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A New Ground -- Benefits of introducing the Synergistic Research Active Ground Block SE

Dedicated ground solutions are not a novel idea but over the past year it seems everyone has been coming out with their version. For a few months I’ve been thinking about introducing one to my system and had considered Entreq, Telos, Nordost and others. Although I have a bunch of Synergistic Research (SR) kit I had dismissed their older basic ground block as too rinky dink -- however when I heard about the new Active Ground Blocks I thought that could be the way to go. The Active Ground blocks are smallish devices with a mains connection and a plethora of outlets for grounding cables to every component. They incorporate a range of the latest SR UEF tweaks
http://www.synergisticresearch.com/isolation/ground-isolation/active-ground-block-se/

While the blocks alone are quite expensive ($2995) you will also need to lay out for connections to all of your components -- ideally the HD links. In my case as I have two distinct zones in my system I needed two ground blocks and 13 links -- quite an outlay

Question is is it worthwhile? Most certainly yes. The impact of implementing a full grounding solution in my system was one of the most profound changes I’ve experienced. It’s not a change that can be described in the usual audiophile terms of dynamics, frequency response, transparency etc. Instead it’s a shift in the wholeness, the verisimilitude, the gestalt of what you are hearing. Probably this is most obvious in a couple of places. Firstly is in background washes of sound (e.g. classic synth backings, or massed strings, or the whoosh that opens "Private Investigations") -- which now take on a scale, texture and clarity that had previously been completely masked. Secondly in vocals where a whole level of shading, nuance, breathwork, and subtly inflections are now audible. This is not simply more "detail" or a "reduction in the noise floor" it’s as if things which you did not know previously existed are suddenly there, as they had been all along

The effect is enhanced the more things you ground -- obviously all active components but even stands (my GPA stands are conductive so I connect a basic ground link to the bare metal inside the stand posts -- the surface metal is varnished and non conductive).

While I obviously can recommend the SR products I imagine any ground solution will bring similar benefits and would strongly suggest that anyone with a high resolution system explore some form of ground solution

ps For those in the now the music to accompany this review is A New Ground

128x128folkfreak
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,962 posts
 
@whart
I know it is grounded now, but will hum unless I lift the ground. I do have a decent meter and will poke around without opening up the units.
That suggests that the audio and chassis are the same thing FWIW...

@lowrider57
Two questions; will all components then have the same ground potential?
Star-grounding a component is an improved grounding technique, but does it change the ground potential from a traditional component grounding design as stated above?
1: They better!
2: It better not! The reason is there should be no current in the ground connection.

@whart
Measuring at the RCA input to the amp, with everything, including speaker cable, disconnected, the shield or collar side of the RCA jumped around radically, nothing nearly as low at the ground pin, but high voltages, lower voltages- and no OL type reading on the meter suggesting it is "off scale." Why is that so?
Sounds like an impedance that might involve an inductor.

whart's avatar
whart
3,067 posts
 
I will talk with Vlad and look at the Avantgarde manual re the internal ground settings that are user adjustable. My bet is that’s where the issue is coming from. Thank you all. I’ll continue to follow this thread, not for my issue as such, but for general learning on the grounding subject, which is (strangely) fascinating to me. Disclaimer: I do not mess with electricity - got a healthy respect for it. But trying to decode the EE level discussion and make sense of it in audio applications is no easy feat sometimes (at least for me), even leaving aside the ’wire is wire’ approach. The Gutwire thing mentioned above is also pretty fascinating, but I need time to read 6 Moons. Maybe I’m just slow. :)
regards,
bill hart
lowrider57's avatar
lowrider57
5,417 posts
 
Thanks @folkfreak . So, the active SR system is for SQ and most likely lowering the noise floor. It does not affect the ground of a component with an inherent grounding issue.

Thanks @whart . The Granite system is doing exactly what Ralph stated; attempting to correct the grounding of components that have an internal grounding issue.
Possibly plugging a component into one of the star-ground inputs lowers it's grounding impedance to get it closer to the other components' ground potential.

@atmasphere ,
Two questions; will all components then have the same ground potential?
Star-grounding a component is an improved grounding technique, but does it change the ground potential from a traditional component grounding design as stated above?
1: They better!
2: It better not! The reason is there should be no current in the ground connection.
Thanks. Your answer confirms what I thought should happen.

68pete
1,005 posts
 
I installed the older Synergistic grounding block about 3 weeks ago (purchased brand new) at the LA AS. Upgrade the power cord to their HD power cord and am using the stock wires from my equipment to the grounding block. I add some spade connectors to the end of the wire that goes to my equipment. I have a very simple system Pre Amp, SACD/Cd player and Amp. The Pre Amp and Disc player had a rear connection for the grounding wire. The Amp did not, Synergistic  Research recommended I use one of the open RCA connectors on the amp since i run XLR cables through out the system. I checked with Mark Levinson about this and they said NO do not use the RCA for grounding. So for right now just  the 2 pieces are connected to the grounding block and it is plugged into a separate wall plug than what i am using. I did not like the sound right off the bat. It seamed like some of the life was sucked out the music. Some sounds where clear but very thin sounding. After about 8 days of listening the sound and richness  returned. With maybe a small hair more clarity. The sound stage is not as wide open as before. Its getting better but not what it was. Maybe i need to find away to ground the Amp to the grounding block? Or i could try their HD cables on my disc player and preamp? But they are not cheap. The sound is slowly getting better, but a little disappointing for this tweak.
Enjoy Pete
folkfreak's avatar
folkfreak OP
1,349 posts
 
Hi @68pete some thoughts based on your setup

one please make sure you are using the system as SR specify I.e, you should connect to an open/unused active outlet (RCA or XLR) and not to the provided grounding posts (other than in phono setups). Sounds like you are facile with a soldering iron so can connect some RCA jacks to the wires SR provide if needed. I’ve no idea why your amp manufacturer warned against doing this (likely they thought you meant using the RCA as a safety ground) - give it a try, worst it will do is nothing

secondly you must connect the ground from the block to the same spur (i.e. Pair of outlets) that is powering all the rest of your equipment. If you connect to a different spur it will sound thin and lifeless as you describe - my suspicion is that this is the root cause of your poor experience. Most setups have a power conditioner on one outlet to which all the equipment is connected and the ground takes the second outlet

finally the stock SR cables are absurdly sensitive to dressing. The need to be well off the floor, in loose loops (never kinked or coiled) - try lifting them up in your hands and you should hear the sound open. The HD cords are much less sensitive in this regard

if none of this helps given you have a straightforward system them the Gutwire type approach may be a better fit for you

good luck!
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