To Float or not to Float...

"Be sure your system installation is finished before you try moving the Ground Lift switch from its “Normal” to its “Lift” position."

This statement proves my point, that then the amp circuit will get it’s system ground reference from the next stage via the interconnects shield, and if the shield were disconnected it could have large amount of noise and maybe even damage the amp.

Cheers George

Whatever, you have your view, that has no other.

Cheers George

No it's you that doesn't understand, as interconnect shields are kept at earth potential, some thorough a very low ohm resistor, if they weren't they'd be useless as a shield for rf.

Cheers George   

I’ve tried.

No use discussing it any longer, as your set in your ways. 

Cheers George

Also look at the fact that you can buy mains earth cheater adaptor plugs, which give you the option to float the earth of that piece of equipment they are attached to from most hi-end audio stores, for doing exactly what I said before, to have one only earth point in the system as not to create a loop with the mains they are plugged into. Also many pro equipment have earth float switches on them, as do some hi-end audio, even the John Curl designed  Halo JC-1 monoblocks have this also to stop loop problems if they are in different power points.
http://www.parasound.com/product-images/jc1_rear.jpg

Cheers George

You clearly don’t know or understand.
It still has to get a total system reference earth via the interconnect shield, if you disconnected that shield at either end (and be left with a single wire connection) you get a massive noise.

Cheers George

First the IC cable is not approved to be used as an equipment grounding conductor by any recognized third party testing laboratory. NONE.

This is exactly how more than half the source equipment that use earth figure eight two pin mains cable get their earth reference, via the interconnect.
We in Australia have one of the most stringent mains safety rules and regulations as we are 240v (lethal), nearly our sources have their mains reference given by the interconnect, and guess what we don't have many earth hum noise problems, because we don't get many ground loop issues.
We may get a earth loop problem when two mono blocks poweramps amps each have earths and are plugged into different power points who's earths take different routes around the house, this can sometimes create a loop, usually then one is floated (not ideal I admit) or we get longer leads and plug then both into the same power point.  

Cheers George   

What if all the AC powered audio equipment uses two pin mains plugs?

Then this is lethal, there must be always a ground.
Look at most CD players, tuners, phono stages ect, they mostly have a figure 8 mains plug on the back yes just two pin, and yes it get's it's earth ref from the next stage, the pre if it's earthed, via "guess what" the interconnects.

Cheers George  

This is extremely dangerous - interconnects are not intended to carry safety grounds.

No it’s not as many sources have two pin mains plugs and rely on the ground from the next stage via the interconnect same goes for some preamps.

If you were to have a grounded mains plug at the source and the poweramp you have created an earth loop with the ground wire between the power points as the interconnect carry the earth as well.

Cheers George

I've never had any hum or buzz problems, but I follow this:
 
Ideally the system should only have one ground point via the mains plug, be it amp, preamp or source. This way there is no "earth loop" via the grounds and your house earthing. As all earths are carried to the all three components via the interconnects to the ones that aren't.
Myself I like the one earth to be at the poweramps end because it's the least sensitive component and any rf gets dumped to it. Others like it to be the preamp because it's in the middle and represents "star earthing".

Cheers George