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Why use ground wire from preamp to amp???

I am buying new cables from amplifier surgery guys in downers grove, IL.  

The cables are nice looking, shielded, silver solder, cardas connectors silver plated, all silver solder used, silver tinned strands,Yatta  Yatta  Yatta, ok whatever,  


Their reference rca's come with the third ground wire? They said hook it to the preamp ground?

 This is not for phono connection, why would anyone hook a ground wire to preamp when not using the turntable?  I have never heard of this before, would this be dangerous, if some current or noise is sent down the ground wire directly into the cables at the input of the amp??  

Why even have them?? What is the purpose, or have I been out of the game too long?

shouldnt I just order regular reference rca's without that silly third ground wire which serves no purpose unless hooked up to a turntable???

HELP ME UNDERSTAND, PLEASE



128x128arcticdeth
arcticdeth's avatar
arcticdeth OP
1,549 posts
 
Would any current, or dc pass through, or anything that could cause damage to the amp or preamp, cables?  

 So if I use a turntable, I remove the cable ground?

strange, very strange,,,, 



rcprince
3,059 posts
 
Properly designed, no current should run through it, but you can confirm that with the manufacturer, since you've been speaking with them.  But don't necessarily remove the TT ground (you could experiment with that as well; sometimes a TT actually has less hum when not grounded, in my experience), as that's a different component coming into your preamp. The idea, I believe, is to use the preamp as a common grounding point with all the components that run into it so as to remove any hum or noise due to the different grounds; personally, when I had them years ago I tried my Sonoran cables with and without the grounds connected and noticed no difference, so I ultimately left the ground wires unattached.
williewonka
3,067 posts
 

Arcticdeth - rprince is correct - they are using the ground lead to ensure upstream source components do not cause hum.

Case in point - I had a Pioneer ELITE DVD player and a NAIM amp.

NAIM’s "architecture" assumes that all SOURCES are correctly grounded to the mains ground

The Pioneer however was "isolated" - it only had a two pin plug - and when used with the NAIM caused a loud hum. Measuring voltage between the chassis of the Pioneer and the mains ground  with a multi-meter I was surprised to find a potential of 2 volts. 

Grounding the chassis eliminated the hum completely.

Since several of todays source components (like DACs or Phono Stages) come with either USB power or Wal-wart power supplies they can often be the source of "noise".

At one point in time - all of my sources had isolated power supplies - so I implemented my own chassis grounding scheme - just to ensure it was as quiet as I could get it. 

It does no harm to your components to implement this type of scheme - but if your components are correctly grounded it is not required. 

I prefer to connect each "isolated source" to a central "grounding point" that connects directly to the ground of the power supply and not "daisy chain" it via other components.

I now have source components that are properly grounded so I no longer use this grounding scheme

Regards...

arcticdeth's avatar
arcticdeth OP
1,549 posts
 
Huh.   Thank you. 
jea48
4,269 posts
 

I see no reason for the ground wire.

In the case of a piece of audio equipment that does not use the wall receptacle safety equipment ground, if the equipment was designed properly the signal ground of the piece of equipment is connected to the metal chassis of the equipment.


A piece of audio equipment where the equipment is designed to use the wall receptacle safety equipment ground the designer of the equipment may have or not have connected the circuit signal ground to the metal chassis of the equipment. Some designers incorporate a switch so the user can lift the signal ground from the wall safety equipment grounded chassis.

When an interconnect is connected between two pieces of equipment the signal grounds of the equipment is connected together by the signal ground return wire of the interconnect.


Any time a piece of equipment that uses the wall receptacle safety equipment ground, where the circuit signal ground of the equipment is connected to the metal chassis, and then connected to a piece of equipment that does not use the wall receptacle safety equipment ground, that  piece of equipment also then becomes grounded to the wall receptacle safety equipment ground by the signal ground wire of the interconnect.

I suggest you look for another interconnect manufacture.

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