RCA Shorting Plugs


I am coming to the conclusion that success in home audio reproduction is largely about lowering the noise floor. There are so many different types of “noise”, from so many different sources, that we only really “hear” by their absence.

I have had caps on the unused RCA inputs of my ASL passive autoformer preamp, ever since a friend suggested them way back. I recently got some actual shorting plugs (with resistors), from Hifi Collective in the UK, to replace them. I was surprised by how much difference they made. Transparency, resolution and musical flow all increased, along with the “realness” of instruments and voices. There is also more sense of the space around them.

I know some preamps short the unselected inputs, but, if yours doesn't, these shorting plugs are inexpensive, and definitely worth trying.
tommylion

Showing 2 responses by folkfreak

Yes, you should cover unused digital inputs including AES/EBU and BNC -- cheaper shorting plugs are available from electronics suppliers but if you want bling the Telos products are great (but cost an arm and a leg)
@ericsch absolutely yes, and in highly resolving systems it may sound better as well ... I swear by these (plus BNC versions on the plethora of those inputs on my CD player)