Grounding Boxes

[Kingrex]

I obviously have a bias. But I start with the house first. Everything is an attempt at a bandaid if you have not adressed the entire power system from the utility strike to your rack. Every home I have worked on is "safer" than before. And all have a greater sense of calm and quiet in the listening room. I would spend the money to optimize my foundtion power, then try a ground box.

I do use an Akiko Corelli. I am pretty confident there is noise on the power that needs to be drained. An excellent foundation power supply does a lot of that. Accessory devices can do fine cleaning.

If your in an awful location where you have no control such as an appartment, Stromtank is a knock out device. Even in a home with a premium power foundation, Stromtank brings benefits. If you go so far as to disconnect your digital, you are truely isolated from any utility.

 

[Cellcbern]

Has anyone tried one of the grounding boxes from Signal Ground Solutions? They appear to be the same design as Entreq but relatively inexpensive by comparison.

FYI:

SGS Generis.

grounding box

signalgroundsolutions.com

Signal Ground Solutions SGS-1 Grounding Box | ???The Audio Standard

This is without doubt the wackiest product I have ever bought or attempted to review. Forget power cables or fuses or specialist footers. Dismiss stones or crystals or even pyramids

theaudiostandard.net

 

[SOS]

I received my SGS Zebrano Signature less than a month back. It took me over a week to find the right connections, it wasn’t a simple plug & play affair. Per the designer Andrew Bairstow, grounding via the “chassis ground is usually best however SGS is rather unique as you can do signal ground, ITS ONE OR THE OTHER NOT MIXED.” And yes, when I mixed the grounding, the sound actually worsened.

But thanks to some great communication with Andrew, I found the best place to hook up the cables from the Zebrano to my equipment and now super pleased with the results.

The SGS improves almost all aspects of space in the soundstage width, depth and most important presence. The stage becomes blacker, and more 3D like in presentation. Bass lines are easier to hear and it’s a more relaxed and enjoyable presentation with voices and instruments coming out of nowhere. Initially I thought my system was wonderful (which it was IMHO). It isn’t until you disconnect the SGS from the components that you fully understand what’s really going on.

(Dealer disclaimer)

 

[Cellcbern]

I received my SGS Zebrano Signature less than a month back. It took me over a week to find the right connections, it wasn’t a simple plug & play affair. Per the designer Andrew Bairstow, grounding via the “chassis ground is usually best however SGS is rather unique as you can do signal ground, ITS ONE OR THE OTHER NOT MIXED.” And yes, when I mixed the grounding, the sound actually worsened.

But thanks to some great communication with Andrew, I found the best place to hook up the cables from the Zebrano to my equipment and now super pleased with the results.

The SGS improves almost all aspects of space in the soundstage width, depth and most important presence. The stage becomes blacker, and more 3D like in presentation. Bass lines are easier to hear and it’s a more relaxed and enjoyable presentation with voices and instruments coming out of nowhere. Initially I thought my system was wonderful (which it was IMHO). It isn’t until you disconnect the SGS from the components that you fully understand what’s really going on.

(Dealer disclaimer)

What did you find was the best place/way to hook up the SGS unit to a cd/sacd player?

 

[SOS]

I hooked it up to my Bricasti M12's unused RCA plug and a RCA plug on my Bricasti M25 amp (since I use it in balanced mode). Also a 3rd wire to my NVO phono.

(Dealer disclaimer)

 

[SOS]

Just got in the larger SGS Pinnacle grounding box....OMG! More space more tonality more meat on the bone more more more. Can't stop listening.

(Dealer disclaimer)

 

[Cellcbern]

Has anyone tried any of the Puritan Groundmaster grounding devices?

See:

Puritan Audio Labs GroundMaster CITY and RouteMaster system by Terry London

Ground Master From Puritan: Reducing Noise

Now you can hammer a copper rod into your garden, hook it up to your hi-fi and enjoy improved sound quality! “Eh?” you ask? Paul Rigby explains all as he reviews Puritan’s value for money, Ground Master One of the best ways to reduce nasty, veiling noise of all types from in and around your...

theaudiophileman.com

The folks at US Puritan dealer Archon Audio suggested I connect the signal grounds (via unused rca plug) from my sacd player and amp to one Groundmaster City device and the chassis of my Bybee Stealth power conditioner to a 2nd Groundmaster City device. Since I can do both for $500 I will try it and report back.

