johnjen
Headphoneus Supremus
Obviously not.CPUs operate in GHz region. You can hear GHz?
But there are beat frequencies and their interactive harmonics that can be, and when absent, or minimized these differences will become apparent.
Not to mention that the PSU will 'react' to the varying demands for power and there are other subsystems besides the CPU that will also interact and modulate ground as well.
And our systems are designed to be sensitive to small analog signals and if these are introduced into the heart of the active circuits, directly, via ground, then 'noise' is a result.
And as I mentioned EVERY chip, and circuit does 'stand' on that very same ground, not only as part of the signal return path but also it IS the foundation or reference that the circuits 'define' as zero. So when zero is modulated so is every active portion of the circuit.
JJ