Sansui amps
30 years ago I purchased a Sansui B2102/C2102 combo together with a pair of Polk SDA CRS+ and was told the standard interconnects would work as the amps were common ground. From posts on this site it is obvious they are not. For 30 years the standard interconnects have worked fine with no apparent damage to any equipment.
Should I now connect the non common ground amplifier interface I have or carry on with the standard. Interconnects?
Should I now connect the non common ground amplifier interface I have or carry on with the standard. Interconnects?
Answers
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You could unhook the speakers and using a multimeter set to ohms test between the negative binding post to see if it is common ground.
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In looking at the Sansui amp's schematic it appears to be a "balanced" design with a "hot" amp producing the positive signal and a "cold" amp producing the negative part of the audio signal. Therefore it is not compatible with common ground speakers like the SDA.
Translated from the German owner"s manual:
The text provides a critical safety warning about the wiring of a specific amplifier with a bridged output stage. It advises against connecting the negative speaker terminals to each other or to the ground (GND) terminal on another component's chassis, as this can cause issues with the amplifier's operation or damage it.
The device has a bridged power amplifier output stage.
Negative (-) speaker terminals must not be connected together.
Negative (-) speaker terminals must not be connected to the ground (GND) terminal of another component's chassis.
Incorrect wiring can cause the speakers to be out of phase, reducing sound quality, or potentially damage the equipment.