My initial comparison will be with the Gutwire Perfect Ground cable which I have on my Pathos TT where it produces similar improvements to those described for the Puritan Groundmaster in the review above. I may also have audiophile friends/club members who have the Entreq boxes bring them over for comparative listening.

There is also a Russ Andrews version:

RF Router Mk.II From Russ Andrews

Looking to tackle the thorny question of RFI noise, Paul Rigby reviews this multi-part solution from Russ Andrews Noise in hi-fi has been an issue of mine for years. I don’t mean mechanical noise, the sort you might hear from a dodgy turntable bearing or similar and I don’t mean hydraulic drills...

theaudiophileman.com

 

[Cellcbern]

FYI - found this useful:

https://www.russandrews.com/images/pdf/GroundingGuideV7.pdf

Apologies to the more sophisticated posters for whom this is common knowledge.

 

[Cellcbern]

Testing/Comparing "Inexpensive" "Grounding" Solutions:

Installed a Puritan Groundmaster City between an unused rca inlet on my Modwright Marantz SA8005 player and an unused wall socket. Works pretty much as described in the Stereo Times review (link below). In a system where there is little if any audible noise there is a subtle "lifting of veils" with small improvements in articulation, clarity, timbre and soundstage depth. This is with the Gutwire Perfect Ground cable (multiple reviews online), which produces similar subtle improvements, connected to an unused rca inlet on the Pathos TT. Waiting for an rca to spade ground wire so I can connect the amp and player to the same Groundmaster City device. This will tell me whether the Groundmaster or Gutwire ground cable is more effective on the amp. Plan to use a 2nd Groundmaster City to do chassis "grounding" to my Bybee Stealth power conditioner, Modwright PS 9.0 power supply, and Sound Mechanics platform. I am hoping that these tests will tell me which types of "grounding" (i.e., providing a "sink"/drain path for EMI/RFI) are most effective in my system, and whether or not it is worth trying any of the more expensive grounding boxes.

Puritan Audio Labs GroundMaster CITY and RouteMaster system by Terry London

 

[Tuckers]

So, I've been trying Alan Maher's products the last six months. These are products designed to deal with EMR, both for health and audio. Each product I have tried has made a strong positive impact on my system. The latest piece I bought is called a Quad Wave Grounding Box. It is a grounding box that does not need to be connected physically to audio gear, but will ground all EMR in the air and cables near its location. I got this because I can decide where I place it, not just in my audio system, and get a benefit of reduced EMR. I set it up in the middle of my listening room, about 10 feet from my audio system and my TV. I heard an immediate difference, which improved over several days to result in a much quieter system: blacker blacks, significant increases in natural detail, more saturated tonal colors, cleaner more refined treble. I also noticed deeper more saturated colors, and smoother picture with my TV.

He also makes a Technical Ground which is connected to your power panel. I opted for the portable Quad Wave one. Most of his products he makes custom, and are not listed on his website.

So, I am a believer of these now! One thing that Alan says is that all these devices that reduce EMI/RFI/EMR through grounding or shunting with active components, take time to really influence the circuit. Swapping something in and out over a matter of minutes is not really going to tell you what the real effect is. It can take anything from a couple of days to a month to fully perform. So don't judge these devices based on quick swapping in and out as we audiophiles are prone to do.

Alan Maher Designs

 

[Blue58]

So, I've been trying Alan Maher's products the last six months. These are products designed to deal with EMR, both for health and audio. Each product I have tried has made a strong positive impact on my system. The latest piece I bought is called a Quad Wave Grounding Box. It is a grounding box that does not need to be connected physically to audio gear, but will ground all EMR in the air and cables near its location. I got this because I can decide where I place it, not just in my audio system, and get a benefit of reduced EMR. I set it up in the middle of my listening room, about 10 feet from my audio system and my TV. I heard an immediate difference, which improved over several days to result in a much quieter system: blacker blacks, significant increases in natural detail, more saturated tonal colors, cleaner more refined treble. I also noticed deeper more saturated colors, and smoother picture with my TV.

