on a mission trip to Kenya, and it was not functional (not much I could do it about it then). Unfortunately, we did not return from the overseas mission trip until the exact day that the "return window" closed. If the seller sees this and would like to extend their return policy, it would be appreciated.

this product will not work on hair dryers or hair iron. for ipods and small electronics yes but nothing with high wattage. i bought this for my wife to travel to portugal and when she got there, her hair iron would not work in the hotel so she ended up with frizzy hair until we got a hotel that had 120v socket for her to use her hair iron\straightener.

I purchased this for a Euro-trip. Did not work for me and I tried to use it on simple/dual voltage products first like my iPad charger, iPhone charge - it didn't submit any power to the plug. Then I tried using it with my hair dryer, which didn't work. Finally, I tested out my Chi hair straightener, as the product advises not to do, and it RUINED my straightener. However, my other charging devices and hair dryer weren't ruined. My straighter simply won't turn on anymore. This product didn't work as a converter or adaptor. I've noticed a lot of other reviews say how heavy this product is, it's small, but dense for it's size.I wouldn't recommend this product, and in the end all it did was add dead weight to my bag. Do not buy this product if you're looking for an adaptor - get the 6-pack adaptors that worked great!

I tried to use two items with this converter in France- a UV nail lamp and my Braun toothbrush charger. Neither of these items are the heavy-duty usage sort of appliances, such as a hair straightener or a hair dryer might be.The first time I plugged the nail UV lamp into this product, it completely fried (smoke, flash, etc. and had to be thrown away) and the second time I used the product it didn't charge my toothbrush at all. I have had to purchase a transformer here in Paris, which I am now trying to use with my toothbrush charger. The transformer I purchased in Paris does work (when I tested it with other items) but the toothbrush charger does not, forcing me to conclude that the Simran International Travel Voltage converter has fried everything that has been plugged into it. Mind you, these products worked perfectly in the US immediately preceding our trip.Do yourself a favor, and purchase a transformer instead of this so-called "converter," either through Amazon, or in your destination country. I paid 29 euros for a transformer that works at Darty, a national electronics chain here in France; they are available other places too. Yes, a transformer is more expensive than this product, but at least you won't have to buy new appliances once they have been ruined by the Simran product.

DO NOT BUY. I had this device in italy and it literally melted in 20 min of charging an iPad.

The product burst into a cloud of smoke the first time I tried to use it and I didn't overload it or try to use a hurts mismatched product. Unfortunately I didn't open the box until after the return window had passed. Total junk!

Do not buy!This arrived with some failed solder joints on the primary selector switch, see attached photo.This is super dangerous and can hurt anyone that attempts to plug this unit in.Also none of the heat shrink sleeving was shrunk, opening the door to more insulation failures down the road.

It is not real 500 wattWhen I connect it to 300 watt it works for less than 2 minuts and shutdown

Using this to run my Pioneer A400 amp I imported from the UK to the USA. Works fine and construction feels solid. So why one star? The smell.The smell is not the pleasant oil/grease smell but the unpleasant gasoline/petrol smell. It was so strong I left it outside to air out for a few days before bringing it inside. After 1 week outside I've brought the unit inside and now my apartment smells like a gasoline station. It doesn't seem to be dissipating, but I will report back if it does. Check other reviews, this is a common problem with this unit.

this one is burn when i first time use this .a lot of somke coming out .If im watch this will burn my house.i need fking return this shlt

I'm a frequent Amazon shopper and this is the first time I've felt compelled to write a review. Why? Never in my life have I received a product that gave off such strong noxious fumes after I broke the plastic packaging in which it came. I left it outside in a very windy area to ventilate for one full week, before my nose told me that it might be ok to bring into my home / basement workroom. The product seems to work ok -- but if I were to do it over, I'd have paid far more for a different product -- and hopefully one that wouldn't smell so toxic. Makes you wonder how many consumers in the US (and factory workers in China) could be getting poisoned or worse, cancer, from long term exposure to this product. So fellow consumers, please beware on this one.