Did anyone experience Audio Prism's Ground Control

I tried the EVS and they did not work anywhere near as effectively as the reference GC's I have on my speakers, now. I am, so far, the only one to have a not-so-positive situation with the EVS GE's. That means nothing, though, to anyone else, as everything with either the EVS or AP is system dependent. I am only reporting so folks can get a balanced idea, not to knock any of the designs between the two mfrs.

So far, the AP ref GC's on all of my speakers has provided an immensely satisfying experience with immensely focused sound stage, wide open, clean, clear and removal of haze/grunge so much so that it is startling at times.

Note, too, I recently added the superb Walker Reference Plus HDL's to my speakers along with the AP reference GC's. These definitely work synergistically/cumulatively as they work in a totally different fashion in the application. With both, the noise floor just dropped into total blackness, speakers completely gone in my room, left with a super clean, clear multi channel image without any glaze, grunge or high frequency glare. I was, frankly, totally amazed. What I previously thought was a totally clean, hash/grain free background I found was not at all. Not until I finally added the Walker Audio's to the equation along with the AP GC's. I still have to add a set of the Walkers to the woofers in the bi-wire and bi-amp application on 4 speakers later this week. I am told that it is a suprising difference where one would not expect a change but is rather large in terms of bass definition, speed and dynamics as well. I am looking forward to that soon.

I just ordered as standard set of GC's for my amp and receiver amp outputs to see how they balance with the refs on my speakers. This should be interesting.

What this all proves is these doggoned things are immensely system dependent. Some folks found no change with the AP but found large changes with the EVS. Others, with both. Mine, no go on the EVS but AP is two thumbs up. This proves Bud's point that you really need to try them and see how they will work in differing places in your system.

Odd

I have two more sets of standard GC wrapped up for Christmas to add to the bass of my Martin Logans and to my amp. December 26th, I will be in my soundroom all day, can't wait.

I will report back after that with my findings. As already stated, I have a set on the stator panels already which did an amazing job of improving things.

Cheers

As a note, this last week, I obtained several samples of the GE from EVS and installed them into my system. Previously, I have been using the reference GC on both the low freq and mid/high freq posts on my 4 main speakers along with Walker Audio Reference Plus HDL's in my HT and one on my center speaker (note - as of this writing, my CC does not have the ref GC on it pending receipt of some Cardas banana adaptors to allow for its reinstallation as I also have Walker Audio Reference Plus HDL's on this and can not fit all of them on the CC posts at present. I hope to have the Cardas adaptors tomorrow evening to reinstall the ref GC along with the HDL).

The results were extremely impressive with the ref GC on my system. No image truncation in any plane. In fact, it remained static in size from before installation but the image specificity, clarity, removal of grunge, grit and grain, dynamic color, instrumental color, vividness and "you are there in the room with the action/music/musicions" was incredibly precise in any plane horizontal and vertical providing an immensely satisfying sonic result to film and BD audio high def discs.

Late last week, I received a set of the competitor models and hooked them in place of my ref GC's on my speakers after removing the ref GC's. I also hooked them on my amp outputs. Immediately, I was not happy with the results at all. The remaining superb benefits of the Walker HDL's remained but suddenly I lost all image precision I had enjoyed, a haze and grit ensued as if a blanket had been thrown over the soundfield and it became diffuse. After two days of installation to break in, not much changed.

Later, I found out my amp has floating outputs, not negative grounded so I removed them from the amp. Things improved a great deal and almost all of the grit/grain'haze disappeared but some haze and diffuse imaging remained. I lost the incredible spotlighting localization the ref GC's provided. It was as if someone turned out the lights on the system and I was in the dark, to a greater degree, again. Out went the competitor GE's and back in the ref GC's went.

Bang! Everything I found absolutely entrancing with the Walker Audio Reference Plus HDL's + ref GC's returned. I realized I can not live without this combination ever again.

I should note that I will be installing the Walker Audio Ref + HDL's on the woofer posts of the 4 main speakers tomorrow night along with the currently employed reference GC's and fully expect an improvement over what I have gained now, according to what I have read from W/A and others that use the HDL's in bi-wire/bi-amp applications. The bass is enhanced where one would not expect so in cleaning up ultrasonic garbage entering the speaker cables. This should prove most interesting as I am extremely happy so far.

I have ordered some standard GC RCA's for my amp RCA unused inputs and one for my reference HT receiver to see how they work on that end. I did note the competitor model GE's did NOT increase my soundstage further from the reference GC's, it remained static in size, nor did the GE's truncate the soundstage, either.

I understand I am somewhat of an anomaly so far in the competitor models. Please note that I did not find them, after they broke in my my speakers after about 36 hours or more, to be bad per se. And, if I probably had heard them without trying the ref GC's I would have found their improvement, over the system without them, to be very positive. It is just once I have had the immense pleasure of the reference GC's on my speakers they are, for my system and my listening sensibilities, the sin quo non with the Walker Audio's in tandem. There is, on my system, a synergistic and cumulative relationship that is most desireable and immensely satisfying, as of today.

Lastly, let me restate - this is my system and my results. They may very well be very different from the improvement other systems may provide. So, this is in no way a negative review or consideration of either product. I just want to be clear they were good, very good, in their own right.

Best to all,

Odd

Oddeophile, Good thing you did'nt sell your GC's Ref when you were thinking of getting the GE's.

I have only used the GE's on my Home theatere system. Except, I do however have one GC Ref RCA on my surround receiver and it seems to work well there.

My 2 channel system has all standard GC's.
I will state that I had the GC's Ref in both spades and RCA's and they did not sound very good with my system. It was too much upper midrange/treble glare along with a shrunken soundstage.
So, I only use the Standard GC's. I'm thinking that your combo of the GC Ref's + Walker links is what is making the sound connection for you.
Have you tried just the GC ref's without the Walker links?

Anyway, just goes to show that everyones system is different and experiment is the key.

P.S. I also tried Bud's simple 2 foot loop wire trick and it also worked pretty good . About 50% of what the GC's provide.

Ozzy,

Yeah, I had the ref GC's on my speakers a pair per speaker for bi-wire and bi-amp prior to insalling my first walkers on the upper posts. Loved 'em. Added the walkers on the upper posts and - wow. then, just added the walkers on the bass posts on wed night. they are breaking in now. Initially, whole system went totally dark and lacking definition. Typical of the first insert of the walkers as I experienced the same thing until after a few hours when they began to break in. Now, lightening and tightening up by the hour. I am immensely satisfied and still have at least 10 hours to go for the walkers to break in (total min 20 hours according to Walker). I just ordered some standard RCA's for this weekend which should arrive by tomorrow I am guessing. Should be interesting to add to amp/receiver/preamp areas one at a time once the walkers break in.

You are 100% correct these things are so system dependent. I did not have quite the glare you speak of with the refs, but I did with the EVS ones which are going back to Ric today via UPS. They created an immense glare at first for about 2 days on my systme then settled down but were fuzzy sounding compared tot he ultimate clarity I received with the ref GC's on my speakers.

This is an abject lesson to all reading - you gotta try these in all types and places to see how they work on your system. Everyone will be different.

Enjoy, Ozzy. Have fun.