Glossary
Grounding
Connecting a turntable's ground wire to a phono preamp or receiver's ground terminal to prevent hum in the signal.
Grounding a turntable means connecting its dedicated ground wire, a thin separate wire distinct from the main stereo cables, to a ground terminal on a phono preamp, receiver, or amplifier. This connection is meant to drain stray electrical interference away from the audio signal path.
Without a proper ground connection, a turntable very commonly produces an audible hum or buzz through the speakers, especially noticeable during quiet passages or between tracks, since the phono signal is so small to begin with that it easily picks up interference. Many turntables include this ground wire specifically because their signal runs through a sensitive, low-level phono stage rather than a stronger line-level connection.
When troubleshooting hum, check first that the ground wire is actually connected and its screw terminal is snug, since a loose or disconnected ground is the most frequent cause of an otherwise inexplicable buzz. If hum persists after grounding is confirmed, the issue may lie elsewhere in the cabling or with interference from nearby electronics. A common mistake is assuming a turntable is defective when hum appears, when simply reseating or tightening the ground wire connection resolves the vast majority of these cases.