He also makes a Technical Ground which is connected to your power panel. I opted for the portable Quad Wave one. Most of his products he makes custom, and are not listed on his website.

So, I am a believer of these now! One thing that Alan says is that all these devices that reduce EMI/RFI/EMR through grounding or shunting with active components, take time to really influence the circuit. Swapping something in and out over a matter of minutes is not really going to tell you what the real effect is. It can take anything from a couple of days to a month to fully perform. So don't judge these devices based on quick swapping in and out as we audiophiles are prone to do.

Alan Maher Designs

Hi Tuckers,

I fell for the AMD stuff many years ago and at first thought they helped improve my system. I had various crystal filled boxes, plug in power factor correction boxes, grounding under the gear, etc etc. One day I decided to open up a plug in device said to eliminate emi/rfi ‘in the air’ and surprised to find a piece of copper foil attached to the negative pole. That’s all! How did I fall for this? Was it the Facebook special group feeling and constant deals? I opened up a PFC box and all it was inside was a Hammond choke. The platforms underneath the equipment I removed without any effect, I still have 4 of them in my cellar collecting dust. IMO the only product I think did anything remotely beneficial was one that used Bybee thingamajigs.

I can understand your comments but please head my experience before you waste a lot of money.

 

[Cellcbern]

Testing/Comparing "Inexpensive" "Grounding" Solutions:

Installed a Puritan Groundmaster City between an unused rca inlet on my Modwright Marantz SA8005 player and an unused wall socket. Works pretty much as described in the Stereo Times review (link below). In a system where there is little if any audible noise there is a subtle "lifting of veils" with small improvements in articulation, clarity, timbre and soundstage depth. This is with the Gutwire Perfect Ground cable (multiple reviews online), which produces similar subtle improvements, connected to an unused rca inlet on the Pathos TT. Waiting for an rca to spade ground wire so I can connect the amp and player to the same Groundmaster City device. This will tell me whether the Groundmaster or Gutwire ground cable is more effective on the amp. Plan to use a 2nd Groundmaster City to do chassis "grounding" to my Bybee Stealth power conditioner, Modwright PS 9.0 power supply, and Sound Mechanics platform. I am hoping that these tests will tell me which types of "grounding" (i.e., providing a "sink"/drain path for EMI/RFI) are most effective in my system, and whether or not it is worth trying any of the more expensive grounding boxes.

Puritan Audio Labs GroundMaster CITY and RouteMaster system by Terry London

One thing that's clear is that the circuitry in the little Puritan Groundmaster City "wall wart" boxes (photo below), which is supposed to ensure that EMI/RFI passes out of your system into the house ground without a reverse path, prevents the formation of ground loops. When I used a Gutwire grounding cable on both my amp and player I got audible hum/noise which vanished when I removed one of the two cables. With both amp and player signal ground connections to the Puritan devices the system is dead quiet.

 

[spiritofmusic]

Hi Tuckers,

I fell for the AMD stuff many years ago and at first thought they helped improve my system. I had various crystal filled boxes, plug in power factor correction boxes, grounding under the gear, etc etc. One day I decided to open up a plug in device said to eliminate emi/rfi ‘in the air’ and surprised to find a piece of copper foil attached to the negative pole. That’s all! How did I fall for this? Was it the Facebook special group feeling and constant deals? I opened up a PFC box and all it was inside was a Hammond choke. The platforms underneath the equipment I removed without any effect, I still have 4 of them in my cellar collecting dust. IMO the only product I think did anything remotely beneficial was one that used Bybee thingamajigs.

I can understand your comments but please head my experience before you waste a lot of money.

Barry, I thought I've seen a couple of these still in yr room?

 

[Blue58]

Barry, I thought I've seen a couple of these still in yr room?

1 not plugged in, 1 empty box. Several in storage collecting dust.

 

[Cellcbern]

One thing that's clear is that the circuitry in the little Puritan Groundmaster City "wall wart" boxes (photo below), which is supposed to ensure that EMI/RFI passes out of your system into the house ground without a reverse path, prevents the formation of ground loops. When I used a Gutwire grounding cable on both my amp and player I got audible hum/noise which vanished when I removed one of the two cables. With both amp and player signal ground connections to the Puritan devices the system is dead quiet.

