Ungrounding an Amp--Any Danger?

I have to agree with Bob above. Manufacturers connect one side of a single ended interconnect to ground (except in a truly balanced system-a discussion for another day.) In a 2 wire cable with a shield, one wire and the shield will be connected (the shield being at one end for this discussion but it could just as well be connected at both ends) to ground in the unit. The other wire is considered hot. Since the audio signal is AC (alternating current) it has to be referenced to ground. If you lift the chasis ground (and this is what you're doing), it will leave any overload (short, etc.) to travel through the interconnect. You have to look at it as house wiring. On 115v, one line is hot, one is neutral(the neutral carries current but has no potential-hence the name neutral) and the other is ground (shield.)This is exactly like an interconnect. One wire is hot and the other is neutral, BUT, the white (neutral) also goes back to the grounding buss!(This is why a two wire cable w/a shield is no different than one with a wire and a shield and both work. The added wire gives a better balanced path for current.) One side of the interconnect has to be neutral at some point or it want flow current. (Current is what pushes voltage BTW-can't have one without the other) That doesn't mean the signal doesn't transverse both wires, it does, but one is always going to be referenced to ground(neutral) somewhere.
I would always leave the source of largest current draw grounded (the amp.) If something happened to the transformer(like a short) it's maximum amperage will have to be pulled through the interconnect of another component that is tied to ground since you no longer would have a separate chasis ground to carry it.
I use a Theta Dreadnaught with a 2.2 KVA transformer (2200 watts.) Theta specifically says do not float the ground. I can see why.
Is floating grounds safe, yea, for the most part and long as you don't have a power supply failure. Smaller components will draw much less current if a problem occurs.
I have never understood why people make audio out to be something so special in electrical principles. It's not. It conforms to basic electrical fundamentals like anything else. Go to a book store and read up on the subject. Interconnects are nothing but wire to transfer a small AC signal from one point to another. It works EXACTLY like household wiring which is AC but at a much lower voltage for audio. (Household AC is usually around 115v-120v @60hz. If you could find a driver to handles the current it would make for a loud 60hz note!!!!!)
Another point is when current is unbalanced in your electrical box, it balances itself by sending a differential current down the neutral to create a balance. It's always good to ground most things! Better it travel the ground than through you if a disaster strikes and you touch the appliance. BTW, just for general information, even though ground and neutral end up at the same buss, they are NOT the same. The 3rd wire ground is for your protection. Neutral is to complete the circuit.

Bob and bigtee, we are wandering far from Mr. Socprof's thread, so let's not do that.

I'd be happy to continue this discussion either privately (you can email me) or, if either one of you would like to start a thread on the subject of balanced versus single-ended interconnect design, and their susceptibility to EMI/RFI contamination. That is not the subject of Mr. Socprof's inquiry.

Neil

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Neil, no, I really don't think I wondered from the original point. My post was to explain, in simple terms, why lifting a ground can be a bad thing. Wasn't that what the original poster wanted to know?
You brought up in a follow up to Bob's post about shotgun interconnects. Call it what you want but it is still an unbalanced single ended interconnect. It really doesn't matter what type of single ended cable you use. If you ground one end of a shield only and you have 2 wires left to carry the signal, one of the wires must be considered a neutral because one will still be connected to ground. Neutral ultimately goes back to ground and since the shield is not capable of conducting a flow, one of the other wires will carry the load if a power supply failure occurs. I just wanted to clarify that the type of cable really didn't make a difference when lifting a unit ground. Current during any failure will be required to travel the interconnect if the ground is lifted. That was my point. I also stated, "Balanced was for another day." I think the differences have been discussed and at length here and other places.

Bigtee: So??