If you’re a vinyl enthusiast, you know that grounding your turntable is an essential step in achieving the best possible sound quality.
But where exactly do you connect the grounding wire?
It can be confusing, especially if you’re new to the world of turntables.
In this article, we’ll guide you through the process of finding the grounding terminal on your turntable and amplifier, and explain why grounding is so important for your hi-fi system.
So sit back, relax, and let’s dive into the world of turntable grounding.
Where To Ground Turntable
The first step in grounding your turntable is to locate the grounding terminal. This can be found on the bottom of your record player, and is often connected to the underside of the metal turntable chassis with an unconnected copper spade connector. Classic turntable ground wires are typically green, but they can come in any color.
If you have a brand new turntable, the wire may be folded up underneath the chassis and concealed with a twist tie. Make sure to fully check the underside of the chassis before concluding that you don’t have a grounding wire.
The grounding terminal on your amplifier or receiver will depend on the structure of your turntable. It is typically located on the back of the turntable and marked “ground.” The cover of the terminal may be different, and can be a metal post with a knurled shaft or a simple screw terminal. You will need to unfasten the grounding terminal to connect your turntable’s ground wire.
If your turntable does not have a grounding terminal, there is still a way to bypass this. You will need a pair of needle-nose pliers to position and hold the wire in place, as well as cut the wire you need to ground the turntable. Gaffer tape can also be used to create a grounding terminal for your turntable.
Once you have located the amplifier’s grounding terminal, which is usually at the back and marked “ground,” you can loosen it. If your amplifier doesn’t have a grounding terminal, you can connect the grounding cable from the turntable to the actual body of the amplifier.
Before beginning any work, it is important to turn off the power of both your player and amplifier to avoid system malfunctions and electric shock accidents. This will prevent harmful noise and dangerous accidents from occurring when connected.
To ground your turntable, hook one end of the wire to a glossy screw at the bottom of the amplifier’s chassis. Then, at the other end of the wire, secure it to a gleaming screw in the turntable’s metal chassis.
Grounding is important for safety measures because hi-fi systems are filled with electronics and power. The metal exterior or chassis of all hi-fi boxes is electrically isolated, so if electricity comes into contact with the chassis, it will sit there waiting for someone to touch it with predictable results. Grounding prevents this from happening by allowing undesired power to travel through a wire back to your electrical panel, triggering the circuit-breaker and interrupting the flow of electricity.
In addition to safety measures, grounding also prevents ground loops from occurring. A ground loop can happen when interconnected equipment has more than one electrical channel to the ground. This can cause background hums that are amplified for turntables that handle sensitive signals from delicate cartridges.
Most turntables come with a separate ground wire linked to the tonearm, which can then be connected to the ground screw of an amplifier or phono amplifier. This drastically lessens background hums and improves sound quality.
Understanding The Importance Of Grounding In Turntables
Grounding is an essential aspect of turntables that cannot be overlooked. It is crucial to ensure that your turntable and amplifier are at the same ground potential to avoid a ground loop, which can cause unwanted noise and interference in your audio system. A ground wire is a single wire that connects your turntable and amplifier to the same ground potential. Without it, even a slight difference in ground potential can cause a 60-cycle alternating current to pass between the turntable and amplifier along your audio cables, resulting in an audible hum.
Proper grounding of your turntable ensures safety when using it. Hi-fi systems are packed with electronics and electricity, and grounding is included primarily as a safety measure. If for some reason, the safety measures within fail and electricity comes into contact with the chassis, the feet would prevent the electricity from going anywhere, causing unpredictable consequences. Grounding ensures that any unwanted electricity travels through the wire back to your electrical panel, tripping the circuit-breaker, and stopping the flow of electricity.
Additionally, grounding also prevents ground loops from occurring. A ground loop can occur when interconnected equipment has more than one electrical path to the ground. This can cause extra noise that can be amplified for turntables that handle sensitive signals from delicate cartridges.
Finding The Grounding Terminal On Your Turntable
To find the grounding terminal on your turntable, you will need to first look on the bottom of the record player. The grounding wire is often connected to the underside of the metal turntable chassis and has an unconnected copper spade connector. Classic turntable ground wires are typically green, but they can come in any color.
If you have a brand new turntable, the wire may be folded up underneath the chassis and concealed with a twist tie. Make sure to fully check the underside of the chassis before concluding that you don’t have a grounding wire.
