How to tell if an amp is common ground?
dpowell
Posts: 3,068
Since I am setting up the office rig to be a place where I can demo different speakers, I want to make sure that the external power amps I buy are common ground so that I can power SDA speakers if I have the opportunity to grab a pair. Is there a list of common ground amps that anyone has compiled or alternatively, how do I find out if an amp is common ground?
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polkaudio Fully Modded SDA SRS 1.2TLs + Dreadnaught, LSiM706c, 4 X Polk Surrounds + 4 X ATMOS, SVS PB13 Ultra X 2, Pass Labs X1, Marantz 7704, Bob Carver Crimson Beauty 350 Tube Mono Blocks, Carver Sunfire Signature Cinema Grande 400x5, ADCOM GFA 7807, Panasonic UB420, Moon 380D DAC, EPSON Pro Cinema 6050
polkaudio Fully Modded SDA SRS 1.2TLs + Dreadnaught, LSiM706c, 4 X Polk Surrounds + 4 X ATMOS, SVS PB13 Ultra X 2, Pass Labs X1, Marantz 7704, Bob Carver Crimson Beauty 350 Tube Mono Blocks, Carver Sunfire Signature Cinema Grande 400x5, ADCOM GFA 7807, Panasonic UB420, Moon 380D DAC, EPSON Pro Cinema 6050
Post edited by dpowell on
Comments
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Do you have a VOM?Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk -
If by VOM you mean multimeter then yes, I do have one.____________________________________________________________
polkaudio Fully Modded SDA SRS 1.2TLs + Dreadnaught, LSiM706c, 4 X Polk Surrounds + 4 X ATMOS, SVS PB13 Ultra X 2, Pass Labs X1, Marantz 7704, Bob Carver Crimson Beauty 350 Tube Mono Blocks, Carver Sunfire Signature Cinema Grande 400x5, ADCOM GFA 7807, Panasonic UB420, Moon 380D DAC, EPSON Pro Cinema 6050 -
i think you just check for continuity between the negatives on your amp with it turned off and no speakers attached.
PaytonPolk monitor 10B's and 5 jr's
Adcom gfa 5500 and HK/240
Adcom gtp 400
Adcom gcp 600
MusicHall MMF 2.1 TT -
That's great information for testing amps I already own but what I'd like to do is identify an amp as common ground prior to purchase. Are there certain amps that have that specification? Is there a way to tell from an owner's manual?____________________________________________________________
polkaudio Fully Modded SDA SRS 1.2TLs + Dreadnaught, LSiM706c, 4 X Polk Surrounds + 4 X ATMOS, SVS PB13 Ultra X 2, Pass Labs X1, Marantz 7704, Bob Carver Crimson Beauty 350 Tube Mono Blocks, Carver Sunfire Signature Cinema Grande 400x5, ADCOM GFA 7807, Panasonic UB420, Moon 380D DAC, EPSON Pro Cinema 6050 -
MOST amps are common ground. Non common ground is the exception. For amps that you are going to purchase, just google. Some typical signs of a non-common ground amp might be:
a) monoblocs (obviously)
b) described as dual mono (but usually this ends up still being common ground)
c) have two separate power wires (like the Parasound HCA-3500)
Searching here is always a great resource as well. With all the SDA owners around here, there is a plethora of 1st hand knowledge.
