Your Favorite AC Outlets

Hi Stickman,

There are far less choices available with isolated ground outlets. I could be wrong but I do not think for example that the Porter Ports are isolated ground. I have tried the PS audio outlets ( not the more expensive gold plated outlets). The cheaper ps audio outlets are nickel plated and at least to me don't sound very good. I do use isolated ground outlets and have been using Hubble 8300 outlets sourced from Voodoo cable. I have been using these for 5 years and feel no need to change them.

Arnie

Hey Al, (Almarg), if you are reading this could you please explain what an "isolated ground" is to me? I'm a little confused by what Babybear posted. Thank you sir!

From Wikipedia

Isolated Ground Outlet

Good listening

Peter

I use the gold plated Furutek outlets and find them to be a nice upgrade over stock outlets. You should call Cable Co. They probably carry every outlet on the market. They'll give you honest recommendations, as well.

Peter, thanks for providing the link. Mofi, as the link indicates an isolated ground receptacle has no internal connection between the safety ground contacts of its two outlets and any surrounding metal structure, or conduit if present. In a home environment the safety ground contacts would typically be connected through an insulated wire to the central grounding point at the service panel, where safety grounds, AC neutrals, and earth ground are all connected together. A separate path to that ground point is required for the surrounding metal and the junction box, typically via conduit.

So the AC safety ground connections for the equipment are not truly isolated, of course, as that would be a safety hazard. What is changed with respect to a conventional outlet is just the route by which the equipment safety grounds are connected to ground, with the goal being a reduction of the amount of noise that is coupled into the equipment.

There's lots of info (and also lots of confusion) on the web about isolated ground receptacles and wiring. One brief excerpt from this paper by Bill Whitlock of Jensen Transformers, who as you may be aware is a renowned expert on such matters as they apply to audio:

So-called “technical” or “isolated” grounding schemes can sometimes reduce electrical noise in the safety ground system. It is most applicable in situations where conduit may come in contact with building steel, water pipes, gas pipes, or other structures which may be grounded and carrying noisy currents. Special insulated ground or "IG" outlets (generally orange in color) are used, which intentionally insulate the green safety ground terminal from their mounting yokes or saddles. Therefore, safety grounding is not provided by the "J-box" and conduit, but by a separate insulated green wire which must be routed back to the electrical panel alongside the white and black circuit conductors to keep inductance low. Most often, wiring is not "daisy-chained" to outlets on the same branch circuit, so noisy leakage current from one device has less coupling to others on the same branch circuit. However, inductive coupling from phase conductors to the ground conductor (a major source of ground voltage differences between outlets) is not reduced.

Thanks for the implicit compliment, btw, but I am by no means the leading expert here on electrician-type matters. That would be Jea48 (Jim); perhaps he'll see this thread and comment further.

Best regards,
-- Al