RCA plugs touching, problem?

[Barry_Sound]

Hello everyone, I have a pair of RCA cables with solid plugs that touch slightly when connected to the amplifier. As far as I understand it, the signal wire is inside and the ground is outside. Is there anything bad to expect when two grounds are connecting?

 

[DVDdoug]

It's OK. The grounds are (usually) already connected together inside the equipment.

 

[voodooless]

Ground wise it’s okay. I do see the connectors not being parallel, meaning there will be some strain on the connectors. If it’s only a little, it’s probably okay.

 

[Timcognito]

Outside of the plug is the ground so okay.

 

[Barry_Sound]

Thanks guys

Ground wise it’s okay. I do see the connectors not being parallel, meaning there will be some strain on the connectors. If it’s only a little, it’s probably okay.

My thought too. It's not quite as bad as it looks in the first picture though.

Will post a subjective sound review soon.



...




No, just kidding my audio science friends.

 

[FrantzM]

Thanks guys



My thought too. It's not quite as bad as it looks in the first picture though.

View attachment 350831

Will post a subjective sound review soon.



...




No, just kidding my audio science friends.

lol

You had me seriously worried for a few seconds …

 

[Timcognito]

I little electrical tape around one could ease your mind.

 

[Barry_Sound]

lol

You had me seriously worried for a few seconds …

It's funny, I have a soft spot for expensive cables if I can find them halfway cheap, sale or second hand. It's like women and handbags.

 

[pinger]

It's funny, I have a soft spot for expensive cables if I can find them halfway cheap, sale or second hand. It's like women and handbags.

But handbags are in fact different from each other

 

[Speedskater]

I little electrical tape around one could ease your mind.

A waste of time. The two cable shells are connected together inside the chassis's at both ends.
In fact, if the two cables didn't have an outer insulation, the shields could touch for their entire length.

 

[Barry_Sound]

But handbags are in fact different from each other

Yeah thats what my wife said too.

 

[Chiily]

If you are worried then slip a piece of paper between them.

 

[Dr Morbius]

My experience is a bit different, I have a Scott 272 tube amp which worked fine and I got these new RCA cables with thicker connectors and it blew out 2 - EL34 tubes. Luckily that was the only damage! Tried it again with electrical tape around one connector and all was good.

 

[Dr Morbius]

Oh, it was one tube from each channel.

 

[Zek]

I got these new RCA cables with thicker connectors and it blew out 2 - EL34 tubes.

How is it possible that the output tubes burn out when the left and right gnd are connected at the input?
There must be some other problem with that amp.

 

[DonH56]

How is it possible that the output tubes burn out when the left and right gnd are connected at the input?
There must be some other problem with that amp.

A number of amplifiers (not just tube IME) lift the input ground for isolation, stability, and to prevent ground loops (which I could have lumped with "isolation"). I had an expensive (ARC) component that did that, and if you shorted the RCA inputs to chassis ground, it would oscillate. Since the oscillation was well above the audio band, your first clue was overheated plates and blown tubes. Internally there was a very small (0.5~1 ohm IIRC) resistor from RCA jack shield to main signal ground.

One other datum is that tube amps (and of course any bridged amps) do not necessarily ground the speaker terminals so care must be connecting to anything but speakers. My ARC amp tied the 4-ohm output terminal to ground, for instance. I learned this the hard way decades ago when I added a nice external speaker power meter that shared a common ground. Fortunately, a squeal and blown fuse saved the amp from my ignorance. These days problems can arise when adding a sub via speaker-level inputs if the sub does not isolate the signal and ground lines connecting to the speaker outputs.

FWIWFM - Don

 

[RayDunzl]

Fortunately, a squeal and blown fuse saved the amp from my ignorance.

Was it you or the speakers that squealed?

 

[egellings]

Hello everyone, I have a pair of RCA cables with solid plugs that touch slightly when connected to the amplifier. As far as I understand it, the signal wire is inside and the ground is outside. Is there anything bad to expect when two grounds are connecting?

Do an easy experiment. Wrap one connector with a thin tape or just insert a piece of paper between the two connectors to isolate their shells and see if you hear a difference with and without the change. Likelihood is high that there will be no discernable difference. If there is, then leave the insulator in place.

 

[DonH56]

Was it you or the speakers that squealed?

Both, of course!

 

[Dr Morbius]

That’s exactly what I did, wrapped a piece of electrical tape around one connector and wallah, all was fine! No problems since. The Scott 272 is the only amp that has the problem of the connectors being too close. The 296 and 299C’s and D’s are more spaced apart.