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Cardas Clear RCA: how to recognize drain side?

75.39.16.143
Posted on July 1, 2017 at 12:54:27
Jay Buridan
Audiophile

Posts: 10283
Location: Michigan
Joined: January 21, 2004
 Is there a drain?

"Horse sense is the thing a horse has which keeps it from betting on people. "
― W.C. Fields

 

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RE: Cardas Clear RCA: how to recognize drain side?, posted on July 1, 2017 at 13:09:19
Mikey8811
Audiophile

Posts: 188
Joined: June 4, 2011
 Huh? What's a drain side?

 

RE: Cardas Clear RCA: how to recognize drain side?, posted on July 1, 2017 at 13:15:15
Duster
Manufacturer

Posts: 17117
Location: Pacific Northwest
Joined: August 25, 2002
 The Cardas Clear interconnect features two spiral shields. I've read that a particular Cardas interconnect (not sure which model) featuring two shields has drain wires located at each end of the cable: one shield connected to the source end only, the other shield connected to the load end only. I suggest contacting Cardas for their confirmation about the Cardas Clear interconnect design.

 

RE: Cardas Clear RCA: how to recognize drain side?, posted on July 1, 2017 at 18:46:45
Duster
Manufacturer

Posts: 17117
Location: Pacific Northwest
Joined: August 25, 2002
 A drain wire "drains" conductivity from a shield to ground. The most common use of a drain wire is when a cable features a foil shield only. Since foil cannot be soldered to the ground of a connector, a bare/uninsulated wire is run along the entire length of the cable, which makes conductive contact with the foil shield, of which the drain wire can then be soldered to ground, in most cases to one end of the cable only. Most often, the drain wire is connected to the source end, and left unconnected at the load end. However, this is not always the case.

In the case of a cable that features both a foil shield and a spiral or braided shield, there often is no need for a drain wire since the spiral or braided shield which is connected to ground makes contact with the foil shield along the entire length of the cable, so it functions like a drain wire.

One reason why it can be important to know which end of a cable a shield is connected is when a preamplifier is used as a hub for grounding all cable shields to. Such as a source component with the shield connected to the preamplifier, while the cable shield from the preamplifier to the power amplifier is also connected to the preamplifier. This means one set of cables is plugged-in "backwards" based on what end of the cable shielding is connected to ground.

 

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