I had an annoying hum yet not audible when music was playing from ground loops. I bi-amp so there's two different ground paths there and have an AC regenerator for a third. A PS Audio forum post said go ahead and lift it. Wow, not only did the hum go way down (still some from the amps) but it made a great improvement to the sound. Next I lifted the LF amp ground and again things really made a marked improvement. At this point I am really happily stunned at how much better things are. Image, separation, dynamics, clarity and detail have all improved. I reterminated an AC cable I had for the HF amp with a Wattgate 320i and did not connect the ground. I now am ground free and wondering if this last "lift" will make a difference. It helped the HF so much I couldn't believe it! What a huge improvement at each "lift". It sounded like a different amp!
So I am in the process of relistening to favorite recordings, all of which are putting a smile on my face. Hearing details not heard before with an improved soundstage and clarity this system has never delivered. No more than an hour or so into this new level of greatness a cap in my CJ 2500A LF amp, right channel, starts leaking! Doh! This is the third time for leaking cap noise in that channel. The first time they replaced a cap and since I upgraded it from a 2500 to a 2500A at the same time they charged no labor for the repair, just for the part-nice. The second time they kept it for two weeks saying it never made a peep of crackling in the right channel. I don't know what to think here, it was really noisy and actually blew a fuse from a loud crack! I think they did something and didn't tell me-who knows. And now less than a year later the crackle is back for a third time. Oh well...... Something had to spoil the party I guess. Woe is me! What a pain to have to disconnect it, lug it to them and be without it again and now fear the problem will only return again in the future. Does anyone think I deserve something or some consideration for this third failure? And no it's not a speaker problem, DCR is identical on both channels, no shorted speaker wire etc. I never come close to fully driving the amp and its about a 6 ohm load, no problem for this amp. It never even gets very warm to the touch much less hot. Goll dern, witch butt, schmuu ticker........... I just made up schmuu ticker.
ET
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Topic - I lifted my grounds, reached new heights of "Audio Nirvana" and then......... - Awe-d-o-file 00:28:17 08/23/08 (66)
- Please bear in mind that lifting GND's only applies to unbalanced AC... - kenster 19:37:40 08/26/08 (8)
- RE: Please bear in mind that lifting GND's only applies to unbalanced AC... - Awe-d-o-file 06:55:23 08/27/08 (1)
- RE: Please bear in mind that lifting GND's only applies to unbalanced AC... - kenster 14:47:10 08/27/08 (0)
- "Try putting a Ferrite bead/filter on just your unbalanced AC earth GND line on the power line" - hukkfinn 21:35:22 08/26/08 (5)
- RE: "Try putting a Ferrite bead/filter on just your unbalanced AC earth GND line on the power line" - kenster 15:11:04 08/27/08 (3)
- I am not saying there are no benefits, just that there are substantial liabilities. nt - Norm 09:49:22 08/28/08 (2)
- RE: I am not saying there are no benefits, just that there are substantial liabilities. nt - kenster 15:17:17 08/28/08 (1)
- I am not willing to endure the negative effects of ferrite beads. - Norm 19:53:34 08/28/08 (0)
- No, it kills dynamics. But try it yourself. nt - Norm 06:14:10 08/27/08 (0)
- RE: I lifted my grounds, reached new heights of "Audio Nirvana" and then......... - Dman 15:06:44 08/24/08 (0)
- This Could Be Dangerous......... - Todd Krieger 11:23:29 08/24/08 (8)
- RE: This Could Be Dangerous......... - jea48 09:30:11 08/25/08 (7)
- RE: This Could Be Dangerous......... - Todd Krieger 11:04:00 08/25/08 (6)
- RE: This Could Be Dangerous......... - Awe-d-o-file 12:47:28 08/25/08 (2)
- RE: This Could Be Dangerous......... - Todd Krieger 02:43:39 08/26/08 (1)
- RE: This Could Be Dangerous......... - Awe-d-o-file 06:52:36 08/27/08 (0)
- Again it would depend on the circumstances I stated in my post..... - jea48 11:27:43 08/25/08 (2)
- Double insulated is great, but - G Squared 13:23:52 08/25/08 (1)
