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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
tbg
5,263 posts
 
Since most components have grounded ac power cords and most interconnects have grounds, every component has two earth ground and thus ground loops. The third wire would add additional ground loops. All of this is to satisfy Underwriters Labs on the off chance that you have a loose power wire within the component and are grounded when you touch the component. All of this ruins your sound. 

There are three alternatives. One is buying only plastic bodied component with the exception of your preamp. Two is using cheaters on all but the preamp power cord. In Canada cheater are illegal. You could also cut off the ground on the power cords other than that for the preamp. Third is having very low impedance grounds to one point that has a low impedance to earth or buy the Tripoint Troy Signature with filters on each binding post and a excellent ground. This is great but very expensive.
jazzonthehudson's avatar
jazzonthehudson
277 posts
 
Norm, what about the Audience adeptResponse power conditioners with ground bars doing a similar job that the Tripoint Troy Signature do?

Cheater plugs have the inherent danger if something in the unlikely event mishaps in the device to the metal housing, the user touching the surface will act like a grounding wire which may be a shocking experience if he/she lives to tell.
jea48
4,404 posts
 

Since most components have grounded ac power cords and most interconnects have grounds, every component has two earth ground and thus ground loops. The third wire would add additional ground loops. All of this is to satisfy Underwriters Labs on the off chance that you have a loose power wire within the component and are grounded when you touch the component. All of this ruins your sound.

Not sure "most" of audio and or video equipment designed and manufactured today use the wall receptacle safety equipment ground on all their equipment.

Just to name a few that do not use the safety equipment ground on all their audio equipment.

Ayre 

Arcam

Cambridge Audio

Marantz

Denon 

Nad

Sony

I am sure there are others.


It has nothing to do with whether the outer case is metal or plastic. It has to do with the insulation used on the AC internal power wiring. Equipment that is designed and Listed for only 2 wire power cords that does not use/need the third wire safety equipment ground uses double insulated AC power wiring. It does cost more than regular insulated wire.

In time, jmho, all audio equipment as well as video equipment designed and manufactured for the home consumer use will use 2 wire power cords.

There is no need for the safety equipment ground wire today and it can/does degrade the sound  of audio as well as video equipment. Manufactures just need to spend the extra money and use double insulated AC power wiring in their equipment. 

tbg
5,263 posts
 
jea48, this is a good trend. I have never owned a metal chassis component where the chassis is not grounded. I agree about the two wire ac ground.

jazzonthehudson's avatar
jazzonthehudson
277 posts
 
+1

Star grounding devices like Troy Tripoint  Signature (Norm you own or at least owned one) and in lesser extent Granite Audio Ground Zero do contribute with impedance ground matching. That brings us back to OP's question about ground loops.

Or is it the fact that the absorption of EMI and RFI within the Tripoint Signature (the same rationale goes for SR Powercell) that is the main contributor to improved sound?

Both the SR Powercell  and Troy Signature are known to be black boxes, no nudie of their models (pun not intended) on the web available, one contains the "trickled down Powercell" technology and the other some passive filters and magnets (HFC is pulling hard, pun intended, in this direction). The Troy Master Ref adds at least a AC waveform corrector so part of the 60s technology is added (BTW I have a vintage Elgar 6006B - usually under 1k on Ebay- that acts as isolation transformer and AC waveform corrector for that for my upstream equipment. 

I never had any of them in neither of my systems so would like to hear Norm's comment on the benefits of star grounding vs EMI/RFI rejection/absorption. 
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