Tweakers' Asylum

RCA Cables

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Does the ground on a RCA cable have to be connected for the cable to work?

Follow Ups:

There are usually three conductors-hot, return, and shield. - Norm 07:54:34 05/24/09 (0)
You can avoid a shield, but the other two must be connected at both end or you will get no ac signal through the cable.
RE: RCA Cables - Steve Eddy 21:06:27 05/22/09 (2)
Does the ground on a RCA cable have to be connected for the cable to work?

Yes.

se
- RE: RCA Cables - Ron Oehlert 19:57:26 05/23/09 (1)
  Otherwise it is simply a single wire (with no signal current return path). BUT it does NOT have to be connected to an actual Earth Ground. RCA cables are just coaxial-construction cables with RCA-type end connectors.
  - "RCA cables are just coaxial-construction cables with RCA-type end connectors."?? ... - andyr 22:37:48 05/24/09 (0)
    Actually, Ron, that's just one type of RCA interconnect cable.
    
    I can think of 2 more types ... others may know of others as well:
    
    1. I myself use twinax for my RCA ICs - not coax. This has 2 solid-core insulated wires underneath a shield. The 2 solid-core wires provide 'signal' and 'ground' - and the shield is just a shield (grounded to a component chassis at one end only.
    
    2. Some people use a twisted pair with no shield (hoping that the twists will reject RFI sufficiently. I personally think they're crazy! :-))
    
    Regards,
    
    Andy

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