Should a power amplifier be grounded through RCA cables or power supply?

[Deleted member 58865]

I'm thinking about upgrading AIYIMA A07's power supply to either Mean Well RS-100-24 or Mean Well GST60A24-P1J.
RS-100-24 doesn't have to be grounded. GST60A24-P1J has to be grounded.

My AIYIMA A07 amplifier is currently grounded through RCA cables connected to Topping D10s which is connected to my computer which is grounded through an electrical outlet. I verified that AIYIMA A07 is grounded through the computer.

Does it make sense to ground AIYIMA A07 amplifier with a grounded power adapter like GST60A24-P1J? Does it help because it can ground noise from power supply? My theory is that if a power amplifier is grounded through RCA cables, power supply noise can flow through RCA cables.

I don't worry much about ground loop because everything is connected to a power strip which shares one electrical outlet.

 

[Doodski]

Grounding through the RCA cables will eventually with enough current through them and through the traces on the PCB will vaporize the traces on the PCB or damage/melt the RCA cable. I've seen it many dozens of times when I used to repair gear professionally. Don't do that.

 

[Deleted member 58865]

Grounding through the RCA cables will eventually with enough current through them and through the traces on the PCB will vaporize the traces on the PCB or damage/melt the RCA cable. I've seen it many dozens of times when I used to repair gear professionally. Don't do that.

I guess I will buy GST60A24-P1J, then.

FiiO K5 Pro ESS grounds through its USB cable because the power adapter that came with it is not grounded. Should I replace the power supply for FiiO K5 Pro ESS with a grounded one, too?

What about my monitor's power supply?

 

[Doodski]

The majority of the current will be drawn by the Aiyima. It's the power supply that requires the higher current. The other stuff should be OK with the factory stock power supplies/USB ground. So concentrate on using a grounded power supply and you'll be good to go. All the vaporized PCB traces and damaged RCA cables that I've seen where when a power amp lost ground and it reverted to drawing current through the RCA cables from another component connected via RCA. So the amp is the priority.

 

[sonder]

or just wipe RCA from your setup and go XLR, there's a good document by bruno somewhere around

 

[Deleted member 58865]

or just wipe RCA from your setup and go XLR, there's a good document by bruno somewhere around

That requires buying an entirely new audio stack. Everything uses RCA cables now. I can't afford that now.

 

[Deleted member 58865]

All the vaporized PCB traces and damaged RCA cables that I've seen where when a power amp lost ground and it reverted to drawing current through the RCA cables from another component connected via RCA. So the amp is the priority.

So, as long as RCA cables act as ground, I won't fry my amplifier and my RCA cables? Or?

FiiO K5 Pro ESS is a DAC/headphone amp combo. It is also an amp.

 

[Deleted member 58865]

or just wipe RCA from your setup and go XLR, there's a good document by bruno somewhere around

When I buy a new XLR audio stack, I may add a passive stepped attenuator. So far, Topping D10s DAC has been simple and rock-solid and hasn't glitched even once. I have tight control over my operating system which restores DAC volume during boot. Thus, I am quite okay with DAC volume and application volume. I use 32bit audio sampling format for system audio to ensure I don't lose quiet details at low volumes.

 

[Doodski]

FiiO K5 Pro ESS is a DAC/headphone amp combo. It is also an amp.

Yes, it is a headphone amp although the amount of current it draws is much less than the Aiyima amp. That's why the Aiyima power supply is the priority. Did you understand my comments before this post. I think you don't from your questions. That's no big deal because this stuff can be pretty convoluted and difficult for most people to wrap their heads around. Try reading the stuff a couple more times and see if it starts making more sense.

 

[Doodski]

How did you discover that the Aiyima 07 grounds through RCAs?

 

[Deleted member 58865]

How did you discover that the Aiyima 07 grounds through RCAs?

I have Gigahertz Solutions ME3830B which measures electric field and magnetic field in the air.

ME3830B reads high levels of electric field around floating electric circuits.

When I unplug RCA cables, ME3830B reads high levels of electric field around AIYIMA A07. This means it is not grounded through the power supply.

When AIYIMA A07 is floating, if I rub the metal case, I feel electric zaps on my fingers. It's low intensity electrocution. It doesn't kill me immediately, but it is bad for health in the long run. Inflammation builds up, and long-term inflammation leads to all sorts of diseases including cancer.

 

[Deleted member 58865]

• How much does a proper grounded power supply help AIYIMA A07 with regard to audio quality?
• Does a grounded power supply help FiiO K5 Pro ESS in terms of audio quality or device longevity?

 

[Doodski]

Should I buy GST60A24-P1J or GSM60A24-P1J?

Usually peeps buy a power supply with more voltage and current output to run their Aiyima amp. That way they get the full power output from the amp and have more power for dynamics and cranking it. Why are you selecting the 24 Volt power supply?

