Grounding of Speakers

Some manufacturers, for example Tannoy, advocate the grounding of speakers as a means of elimination of RF interference and provide an extra terminal on the back of each speaker for this purpose. I believe that Tannoy's own speaker cable has an extra wire for grounding.

The aural advantage of grounding is said to be a subtle improvment in HF definition.

Has anyone tried grounding? What were the results? If your speaker doesn't have an extra terminal what can you use as the grounding point and what do you use at the other end - a screw on the amp chassis?

If your speaker doesn't have an extra terminal what can you use as the grounding point

The only metal work in a speaker is the basket or frame of the drivers and the attached magnets.

To ground them you would need to fix earthing wires to these items and connect them to a suitable earth.

Another mod to do to my speakers. Hurrah.

I assume that a spekaer cable shield is to be grounded at the amp side but I do not understand what is there to be grounded on the speaker side? Driver basket ? Why?

I assume that a spekaer cable shield is to be grounded at the amp side but I do not understand what is there to be grounded on the speaker side? Driver basket ? Why?

Maybe to eliminate static generated by the cone movement, or induced emf from the coil in proximity, err, pooh does anyone smell B.S. Don't know if it's the theory or my 'reasoning'

Grimmie

Hello bronal.

Like these

Cheers.

I remember this coming up for discussion somewhere in the past.

Here's an interesting article about.

http://www.russandrews.com/article-Earthing-Loudspeaker-Drivers-driverearthing.htm

A couple of years ago, customer David Duffin wrote to me asking my opinion of the claims that earthing the chassis of speaker drive units improved the sound. He reminded me that Tannoy do it, providing an earthing socket on the back of the cabinet.

I went ahead and modified a couple of my own drive units and ran earth wires down to the mains earth. The results were both easy to hear and very beneficial. First there was improved clarity, definition, and depth in the bass. Second, improved separation between instruments, singer etc. and more three-dimensionality in the soundstage. Third, the treble was clearer, sweeter and cleaner. Removing the earth, the sound seemed muddled, confused and much less rhythmic and enjoyable.

The result was so worthwhile that we designed the Russ Andrews Quave LS1 loudspeakers with an earthing terminal for the drive units.

You can test this upgrade fairly easily for yourself without having to modify the drive unit. When you remove the speaker grille, you will find the tweeter(s) and one or more drive units held in with screws. Tackle only the drivers and tweeters with metal bodies.

Drivers and tweeters that have a plastic chassis do not need earthing so if you have them - lucky you!

Remove one screw from each driver and clean the metal around the screw hole to remove any paint. Strip the end of a piece of earth wire that is long enough to reach your mains socket (you are going to use its earth), make a small loop in the stripped end and refit the driver scew through it so that it makes a good tight connection with the chassis. If there is more than one driver on each speaker, you can earth link them together or run two lengths of wire.

Take the opportunity to check the tightness of all the driver screws but don't be tempted to over tighten them. Do both speakers and fit 13 amp plugs to the earth wire (using only the big earth pin!) so that you can easily A/B the difference.

If you like what you hear, you can make the connection at the back of the driver more permanent and hide the earth wire by making the earth connection at the back of the driver and running the earth wire to an extra socket on the back plate next to the usual speaker terminals. KIMBER earth weave is the ultimate, low inductance, low impedance cable to use if you want to do the job properly.

If you find the tangle of earth cable unwieldy, our Star Grounding Block is perfect to link all your earth cables together.

Tannoy are firm believers in it, producing biwirable speaker cable with a 5th grounding cable inside.

Tannoy TLC Speaker Cable

Heavily shielded, the four main conductors

are laid in a star quad formation around a

centrally positioned ground (earth) lead. This

additional grounding cable is designed to

serve as a ground connection between the

loudspeaker drive units and the amplifier earth

terminal. The main conductors may be

arranged in bi-wire configuration or combined

in pairs to form a twin lead loudspeaker cable

Maybe to eliminate static generated by the cone movement, or induced emf from the coil in proximity, err, pooh does anyone smell B.S. Don't know if it's the theory or my 'reasoning'

Grimmie

Tell me why does it smell

Cheers

Tell me why does it smell

Cheers

'Cos pure bluff and guesswork on something is generally dung of some kind. Nevertheless if others with more idea than me seem to agree then I'll claim the mark.

Grimmie

Hello bronal.

Like these

Cheers.

Although there are 4 treminals on this driver I don't think any of them are electrically connected to the frame.

Not sure why there'd be so many though?

'Cos pure bluff and guesswork on something is generally dung of some kind. Nevertheless if others with more idea than me seem to agree then I'll claim the mark.

Grimmie

Grimmie,

There's only way to find out and it's not expensive

Grimmie,

There's only way to find out and it's not expensive

True enough Nude.

If I get the time and inclination I may just give it a whirl. Three things stand out as 'anti's', - most wouldn't have a spare core in their speaker leads to use and wouldn't want a spare flylead trailing across the floor (my Kimber 8TC would be OK though). Then there's the aspect of safety. As a sparkie it fills me with dread to think of people hooking an earth wire into a plug-top and plugging in (shudder) Iv'e seen some of the crazy things people do!!! Live baskets waiting for a victim anyone?? Also, drilling the speaker to access a wire into the cabinet, the need to re-seal afterwards would be paramount, otherwise a nice 'breather hole' hissing away in the background could result. Otherwise yeah, absolutely, another cheap upgrade that could work.

Grimmie

Then there's the aspect of safety. As a sparkie it fills me with dread to think of people hooking an earth wire into a plug-top and plugging in (shudder) Iv'e seen some of the crazy things people do!!! Live baskets waiting for a victim anyone?? Also, drilling the speaker to access a wire into the cabinet, the need to re-seal afterwards would be paramount, otherwise a nice 'breather hole' hissing away in the background could result. Otherwise yeah, absolutely, another cheap upgrade that could work.

Grimmie

But it's only connected to the earth terminal right? In other words, if you used a normal plug it has only one wire in it, and it is on the earth pin. You're a sparky, can you explain how that is dangerous?

The other point is more valid, for many. Not too hard to do it right tho, and only if the experiment works. The amount of effort you're willing to expend is in direct ratio to the amount of gain your ears perceive.

As nude said, cheap to try.