2. amps-preamps
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component grounding

So this whole thing about grounding audio gear. There are millions of pieces of vintage audio gear out there without ground plugs. In fact, many don't even have a polarized two prong plug. Yet search as I may, I can't find one situation where someone was killed or seriously injured from an ungrounded piece of audio equipment. I've been in the HiFi business for over 50 years.....Never saw a recall or a warning or anything until recently. This past year I built a Bob Latino ST120 Tube Dynaco clone amplifier. I was surprised to see a lampcord power cord with no ground. When I inquired I was told by many to not ground it as it wasn't necessary and might introduce hum......Can someone show me documented case where injurie resulted from an ungrounded piece of equipment?

rbertalotto
paradisecom
319 posts
 

More than likely, the addition of the grounding conductor was due to someone getting electrocuted or injured by an appliance in another industry, such as a clothes dryer, stove, etc.  Since the gear in our hobby is considered "appliances", it would make good business (and legal) sense to just move over to 3-conductor power cords just in case, on the 1-in-a-bazillion chance someone got injured touching the metal chassis on an amplifier and there was a fault inside, electrifying the chassis. 

That's my guess, anyway.

atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,841 posts
 

I've been zapped plenty of times by ungrounded equipment. I used to do most of my hobby work in my little shop in my basement. Eventually I learned to plug the equipment into an isolation transformer since the zap factor could be unpleasant. 

czarivey
5,946 posts
 

The gear built pre 90's don't have no ground plugs at all and no one died

rbertalotto OP
138 posts
 

I've been zapped plenty of times by ungrounded equipment.

If you play with any electronics enough...You'll get "zapped"...But that's not dead or injured....

I recently bought a Zero Zone tube preamplifier.....It has a three prong plug but the ground terminal is not connected. How can they sell this in the USA (Especially Illinois) where in many states,  everything with a plug needs UL approval.Can an ungrounded piece of equipment still get UL approval?

 

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