AIYIMA A07

Description: The TPA3255 is a high-performance Class D power amplifier with Class D efficiency and true to high-end sound quality. The device features an advanced integrated feedback design and proprietary high-speed gate driver error correction (Purepath Ultra HD). The dual 300W shocking bass...

www.aiyima.com

• Does a grounded power supply help FiiO K5 Pro ESS in terms of audio quality or device longevity?
• Sometimes yes and sometimes no.

 

[Deleted member 58865]

Usually peeps buy a power supply with more voltage and current output to run their Aiyima amp. That way they get the full power output from the amp and have more power for dynamics and cranking it. Why are you selecting the 24 Volt power supply?

I am already using 32V 5A power adaptor that is sold with AIYIMA A07.

I notice channel imbalance below 9'o clock, but I can't turn the volume knob above 9'o clock because it is too loud. Even 9'o clock is too loud without reducing DAC volume. I am 50 centimeters away from my speakers. I don't need much power. I don't think I need more than 10 watts.

With a 24V power supply, I may be able to keep the volume knob at 9'o clock or 10'o clock without making my speakers too loud.

Does a lower voltage increase noise floor?

 

[Doodski]

I am already using 32V 5A power adaptor that is sold with AIYIMA A07.

I see, good.

I notice channel imbalance below 9'o clock, but I can't turn the volume knob above 9'o clock because it is too loud.

With a 24V power supply, I may be able to keep the volume knob at 9'o clock or 10'o clock without making my speakers too loud.

It seems the signal input voltage going to the Aiyima 07 is too high and that is why you have so much gain at 9 o'clock. Can the PC adjust/reduce the PC output signal voltage level so that you don't have so much gain on the Aiyima at 9 o'clock. Every PC that I've used has volume levels both in the mixer and in the audio playback software?

 

[Deleted member 58865]

It seems the signal input voltage going to the Aiyima 07 is too high and that is why you have so much gain at 9 o'clock. Can the PC adjust/reduce the PC output signal voltage level so that you don't have so much gain on the Aiyima at 9 o'clock. Every PC that I've used has volume levels both in the mixer and in the audio playback software?

I keep the volume knob at 9'o clock and DAC volume at -16dB or -20dB. But, I want a grounded power supply for AIYIMA A07. The curent power supply is not grounded, and it also has mains hum which limits dynamic range of the amp.

Which voltage for power supply do you recommend for lower noise at low volumes?

 

[Doodski]

I keep the volume knob at 9'o clock and DAC volume at -16dB or -20dB.

Can you reduce the DAC volume output more so that you may turn the Aiyima volume control to say 3 o'clock when it reaches peak power output? That and with the PC volume/mixer controls will allow you to go past 9 o'clock.

The curent power supply is not grounded, and it also has mains hum which limits dynamic range of the amp.

That's most likely because the power supply is not properly grounded or the Aiyima is not properly grounded.

Which voltage for power supply do you recommend for lower noise at low volumes?

I would go for the biggest power supply that I can afford that is in the range of the Aiyima's operational capability.

 

[sonder]

Can you reduce the DAC volume output more so that you may turn the Aiyima volume control to say 3 o'clock when it reaches peak power output? That and with the PC volume/mixer controls will allow you to go past 9 o'clock.

This, the less your volume knob / pot is restricting the flow, the cleaner/less distorted the output will be - have a look at the asr review of the schiit sys passive and it should be clear what's happening in your setup, but with a worse pot in the mix (I presume).

 

[Deleted member 58865]

I don't get this. Doesn't reducing amplifier volume reduce noise floor of the source as well?

I really don't know how much attenuation is required. And, if DAC volume ever glitches or if I ever make a mistake with DAC volume, the volume knob at 3'o clock will immediately kill my ear drums and my speakers.

With the volume knob at 9'o clock, it is far safer.

How is reducing DAC volume any different from reducing amp volume at the volume knob? Reducing DAC volume reduces the speaker volume. Reducing the amplifier volume reduces the speaker volume. Both will reduce SNR and SINAD. But, the volume knob acts as the safety device.

 

[Deleted member 58865]

This, the less your volume knob / pot is restricting the flow, the cleaner/less distorted the output will be

That's because the signal is lower and the noise is constant. Reducing the volume at the volume knob doesn't increase the noise floor of the amp itself, but doing so reduces the noise floor of the source.

If I turn the volume knob to 3'o clock, the amplifier noise floor doesn't get reduced, but the noise floor of the source is increased. But, the amplifier noise floor is higher than the DAC noise floor anyway.

If I turn the volume knob to 3'o clock and reduce DAC volume, SNR and SINAD are still the same as when the volume knob is at 9'o clock and DAC volume is higher.