really? .89c ground lifters?

Remember,this means absolutely nothing if your receptacles are wired wrong. Don't laugh, it happens all the time.
Tpreaves (Threads | Answers)

Or if your electrical is wired reversed inside the equipment. This happens too.

Also, some equipment with three prong power cable actually have the ground lifted inside the chassis. I've owned several amps wired this way.

Guess that falls into the category of XLR inputs that are jumped over to the RCA so customers can operate their system in balanced.

In that case it should be referred to as a convenience jack. I've owned several products like this, many people think because the plug is there the unit is properly wired to accommodate it.

Also, some equipment with three prong power cable actually have the ground lifted inside the chassis. I've owned several amps wired this way.
04-25-10: Albertporter

If the amps are UL and or CSA listed then that would imply the AC power wiring of the equipment is double insulated thus meeting UL/CSA standards.

I would rather see the manufacture of the equipment use a C-14 or C-20 plug on their equipment with the ground contact pin removed. That way the consumer/user would know if an equipment grounding conductor was needed for the equipment. Or better yet how about the manufacture be required to print on the back of the unit along with the AC power consumption and Hz if the unit is wired with doubled insulated AC power wiring.

IEC connectors are the only UL/CSA listed plug and socket that I know of that can be used for both 120Vac as well as 220Vac. Can't do that with any NEMA plugs or receptacles. The IEC plug is the only one I know that can be used in electrical equipment and float the equipment ground contact. You could not do that with any NEMA two wire with ground Plug.

So I guess the question to be asked, does my equipment that uses IEC connectors use the safety equipment ground? No equipment ground contact pin in the IEC plug, no....
If the ground contact is present on the IEC plug then the only 100% sure way to know is pull the top cover off the equipment and look inside.

Could use a meter and check for continuity from the equipment ground contact of the IEC plug to the chassis. If the meter shows short then yes the ground contact is connected to the chassis and the equipment ground is needed for safe operation.

If the meter reads infinity/open I would not bet the bank 100% on the reading. Can you say 100% both test probes were making good contact? Pop the hood and look inside....
Or you could contact the manufacture.

Based on what you have been reading, you have two lines of thought and advice. 1). Audiophiles that really no nothing about electricity and grounding that advise doing the quick and dirty fix by lifting grounds and 2) people that understand electricity and the rules of house wiring, by telling you quite simply, to never lift grounds. find the problem equipment and fix or replace it. Balanced loads and yes, any electrician worth their salt will balance AC and other appliances on each side of the phases. it is not randomly attached. It is the ultimate wrong thing to do to advise anyone to compromise the electrical system and rules. If you are touching your equipment or sometimes another piece of equipment or metal in your home and a fault occurs, either in your home, piece of equipment or outside (lightning strike, etc.) that ground that you just lifted offers the safe path to ground for current, but you just lifted it. So, electricity will try to find the shortest path to ground. it could be through another piece of equipment with a ground, you if you are touching something at the time, or a family member. Find a licensed electrician and ask. This is not a good idea. I know, I'm not telling you what you want to hear, (maybe I am), but, shortcuts never are good. In equipment design and construction or otherwise. Do the hard work early and life is easier later on. no shortcuts.

enjoy.