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Worthwhile $5 Tweak

A recent thread at Audioasylum about an $800 grounding system being marketed at Audiogon got a response from an inmate there suggesting that making a clean and secure ground connection was a worthwhile thing to do. While I cannot comment on the system being marketed, I can tell you that checking the ground in my 40 year old house was a very worthwhile thing to do. An old clamp, all rusted up, attached the ground wire to my main waterline. Bought a new brass or bronze clamp for $4 Cnd. (the cheapies are about $1-looked at them and they appear to be the same as the corroded one I had), gave the water pipe a sand and clipped and stripped the ground wires down and reconnected. A very worthwhile improvement to sound quality for under $5-highly recommended if you are in an older (or maybe even newer property) without dedicated circuits, grounds etc.
hdm

Showing 2 responses by ed_sawyer

ed_sawyer
588 posts
 
If you guys are getting better sound from lifting the grounds, there's a reason for it - something is up with your AC. Lifting the ground is a band-aid solution, not really a wise move - better to fix the root of the problem than half-assed things like cheater plugs. I have used those in the past but don't any more. A good power conditioner (ideally a balanced power setup, like Monster HTPS 7000 or Equitech 1.5Q or 2Q) should cure most of those things, if not all of them.

Good tip on redoing the main house ground - I will probably do that soon. Sean, thanks for the info on Coax seal. Looks like good stuff.

-Ed
ed_sawyer
588 posts
 
Eldartford -

that makes sense for signal grounds but not for AC grounds (IMHO.).

>"Needless to say, floating the ground still helps."

Stehno: I am sure those power conditioners/line filters are nice. Still, I would have to guess the manufactuers does not endorse lifting the ground. None that I have owned have ever endorsed the idea, in fact most specifically say that it must be grounded. Some wont' even work unless they are grounded. (or will throw an error light).

The concept of gas filtering, while an interesting analogy, isn't really an accurate metaphor. Still, playing along with that - one would have to say, that if you took the fuel filter out of the circuit, and nothing was effected, did it really do anything at all? Lifting the ground, to me, is akin to taking something out, rather than adding something in (e.g. putting a fuel filter in-line).

For me, I prefer the grounds be in place, mainly for peace of mind, and since I don't hear a difference with lifitng them, I think that's my best solution.

YMMV,

-Ed
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