Nordost QKORE

I have a Qkore6 also.  I use a banana-USB ground wire run to a back up USB input on my Innuos server.  I also have a banana-ethernet ground cable run to my Qnet switch.  A banana-male XLR run to an unused digital input of my DAC....All with great results.

QKore Premium wire incoming. Was supposed to get it today but delivery held back, so Monday hopefully. I only got the banana wire for connection to the QB8, so that’s the only application I can give a report on.

If the premium qkore wire is better, at least the price differential is not multiples of the tier below, as is often the case with Nordost cable tiers.

Reporting back on QKore 6. I have made a few forum posts voicing my slight disappointment with the QKore other than grounding to the QBase power distributor (where it works awesomely).

But I had limited ways to try it, only an Oppo streamer and Teddy Pardo DAC, neither of which worked well.

Now I have new kit, a Naim 272 Streamer/DAC/Pre. Lots of ports to try it. QKore did not seem to make much of a difference on the analog RCA inputs/outputs of the pre-amp section. The digital section had a BNC output, and using an adaptor, yes this made a slight improvement.

Next up the spdif digital inputs (RCA and BNC). Bingo. Here a large improvement, so much so I am buying a QKore premium wire BNC cable just to max this particular grounding connection.

My limited experience of grounding shows its system dependant. Does not work in all, or even half the cases, but when it does its huge. So experimentation is a must.

But how does this "passive approach to obtaining an artificial, “clean” earth for hifi audio systems" compare with Puritan's ground master, where one does actually connect the ground of the power conditioner to a ground rod on the outside of ones house to earth? 

I don't know, I have the latter, I am not implying it is better, because I don't know. I would hope not as it is quite a bit less money. I imagine the ones who have tried both in their system is slim to none. 

I also imagine employing both grounding strategies may be counterproductive? 

This Nordost is similar to synergistic research's grounding blocks with the exception that the SR is active- it plugs in- anyone compared these? 

Running another separate ground rod to earth is against code in most places so watch that. It is here in Australia, where having different ground rods can effect the MEMS connection at the fuse box.

Probably best comparison would be to compare Puritan Groundmaster City vs QKore 1 on a power distributors ground terminal. There is a large price difference, the Puritan is only $250.