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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.
eldulcesol
eldulcesol OP
197 posts
 
Everyone, thank you for the replies, keep em coming.

What I am trying to avoid is, as Sub suggested, a compromising adapter in the cords. Now I know that putting a ground switch in does exist, I can look into it. For breaking off the ground prong, I don't know about that yet, especially after spending a few hundred$ on cords. For any cord gurus out there, which is better, undo the ground wire at the prongs or at the IEC, then heatshrink the wire? Or does it make no differance? I really want nothing between the cords and the Porter outlets. Right now I have a filter in the rca's from the CATV box (digital) to the front ch. amp. The hum went down a lot, but not as much as a cheater plug. Maybe lifting the ground from that rca input or cable would work? Any other suggestions or comments?

FWIW, this is what happens when you you mix a great stereo system with home theater, problems, ground loops and frustrations.

Thanks again and I will post any changes, hopefully soon, when they happen.
hdm
1,061 posts
 
I own two Cardas Goldens, one which is in original condition, the other I've defeated the ground on simply by ripping out the ground prong on the male plug. I went this way simply because that cord is heatshrinked at both ends, but many are not, and I defeated the ground on a Blue Circle BC62 I owned simply by taking apart the male end, removing the ground wire from the plug, taping it off with electrical tape and reassembling the plug. Cardas, I understand, will charge $50 per end to re-terminate. If you can easily do it at the male end (if there's no heatshrink there) I'd suggest that. I've never had a ground loop or hum problem, and I can tell you in no uncertain terms that any of the cords I've defeated the ground on sounded much better that way, so you may get even more than you bargained for (in a positive way). But you will also have the naysayers telling you your house is going to burn down and your children will be electrocuted, so you may as well be prepared for that.
subaruguru
1,375 posts
 
If you have to, lift it at the IEC (middle terminal). In some designs of the plug you may be able to simply pop out the terminal itself and just let it hang outside the case, as a reminder of what you've done, and allowing an easy rebuild without soldering or otherwise much surgery. If the manufacturer has globbed a lot of heatshrink over the IEC then you of course have to cut it all off. Now you know why I provide a simple quick-disconnect in-line switch....
eldulcesol OP
197 posts
 
Sub, thanks again for the response. I did read somewhere that it is better to disable the ground at the IEC, not at the prong. I just can't seem to find that article anywhere. My pc's are van den Hul Mainstream whose conn. are not heatshrinked. I should be able to undo the ground as you suggested and go from there. You did mention you put a ground switch on your pc's. How and what did you use to accomplish this? Other responses have been putting a switch on back of the amp, which would not really be a problem, since I have no intentions of selling the amp. The simple in-line quick disconnect switch does seem to be the most practicle way of doing this. Thanks again.
holzhauer
201 posts
 
I am not suggesting you do this but it is something I have considered. I also have chased ground loops and ended up with a bunch of cheater plugs. Since I have a dedicated panel for my stereo, I was considering disconnecting all the ground wires except one at the panel. I suspect this would work but make any electrical inspectors cringe. Has anyone else done this?
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