[milkweg]

I connect ground loop isolators between my PC and integrated amp because if I don't I get a slight buzzing coming through the speakers. I read one day that these isolators can affect frequency capability. Is that true? I don't notice any difference except the buzz is gone. I'm using GL isolators made by nexXtech and are made in the U.S. Are these considered a good quality brand?

 

[krmathis]

I don't, since I don't see the need.
My DAC and amplifier run on batteries, and are electrically shield (optical cable) from the transport.

 

[Andrew_WOT]

Quote:

Originally Posted by milkweg /img/forum/go_quote.gif I connect ground loop isolators between my PC and integrated amp because if I don't I get a slight buzzing coming through the speakers. I read one day that these isolators can affect frequency capability. Is that true? I don't notice any difference except the buzz is gone. I'm using GL isolators made by nexXtech and are made in the U.S. Are these considered a good quality brand?

Xitel makes good quality RCA isolator. Amazon.com: Ground Loop Isolator: Electronics
And yes, they will affect quality to same degree. Nowadays I just stick with cheater plugs, they do the trick without any sonic effect. You can also try HumX, that one goes on power plug and should not have effect on sound, except from what I've read it's not 100% effective.
Amazon.com: Ebtech Hum X Voltage Hum Filter: Musical Instruments

 

[milkweg]

I have a cheater plug and it didn't work for me. Only these GL isolators work. I don't connect to my PCs via analog anymore and only use digital out from PC so don't need them there but still needed to use one for the analog mini out of EMU 0404 to my Audiolab amp. It was just a very slight buzz but the GL isolator removed it. Don't need to use one for the RCA analog out from EMU to ONkyo receiver though so I think the issue may be with my ancient Audiolab amps PSU. I took it apart and gave it a good clean up and she still sounds good to me. bTW, thanks for the link to those GL isolators but I am in Canada so can't buy them from Amazon.com. The ones I have say they are designed for audio systems so I expect they are just as good as the ones you linked to. If they are designed for audio use then I would expect they made sure they didn't degrade sound quality. I don't hear any degradation so I expect they don't.

 

[FallenAngel]

I use them in all of my equipment that has transformer inside the same case. Of course mine cost about $0.50 in parts and take 30 seconds to build.

10R 5W wirewound resistor in parallel with 0.1uF Class-X cap from signal ground to case with the case earth grounded.

 

[milkweg]

You will have to draw a picture for me to understand that.

 

[FallenAngel]

Quote:

Originally Posted by milkweg /img/forum/go_quote.gif You will have to draw a picture for me to understand that.

Really can't get any simpler than this. Take a 10 Ohm 5Watt wirewound resistor, take a 0.1uF Class-X capacitor, parallel them and attach between Ground on the IEC and the Chassis.

 

[milkweg]

I have enough money that I don't need to know. Thanks anyway.

 

[obobskivich]

Quote:

Originally Posted by milkweg /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have enough money that I don't need to know. Thanks anyway.

wow.

and he was explaining it simple too

 

[milkweg]

Yea, but even though I know what a capacitor and resistor is I do not know what a "10 Ohm 5Watt wirewound resistor, take a 0.1uF Class-X capacitor" is. In other words, I am not interested in building my own when I can just go buy one. They are not expensive. I did not find electronics at school interesting and doubt I would get a kick out of building my own like some people around here do. An interest in electronics is not a prerequisite to an interest in good audio quality. JUst like a good photographer doesn't need to be a camera geek to understand what makes a good photograph.

