2. misc-audio
  3. 1171892271

Covers on unused RCA inputs?

Years ago, I vaguely remember being advised to put little plastic covers on the unused RCA inputs on the back on my preamp. These plastic plugs had a piece of metal that connected the two poles of the RCA input. The theory was, by bridging the two sides of the RCA input, ambient RFI and static electricity were blocked from entering the preamp, resulting in a lower noise floor.

Of course, these plugs could only be used on RCA inputs, not outputs, as this would short circuit and possibly damage the preamp.

Has anyone heard of these gadgets? Does anyone use them currently? Thank you.
javachip

Showing 1 response by bdgregory

bdgregory
1,709 posts
 
I had a RFI problem with my preamp I needed to tame, and after coming across a similar thread as this I set out to find come caps. The cardas caps are pricey and I didn't want to spend the dough without knowing they would solve my problem. I decided to make my own.

DIY Shorting Caps:
I have a drawer full of cheapy RCA cables that accumulated over the years (you know - the ones that come packaged with consumer gear), so I chopped off the cable from the RCA connectors, leaving only about 1/2" pigtail on the RCAs. I stripped the insulation off and twisted the ground shield and postive wires together(knotted them up so they're secure). Voila! Free shorting plug. As for the results, I found they did help - much quieter, though they look like hell - good thing they're not visible.

I also found these on ebay:
RCA Caps which I purchased. I just received them but haven't swapped them out for my DIY models yet. These are like the Cardas caps - they don't short out the inputs, only cover them.
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