- RE: Double insulated is great, but - jea48 13:30:57 08/25/08 (0)
- Grounds really kill the sound of your system - Charles Hansen 20:20:17 08/23/08 (34)
- Why don't manufactures do everybody a favor and double insulate the AC power wiring- - jea48 07:57:40 08/25/08 (13)
- If you're referring to the 'double insulated' designation that allows manufacturers of small - powermatic 09:34:10 08/25/08 (12)
- RE: If you're referring to the 'double insulated' designation that allows manufacturers of small - jea48 11:36:39 08/25/08 (11)
- Close - Charles Hansen 21:40:33 08/26/08 (10)
- Question for you... - clio09 17:03:23 08/27/08 (7)
- RE: Question for you... - Charles Hansen 22:59:58 08/27/08 (6)
- RE: Question for you... - clio09 07:17:11 08/28/08 (5)
- This is what Charles described. - Al Sekela 14:46:04 08/28/08 (4)
- How does an unconnected wire resonate? - GGA 09:39:04 08/29/08 (1)
- Just like an antenna. - Al Sekela 16:08:42 08/29/08 (0)
- So if I wanted to "float" the grounds on my system... - clio09 07:34:08 08/29/08 (1)
- Connecting the components to a floated power strip still allows ground loops. - Al Sekela 16:17:16 08/29/08 (0)
- Thanks Charles for your response, but you left us, me, hanging. - jea48 16:58:04 08/27/08 (1)
- RE: Thanks Charles for your response, but you left us, me, hanging. - Charles Hansen 22:50:26 08/27/08 (0)
- What if the ground in the house is not in fact an earth ground? - Frihed89 22:35:23 08/24/08 (1)
- RE: What if the ground in the house is not in fact an earth ground? - jea48 06:57:20 08/25/08 (0)
- RE: Grounds really kill the sound of your system - Awe-d-o-file 20:22:14 08/24/08 (0)
- Charles--does this incl the ground on the dedicated line outlet? nt - Sherlock 09:57:32 08/24/08 (2)
- RE: Charles--does this incl the ground on the dedicated line outlet? nt - Charles Hansen 19:21:14 08/24/08 (1)
- Thanks Charles nt - Sherlock 09:38:17 08/25/08 (0)
- Why is lifting all ground superior to leaving only one ground? nt - Norm 08:14:06 08/24/08 (6)
- RE: Why is lifting all ground superior to leaving only one ground? nt - Charles Hansen 19:22:58 08/24/08 (5)
- The AC safety-earth wiring is a big RF stew-pot! - Al Sekela 13:35:21 08/25/08 (0)
- I love your answer - Norm 08:26:28 08/25/08 (3)
- RE: I bought the Morrison new edition. - Charles Hansen 21:33:59 08/26/08 (2)
- It cannot be worse than reading Hawkings nt - Norm 11:55:29 08/31/08 (0)
- Well, at least I will understand at the end why things are happening. nt - Norm 15:12:28 08/27/08 (0)
- Mmmm, not sure I agree with you although "ground" is ... - andyr 04:25:31 08/24/08 (6)
- Bad answer - Charles Hansen 19:27:23 08/24/08 (4)
- If you read all my post ... - andyr 19:45:37 08/24/08 (3)
- RE: If you read all my post ... - Charles Hansen 21:58:35 08/24/08 (2)
- Just ordered a copy ... $34.30 - good price! :-)) nt - andyr 15:50:28 08/25/08 (0)
- Thanks for th elink, Charles. nt - andyr 01:22:46 08/25/08 (0)
- I am with Charles. You say, "make sure the in-wall wires are all the same length" impractical. nt - Norm 08:12:38 08/24/08 (0)
- are you sure it is a cap? - hermanesque 14:36:16 08/23/08 (1)
- RE: are you sure it is a cap? - Awe-d-o-file 20:27:43 08/24/08 (0)
- RE: I lifted my grounds, reached new heights of "Audio Nirvana" and then......... - Caucasian Blackplate 12:01:14 08/23/08 (0)
- What kind of capacitor is leaking? - Al Sekela 09:49:54 08/23/08 (1)
- RE: What kind of capacitor is leaking? - Awe-d-o-file 20:30:34 08/24/08 (0)
- RE: I lifted my grounds, reached new heights of "Audio Nirvana" and then......... - suretyguy 07:56:45 08/23/08 (3)
- RE: I lifted my grounds, reached new heights of "Audio Nirvana" and then......... - Awe-d-o-file 11:55:16 08/23/08 (2)
- RE: I lifted my grounds, reached new heights of "Audio Nirvana" and then......... - suretyguy 16:05:41 08/23/08 (1)
- RE: I lifted my grounds, reached new heights of "Audio Nirvana" and then......... - Awe-d-o-file 20:14:20 08/24/08 (0)
- Danger: Sell, sell, sell, but maybe too late - Frihed89 03:08:43 08/23/08 (2)
- RE: Danger: Sell, sell, sell, but maybe too late - Awe-d-o-file 06:29:14 08/23/08 (1)
- I really hope it works out. Lemons, if it is one, are night mares to everyone NT - Frihed89 08:24:49 08/23/08 (0)