They are shorting the positive and negative poles on unused inputs thereby preventing EMI/RFI incursion into circuits
Shorting plugs
I had my spare RCA sockets on the preamp shorted and thought that I didn’t need to worry about the XLR and AES/EBU connections.Wrong assumption! Shorting the latter resulted in a significant reduction of hash and increased clarity in the treble as well as more precise positioning in the sound stage. Everything matters and as tweaks go this one is value for money.
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I'm a vintage audio guy, a lot of vintage stuff used to come with these as OEM especially for unused phono stages. Not sure they do as much with some of the newer all digital stuff. But they do help with analog setups. What I have found is they just clean things up a bit, a little more soundstage, a little more clarity, slight drop in noise floor. There like $15 for 20, not breaking anyones Audio budget, that's less than getting a new record. This is what I get 20 for !5 Any amp/receiver that does't shut off the unused inputs it's a must have. |
Actually the Cardas plugs are non-shorting: " ... Unlike traditional shorting plugs, these caps do not short the inputs. Another difference: They completely cover the RCA input with a solid shield comprised of nickel and brass ..." The same seems to be true of the AQ plugs: "... The AQ Noise-Stopper caps are grounding plugs (not shorting plugs) that help you block out this unwanted noise ..." I've never tried any of these. |
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