I have 4 dedicated outlets for my system, I have "custom" power cables on all of my components (I make them myself) and I have 3 Panamax 5500 power conditioners/surge protectors on the entire system. With this I still had a ground loop noise problem! While working on it one day I found a little ground loop isolation transformer that can be used for the cable input on the back of the cable receiver. It helped but did not totally cure the problem. I then found that when I disconnected my satellite input the problem went away. That was fine but not acceptable as an answer. I then realized that mw DVD player and my CD player had 3-prong plugs going into the Panamax units so I put the $0.50 "cheater plugs" on them. Viola'- problem solved! Absolutely no ground loop noise problem! As for your search for a high quality cheater plug, I really do not see how they can actually be better than they already are. I have found that the gray colored hard plastic type are superior to most others. They make a more secure connection b/w the cord and the receptacle putting aside a gold plated contact scheme for this inexpensive devise there really is no place for improvement. If you look at the mechanics of this little device you can understand what I mean. I hope this helps.
Ground loop, cheater plugs, power cords, many ques
I thoughly done a search on curing a ground loop problem I had with my CATV and amps. Cheater plugs did work the best without any trade offs as with matching transformers and whatever, and I did numerous things on this problem. Couple questions? Has any one ever measured and compared the noise level with a cheater plug and CATV on and without the CATV and cheater plug. Just want to know if there is any differance. Please post.
Example, you just bought a $300 power cord and added a 50 cent cheater plug to it. Now that the ground wire is not being used, does this mean you are using only 2/3 of your power cord, or $200 worth? No pun intended, but why not remove the ground wire at the female end of the cord, cover and heatshrink, then reassmble?
To go even further, has anybody thought of putting a toggle on back of the amp or power conditioner to switch the ground wire out (float or lift). This means drilling a hole in the back of the unit, but wouldn't this give you a more purest path than using a cheater plug?
One last thing, you have your Porter outlets, Hydra cords, Wattgates, Hubbles and etc, why add a cheap$ cheater plug in the chain. Granted, it is only an inch and half long and made out of something that is really not the same quality level of conductance as stated above. My last question is, is there a oxygen free copper, shielded, cryoed, teflon coated, polyurethane jacketed high end cheater plug out there? If there is, let us know.
I have only been in audio for a year now, and I am finding out that the biggest impact per dollar on a descent sound system, other than the source, is what is feeding it, the ac. By eliminating as much ac noise as possible, my audio system does sound much better, but its those 50 cent cheater plugs bothers me the most. Yes, it is quick, easy and cheap to do, but are any of the alternatives I mentioned above would have a better impact on sound than the magical cheater plug? Please post any comments and thank you.
Example, you just bought a $300 power cord and added a 50 cent cheater plug to it. Now that the ground wire is not being used, does this mean you are using only 2/3 of your power cord, or $200 worth? No pun intended, but why not remove the ground wire at the female end of the cord, cover and heatshrink, then reassmble?
To go even further, has anybody thought of putting a toggle on back of the amp or power conditioner to switch the ground wire out (float or lift). This means drilling a hole in the back of the unit, but wouldn't this give you a more purest path than using a cheater plug?
One last thing, you have your Porter outlets, Hydra cords, Wattgates, Hubbles and etc, why add a cheap$ cheater plug in the chain. Granted, it is only an inch and half long and made out of something that is really not the same quality level of conductance as stated above. My last question is, is there a oxygen free copper, shielded, cryoed, teflon coated, polyurethane jacketed high end cheater plug out there? If there is, let us know.
I have only been in audio for a year now, and I am finding out that the biggest impact per dollar on a descent sound system, other than the source, is what is feeding it, the ac. By eliminating as much ac noise as possible, my audio system does sound much better, but its those 50 cent cheater plugs bothers me the most. Yes, it is quick, easy and cheap to do, but are any of the alternatives I mentioned above would have a better impact on sound than the magical cheater plug? Please post any comments and thank you.