Does high end system with dedicated circuits need grounding products

The better the grounding schemes of the individual components in your system (and assuming your house wiring is to code), the more you will find that such grounding boxes have less effect if any at all.


A properly grounded bit of audio electronics will have its chassis grounded by the AC cord, but its electronics will not be tied directly to that chassis. In this way the chassis can provide shielding without opening the component to ground loops. The sound is more 3D and the background noise lower, as compared the same circuit that lacks proper grounding.

I went to AXPONA in 2018 and heard a demo of an Ansuz power distributor/grounding gizmo. It was their top end model and cost $20k but I don't remember the model number. IIRC one of the main features of the thing was that it acted as a star grounding system. The system consisted of Raidho speakers and Ansuz amplification. They compared the system with a high quality power strip (I don't remember which brand) and then they unplugged everything and replugged all the components into the Ansuz unit.

Before I go any further I should let you know that my bias is toward skepticism regarding tweaks like this. Turns out that this little demo changed my mind about this type of product. There was an unmistakable difference with and without the Ansuz - the Ansuz was quieter and the backgrounds were "blacker." I don't poo poo this stuff anymore.

It could be that the power in the hotel was awful and that any good power conditioner/filter would have helped. I also would not spend $20k for such a thing because I would upgrade several other components first. But I have to admit that it made a demonstrable difference and if I had a mid 6 figure system I would seriously consider  buying it.

One more note regarding dedicated outlets. One of the main reasons to install 1 or more dedicated outlets is to prevent voltage sag which can definitely affect how your components perform. If your amp draws a lot of power and your other gear is on the same circuit the voltage will sag considerably, especially if the circuit is a typical 15 amp line. Even having a 20 amp circuit to run everything is a benefit because the 20 amp circuit uses larger gauge wire from your panel box. In my previous house I installed 2 dedicated 20 amp circuits in my listening room - one for my Krell amp and one for everything else. I had good quality power and my voltage never dropped below 120 on either line.

@8th-note   Your post brings up a very good point. IME, a big wall sucking amp will almost always need a dedicated line. Not so much for the little flea powered or lower powered amp. The voltage sag that you mention is the culprit...which doesn't seem to really have to do so much with grounding. In my system, with my big Rowland on the dedicated line, I get better sound from not having any other gear on that line, even though it is a 20 amp line! OTOH, with my lower powered tube amps, this is not a requirement and all can easily be accommodated on the dedicated line. 

Well despite my low expectations I am going to try the SR Active Block SE to add to my dedicated circuits and power conditioner and see if I like the addition.

The only reason that I am willing to risk it frankly is because I can return it.

I am guessing it will have some effect so question will be whether the difference is positive over time and enough to justify the costs (albeit I got a good price).

well ok I have enjoyed the SR active block SE for several days and my impressions are positive.

I generally like something new to sound better immediately and that box was checked here. Sure it could be perception bias or lot of other subjective things but a good start. Nothing worse than first thing you notice is sounds worse or sounds the same.

The other factor is listening for several days with both digital and analog sources. I find that the bigger improvement is with digital. I would say that in my system at least its worth it just for digital. Soundstage seemed bigger and/or better instrument separation. However, I only listen to digital 25 percent of the time.

Luckily I found it made an improvement as well with analog albeit less pronounced. I believe that for one thing its not recommended to connect the turntable or phono cable to the ground block. So the benefit is indirect from everything else plugged into the ground block.

As much as I was kind of hoping budget-wise to just return this item it seems its worth the money for me since my dealer threw in several hd cables to lessen the financial pain. I did not try any of the basic cables.

I know some people scoff at SR or at grounding blocks in general but if you can audition yourself at home not sure insisting that it cannot help is very open minded approach to this hobby.