My "Cheap Grounding" test continues:

As I noted in my 12/30/21 post above I have one Puritan Groundmaster City connected between an unused rca plug on the sacd player and an unused wall outlet. For the past couple of days I've been comparing the Gutwire "Perfect Ground" cable connected from an unused rca plug on the Pathos TT to the same wall outlet, with a 2nd Puritan Groundmaster City connected between amp and wall. I tried this with the Groundmaster City on the sacd player connected and disconnected. Either way, whether using the basic cable (green) that comes with the Groundmaster, or the premium braided Kimber ground cable from Russ Andrews (black), the Groundmaster City is a clear improvement over the Gutwire ground cable on the amp. I've had the Gutwire grounding cable on the Pathos TT for several years because it produces subtle improvements in articulation, clarity, and liquidity, resulting in a slightly more natural and musical sound. The Groundmaster City on (just) the amp provides a greater magnitude (I'd estimate a 25%-30% improvement) of the same type of audible improvements as the Gutwire cable. With both the amp and sacd player connected to a Groundmaster City the improvement in sound quality is beyond subtle. The effect is similar but not as pronounced as what the Lessloss Entropic AC cord and Firewall 640X filters achieve. The improvement manifests as a "lifting of veils" and increase in musicality rather than an audible reduction in noise (my system doesn't exhibit any obvious audible noise or electronic artifacts in its current state of development). I have to do more listening to determine if the Russ Andrews (Kimber) ground cables do more than the stock ones from Puritan. Still waiting for cables that will allow me to try chassis grounding of the power conditioner and Modwright power supply to one Groundmaster City, with the amp and player connected to the 2nd one.

 

[Cellcbern]

If you decide to go this route be advised - each Puritan Groundmaster City ($250.00) comes with the green cable with banana plugs at each end, shown in the far right photo below, which I could not use on rca (or other non-banana) connectors for signal grounding. When I called Puritan I learned that the range of grounding cables with other than banana connectors was not currently offered separately. I would have to buy the $700.00 "Routemaster" (link below), a sort of grounding buss bar that accepts multiple wires, similar to the Synergistic passive grounding block, in order to get cables with rca connectors. Short of that they told me I could use the ground side of the rca to banana adapter cable also shown in the far right photo in order to make the rca signal ground connections. These were $13.00 at Amazon. The Amazon/Puritan combo cable worked, but seeking a more elegant solution I ordered the custom Russ Andrews Kimber based rca plug grounding cables (link below) shown on an unused rca plug on my sacd player (1st photo on the left) and Pathos TT integrated (2nd photo). In the third photo you can see both connected to the Groundmaster City module - one via banana connector, the other via spade. The Russ Andrews cables fit well and sound a fraction better to me than the Puritan/Amazon combo. The Routemaster (or similar Russ Andrews "Router") might make sense if I had a lot of components to connect, but with only two compnents needing signal ground connections I couldn't justify the extra cost. So for about $500.00 including cables I am handling signal grounding for a source and amplification. Compare that with the comparable cost of a CDA, Entreq, or Telos signal grounding solution. Chassis grounding to come.

Route Master - Puritan Audio Laboratories

Route Master –

www.puritanaudiolabs.com

Technical RCA Ground Weave

RCA Technical Ground WeaveRuss has updated his Grounding Guide with information on how to ground equipment that is double insulated. Russ has produced a guide explaining how to effectively ground your system: click here to download our PDF guide Double Insulated equipment – usually denoted by...

www.russandrews.com

 

[Cellcbern]

