Interconnects and non-believers

I made a mistake in my description. The interconnect was between the DAC and the preamp (Conrad-Johnson PV 11.)
Sorry!

Nothing like a fresh can-o-worms. 😄
Aside from that bit of snark, I heartily agree. 👍

All the best,
Nonoise

Hi RV,

DAC sonics can sometimes be particularly susceptible to ground loop effects, which in turn can be dependent on both the designs of the components that are being connected and the characteristics of the interconnecting cables.

An interesting experiment, should you be so inclined, might be to put the power cord of the preamp on a cheater plug (a 3-prong to 2-prong adapter), with the safety ground left unconnected. That would eliminate any possible ground loop effects between the DAC and the preamp (and also between the preamp and the power amp). Then see if the change in interconnect cables still makes a difference, or as much of a difference.

I’m assuming, of course, that the preamp has a 3-prong power plug; if not then never mind. Although if it has a 2-prong plug, and the plug is non-polarized (i.e., if the two prongs have identical width), reversing the orientation with which it is plugged into the outlet may also be a worthwhile experiment.

Best regards,
-- Al

Not necessarily. The original ICs might have been in the wrong direction and the new ICs are in the right direction.

Whaaat?