Comments on: Running audio over CAT5 http://kerosene.wordpress.com/2008/07/12/cat5/ I are on an internets! Mon, 16 Nov 2009 22:42:07 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Ross Archer http://kerosene.wordpress.com/2008/07/12/cat5/#comment-515 Ross Archer Sat, 21 Mar 2009 08:22:15 +0000 http://kerosene.wordpress.com/?p=257#comment-515 To clarify the earlier post, the grounds I'm referring to are the electrical mains system grounds. The same caution would apply to a very long RCA cable connecting two pieces of gear on different AC circuits. If everything's on a common rack, this is never a problem. Two racks at different locations might. Or might not. Personally, I wouldn't risk it if the equipment isn't on the same AC circuit. To clarify the earlier post, the grounds I’m referring to are the electrical mains system grounds.

The same caution would apply to a very long RCA cable connecting two pieces of gear on different AC circuits.

If everything’s on a common rack, this is never a problem.

Two racks at different locations might. Or might not. Personally, I wouldn’t risk it if the equipment isn’t on the same AC circuit.

]]> By: Ross Archer http://kerosene.wordpress.com/2008/07/12/cat5/#comment-513 Ross Archer Sat, 21 Mar 2009 08:09:26 +0000 http://kerosene.wordpress.com/?p=257#comment-513 Kerosine, Glad to hear you had good success. Be warned that you can smoke your gear by doing this without using baluns (transformers) at both ends. The reason is the outer/ground connection of the RCA plugs can be at different potentials if the gear you're interconnecting are not attached to the exact same ground. This can cause currents to flow between your gear that should not be there. The transformer eliminates any DC current path between the end equipment. It couples the signal through a magnetic field inside the transformer so both ends are electrically isolated and can safely be at independent ground reference points with no adverse effects. I would strongly recommend only skipping the transformer if you know both ends of the cable are attached to gear that is on the same electrical circult with a common electrical ground. Otherwise, buzzing is probably the *least* serious outcome. Anyways, glad it's working for you. :) -- ross Kerosine,

Glad to hear you had good success. Be warned that you can smoke your gear by doing this without using baluns (transformers) at both ends. The reason is the outer/ground connection of the RCA plugs can be at different potentials if the gear you’re interconnecting are not attached to the exact same ground. This can cause currents to flow between your gear that should not be there.

The transformer eliminates any DC current path between the end equipment. It couples the signal through a magnetic field inside the transformer so both ends are electrically isolated and can safely be at independent ground reference points with no adverse effects.

I would strongly recommend only skipping the transformer if you know both ends of the cable are attached to gear that is on the same electrical circult with a common electrical ground.

Otherwise, buzzing is probably the *least* serious outcome.

Anyways, glad it’s working for you. :)

– ross

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