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Speaker Asylum General speaker questions for audio and home theater. |
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Speaker Asylum General speaker questions for audio and home theater. |
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In Reply to: Disagree with using floater plugs as a permanent solution..... posted by JimL on June 30, 2005 at 18:39:35:
... and it's a decision that each of us need to make for ourselves as adults.The system will sound better if it is completely floated. On the other hand, there is an *exceedingly* small chance that someone could be injured (or even killed) in this situation. For this to happen, a component would have to fail in such a way as to make the metallic chassis "live" with the AC wall current. This would also have to happen in such a way that nobody would realize that there was a problem (ie, no hum or buzz). Finally, someone would have to touch the live chassis while simultaneously touching a grounded object (such as a cold water pipe).
It *could* happen, but as I said, it is *extremely* unlikely.
Most components from major Japanese manufacturers only use a two-prong power cord. In this case, they need to be "double-insulated" to provide safety. While this term conjures visions of plastic encapsulation, this is not what it means. Instead, it means that there needs to be a backup safety system for every item from the AC mains up to and including the primary winding of the power transformer.
This backup system can come in many forms. For example, if the connections to the power switch are made with Fast-On connectors, they need to have insulation around the female tab. Then if the connector were to fall off, it couldn't touch the chassis and make it "live". Or if a wire carrying the AC mains current runs along the chassis, it needs to be sheathed inside a second insulating tube. Then if the first layer of insulation is breached by a high-voltage surge (from lightning, for instance), then there is a second layer of insulation to provide protection.
I currently live in a house that was built in 1953. None of the AC outlets are grounded. I have two small children that I love dearly. I don't worry about them being electrocuted, although it could happen.
So from a safety standpoint, grounding each component is "the optimum solution". From a sonic standpoint, floating all components is "the optimum solution". Each of us has to decide for ourselves what our priorities are.
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Follow Ups
- I understand your reasoning... - Charles Hansen 19:09:16 06/30/05 (0)
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