 

[obobskivich]

Quote:

Originally Posted by milkweg /img/forum/go_quote.gif JUst like a good photographer doesn't need to be a camera geek to understand what makes a good photograph.

every photographer I've known, knows more about their camera than most mechanical engineers could begin to tell me

every action, every noise, every position, photographs are their art, the camera is their tool, so thats a very inaccurate comparison, especially if you want to talk film photography (in which case you have to know not only how the camera works, and how everything goes together to get that "magic" shot, you also gotta know the chemistry of developing film, and have a basic understanding of the physics of light)


now, as far as what he's saying, it really isn't that bloody hard, google can always help if you're a bit lost though, and the comment "I have enough money to not need to know", well, thats just a very ego-centric way to look at things, yes, this is a trivial dollar amount either to build the thing, or to buy the thing, the guy was offering you advice, and you snubbed him because you're "better" as a virtue of being "richer"

 

[FallenAngel]

Quote:

Originally Posted by obobskivich /img/forum/go_quote.gif every photographer I've known, knows more about their camera than most mechanical engineers could begin to tell me every action, every noise, every position, photographs are their art, the camera is their tool, so thats a very inaccurate comparison, especially if you want to talk film photography (in which case you have to know not only how the camera works, and how everything goes together to get that "magic" shot, you also gotta know the chemistry of developing film, and have a basic understanding of the physics of light) now, as far as what he's saying, it really isn't that bloody hard, google can always help if you're a bit lost though, and the comment "I have enough money to not need to know", well, thats just a very ego-centric way to look at things, yes, this is a trivial dollar amount either to build the thing, or to buy the thing, the guy was offering you advice, and you snubbed him because you're "better" as a virtue of being "richer"

While I do appreciate the comment, no worries. I don't particularly like spending a bit of time offering advice that's thrown away, but in the end I really couldn't care less what others do.

milkweg, you should note though that Nexxtech is the RadioShack house brand unless I'm looking at the wrong product, these go inline with the audio signal? Sounds like a sure-fire way to degrade the signal. The solution I was recommending costs a few cents and you would know exactly what a "10 Ohm 5Watt wirewound resistor and a 0.1uF Class-X capacitor" is by looking at the component section RadioShack and simply picking exactly what it says. I won't stress that it'll cost you next to nothing, but you will get the benefit ground-loop isolation without putting anything nasty in the signal path. Like I said though, I really couldn't care less what you do, though I am certain that there is more than one person reading this thread that might find the information useful.

 

[mrarroyo]

I use this as a ground isolator!

 

[Happy Camper]

Excuse me Mrarroyo, what store are those found? I may re-do my ht system too.

Yes I use surge isolators on my electronics, three to two prong adapters on my stats speakers and don't use anything on my amps. Everything is quiet throughout.

FA and milk, though I understand how the snub sounds rude, it was funny in a Thurston Howell sort of way. Why bother for a 5-10 dollar item? I'll just buy the factory. Fortunately, others read the topic and can learn from it.

Sometimes humor and rudeness are hard to distinguish. If it was humor, a smiley would help. If rudeness, I could see an offset #1 smiley needed.

 

[milkweg]

Quote:

Originally Posted by obobskivich /img/forum/go_quote.gif every photographer I've known, knows more about their camera than most mechanical engineers could begin to tell me

Yea, and most people that know more about the science than the art are not very good photographers. They may well be technically proficient but usually do not also have the mindset of an artist. Some have both qualities but most often not. Go read a photography forum and you will see most talk incessantly about the technical aspects and not the art and post boring cliched photos that are technically good but visually boring. And just because you understand your f-stops etc. doesn't mean you know how to build a camera or have a desire to do so.

I don't even own a soldering iron and have no intention of buying one either. The nexxtech GL isolators I bought at The Source which is what used to be Radioshack in Canada. I don't hear any signal degradation anyway so it is not an issue. But now I only use one on my PC to my computer speakers and the computer to my hi-fi setup is using digital so don't need the isolators there. Thanks for the advice but I didn't post asking how to build my own.

Is it humour or rudeness? It's a bit of both. Don Rickles was very rude but funny too. Look at my avatar and that should give you an idea as to the type of person I am. Ena Sharples was a character from Coronation Street way back in the '60's and was a real biatch.