Ground Earth, Protected Earth or without Earth - which is better?

I read in the manual that the DAC must be grounded and not grounded can degrade performance. How can this be expressed?

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There is no real Ground Earth (GE) in my house, it is only possible to organize Protected Earth (PE) What is the best way: use a 2-core cable without ground, or PE?
I’ve heard that PE (not GE) can degrade the sound quality also, unlike the lack of grounding at all.

I understand that if you are electrocuted and die the ensuing sound quality that you hear is vastly impaired :smile:

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Let’s hope that this does not happen and I’ll wait for Bartok 2.0))
But nevertheless, I know that there are many Japanese devices that do not have a 3-pin ground on the input inlet.

This is because they are what is called double insulated:

Other components require connection to ground via the house circuitry. Aside from electrical safety considerations, all of the shielding devices that your audio system uses, for example the braiding on a co-ax cable, ultimately need connection to ground in order to function. Without this the S/N ratio of your equipment is impaired.

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It is interesting. I always thought they were just not using grounding.

On the protection side, this is true.
But I know people who say that without the ground line, the sound is better, because through it comes noise from the common ground of the house.
If there is real grounding in the house, then that’s good. But I don’t have real Ground Earth in my house, only neutral + earth connected at one point (Protected Earth) on one side and 3-pin on the side of the outlet. Will it work like it does with Ground Earth?

Sorry for my bad English, but I’m not familiar with electrical terms))

I will have to leave it to someone else to answer this as I don’t think that arrangement is even legal in my country :slightly_smiling_face:.

Some companies are now offering grounding boxes ( CAD, Nordost etc.). I am not sure about them or how they work , if they meet code/regulations etc. But they may be worthwhile investigating to see if they meet your needs. Hers’a link to one:

https://www.computeraudiodesign.com/gc1-ground-control/

I would guess there’re pros and cons to different Grounding, including whether or not to float the ground (like some Japanese manufacturers seem to like). I doubt what works for one person in one location/setup would automatically apply equally to another setup elsewhere, there are too many factors involved.

I do use a Nordost QKore Ground system, mainly to “star-ground” the components chassis with identical impedance conductors into a single common point.

This can be true. However the appropriate solution is not to remove the ground as this is dangerous but to not have your audio system connected to the circuit used by the rest of the house. It is not uncommon for audiophiles to have a dedicated circuit installed for exclusive use of the audio system. The installation can include running a separate ground wire to a suitable grounding point e.g. a ground spike buried externally. If you search the web you will find lots of advice on this. However do not attempt this without a qualified electrician.

Hi Pete

I already have 5.5mm dedicated power line connected directly to my power distributor. My question was more about what gives the Bartók grounding as a sound enhancement (better sonic performance). The fact that this reduces the chances of death, I already understood))

I live on the 9th floor, it will be problematic for me to bury the ground spike in the ground))

:grin: :grin:

Apologies for the late response. However, it’s worth pointing out that if your electrocuted by an expensive audiophile power cable you will go straight to audio heaven, where, your SQ will be immensely improved.

Interesting option. Judging by the reviews this may be a less one way route:

Any experience?

Same reaction today that I had when I first read about it: “just what I need: more cables and boxes.” Zero experience pro or con, though.

:rofl: Which brand of cable though? :joy:

You’re going to need a bigger house.

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