How to ground an AV receiver

[highfigh]

It would be sooooo easy for amplifier manufacturers to add a grounding screw, but that adds (pennies) to their cost, so.......

You could have used speaker wire.

 

[OriginalCin]

I figured that speaker wire might work, but I wanted to eliminate any variables created by my own lack of experience and went for a purpose-built grounding wire. ‍

Wouldn’t it be a good idea for most all components to have a grounding post?

 

[highfigh]

I figured that speaker wire might work, but I wanted to eliminate any variables created by my own lack of experience and went for a purpose-built grounding wire. ‍

Wouldn’t it be a good idea for most all components to have a grounding post?

Not necessarily- there's a scheme for grounding/bonding that is generally adhered to and that typically involves having one central device using a grounded power cord, then the others connected to it use an ungrounded cord. The shield of the signal cables (the shield isn't necessarily for the signal negative) is connected at the grounded device, allowing the shield to act as an antenna and send the interference to ground but ideally, the shield should be separate from the signal carrying conductors, as it is in balanced low impedance connections for commercial/industrial/pro AV gear. This last point is a large part of the reason people should use consumer OR pro gear, but not a mixed bag- if you read the threads about system noise, you'll see that almost all of them deal with using pro amplifiers with consumer AVRs.

This is a good paper to read- their site has a lot of useful information-

https://www.ranecommercial.com/legacy/note151.html

 

[Bsbllfit7]

Get a grounding wire and connect the Denon grounding post to any chassis screw on the amp. Got rid of my speaker buzz. I picked up a basic grounding wire from Amazon.
Phonograph Turntable Ground Wire... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Z9WB7W6?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

The only problem with my situation is neither device had a ground plug. Wouldn't I need to ground the receiver to the ground from the receptacle some how? Or is it enough to connect the amp to the AVR via a "ground wire" even though neither unit is grounded through their power wire?

 

[OriginalCin]

Not necessarily- there's a scheme for grounding/bonding that is generally adhered to and that typically involves having one central device using a grounded power cord, then the others connected to it use an ungrounded cord. The shield of the signal cables (the shield isn't necessarily for the signal negative) is connected at the grounded device, allowing the shield to act as an antenna and send the interference to ground but ideally, the shield should be separate from the signal carrying conductors, as it is in balanced low impedance connections for commercial/industrial/pro AV gear. This last point is a large part of the reason people should use consumer OR pro gear, but not a mixed bag- if you read the threads about system noise, you'll see that almost all of them deal with using pro amplifiers with consumer AVRs.

This is a good paper to read- their site has a lot of useful information-

https://www.ranecommercial.com/legacy/note151.html

Thanks for the info. Happy New Year!

 

[highfigh]

The only problem with my situation is neither device had a ground plug. Wouldn't I need to ground the receiver to the ground from the receptacle some how? Or is it enough to connect the amp to the AVR via a "ground wire" even though neither unit is grounded through their power wire?

Does the AVR's power cord have three pins? If not, look at the inlet on the back- if that has three pins and the cord has only two, get a different cord that has three.

 

[Hilox]

Not willing to create a new post as this thread has a lot of info which applies to me also but i can´t really get what should be grounded first, please bare with me.

My setup at home is an Marantz SR7500 - DBX-PA2 signal processor - Opera 415MK2 as main active speakers + 2 B1500D subs; the other surround speakers + center are connected directly to the receiver. My problem is similar to this my getting some static noise in the mains, kind like a cassette player hiss when no music is played and sometimes even a buzzing noise. I tried to set all proper levels but ended up with setting the levels very low to get rid of the hissing noise, so reading this thread made me think that actually none of the equipment is grounded atm. and reading through this thread i´m not quite sure on what equipment should be grounded "first" as the receiver does not have any grounding. I use, of course non balanced pre-outs for front and sub to the DBX processor and from there on all are balanced and the reason for the equip not being grounded is that i use the Aqara ZigBee plugs with an EU converter (live in Sweden) to be able to power on all the hi-fi in an special order through my automation system.

So do i got this right if my "grounding scheme" looks like this; connect the operas to a grounded outlet (as only those have the ground screw on the chassis plate) and from there start to ground the DBX - av receiver and the subs? Or am i totally out in the clouds?

Thanks

 

[TLS Guy]

Not willing to create a new post as this thread has a lot of info which applies to me also but i can´t really get what should be grounded first, please bare with me.

My setup at home is an Marantz SR7500 - DBX-PA2 signal processor - Opera 415MK2 as main active speakers + 2 B1500D subs; the other surround speakers + center are connected directly to the receiver. My problem is similar to this my getting some static noise in the mains, kind like a cassette player hiss when no music is played and sometimes even a buzzing noise. I tried to set all proper levels but ended up with setting the levels very low to get rid of the hissing noise, so reading this thread made me think that actually none of the equipment is grounded atm. and reading through this thread i´m not quite sure on what equipment should be grounded "first" as the receiver does not have any grounding. I use, of course non balanced pre-outs for front and sub to the DBX processor and from there on all are balanced and the reason for the equip not being grounded is that i use the Aqara ZigBee plugs with an EU converter (live in Sweden) to be able to power on all the hi-fi in an special order through my automation system.

So do i got this right if my "grounding scheme" looks like this; connect the operas to a grounded outlet (as only those have the ground screw on the chassis plate) and from there start to ground the DBX - av receiver and the subs? Or am i totally out in the clouds?

Thanks

Your hissing sound is from poor signal to noise ratio in one or more items of equipment in the chain. All except the Marantz are low end pro units.

Those Opera speakers, look particularly nasty. Behringer are known for some pretty rough gear. The F3 point of those subs is 35 Hz so not really subs at all, but mid bass units. You hiss is not a ground loop, but cheap amps.

 

[Hilox]

Ok cool, well i have had the gear for at least 10 years now apart from the DBX and bought them basically as new, only used in home environment. I can´t recall though that the hissing/buzzing was so evident at my old place but there, for a time i´ve also used a couple of Cantons rc-l and a perless xls12-radiator sub which did a pretty good job for the 16m2 livingroom. Later at my new place with the room being 60m2 and a ceiling height between 3,60m to 4,80m in a stone villa, that setup doesn't even come near of what the Operas and the 1500d subs... sorry, midbases performs. So based on the review (kind a like asking a Porsche dealer review my 00´s Volvon, but yeah, my blame) i´d might look for some new stuff then but in my grounding quest, would my previous question be a way forward? Or should i just leave it ungrounded.

Thanks

 

[TLS Guy]

Ok cool, well i have had the gear for at least 10 years now apart from the DBX and bought them basically as new, only used in home environment. I can´t recall though that the hissing/buzzing was so evident at my old place but there, for a time i´ve also used a couple of Cantons rc-l and a perless xls12-radiator sub which did a pretty good job for the 16m2 livingroom. Later at my new place with the room being 60m2 and a ceiling height between 3,60m to 4,80m in a stone villa, that setup doesn't even come near of what the Operas and the 1500d subs... sorry, midbases performs. So based on the review (kind a like asking a Porsche dealer review my 00´s Volvon, but yeah, my blame) i´d might look for some new stuff then but in my grounding quest, would my previous question be a way forward? Or should i just leave it ungrounded.

Thanks

You will not cure the hiss with grounding, but the hum you might. Since the hm is intermittent that is doubtful.