Active Speakers with 2 Pin IEC

[panther]

Hi everyone,
Not really sure if this is something to worry about but I noticed 2 speakers I am interested in (Elac Navis & Acoustic Energy AE1 Active) only have a 2 pin IEC. The other 2 I demo'd today in person (Adam A5x and T7V) had a 3 pin IEC. Is there any issue with this really, I am sure since they are sold in North America it isn't something to worry about. I did find a post on the AE1 where someone in Australia had some ground issues using XLR cables and had to switch to RCA to fix it.

 

[DVDdoug]

Double insulated products don't require a power/safety ground. You are probably less likely to get ground loops without a power ground,

 

[panther]

Double insulated products don't require a power/safety ground. You are probably less likely to get ground loops without a power ground,

Thanks for the link and reply, good to know and read through as I had never heard of this before.

 

[Katji]

Nice website - (thanks BBC.) The www is fine, but organising my mind and browser bookmarks is another story.
The other thread going on - C7/figure-8 connectors - had me wondering, maybe I should get another cheap multimeter and check, investigate, but then realised No, a cheap multimeter + my ignorance, and mains wiring = a big No. ...I'll just leave it to my faith in Edifier, and the cables supplied.

 

[AnalogSteph]

I did find a post on the AE1 where someone in Australia had some ground issues using XLR cables and had to switch to RCA to fix it.

Would be the first time I've heard of that happening, usually it's the other way round.

Traditional hi-fi almost universally employs 2-prong mains cables and double insulation in order to avoid wreaking havoc on the standard unbalanced audio connections - both ELAC and AE are from this camp.
Gear from the (home) studio space with its balanced cabling is way less susceptible to ground loops, and having devices earthed is in fact preferred - this is where ADAM is rooted.

Interfacing both worlds has its pitfalls. Notably, while a number of active monitors also provide unbalanced inputs, that does not necessarily mean you actually want to use them like that. Many folks have found out the hard way after connecting them to their computer.