DIY Active Ground Box

@lowrider57 

Remember, this was supposed to be a phono cable and those have a ground, typically. Due to the type of customization, Synergistic suggested the Phono cable as the base.

One end is stereo 3.5 stereo mini pin; like a headphone jack. The other end is two RCA, one left channel and one right channel. Synergistic left in the ground wires, as if it was still going to be a phono cable. I can't stand the fact that there are three wires with silver spades just hanging free. :(

This cable comes out of a USB DAC and plugs into a pair of powered speakers. Audioengine HD6.

I hope @jea48 reads this thread. He's the man who knows grounding schemes.

Just cut the ends off the offending wire(s).  Problem solved.  Too much effort and no real improvement if you go through all this nonsense.

@fatdaddy2 

Cutting the cables would achieve the exact same thing as not cutting them...except that by not cutting them, I have an opportunity to do something with them. Also, by cutting them, one has no way to address any noise issue having a bare wire exposed.

I understand people's skepticism about stuff like this, but if I break it down to the most basic electronics concept, then it makes sense.

There is a positive conductor and a negative conductor and a braided shield. Normally, the shield just loops into itself inside the cable. Whatever signals it captures or picks up, just stays netted in the shield. By having an external conductor for the shield, then any signals it picks up can now be bled off and away.  I don't see the harm in having it direct somewhere else safely.

Point is, it won't hurt to try it.

FINAL UPDATE:

I did it and it works. 

For about $87.00 USD I bought all the materials and put it together.

A small 6 x 6 inch wooden box.
A package of two 6 x 6 copper plates
A coil of bare copper wire.
A package of four banana plug binding posts.
A male, all copper, NEMA 5-15 amp male plug.
A coil of shielded, tinned-copper wire.
A coil of copper tape.
A pack of four banana plugs.
A package of Hawaiian Charcoal Salt.

Things added that I didn't buy: Tree charcoal, and large crystal rock salt for use in making ice cream.

I plated the bottom and all four side walls of the box in copper plates. I used a "U" shaped copper plate and attached it to the main banana biding post. Then attached a line of bare copper to that same binding post and attached it to the bottom copper plate. The lid is where I attached the remaining banana plug biding posts.  Each lid post has a line of bare copper wire that is attached to the bottom copper plate. I then wrapped some copper tape around all three lid binding posts. I filled the box with a mixture of tree charcoal, Hawaiian charcoal salt, rock salt, copper filings, and some local dirt.

Then I made a ground plug using the shielded tinned-copper wire to attach to the ground spike on the NEMA plug. I taped off the positive/negative posts inside with electric tape. On the other end, I added a banana plug.

I used a voltmeter and tested to make sure each post conducted all the way to the ground cable.

Finally, I connected the three ground spades and then plugged the ground cable to the wall socket.

I also tested with the voltmeter to determine it was working and was conducting signal. Everything worked.

As for sound quality, I am going to let it break in for a week or so before I determine if it alters the sound in anyway.