Car Audio Ground Loop Circuit

A car audio ground loop isolator is a device that has the ability to reduce unwanted high frequency noises by creating an isolation between the input signal and any speaker mounted enclosures. They are usually implemented in full range stereo applications where the speaker wire can be terminated directly at the amplifier output jack. This ensures that all components such as woofers, tweeters and bass speakers will get the best performance possible from the amplifier without causing any undesirable interaction with any external elements.

car audio ground loop isolator

The most common application for a car audio ground loop isolator is in bass sound systems. It is often used as an effective means to eliminate high end noise in subwoofer enclosures without affecting any of the other speaker wires. Many popular car audio amplifiers come with a built in noise filter that is specifically designed to eliminate any undesirable high frequency noise. However, many owners of these types of systems still require an isolated ground loop to eliminate the associated problems of crossover distortion caused by ground loops.

There are many advantages to using a ground loop isolator, the most noticeable of which is the elimination of unnecessary audio crossovers. In audio technology, crossovers are used to combine the high and low sounds produced by the amplifier. In order to maintain a standard level of performance for devices such as head units and speakers, the amplifiers create a signal that is a combination of the output of each individual element. When done on a consistent basis, the overall effect is the desired result but in reality, this means the individual components must work harder than needed to maintain a set level of performance. By eliminating any excess electrical resistance created by the addition of the different component outputs, the ground loop circuit takes over the task of stabilizing the voltage difference so that the signal produced is consistent and of a consistently higher frequency.