If you decide to go this route be advised - each Puritan Groundmaster City ($250.00) comes with the green cable with banana plugs at each end, shown in the far right photo below, which I could not use on rca (or other non-banana) connectors for signal grounding. When I called Puritan I learned that the range of grounding cables with other than banana connectors was not currently offered separately. I would have to buy the $700.00 "Routemaster" (link below), a sort of grounding buss bar that accepts multiple wires, similar to the Synergistic passive grounding block, in order to get cables with rca connectors. Short of that they told me I could use the ground side of the rca to banana adapter cable also shown in the far right photo in order to make the rca signal ground connections. These were $13.00 at Amazon. The Amazon/Puritan combo cable worked, but seeking a more elegant solution I ordered the custom Russ Andrews Kimber based rca plug grounding cables (link below) shown on an unused rca plug on my sacd player (1st photo on the left) and Pathos TT integrated (2nd photo). In the third photo you can see both connected to the Groundmaster City module - one via banana connector, the other via spade. The Russ Andrews cables fit well and sound a fraction better to me than the Puritan/Amazon combo. The Routemaster (or similar Russ Andrews "Router") might make sense if I had a lot of components to connect, but with only two compnents needing signal ground connections I couldn't justify the extra cost. So for about $500.00 including cables I am handling signal grounding for a source and amplification. Compare that with the comparable cost of a CDA, Entreq, or Telos signal grounding solution. Chassis grounding to come.

Route Master - Puritan Audio Laboratories

Route Master –

www.puritanaudiolabs.com

Technical RCA Ground Weave

RCA Technical Ground WeaveRuss has updated his Grounding Guide with information on how to ground equipment that is double insulated. Russ has produced a guide explaining how to effectively ground your system: click here to download our PDF guide Double Insulated equipment – usually denoted by...

www.russandrews.com

My "Cheap" Grounding Test - Chassis Grounding

Received the ring connecter adapters (1st photo) to allow me to easily connect grounding cables to chassis screws on my Bybee Stealth Power Purifier (2nd photo) and Modwright PS 9.0 power supply (3rd photo). I could not get the chassis screws to adequately grip the spade connectors I had on hand. You can see both chassis connections together in the 4th photo. These two grounding cables are in turn connected to a common attachment point - the "Ground Grid Connector" on a Sound Mechanics isolation platform (5th photo). This is a combination spade and banana connector designed for connecting a cable to the ground (only) of a wall socket in order to drain EMI/RFI absorbed by the platform. A Russ Andrews Kimber based ground cable runs from the platform to the 2nd Groundmaster City device (last photo).

 

[Cellcbern]

My "Cheap" Grounding Test - Chassis Grounding

Received the ring connecter adapters (1st photo) to allow me to easily connect grounding cables to chassis screws on my Bybee Stealth Power Purifier (2nd photo) and Modwright PS 9.0 power supply (3rd photo). I could not get the chassis screws to adequately grip the spade connectors I had on hand. You can see both chassis connections together in the 4th photo. These two grounding cables are in turn connected to a common attachment point - the "Ground Grid Connector" on a Sound Mechanics isolation platform (5th photo). This is a combination spade and banana connector designed for connecting a cable to the ground (only) of a wall socket in order to drain EMI/RFI absorbed by the platform. A Russ Andrews Kimber based ground cable runs from the platform to the 2nd Groundmaster City device (last photo).

To refresh everyone's memory, below is the link to the review that sparked my interest in the Groundmaster City device. Since the price was so low compared to the "high end" (e.g., Telos, CAD, Entreq, Nordost) grounding boxes and I hadn't invested in any of them yet, I decided to try this "cheap" solution.

Puritan Audio Labs GroundMaster CITY and RouteMaster system by Terry London

Note that the same reviewer claimed on the Audiogon forum that this cheap solution was superior to the much more expensive Nordost Qkore, and several posters on that forum claimed to have gotten better results from Groundmaster than from Entreq. I have made no comparisons and make no such claims, however if I have the opportunity to do a head to head between my cheap solution and one of the expensive grounding boxes I will.

Audiogon Discussion Forum

My review on the Puritan Audio Labs GroundMaster CITY and RouteMaster grounding system has just gone up on the Stereo Times website. For all the details...

forum.audiogon.com

As I indicated in a previous post, connecting a Groundmaster City device to unused rca ports on my amp and player (signal grounding) yielded an audible improvement in clarity, articulation, and naturalness that was significant enough to make it a keeper in my system. I did not hear the same level of incremental improvement initially from the addition of chassis grounding via a 2nd Groundmaster City. I will listen for several days to see what if any improvement the chassis grounding makes, and report back.

 

[_Alchemist_]

That might be a stupid question.
Why not bring a single line from the main ground on the panel and build a box with connectors vs using a ground box?
Impedance? Less impedance from a ground box?

 

[MarkusBarkus]

...probably because it's not really a ground, in the accepted sense of the concept.