The grounding terminal on your amplifier or receiver will depend on the structure of your turntable. It is typically located on the back of the turntable and marked “ground.” The cover of the terminal may be different, and can be a metal post with a knurled shaft or a simple screw terminal. You will need to unfasten the grounding terminal to connect your turntable’s ground wire.
If you can’t locate the grounding terminal on your amplifier, don’t worry. You can still ground the turntable by connecting the grounding cable from the turntable to the actual body of the amplifier.
It is important to remember to turn off the power of both your player and amplifier before beginning any work to avoid system malfunctions and electric shock accidents. This will prevent harmful noise and dangerous accidents from occurring when connected.
Grounding is important for safety measures because hi-fi systems are filled with electronics and power. The metal exterior or chassis of all hi-fi boxes is electrically isolated, so if electricity comes into contact with the chassis, it will sit there waiting for someone to touch it with predictable results. Grounding prevents this from happening by allowing undesired power to travel through a wire back to your electrical panel, triggering the circuit-breaker and interrupting the flow of electricity.
In addition to safety measures, grounding also prevents ground loops from occurring. A ground loop can happen when interconnected equipment has more than one electrical channel to the ground. This can cause background hums that are amplified for turntables that handle sensitive signals from delicate cartridges.
Most turntables come with a separate ground wire linked to the tonearm, which can then be connected to the ground screw of an amplifier or phono amplifier. This drastically lessens background hums and improves sound quality.
Connecting The Grounding Wire To Your Amplifier
Now that you have located the grounding terminal on your amplifier or receiver, it’s time to connect the grounding wire from your turntable.
First, take the copper spade connector on the end of the grounding wire and place it onto the grounding terminal. Make sure to tighten the connection, but be careful not to over-tighten it as this can strip the terminal.
If your amplifier doesn’t have a grounding terminal, you can use gaffer tape to stick the copper spade connector of the grounding wire to the metal box of the amplifier. Alternatively, you can create your own grounding wire by taking one stripped end and attaching it to a screw on the chassis of the amplifier (preferably not on the speaker terminal). Then, take the other end of the wire and attach it to a screw on the chassis of the turntable.
It’s important to find the spot that creates the best connection and emits less hum. To test for this, turn on the power and touch the end of the wire on different areas of the turntable’s chassis. Take care not to touch any metal with any part of your body.
Once you have found the best spot for your grounding wire, secure it in place. This will reduce background hums and improve sound quality.
Troubleshooting Common Grounding Issues
Despite following the steps mentioned above, you may still encounter some common grounding issues. Here are some troubleshooting tips:
1. Humming Noise: If you hear a humming noise coming from your turntable, it could be due to a ground loop. To fix this, try disconnecting all the cables from your amplifier, except for the power cable. If the humming noise goes away, then you have a ground loop issue. To solve this, you can try using a ground loop isolator or connecting all your equipment to the same power outlet.
2. Broken Tonearm Cables: If the buzzing noise lowers when you touch the tonearm, it could be due to broken tonearm cables. You can check this by disconnecting one channel at a time and see if the noise goes away.
3. Short-Circuit: If the buzzing noise is unbearably loud, it could be due to a short-circuit inside the phono cable from the turntable to the phono stage. This is more common with older equipment and may require professional repair.
4. No Grounding Terminal: If your turntable doesn’t have a grounding terminal, you can still create one using needle-nose pliers and gaffer tape. However, this may not provide the best grounding solution and could lead to further issues.
Tips For Improving Your Turntable’s Sound Quality Through Grounding
To improve your turntable’s sound quality through grounding, follow these tips:
1. Use a separate ground wire: Most turntables come with a separate ground wire linked to the tonearm. This wire can be connected to the ground screw of an amplifier or phono amplifier to drastically reduce background hums and improve sound quality.
2. Ensure a secure connection: When connecting the ground wire to the grounding terminal, make sure it is secured correctly so it doesn’t come loose as you get things set up or start playing your record. Use pliers if necessary to ensure a tight connection.
3. Experiment with placement: Finding the exact right spot that eliminates the most hum on both the amplifier and the turntable will take a little experimentation. Place the wire in different spots, using your ears to listen out for what works best.
4. Turn off power before making any connections: Before beginning any work, it is important to turn off the power of both your player and amplifier to avoid system malfunctions and electric shock accidents.
By following these tips, you can ensure proper grounding of your turntable and improve its overall sound quality.
