Lifting ground on Spectral amp

[dan31]

Are there any Spectral system users, meaning Spectral preamp and Spectral amp using MIT interconnects and speaker cables, not using a cheater plug or lifting the ground on the amp?

I just finally lifted the ground on my amp and most of my sources as recommended by my dealer. Not sure but I think it's a nice improvement. It may be bias as my system was awful quiet to begin with. I guess Spectral recommends lifting the ground on all its amps. Not just the latest amps.

Anyone have a source of high quality cheater plugs to lift the ground?

 

[ack]

I have not been able to find high quality cheater plugs. I am actually about to wrap electrical tape around the cord's ground prong

 

[dan31]

Since you have the DMA-400s, did you start off using a cheater plug to lift the ground as suggested by Spectral? Are you using the MIT conditioner with your amps or direct to the wall? Lastly with the electrical tape, have you been able to keep the tape from tearing once it is insterted into the ground recptacle?

 

[ack]

I haven't tried the tape yet, I am about to; tearing is indeed a concern, but I have to figure out something, even if it means coating the prong, or even severing it. I'll post pictures here, when I have something working. I've always lifted the ground on any amp I owned, long before Spectral recommended anything, just as a matter of course towards star-grounding at the preamp. And yes, the amps are plugged into the MIT Z-Strip to take advantage of the parallel filters - I would only rely on parallel filters, nothing in-series.

 

[dan31]

Ack do you lift the ground to all of your source components? Just the preamp with a single ground with the entire source/ amplification system grounded through the single preamp ground.

Knowing that I have all of my source components on a single conditioner so I am experimenting with lifting all grounds with the exception of my phono preamp as it should not have the ground lifted.

 

[dan31]

The new Cardas 4181 outlet has the option of seperating/lifting the ground on the upper or lower receptacle. This might be a shortcut to not using an adaptor or modifying the ground prong the the power cord.

 

[JackD201]

I haven't tried the tape yet, I am about to; tearing is indeed a concern, but I have to figure out something, even if it means coating the prong, or even severing it. I'll post pictures here, when I have something working. I've always lifted the ground on any amp I owned, long before Spectral recommended anything, just as a matter of course towards star-grounding at the preamp. And yes, the amps are plugged into the MIT Z-Strip to take advantage of the parallel filters - I would only rely on parallel filters, nothing in-series.

There's another option to severing or coating the !EC groindond lug and that is simply to disconnect gounding female within the CO itself. It will require a licensed electrical but on a cost benefit analysis, depending on one's PCs, this may just well warrant the cost of a simple and quick house call. The only question left would be, depending on your area, will you still be up to code.

 

[ack]

There's another option to severing or coating the !EC groindond lug and that is simply to disconnect gounding female within the CO itself. It will require a licensed electrical but on a cost benefit analysis, depending on one's PCs, this may just well warrant the cost of a simple and quick house call. The only question left would be, depending on your area, will you still be up to code.

Yeah no one will do it, it would have to be myself.

 

[Steve williams]

I have not been able to find high quality cheater plugs. I am actually about to wrap electrical tape around the cord's ground prong

Voodoo Audio makes the best I've seen using Furutech. I have 2 of them. Fortunately I have no need for them now

 

[ack]

Ack do you lift the ground to all of your source components? Just the preamp with a single ground with the entire source/ amplification system grounded through the single preamp ground.

I lift the grounds where it makes a sonic difference - the phono does (less hum, for example), the digital doesn't but they are also plugged into a separate MIT fed by a separate outlet, and I don't care about my tuner or tape decks. The reason for not lifting the digital components' grounds is because the signal's grounds are floated internally with capacitors (especially the Alpha DAC) - it helps to be able to understand circuitry to a certain degree. Without that information, others need to experiment, and most importantly, consult with the manufacturers.

Knowing that I have all of my source components on a single conditioner so I am experimenting with lifting all grounds with the exception of my phono preamp as it should not have the ground lifted.

Yeah, phono can be tricky. Since I lift the ground in mine, I had to now run a ground wire to the outer copper shield wrapping the casing.

 

[ack]

Voodoo Audio makes the best I've seen using Furutech. I have 2 of them. Fortunately I have no need for them now

Do you have a link? I couldn't find anything. The other problem with cheater plugs is that the two live prongs are not very securely attached to the [U.S.] power outlets.

 

[Steve williams]

Let me find mine and I'll post a pic. They are made with Furutech and the two parts are taped together with shrinkwrap

 

[Folsom]

The new Cardas 4181 outlet has the option of seperating/lifting the ground on the upper or lower receptacle. This might be a shortcut to not using an adaptor or modifying the ground prong the the power cord.

This is incorrect. The outlet allows you to isolate the grounds for each socket, and separate from the backstrap.

At this point you just take the ground off the outlet all together, if you already have to get to the back side of it. But I don't recommend lifting all these grounds. I'm kind of surprised how much equipment seems to benefit. Maybe some of these manufacturers could use a little help in that department.

 

[RogerD]

Lifting the ground is Spectral approved?? Why? I guess the manual addresses the problem with Spectral gear,but is this a engineering problem? I have had ground loops before,but with time and work all have gone away.

http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showthread.php?16035-The-spectral-adventure-part-2/page2

 

[ack]

It's IMPERATIVE to understand that lifting grounds can have really serious consequences. So one must understand exactly what they are doing and why. Having 150A-200A run through an interconnect in case of a fault can lead to damage and fire.

 

[ack]

Lifting the ground is Spectral approved?? Why? I guess the manual addresses the problem with Spectral gear,but is this a engineering problem?

Sonic benefits, not picking up ground noise, and dealing with the real ground at the preamp. There is nothing in the manual, no one would put anything like that in print and suffer legal consequences. In case of damage, the owner is solely responsible for heeding the "dealer recommendation" and for not consulting an electrician. It's a stupid game, if you ask me.

 

[RogerD]

Sonic benefits, not picking up ground noise, and dealing with the real ground at the preamp. There is nothing in the manual, no one would put anything like that in print and suffer legal consequences. In case of damage, the owner is solely responsible for heeding the "dealer recommendation" and for not consulting an electrician. It's a stupid game, if you ask me.

There must be a better solution.

 

[ack]

Here's what I've done; the exposed metal makes no contact; I covered the rest of the prong plus a little extra, in order to cover the tip as well (I looked inside the MIT outlets and the tip makes contact as well). The trick in verifying that it works is in measuring for continuity at the other end of the power cord against a real ground, and I measured 9.7Mohm, which is good enough, though strictly speaking, not totally lifted. I also got the great grip back.

 

[dan31]

Thanks Ack. I may give the electrical tape a try after I finish my current assessment.

 

[dan31]

Ack,
Were you using your 400s with the adaptor or grounding them at the receptacle prior to taping the ground prong? I will be interested if you perceive an improvement with tape.

Thanks